This piece tells the story of Yara, a young woman in Gaza City, whose cherished Christmas tradition has been shattered by the ongoing conflict. What was once a time of warmth, celebration, and fellowship at her beloved church, Saint Porphyrius, has become a haunting reminder of loss, fear, and displacement.
The usual festivities have been replaced with silence and sorrow as families mourn the loss of loved ones and the destruction of their homest’s almost Christmas , and I always like to be the first one to wish my best friend, Yara, a merry Christmas as she’s always the first one to wish me a happy Eid on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adh.
That was until 19 October 2023 when an Israeli airstrike damaged its sacred walls and claimed the lives of at least. “Israel not only kills our people but makes us live in constant fear of who’s next, leaving us with no time to even mourn,” Yara told me, her voice trembling with emotion.The church that once echoed with joyous hymns and laughter had become a haunting reminder of loss and despair.
Now in Australia, Yara says she’s “grateful that I’m safe in Australia and wandering the streets of Melbourne makes my inner child happy, but the happiness is incomplete while my people back home are still in danger.” Also, “Watching people standing in lines to buy gifts just reminds me of standing in lines the same time last year to buy bread.” What makes the transition easier for her is the welcoming environment she found in Australia.
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