Palestinian doctor, author and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Izzeldin Abuelaish told the story of his native Gaza Strip and of his own personal tragedy to a packed room Thursday at USM’s Hannaford Lecture Hall in Portland.
Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor practicing medicine in an Israeli hospital, has become known in the Middle East and around the world as an advocate for peace, a voice of reason in a dialogue often dominated by extremists on both sides. He is the author of “I Shall Not Hate,” which tells the story of his life and his work as a humanitarian.
The central thesis of Abuelaish’s work as an advocate of peace is a rejection of hate and extremism as anything but a further perpetuation of violence.
“Hate is a poison,” he said during his speech. “You will never recover from it.”
Abuelaish told the audience about his journey from an impoverished childhood as a refugee, to his career as a medical doctor working in an Israeli hospital.
“I learned from my life that nothing, I tell you nothing, is impossible,” he said.
Despite his successes, however, Abuelaish and his family were not immune to tragedy.
In 2008 Abuelaish’s wife died of leukemia, and only four months later, three of his daughters and a niece were killed when two Israeli tank shells exploded in a bedroom of their home in Gaza City.
After describing the incident in graphic detail, Abuelaish spoke about his choice to turn away from bitterness and hate. Instead he said he came away from the tragedy with a deep commitment to ending the violence that took the lives of his loved ones. “I fully believe everything from God is good,” he said. “And this accident must be invested for good.”
Abuelaish founded Daughters for Life Foundation, a charity that promotes education for Palestinian girls and women. The foundation, based in Canada, provides financial awards to girls seeking careers in medicine, law, business administration and journalism, according to their website. In his speech, Abuelaish explained how he chose the focus of Daughter for Life. “Education of women and girls is the key for developing any country,” he said.
Abuelaish has rejected hate, but he did not hide his anger, condemning the hardships experienced by Palestinian refugees like himself his fellow Gazans. “This suffering is man-made,” he said. “It is not from God. I wasn’t born with it.”
Though speaking at length about his personal experience, Abuelaish shied away from pity. “I am coming to speak to you not to tell my story,” he said. “It is a human story; it is everyone’s story.”
Abuelaish urged the audience to always take action against injustice and to never give up hope. “Apathy is what allows evil,” he said. “Every one of us can do something.”
The event was organized by Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights and the USM Multiculturalism Center. Abuelaish’s speech was preceded by a reception in the lobby of the Abromson Community Education Center, with Middle Eastern food and music, as well as an exhibit of art by Palestinian children presented by the Middle East Children’s Alliance.