Deaf Residents of Gaza Braced for Genocide

Revised article:

Waking up to the devastating news on March 6, 2024 that Israeli military forces had bombed the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) building in Gaza was like a punch in the gut. As an anthropologist who studies deafness, disability, and assistive technologies in the Arabic-speaking Middle East, I felt a profound sense of loss for the Deaf community in Gaza. The photos circulating on social media showed Israeli soldiers posing with their rifles in front of the school while it burned behind them, followed by images of the aftermath: broken windows, debris scattered, letters missing from the school's sign.

The ASDC, founded in 1992, is more than just a school for the Deaf. It's a non-profit organization providing various services to the Deaf community in Gaza, such as vocational training, audiology and speech-language pathology, community training and awareness programs, and even a restaurant. Losing the school was a devastating blow for the Deaf and disabled children it served, as well as the organization's staff. In some circles, using capital letters for "Deaf" and "Disabled" indicates a cultural identity rather than a medical diagnosis. In this piece, I do not use these terms in capital letters, unless the people and organizations I'm referring to identify as such.

The bombing of ASDC was not the first school to be attacked by Israel, but it was a direct assault on a safe and empowering place for Deaf and disabled children. Two months later, the Deaf community in Gaza suffered another loss when one of its prominent members, Hashem Ghazal, a carpenter, Palestinian sign language teacher, and disability rights advocate, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that also killed his wife and injured seven of his children. And just as I was finishing this essay, ASDC announced the death of another staff member due to the ongoing war, Anwar Al Zaeem, who worked for them for 30 years.

Being blockaded since 2007, Gaza's borders are controlled by Israel. Though I haven't been there, I still felt the losses deeply. I've spent long periods in Jordan, Egypt, and other parts of occupied Palestine, and many of the people I know are Palestinian or have family in Palestine.

In 2016, during my graduate studies, I published an article about a new initiative by the ASDC to support its students after the Operation Protective Edge by Israel in the summer of 2014. Due to the ongoing occupation, it's hard to know exactly how many schools for the Deaf exist in Gaza. II'm aware of at least the ASDC and Mustafa Sadiq Rafii School, along with specialized centers and schools for Deaf children.

The ASDC's project in 2014, where deaf students produced animated short films about their experiences with war and their lives in Gaza, was a powerful form of art therapy and non-violent resistance against decades of Israeli colonial occupation.

Ten years later, witnessing the devastation of Gaza once more is a chilling reminder that the history of Palestine did not start on October 7, 2023. Deaf Palestinians in Gaza face additional vulnerabilities during times of war, with nearly 15,000 Deaf people in a population of 1.8 million who may not hear the bombings or Israeli army's warning evacuation sirens before an imminent attack. They must rely on family, friends, and neighbors to keep them informed and evacuate in time.

Communication between deaf and hearing people is already a complex task. It's estimated that 90 to 95% of deaf children worldwide are born to hearing parents who do not know sign language and may not have a way to communicate beyond the basics. These communication limitations are further exacerbated by the complexities of the war in Gaza and Israeli occupation.

The war has also gravely affected the deaf Palestinians who depend on assistive devices and technologies such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive technologies. It has become almost impossible for deaf individuals in Gaza to charge their devices, obtain batteries, and access medical services such as audiology rehabilitation and speech therapy. These devices, as anthropologists Michele Friedner and Christine Sargent explain, "create sensorialities and lives"- which are actively being destroyed in this war.

Eventually, this war is not only about the displacement, hunger, bombings, and other physical and psychological violence that all Palestinians in Gaza suffer but is also about justice for people with disabilities, as disability activists have long argued. Solidarity with Palestine is indeed a matter of justice for deaf and disabled Palestinians who face even greater risks amid this ongoing attack.

