Ziad Ali - زياد علي

I am a Palestinian in Diaspora. I never lived or been to the Holy Land, but for us, the Palestinians who live far away from their Palestine, I  feel that we live it (Palestine) more than the people living in it. We talk about it, we download its pictures, its songs and bond with Palestinians. I feel I have an emptiness, a void in my identity, and in my life. I do not have a country - where is my country? I cant go there...
 

What is it like?

If you ask me, what is palestine for me; what do I see in my dream how do I vision it? I tell you one thing: JERUSALEM is over my bed; right above my head there is a horizontal picture of Jerusalem with all the holy sites.

What do I see when I look at it?

I see Salah Eddin. I see faith full of prayers, devotion sacrifice, stones with a history, men with pride, and women with honor. I see Al Aqsa, with me on its ground, kneeling with modesty and respect.
 

And I pray and pray, quietly.

I stand and I stare from a point, where I can see the wall {of Jerusalem} and the Al Aqsa at the same time and wonder ...

I visit the churches, where Jesus was born and I pray again. I stand in front of the church which the crusades searched for and I wonder again...

I leave the Old City to go to the gates and I stand in front of Salah Eddin gateway and imagine myself walking on the same stones he once walked upon, where the blood was as  high as horses heels in order to free Jerusalem and become its liberator, and off course I wonder...

I see a horse, a Jerusalemite, the sun, and an olive tree..
 

And wonder when will this dream come true.