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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Celebrating Arab Deaf Awareness Week!


In honor of Arab Deaf Awareness Week, we have a very special gift to share with you! 

A massive amount of time and energy went into creating our gift, a very special music video about the deaf community living in Palestine. Not only is the music video about the deaf community living in Palestine, but also the lyrics are written and signed by those belonging to the deaf community.

The writers of the texts share their enthusiasm:

"I'm so happy due to the first song by the Deaf in Palestine! When I saw the final video, I started downright crying."
- Halimeh Sarabtah 

" I'm proud of myself because I am deaf. Despite the deep sorrow of the painful realities, we will continue to challenge the difficulties to deliver our message to all."
- Amineh Sarabtah

Halimeh, Amineh, and Abdullah share their authentic stories regarding the challenges they must face being deaf. Rap formation Palestine Street from Dheisheh refugee camp rap these original texts. Each verse drips with truth and fresh perspective. The video was produced by Tamara Abu Laban from Dheisheh refugee camp. 

This masterpiece came to life through collaboration between the hearing and deaf communities in the West Bank. However, the collaboration was about more than simply producing a stellar music video; we want to produce continual solidarity between these communities. 



Please assist us in generating global solidarity and awareness!
We ask you to please share this unique gift of music in honor of the deaf community living in Palestine! 



Verse 1
The sun rises
A beautiful girl dresses into school uniform
She arrives to class and sits at her desk
She sees the teacher speaking, but she didn’t hear
She complains, but the teacher didn’t understand
It’s the situation of silence,
‘From inside, I’m talking
But there is no response
I try to express myself, but they face me in rejection’
She didn’t try the to write her papers
Rather she paints an educational system that needs to be destroyed
The time is up, and the paper remains empty
Who must be blamed?
A deaf person who has the right to receive special treatment,
Or and educational system who does not recognize special needs?
So the result is no ink on the paper
She fails, but not because she didn’t study
It’s not about difficulty in learning
But it’s the problem of adapting to a disorganized educational system
‘They want me to learn, but without a translator
In the class everyone was talking
And I was trying to understand, but I couldn’t
There’s a feeling that something is missing
Am I different, or is the community just crooked?
Not accepting a deaf who needs to learn

Verse 2
I have 17 certificates
Yet it’s impossible to find a job
Why? I don’t know
I’m qualified, capable and I am not disabled
Unfortunately I am living in a society that can’t communicate with deaf people
I want to do something for the country
But the people in the country don’t want anything to do with me
I don’t want your sympathy
I want you to appreciate me
Together we can build a community, which will accept me
There is no equality in marginalization
I refuse to live on the margin with minds that have intellectual apathy
I am deaf, but I am able to say what’s on my mind
Erase your tears; do not cry
I am not indigent
Your sadness for me is a knife in my heart
I want you to actually know me
I want to build communication bridges
If I am just some dependent obstacle,
God would have never created me

Verse 3
After the difficulties in graduation and finding a job
I wanted to marry,
But I was confused
Shall I marry a girl who talks or a girl who is deaf?
But I wasn’t given any choices
The community is not for the deaf girl, because we’ll make deaf children
But between the talking girl and I,
There’s no communication
I am deaf, but I have feelings
I just want to marry a deaf girl
It’s not discrimination
But it’s just addressing my reality
The reality that represses my category
So what’s next?
Are the people going to give me my freedom?
Will they take my case into consideration?
Do not deny my existence
I have my own identity
We can’t change our place or the time
But we can change the human mind
For those who talk,
I have a question
If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?

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