As unrest expands, Gaza's women rise up
Women are joining the protests against Israeli soldiers on the eastern border of Gaza City.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Inam Abu Qenas, 30, and Mervat Abdul Qadir, 26, headed to the front lines on the eastern border of Gaza City and approached the Israeli Nahal Oz military site to throw stones. Their Oct. 9 step pushed other young protesters to follow suit.
Abu Qenas and Abdul Qadir were not thinking of the criticism that their action may stir in society, as two women among an otherwise all-male protest. They do not think of the act of throwing stones as restricted to men.
Abu Qenas told Al-Monitor, “I couldn’t stand to stay at home watching young men and women in the West Bank facing Israeli soldiers with their bare chests, and I couldn’t tolerate the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque. I came here without thinking of criticism. In fact, I don’t care.”
She added, “I participated in the protest on Friday and Saturday [Oct. 9-10], and the number of female participants was higher on the second day. There was no discrimination between men and women. The confrontation imposed its own rules.”
