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Bab Al-Hara”- The Neighbourhood Gate: The Syrian and the Palestinian



By:
Waleed Abu Sultan, Gaza
September 18th, 2009


Although Ramadan is the observance of fasting and worshiping for all Muslims around the world, a new tradition has been forged. Hundreds of TV productions were shown in order to entertain the people during their fasting days. Each one has its own plot and its own purpose. “The Neighborhood Gate” or what is known in Arabic as “Bab Al-Hara” has been shown on MBC I every night of Ramadan. People used to prepare themselves to watch it as they get out of Al Taraweeh prayers. According to the Palestinian people, especially the Gazans, Bab Al-Hara, the Syrian dramatic series, had the greatest attention of them. It has affected them a lot as men, women, elder people, and even children follow it up episode by episode. They stated that the fourth season of this series represents a special theme in their life since its plot is very close, and the same to some extant, like Gaza’s. This series, in its fourth season, translates the Syrian life in a period of time under the French occupation, and struggle of its people against the French aggression in a Gazan format!

Following the Israeli aggressive recent war against Gaza Strip in 2009, and grasping sympathy of people all over the world, Bab Al-Hara, has been brought to light to get that high number of attendances. In which this season completely mimics what happens in Gaza Strip; it has the same plot and the same theme. You can observe that by yourself. Since majority of the events of the series were just reflections of Gaza Events.

The first analogous event is the vivid social relationships between the populations. The people in Bab Al-Hara showed a great social cohesion that reflects the original Arabic culture; people there used to visit, to help, and to take care of each other. Likely, the Gazan society used to get this strong social solidarity. The people are used to offering helping hands for everybody. Even in the days during the recent war on Gaza, people used to assist each other by providing many shapes of support.

The other comparable point is the siege that hermetically imposed on the region. The French Army has hit a tight closure on the neighbourhood and banged its entrances and gates, so that non of the neighbourhood residents can move in and out. This shows what Gaza experiences; the Israeli occupation still imposes a very hermetic siege. The people, including patients who need medical treatment unavailable in Gaza, students who want to study in foreign universities, and families that yearn to visit their relatives, never can they travel neither in nor out. Also, the crossings and the entrances of the Gaza strip are getting bunged.

After striking the siege, the people tried to come across a solution that can lend them a hand to bear the tough situation and materials shortage. It was the same way that Gazans used. Gazans have been smuggling goods and gunrunning by the tunnels that are straggly exist on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders. Likewise, the people of the neighbourhood in the series tried to mimic this step. They used a water raceway to smuggle goods and contraband the firearms and rebels to the neighbourhood and vice versa.

Consequently, people of other regions were flounced in marches and demonstrations to support the city that suffers from the siege and to show solidarity. All neighborhoods people in the series have organized demonstrations to condemn the French siege on the neighborhood. In reality, many demonstrations were held to support Gaza and call to lift of the siege that was imposed by the Israeli occupation.

The enemy claimed that they hit that blockade as a result of imprisoning a group of thier soldiers by rebels of the towns. The rebels of the neighbourhood have captured a number of French solders who used to oppress and kill the innocent people. Likely, residence factions in Gaza have imprisoned an Israeli solder, Gilad Shalit, who used to share in military actions towards civil residents.

After realizing that the rebels will not release the foreigner prisoners for free, the enemy tried to launch attacks against their citadels. Those attacks were by fires between both sides. The Israeli Army still besieges Gaza and hit many sites all over the strip hoping to get his captured soldier back. This is what the French Army did during the series episodes; they launched many attacks against the places that the rebels are in. In the long run, they started to converge to negotiations as a peaceful suluation for this issue. talks started between both sides to end this issue, in fact.

Suddenly, a “mediator” appears to sponsor talks between both sides. The Egyptian mediator has played an essential role to bring views of Palestinian resistance factions and Israel together. In Bab Al-Hara, Mr. Ma’amoon, a high rank man, has appeared to become the mediator between the French Army and the rebels of the neighbourhood. However, there is a little bit difference. Negotiations between the French Army and the rebels have led to a deal; the prisoners got freed, the siege was left, and people came back to practice their life freely. Talks between Israel and residence factions go ups and downs, the satiation still remains languish since the Israeli solder is still captured and Gaza is seized; neither are prisoners freed, nor is the siege left, though.
Finally, this mediator has helped the oppressed people by letting humanitarian aids and assistance cross the threshold to the areas that are under the siege. Egypt let many convoys and caravans to go into Gaza to support its people by some basic humanitarian goods. In Bab Al-Hara, Mr. Ma’amoon was the one who interfered to enter aids to the neighbourhood populations while it was under the siege.

Ultimately, some could wonder if this is the exact story of Gaza Strip, or it just represents a period of time turned out in Syria under the French occupation! One would say that any occupied country would do these actions and more; thus, people who believe this is what happened in Syria during the French occupation will say that everything is under the sun since all people know what happened at that time, and they may consider it as something in common for all oppressed people. One, however, who considers that what happened in the series is just mimesis and imitation to Gaza evens would agree with those who say these procedures occur in any occupied area, but there is something new and did not happen somewhere except Gaza which is the sympathy of all people all over the world.

Therefore, do you think the writer of Bab Al-Hara, Kamal Mura, and the director of the series, Bassam Al Mulla, are tried to mimic the recent events in Gaza in this season even if the story merely tells what happened in Syria during the French occupation? At any rate, Palestinians, especially Gazans, will remain saying that the fourth season of this series, Bab Al-Haza, reminded them of what they experience of daily suffering and agony in reality
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