Mymwna is a martyr

Just like that, in a few seconds, a life was taken, a soul disappeared, and a dream remained unachieved.
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Three Israeli soldiers patrol the streets in Hebron.

Mymwna (pronounced May-moo-na) Harahshe, a 20-year-old girl and a nursing student at Palestine Polytechnic University, from Bani Naim, east of Hebron, was shot dead in the head by the Israeli occupation forces. 

Mymwna’s name means “blessed” and this girl was blessed with her family of two sisters and two brothers. She was the eldest daughter. Mymwna had a beautiful smile, and she was always kind and pleasant to everyone which made her an excellent candidate in her academic career in nursing. 

Her name used to bring joy and happiness, but now her name is associated with grief, sadness, and heartbreak. Mymwna is not here now to tell us her story, so I’ll have to give you a glimpse of the horrific scene. 

On 24 April 2024, the Israeli occupation forces made a decision to end Mymwna’s life when they shot her in her head while she was walking alone on the roadside of Bayt ‘Anun, heading to her university for her clinical exams in nursing. She was left bleeding on the road, while the Israeli military blocked access for an ambulance or any assistance to reach her. 

Imagine walking through life without knowing that this would be your last moment alive. Imagine that the chaotic thoughts in your head would be your last idea in this world, your last perception of this life is this brutal image of occupation, your last view is Israeli soldiers pointing their guns at you and shooting you with their bullets because they felt threatened by your existence, simply a Palestinian existence. 

I wonder what Mymwna’s last thought was? What was her final thought about this harsh world? What was her last feeling? Was there any pain? Was it quick? We will never know, and Mymwna will never be able to answer these questions. 

Meanwhile at university during the clinical exams, when the teacher called Mymwna’s name, the answer came back “Mymwna is a martyr.” Mymwna’s classmates still cannot accept this crime and they continue looking for any chance to hear from Mymwna only to realize that her space is empty now and her voice is permanently gone. Her lab partner has to continue the learning process alone with a broken heart knowing that Mymwna is never here again. This scenario is what Palestinians go through routinely under the Israeli occupation

Just like that, in a few seconds, a life was taken, a soul disappeared, and a dream remained unachieved. The occupation has been implementing these tactics of hideous crimes against Palestinians and this aggression has become almost an integral part of daily life since the 7th of October. It is not Israel’s first crime and God knows when it will be their last. 

Like any other family, Mymwna’s family is eager to give their daughter a proper farewell and a dignified funeral to honor her memory. However, the occupation always finds a way to destroy and steal this precious moment from the Palestinian family. Unfortunately, Mymwna’s body is still detained by the Israeli forces and her family stays up all night longing for their daughter while the murderer is sleeping in “peace” and impunity. 

Let me end this by sharing a quote from the prisoner martyr Waleed Daqqa: 

“Who knows, your State of “so-called Israel” may enact a law that allows it to arrest souls.” 

We are not numbers, Mymwna is not another number, remember her name and her story. 

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