GAZA: Syrian actor Durid Laham visits Gaza strip and attends the launching of a play highlighting women's life in Gaza

Record ID: 410436

  • Title: GAZA: Syrian actor Durid Laham visits Gaza strip and attends the launching of a play highlighting women's life in Gaza
  • Date: 30th July 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF PLAY, SAEED BITAR, SAYING: "It discusses the suffering of women in Gaza strip especially during the siege, the hardness of the political problems, and the separation between brothers. We discuss the women's heroism in a simple and delightful way. We speak about the women with simple words."
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA204RJT1D956I9QK95HX1AIIJK
  • Story Text: Syrian actor Durid Laham arrived in the Gaza strip on Saturday (July 25) for a two day visit to attend the launch of the play "The women of Gaza and the Patience of Jacob" and to visit areas damaged by the Israeli offensive last year.
    Laham who was originally banned from travelling through the Rafah crossing, was allowed to cross by the Egyptian government for his cultural trip.
    "We are standing in Gaza today and if we conjoin the West bank, particularly we will be standing on the remains of Palestine not on the lands of Palestine. The delay of completing the internal unity; to be one hand defending the invasion; makes me fear that these remains of homes will turn to pieces of homes," Laham told reporters after he met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
    The well known Syrian actor, who is famous for his comic character Ghawar el Toshe, inaugurated the local play called "The women of Gaza and the Patience of Jacob", aimed at highlighting the suffering of Gazan women during the offensive on the Gaza Strip last December.
    "It discusses the suffering of women in Gaza strip especially during the siege, the hardness of the political problems, and the separation between brothers. We discuss the women's heroism in a simple and delightful way. We speak about the women with simple words," play director, Saeed Bitar said.
    For the actresses, the play is a way to exchange culture and information with the whole world.
    "During this siege and this bitter reality, the Palestinian citizen is searching for a window, to look towards the world and for the world to look at him, so we hope that the theatre will be this window. We hope that what the politicians didn't fulfil, the artists will fulfil," Palestinian actress, Inas Sakka, said.
    Around 1,300 Palestinians were killed in Israeli operations, including over 300 children, Palestinian medical officials said.
    Thirteen Israeli civilians, nine soldiers and four civilians, were killed in the fighting.
    Egypt closed the Rafah crossing, which was the only passage for the 1.5 Gazans after Hamas took power from its rival Fatah in 2006.
    Israel also imposed sanctions and tightened border restrictions on the strip, after Hamas took power.
    In an agreement brokered by the US in 2005, the Rafah crossing cannot be opened without the presence of the Palestinian president's forces and European Union monitors.
    Durid Laham is the first Arab artist to visit the enclave since the September uprising in 2000.
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