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(photos by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)
The MCC Palestine team arrived to Daher Nassar’s farm via a narrow country road south of Bethlehem near the village of Nahhalin. About half a kilometer away from the farm we were confronted with a large earth mound blocking the road, a mound put there by the Israeli military to limit access to the farm. So we parked and walked the rest of the way to the farm. Daher and his family own and run the farm and organization called Tent of Nations, which is affiliated with Bethlehem Bible College, a long time friend of MCC in Palestine.
The farm is home to horses, goats, chickens and two welcoming dogs named Ahlan and Sahlan (Ahlhan wa Sahlan is the common Arabic welcome). The farm has vineyards, green houses, olive tree groves, and wheat fields. The few buildings that do exist on the farm are painted with elaborate murals and mosaics done by internationals and children from the neighbouring villages.
And yet, although this farm exudes joy and hope, it has faced much adversity. On the neighbouring hilltops surrounding the farm stand four illegal (according to international law) Israeli settlements: Beitar Illit, Neve Daniel, Elazar and Rosh Tzurim. Daher remembers how as a child, at night, he could not see any lights on the surrounding hills. Now volunteers say they can read without a flashlight–that the glow from the settlements suffices. Daher says that during last year’s “freeze” on settlements, his neighbours kept building and expanding.
This is in stark contrast to what is permitted on Daher’s farm. Daher has not been allowed to build on his farm. The tents for volunteers that sit on the property, the main washroom that has water access, and the greenhouse all have demolition orders from the Israeli military. Daher has not been allowed develop electricity nor lay water pipes to have access to running water. He has even been warned by the Israeli military that the old van that houses pigeons, is not allowed.
Although there are roadblocks and fences, settlers often appear on his land, harassing Daher and even destroying his olive trees.
A few years ago when I lived in Bethlehem, feeling the despair of the occupation around me, I wrote an article for the Canadian Mennonite, entitled “Living Life Inshallah (God Willing).”
In the article, I addressed how in Palestine every appointment, meeting, and activity is scheduled with the concluding phrase “inshallah” or “God willing.” This became a necessary way of life as checkpoints and incursions would get in the way of events. Yet this way of living also impacted how I saw my Christian witness of nonviolence. Living life inshallah is no idle resignation; it is actively seeking and working for justice, even when injustice and violence abound. We work for justice because we rely on God and God’s coming kingdom of love, justice, and peace. I wrote,
In reality, we know things may not turn out ‘positive’ but through our trust in God we have hope, and our actions need to reflect our trust in God and God’s coming kingdom. … Thus, our hope comes not from our own work, but the work of God. This hope is not optimism but rather a hope rooted in the action of following in the path of Jesus, which requires living a life for the liberation of others regardless of the results, with an attitude that inshallah it will happen.
Last week I was reminded of these words upon meeting Daher. Daher refuses to give into the norms that are pressed upon him. He continues to work with hope when it would be normal to despair. Daher operates his farm in the spirit of inshallah. After witnessing the destruction and oppression the Israeli military and settlers have impressed on his land and his people it would be not be a surprise for him to hate them. Yet he has had settlers over for tea to explain his situation, and has even hosted a football match for Palestinian and Israeli children so that they can meet each other. He lives true to the words on his welcome sign that says, “We refuse to be enemies.”
Despite the obstacles, the Nassar family remains on their land, building, planting, and harvesting. Since he cannot lay pipes for water, he digs cisterns and builds composting toilets. Since he cannot be part of the electrical grid, he installs solar panels. He continues to farm and continues to be steadfast. His response to the settlers destroying some of his trees: “For every one tree they destroy, I will plant 10.”
Daher leads us in singing in the underground chapel. (photo by Rachelle Friesen)
Since he cannot build buildings on his land, Daher digs caves for offices and bedrooms for volunteers. At the end of our tour of the farm, we gather in one of these caves that he has turned into a small chapel. Despite the violence around him, despite the unjust challenges he faces on a daily basis, Daher leads us in singing a praise song reminiscent of my childhood “Alleiua, Praise Ye the Lord.”
Hearing this song, I could not help but ask Daher what keeps him singing praises to God when he faces such oppression. He responded that it is because he has hope that one day there will be justice and he will be able to live in peace on his land. As we sang our next song “We Shall Overcome,” I smiled at how Daher is a living example of living life inshallah.