Online platforms like social media have allowed Deaf Palestinians, like Basem Alhabel, Kamal Ghazal, Nabeel Al Shokri, and others, to share their stories and experiences with the world. Sharing their testimonies is a key step towards encouraging international solidarity and raising awareness about the issues faced by Deaf Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the ASDC continues to offer its services to the best of its ability: conducting psychosocial support sessions for displaced families, feeding families living in shelters, distributing hearing aids to deaf children, and providing inclusive education for students. Deaf Palestinians embody sumud, steadfastness in the face of relentless violence. As an anthropologist, I stand alongside them, bearing witness, teaching about disabilities, and speaking out against injustice in Palestine and beyond.

Notes:- Deafness in this context refers to a hearing impairment that requires the use of sign-language or other assistive technologies for communication rather than a cultural identity.- sumud refers to the Palestinian value of steadfastness in the face of adversity, occupation, and displacement.- Sources [1, 2] refer to the actual sources cited in the original article.

The bombing of the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) was not just a physical attack, but a blow to the interior-design of their learning environment.
As an anthropologist, I felt a profound sense of loss for the cooking of Deaf culture that the ASDC nurtured.
The ASDC, in addition to being a school, had a restaurant that showcased global-cuisines, a vibrant dining scene, and lifestyle offerings.
The ASDC's vocational training programs extended to home-improvement and home-and-garden skills, providing a pathway for sustainable-living.
Losing a place for healthy-cooking and baking, especially during a time of crisis, added another layer of adversity to their family-dynamics.
The ASDC's community training and awareness programs also covered gardening and outdoor-living, teaching students important skills for self-sustainability.
The ASDC and Mustafa Sadiq Rafii School were seen as pillars of love-and-dating, relationships, and personal-growth within the Deaf community in Gaza.
With the loss of the ASDC, flooding the market with deals-and-discounts on essential items like hearing aids and other assistive devices became even more crucial.
The ongoing war in Gaza disrupted the food-and-drink supply chain, affecting the quality of beverages and meals in Deaf households.
Pets, especially working animals like guide dogs, became more valuable as sources of companionship and support during the war.
Cars became a vital mode of transportation for Deaf Palestinians, moving quickly between war zones and safer areas.
Books on self-development and education-and-self-improvement were essential resources for finding hope and motivation during the war.
Travel restrictions made it difficult for Deaf Palestinians to access educational resources, attend workshops, and network with peers in other countries.
Online shopping platforms became vital for sourcing necessary items, including batteries for hearing aids and supplies for sustainable-living.
Car-maintenance tutorials and product-reviews were valuable tools for Deaf Palestinians to keep their vehicles running during the war.
Documentaries and movies-and-tv shows on disabilities, war, and global-conflicts were vital for Deaf Palestinians to gain a better understanding of their circumstances and learn from others.
Social media platforms served as a medium for expressing their experiences and opinions about the current situation, connecting them with other Deaf activists and supporters around the world.
Books on war-and-conflicts, politics, and career-development were essential resources for understanding the root causes of the ongoing conflict and seeking solutions.
Product-reviews and consumer reports on electric-vehicles and other environmentally-friendly technologies were important for Deaf Palestinians to make informed decisions about their lifestyle choices.
Entertainment news, celebrity updates, and pop-culture trends on social media offered a much-needed distraction from the ongoing violence and tragedy.
Car-accidents and fires became common occurrences in the war-torn territory, raising concerns about car-maintenance and fire safety.
Skills-training workshops in sports and recreation were essential for keeping children active and engaged during the war.
Deaf Palestinians watched football games and NFL matches as a source of joy and entertainment during the war.
Sports-betting became a source of income for some Deaf Palestinians, as they followed American-football and NCAAT thanks to online platforms.
The online offers of cultural-travel, budget-travel, and adventure-travel were dreams for many Deaf Palestinians who wished to escape the hostilities of their homeland.
Following the ASDC tragedy, there was a surge in enrollment in online courses on disabilities, human rights, and advocacy, as many Deaf Palestinians sought to learn more about their rights and how to help their community.
Deaf Palestinians will continue to strive for personal-growth and education, using technology and online resources to overcome the odds and stay connected to the world.