Manar al-Sharif (born 1997/1998)[1] is a Palestinian Syrian journalist and peace activist.[2]

Early life and education

Al-Sharif was born in Syria and raised in Damascus, Syria,[3] although her father was from Gaza.[4] She and her family moved to Cairo, Egypt in 2013, due to the Syrian civil war.[4][5] Al-Sharif wanted to attend college, but her conservative religious parents were reluctant to allow her to.[4][5] They eventually gave permission for al-Sharif to study at the Islamic University of Gaza.[4][5] Al-Sharif traveled to Gaza in 2017 to study journalism at the university, but she dropped out after a few months,[4] citing the “Hamas propaganda” at the school, saying "It wasn’t professional and it wasn’t journalism".[5]

Career

Al-Sharif, who had been teaching herself English for years, first began writing for American, Australian, and Israeli publications.[4][5] She published under a pseudonym when writing for the Israeli publications, out of fear of retribution.[5] She primarily wrote about life in the Gaza strip, particularly the struggles faced by women and children.[4][5]

During this time, Al-Sharif also became involved with the Gaza Youth Committee, and later became part of its leadership.[5]

In 2019, al-Sharif, with the Gaza Youth Committee, organized two bicycle races to bring attention to the struggles of the Gazan population, and as a way to provide safe recreation to Gazan youth.[3][6]

Also in 2019, al-Sharif spent two nights in jail after being arrested for holding an event at her home with both men and women as guests.[5]

In April 2020, al-Sharif was arrested after advertising a Zoom event called "Skype with your enemy" that included Israeli speakers; several of the event planners were also arrested.[5][7][8] She went on to spend three months in a women's prison.[5] She spent some of this time in solitary confinement, and went on a two-week hunger strike to protest the prison conditions.[5] She was released on bail in June 2020.[8] After her release, she returned to Cairo in October before moving to the UAE.[4][7]

Personal life

In 2021, al-Sharif was accepted to a Canadian university.[5] As of 2023, she was living in the United Arab Emirates still navigating the complex diplomatic channels that will allow her to attend university in Canada.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Jaffe-Hoffman, Maayan (2019-05-06). "'My kids are screaming' – Palestinians in Gaza tell 'Post' they are afraid". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  2. ↑ Norlian, Allison. "Life In Gaza: A Syrian Woman's Experiences With Hamas And Her Work To Improve Israeli/Palestinian Relations". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  3. 1 2 Rocchi, Daniele (May 16, 2019). "Striscia di Gaza: giovani israeliani e palestinesi costruiscono la pace a colpi di pedale e di video-chiamate Skype". La Difesa del Popolo (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Zivotofsky, Ari Z.; Greenspan, Ari (2023-03-28). "Beyond the Biggest". Mishpacha Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Jaffe-Hoffman, Maayan (2021-12-16). "One Arab woman's journey - from Gaza to Canada". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  6. ↑ Miller, Elhanan (June 24, 2019). "Israelis and Gazans negotiate political potholes to bicycle for peace". Plus 61J Media.
  7. 1 2 Rasgon, Adam (2020-10-26). "Gaza Court Convicts Peace Activists for Video Call With Israelis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  8. 1 2 "Hamas releases two men held since April for speaking with Israelis online". www.jewishnews.co.uk. October 31, 2020. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
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