GAZA CITY (Gaza Strip) — Afaf Al-Najar had discovered a way out from Gaza.
The 19-year old won a scholarship to study communication in Turkey. She also obtained all travel documents and paid $500 to skip long lines at Egypt’s Rafah crossing.
She arrived at the border on Sept. 21 but was stopped by Egypt or Israel, who have imposed a 14 year blockade on Gaza Strip. Instead, she was stopped by a male guardianship law, which Hamas, an Islamic militant group, has enacted.
She said that she was truly broken down when the border officials took her bags from her bus. “My eyes began to water, and I couldn’t even stand up. They brought a chair for me… They had to bring a chair for me…I felt like my dream was being robbed.”
Since 2007, Hamas took control of Gaza and has made it difficult to travel in or out of the coastal territory. Israel, which has fought four wars against Hamas and most recently in May says that the blockade is necessary to stop militants from rearming. Critics see it as collective punishment.
Hamas repeatedly called for the lifting of the blockade. In February, Hamas’ Islamic court issued a notice stating that unaccompanied women must be accompanied by a male “guardian”, a husband, relative or son, in order to travel beyond the territory.
Hamas authorities changed the ruling to remove the requirement after a backlash from human rights groups. It was changed to say that a male relative could petition a court to prohibit a woman traveling if it would cause “absolute harm.” Women can’t prevent men from travelling.
Hamas has not taken any steps to impose Sharia (or Islamic law) on Gaza over the years. Even then, it has often retreated from criticism. It doesn’t share the radical ideology of extremist factions like the Islamic State group.
However, the amended law is still in force.
Al-Najar was separated from her father when he filed a petition. The court stopped her travel so it could review it. She is now living with her mother, who she says has cut all contact with her since May. For comment, he could not be reached.
Officials from Hamas did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Human Rights Watch, an organization based in New York, has called for Hamas’ lifting of its restrictions.
It stated that Hamas’s authorities should lift Afaf Al-Najar’s travel ban and that the Supreme Judicial Council should revoke its notice to ensure women in Gaza are able to travel freely without discriminatory restrictions.
Al-Najar was turned away at the border. She appealed to several local human rights organizations, but they refused to help her out, fearing reprisals from Hamas. She eventually filed a petition to stop the ban.
The first hearing was postponed because her father did not show up. The judge asked her why she was traveling abroad, and she suggested that she could study at one of Gaza’s universities.
Al-Najar speaks fluent English and teaches it. She dreams of becoming a journalist. She believes that Turkey, a multi-cultural country, offers opportunities not available in Gaza. Gaza is very isolated from the outside world.
Because her father was ill, the hearing was rescheduled a second time. His new lawyer stated that he needed to review the case and postponed it a third time.
The scholarship was valid for one year. However, if al-Najar doesn’t make it to Turkey before then, the scholarship will be cancelled.
She isn’t giving up.
She said, “I realized no one was going to help me except myself.” “I decided to fight instead of crying in my bedroom and feeling defeated. “I chose to fight for my first time in my entire life.”
