Category: prose

Omar Saad is 19 year old Druzee from Al-Maghar village. He plays the viola and plays tennis. He is kind to all people without any prejudice.Like every member of the Druzee community Omar must serve in the Israeli army as it stated in the bill that was released  in 1956 by the consent of five Druzee elderlies. However, Omar is a person who plays music in orchestras around the globe, he is the leader of The Galilee Quartet He can’t replace the peaceful viola for a deadly weapon. He can’t stop his friend in Ramallah to search his bags and humilate him. Complying to his moral conscious Omar went to the military offices in Tiberias on the 4th of december to announce his refusal to serve in the Israeli army.

Family who is very supportive to Omar, his friends, many prominent characters in community showed up on wednesday in Tiberias to support Omar and demonstrate against this heinous law. Before he entered the offices, Omar played music with his Quartet which includes his two brothers(Mostafa and Gandhi) and his sister (Teebah). In his unusual way he said his goodbyes to dear ones.

Omar was sentenced for twenty days in jail no.6 until a verdict is heard, on december 24 he was condemned with another twenty days in the same prison. His viola collecting dust, the quartet is silenced, the Beit Al Mosiqa(where omar learns music) is forlorn.Omar must go free.

Many young druzee haad refused to the military service but they did that using the mental and physical disabilities they had or pretended to have. While Omar and other few guys outspoke what is believed and muffled by fear” I’m not serving”. This outcry motivated many other Druzee to reject serving in the army. For example; Saif Abo Saif from Shfaa’mr and other six teens from the Arabic community.

Omar, we respect you and love you! God be with you.