Centered around al-Aqsa compound and the old city of Jerusalem, Ramadan celebrations in Palestine are like no other. The streets are lit up with colorful lanterns known as fawanis; the sugary aroma of fresh kunefe and qatayef perfumes the air, and the sound of singing and prayer echo through the ancient cobble-stone streets as Palestinians from across the region gather to revel in the joyful ambiance. In the last few years, however, these celebrations have sadly been accompanied with concern and axiety due to the heavy restrictions and deadly violence perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
An hour away from Jerusalem, in the occupied Palestinian coastal cities (often referred to as the mixed cities of Israel), Ramadan celebrations wage a silent yet powerful battle against the decades-long systematic attempts of cultural erasure. In the Palestinian city of Jaffa, Ramadan is not only a time of devotion and prayer, it is also an opportunity to reclaim the public sphere and showcase the true identity of a city at risk.
Historic Jaffa
As an ancient port city on the Mediterranean coast of historic Palestine, Jaffa’s strategic location and natural harbor made it a significant centre of trade and commerce throughout history. In the later part of the 19th century and first decades of the 20th, Jaffa’s importance grew even further as it became the cultural capital of Palestine.
The city was home to numerous major newspapers, book and magazine publication houses, cinemas, athletic clubs, and cultural societies. Jaffa also served as the economic centre of Palestine, with factories producing a wide range of goods, from orange crates to soap and olive oil.
On May 14th 1948, Jaffa fell under the control of the Zionist military forces along with other territories of coastal Palestine. These events, known as al-Nakba, resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the city’s Arab residents, who were either forced to flee or were expelled from their homes. Out of the approximately 120,000 Palestinians living in Jaffa at the time, only around 4,000 were able to remain in the city after its occupation. Today, Jaffa is considered a neighborhood in Tel Aviv and its Arab population is estimated to be around 20,000 people, making up 23% of the city’s total population.
Cultural Erasure
In the post-1948 era, the Palestinian Arabs of Jaffa have been subject to systemic discrimination, marginalization, and economic disadvantage. Since the early 2000s, with the urban renewal of the city, these challenges were compounded by intensified gentrification and cultural retention. As a result, while 300 Arab families are facing eviction orders, wealthy Jewish newcomers have turned once-neglected and overcrowded districts into a personalised luxurious seafront city, with no regard for the homes lost.
Being a discriminated minority in their own city, Jaffa’s Arab cultural heritage and identity was systemically marginalised by the influx of Jewish newcomers; Arab schools were replaced by bilingual (or mixed) schools, and dog playgrounds, hipster cafes and the like, took over the urban landscape. Furthermore, the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, is frequently under threat by the newcomers.
In short, Jaffa, a city hailed as an Israeli model of liberalism and peaceful coexistence, is currently experiencing a systematic erasure of its true social and cultural identity. In spite of this, the Palestinians of Jaffa have managed to safeguard and reconstruct a significant part of their culture, holding onto the Arabic language and the remaining fragments of their heritage. Cultural institutions and recreational groups such as the Greek Orthodox Scouts and Islamic Scouts, instituted in the 1970s and 1980s, have played a pivotal role in raising awareness about Jaffa’s and Palestine’s history and culture among the younger generation of Palestinians in the city.
Ramadan Celebrations
Since the 1970’s, the Jaffa Muslim Scouts have taken up the responsibility of reviving Ramadan spirit on the streets of Jaffa. In 2012, their activities briefly came to a halt following a fire that severely damaged their building, but they managed to resume their endeavors in 2015.
In 2020, the Muslim Scouts successfully reintroduced the ‘Parade of Lights’ or Masirat al-Anwar after years of absence. The parade is a local tradition started in the 1990s which consists of children marching through the streets of Jaffa holding a large Ramadan lantern, singing Ramadan songs, and sharing sweets with the locals.
The Jaffa Muslim Scouts are routinely faced with disapproval and criticism from the Tel-Aviv Yafo municipality, leading to an ongoing conflict between the two parties. This conflict has had a significant impact on the Muslim institutions’ access to governmental funding and has made preparations for Ramadan considerably more challenging, as obtaining permits for parades and other activities has become increasingly difficult. Recently, the municipality objected to the inclusion of a green flag bearing the Shahada (the Muslim declaration of faith), deeming it provocative. Nevertheless, the Scouts are determined to use the flag in all their processions, as they view it as an essential part of the institution and the city’s identity.
This year, hundreds of children participated in the Parade of Lights marking the start of the holy month. The public and communal aspect of this event serves as a unifying force, bringing together people from different socio-economic backgrounds and ages in celebration of Ramadan and their shared identity as Muslims. Moreover, the communal gathering in public spaces, accompanied by Arabic and Islamic song, is a potent act of repossession of the city against the ongoing gentrification and Zionist efforts that have been occurring for decades. The decoration of Ramadan lights and lanterns on the facades, windows, and balconies of the native Arab homes adds to the festive ambiance and serves as a public display of the community’s identity.
Following the Parade of Lights, the Muslim Scouts carry out various public activities such as mosque cleaning, zakat collection, and the preparation and distribution of food supplies to underprivileged families in the city. Additionally, the Scouts organise public iftar feasts and towards the end of the holy month, prepare for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which includes the Takbir procession during the last two days of Ramadan, the organisation of a public Eid prayer in Jaffa Park (which attracts approximately 3,000 people), and the Eid procession.
The Jaffa Muslim Scouts’ activities serve the purpose of instilling spiritual values such as worship and public service in the younger generation during the holy month, while simultaneously cultivating a strong sense of community. The power of these activities, that might be taken for granted in other nearby Muslim majority countries, should not be underestimated in a city like Jaffa, where any authentic exhibition of identity is an act of resistance against settler colonialism.
Jaffa’s Ramadan celebrations, public, loud and highly visual, are not only a demonstration of religious identity, but an act of defiance, in the decades-long battle for the right to simply exist.
PALESTINE
