27 June 2016
Ramadan in Gaza
Two years ago, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan month was different in Gaza. Muslim residents spent the long days fasting under shelling and falling missiles. The month was hot and tragic, and people lost their houses and their beloved ones.
But even the attacks didn’t prevent people from continuing their annual Ramadan traditions, such as the selling of special food and drinks in the streets and shops and the celebrations of the holy month. If you were to walk along the streets in Gaza, you’d notice the distinctive scenes.
The day begins with the magical sound of drums before the dawn. In every neighbourhood there’s a man who walks and sings traditional and religious songs, waking people to have their ‘Suhoor’: the meal eaten before a new day of fasting.
During the day, as you see people at work, in the streets, or in their houses sleeping, you would find that no one is eating. All food shops, restaurants and café shops are closed, and their day instead starts during the late afternoon. A few hours before the breaking of the fast – the ‘Iftar’ meal – the smell of cooking starts to fill the air. Men and children sell rocket, radishes and pink pickles on street corners in each of Gaza’s neighbourhoods. Streets become crowded, and in houses across Gaza, housewives are cooking and watching the special Arabic TV shows shown during Ramadan. Everyone is waiting for the time to come when families gather at one big table, looking at the food and wishing to break their fast quickly.
Year on year, each Ramadan in Gaza occurs amid a worsening economic situation. The blockade and closure of Gaza is now in its tenth year, during which period the territory has endured repeated attacks by Israel. Many young people struggle to find work and the World Bank has reported that about 43% of Gaza's 1.8 million residents are unemployed; a figure it says is the highest in the world. Youth unemployment reached about 60 per cent by the end of last year.
Qatayef sellers
One ubiquitous food sold during Ramadan is ‘Qatayef’. Expert cooks pour pancake-like batter onto a hot metal plate with a fire under it, and scoop it into small, perfectly uniform circles. These are then filled with white cheese or nuts and coconuts and then fried, dipped in sugar syrup, and enjoyed as a traditional post-Iftar dessert.
Rafeeq Al Salmi, 33, studied accounting at university, but started making and selling Qatayef for the first time this year in the Beach refugee camp to make ends meet. “This couldn’t be a main income to me and my family, but at the same time the economic situation in Gaza is bad, so we wanted to make something to help,” he says. “Especially as Eid Al-Fitr is coming after Ramadan and we need money to buy necessary things, like clothes for my children.”
“This is my first time to work in selling Qatayef. When Ramadan began I asked a couple of Qatayef makers to work with me for five days so I could learn the right way of preparing it, then they left me to continue by myself.”
A large proportion of society is unemployed, and many people have started begging in streets for money and food, especially children.
One advantage for these sellers is that it is not necessary to have a shop to sell Qatayef. Abu Talal Al Ghazali sells Qatayef in the street in front of his house in Gaza City every Ramadan: “I have been doing this small business for almost 40 years, and my family used to work in making desserts,” he says. “However, this work is not enough to cover basic expenses like food and drink. I wait to do this job every year, and we are three families living and depending on this job. I only work in Ramadan, and after it ends we stay at home not working.”
“This situation is bad, and I think last Ramadan was better,” he continues. “That’s because of the economic and political situation, which has a big impact on our lives.”
But life in Gaza has not always been so difficult, he recalls: “I remember during the last war in 2014, I sold more Qatayef than now. The blockade has affected workers in general. I used to work in Israel a long time ago, and now there are no jobs. A large proportion of society is unemployed, and many people have started begging in streets for money and food, especially children.”
“I can’t know if Ramadan will be the same next year, but I hope situation gets better soon.”
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Featured image: A qatayef seller plies his wares on a Gaza street (Photo: Lara Aburamadan)
