Product Description

Battered by repeated suicide bombs, the Israeli army invaded Palestine in April 2002 and held many of the principal towns, including Ramallah under siege. A tank stood at the end of Raja Shehadeh's road; there were Israeli soldiers on the roof tops of the neighbouring block of flats; and four soldiers took over his brother's flat, while his children tried to carry on playing with their game boys. This is an account of what it is like to be under siege: the terror, the frustrations, the humiliations and the rage. How can you pass your time when you are a prisoner in your own home? What do you do when you cannot cross the neighbourhood to help your sick mother? What is it really like to be under occupation?In extraordinarily clear prose, writer and activist, Raja Shehadeh kept a diary of occupation. It is a completely absorbing, profoundly moving and politically important document.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #653364 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
'Shehadeh's voice is a rare one...angry yet dispassionate, committed yet free.' Michael Ignatieff

About the Author
Raja Shehadeh is the author of the highly praised memoir, Strangers in the House. He is a Palestinian lawyer and writer who lives in Ramallah. He is a founder of the pioneering, non-partisan human rights organisation, Al-Haq, an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, and the author of several books about international law, human rights and Middle East.

Customer Reviews

A short but powerful book
When the Bulbul Stopped Singing is culled from the writings of Palestinian lawyer Raja Shehadeh as he chronicles the terrifying and destructive behaviour of the Israeli army in the spring of 2002.
What was supposed to be a siege of the town of Ramallah was, in fact, a brutal occupation of people's homes, businesses and lives. Wanton death and destruction was everywhere, as the author is compelled to remain imprisoned in his house by curfew, pacing the floors for exercise and writing to keep himself sane.
Meanwhile, across town, his elderly mother is all alone and his brother's house has been taken over by Israeli soldiers while the children cower in fear.

This was an eye-opener of a book.
Living in Dubai, sympathies lie with the Palestinians, but I would challenge people from anywhere in the world to support the behaviour of these soldiers. It left me reeling with the inability of the UN to prevent such atrocities.
I recently read Living in Modern Times by Linda Grant: A Jewish girl moves out to Palestine after WWII. This novel narrated the start of the problem that has led to the current situation and was also fascinating.
I am now on a search for similar books to give me a view through the years from both sides.