Maryam Mohammad Yousef is her full name, Om Nedal is her Nickname, on the 24th of March 1949 she was born to a family of 10 boys and 6 girls, over the years she became known as (Khansa of Palestine) or mother of martyrs.
She once spoke about her childhood and said " I grew up in a family of traditions, we used to pray without wearing a headscarf and without commitment in general, after a few months of my marriage, I started going to the mosque to attend the preaches of Al-sheikh Ya'cob (Jacob in English) and I thank Allah for sending that man, he’s the reason why I took the straight path, and he was the one behind my hidaya.
Step by step my faith in Allah grew and my commitment to my religion increased as well, so I wore the hijab despite the obstacles I faced, especially since my husband rejected my commitment and my hijab, so did his family... I endured a lot of things, being religious and wearing a hijab were odd things 35 years ago...I was even threatened with divorce several times, but I endured it and fought against everything, I held on to my hijab and religion, and I raised my kids the right Islamic way "
She later became a widow and a mother to 6 sons and 4 daughters, and all of her children worked with Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Three of her sons died in missions and became martyrs (Nedal, Mohammad, and Rooad).
She became a spiritual mother to the Resistants’ and the fighters in Gaza, she was known as a great woman and a teacher who's full of faith, grace, patience, and compassion.
Abo Mosa'ab one of the Resistants’ in Hamas once said to (Imarati Alyom)
" I wish my mother was like her...she was a great woman that we were proud of, and she set a great example to our wives and mothers, every time I go out to fight back against the occupation my mother tries to stop me, because she’s worried about me... so I mention to her what Om Nedal did when she said goodbye to her son Mohammad when he left to execute a mission against the occupation ".
Abo Mosa'ab also said" I've never seen anyone as humble as Om Nedal, she had a simple and humble home, even though she worked as a Deputy in the Legislative Council, yet she was a generous woman, she gave help to those who are in need and to the poor, and she was a good example for every Resistant, in any demonstration site I went to I would hear about her gracious reputation from the other fighters "
In 1992 Om Nedal accommodated Emad Aqel, who had been named by Israel (the man with the 7 souls) Emad got his martyrdom in her house in November 1993 after the Israeli occupation turned her house into a war zone while they were trying to kill Emad, the Israeli occupation had over 200 soldiers and Om Nedal's house got hit by the Israeli airplane rockets 4 times in the process.
Emad wasn't the only one targeted by the Israeli forces, they also wanted to take revenge on her and her martyr sons.
when she was saying goodbye to her son (Mohammad) she said
" I'm not saying goodbye to him for death... I'm saying my Farwell until I meet him in a better life, if I had 100 sons like him I would willingly give them all for the sake of Allah... Everything we cherish gets cheap for the sake of God... May Allah have mercy on him and raise him to the highest stage in heaven "
YOU ARE READING
the diaries of palestine.
ParanormalThe diaries of Palestine is a book written by me about different stories that happened to the Palestinians throughout the years as the war went on. I also wrote a few poems and added them to the book, hope you enjoy them 💕 As one of them, I decide...
