(Zaman Al Wasl) This year's Eid al-Adha holiday is a heavy burden for the displaced people in the eastern region of Qalamoun in Damascus’ countryside. The holiday brings with it bitter memories which the war is trying to erase. However, the warm welcome of the people in the region gave the displaced persons a chance to take their breath and the hope that they will live safely again. Other than lessening their bitter feelings due to their displacement from their towns.
Oum Ali, a 55-year-old woman, arrived in al-Rahiba city weeks ago as part of the convoys that transported the Saraya Ahl al-Sham from the Arsal groves into the area. She is currently living in one of the schools allocated to shelter the newly arrived in the city temporarily.
Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, she said, “For years we have been suffering from the bitterness of displacement from one town to another, and it has been a long time since we celebrated this occasion especially in light of the difficult days that we lived in the Arsal camps. Days filled with fear and constant worry about raids and sudden arrests by the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah”.
She added that her arrival with her family to al-Rahiba had given them the opportunity to catch their breath after being overwhelmed by the siege and the displacement. Life in the camps is very harsh because of the harsh living conditions caused by repeated displacement from one place to another and the sound of bullets being fired from all sides.
About Eid al-Adha in al-Rahiba, she explained that it differs greatly from the previous Eid holidays. “My children found themselves some friends and went with them to the Eid prayer, while my grandchildren are planning to go with the other neighborhood children to the playground to play and entertain themselves.” She added that she had exchanged congratulations and blessings with some of the women in the city. She said that the festive atmosphere in al-Rahiba is beautiful, and it is clear that the city residents are happy despite the siege the city is living.
“Our neighbors gave us sweets and food, and they were very friendly and did not deny us anything from the first day we came here, and this relieves us a bit from the harsh living conditions,” she said.
The situation appears a little different for Oum Ammar, a mother of four, who moved to al-Rahiba, her husband’s birth place, from the Eastern Ghouta three years ago. Since coming to the city, she has been living in a rented apartment with her family. According to Oum Ammar, there are large disparities in the way residents are celebrating Eid due to the differences in financial possibilities between households. She added that most of the lower income families in the area are celebrating the Eid in simple ways.
“Life is very expensive for the displaced because they have nothing, and although my husband works as a blacksmith, I was unable to buy all the clothes for my children, because of the high prices and the poor condition,” she commented while speaking to Zaman al-Wasl. “Although I was buying cheap clothes, I did not succeed in buying new clothes for all my children this holiday,” she added.
In an attempt to maintain as much of the Eid traditions as possible, Oum Ammar explained that one the morning of Eid, she and her husband made sure they gave their three sons a small sum of money. She explained that giving the money is an essential tradition of the Eid and regardless of the difficult economic conditions, giving the children the money gives the Eid a special feeling.
“We replace the traditional Eid sweets with cheap varieties of pastries, some candies as well, and we economize in quantities as much as possible, and the joy of Eid is necessary, and the desserts have a strong impact in the hearts of children,” she added.
Wafaa, a retired ‘women’s arts’ teacher school in the area, launched a unique individual humanitarian initiative. Alongside her daughters, she makes homemade sweets, and they relegate the largest proportion of the sweets to the poor and displaced families that recently arrived in eastern Qalamoun.
Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, she commented, “the living conditions deprived many [people] of the joy of the Eid, and we as the people of the region, must lessen the suffering of the displaced families and share the joy and happiness of the Eid. The Eid in its rituals has mercy and values that people must preserve”.
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