Jerusalemites: Ahmad's story

Ahmad like everyone of us has a right to speak. He wanted to share what's on his mind. “I was born in the old city of Jerusalem and raised in Ram. Ram is a Palestinian city but before it used to be a part of Jerusalem. I studied computer engineering in Nablus. During studying my life was terrible because the war broke out in 2004. It was horrible…I missed Jerusalem at that time so much. I used to go back home every weekend. After my graduation I moved back to Jerusalem. It was hard to find a job in my profession so I went to work at a hotel. But afterwards I said to myself 'you are crazy…this job is killing your future'. So I started searching for another job while thinking about opening my private business. And it happened. I opened up a computer shop outside of Jerusalem. The first two years were okay but after the third year I realized I wasn't making enough money so eventually I closed it down. And again I started looking for a job and fortunately I joined a company in Jerusalem. Living in Jerusalem was very expensive and my life became uneasy… I was feeling down more and more… so I went to Herzliya and I got a job there. Herzliya was my best pick. I jointed a marketing company and ever since I have been working for them. Well… Jerusalem… I couldn't get this kind of job I had studied for. I went to human resources many times and never got what I asked for. Nobody was helpful. I am an Arab and I didn't get this kind of support I needed in Jerusalem. So… I thought that I should go up the north where they don't care if I am the Arab. Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Haifa… there are very open-minded people. Only in Jerusalem I don't feel equal. Police checks my ID everywhere I go. Why is that? There are so many people…why don't they check other guys too? I feel like a stranger. It's my home but I don't feel I belong here… I am thinking of moving away. Maybe to Europe. I do want to work on my life. There won't be any check points… nobody asking what I do, where I go… I will be just free. I want to feel this freedom. I want to be free.” There is something else I want to say about our traditions. Lots of things are changing. Girls are no longer obligated to cover their heads. They don't get married with a “chosen husband”. They have a right to choose whoever they want to marry. We do respect them. It's bullshit what people say about us. Everyone should just come and see what the true is. People need to find out for themselves, with their own eyes, how our life looks like and afterwards they can judge us.” Normal 0 21 false false false PL X-NONE HE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Standardowy; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;}

Jerusalemites: Ahmad's story

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Jerusalemites: Ahmad's story

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