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+Peace be upon you.
-Peace be upon you.
+We welcome you in a new episode of the verbal history of the Palestinian Nakba history, we are today in the house of Abu Yousef.
-Welcome,
+Thank you, We welcome you as well, today is Sunday the 10th of October on 2004,
This project aims for the notation and documentation of Palestinian Memories. The parties responsible for it are The Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Al-Awda, and Palestine remembered
The questions of this interview are divided in two parts, the first part aims to form a picture on the humanitarian, social, cultural status of the Palestinians before the Nakba, and the other part aims to convey the suffering of the Palestinians refugees during the Nakba, and in the refugee camps and the diaspora.
This interview is prepared and done by Gazi Mohammad Al-Laham.
-Welcome.
+The interview is divided into two sections; the first one aims to draw a picture of the social, cultural, economic status before Nakba, and the second section aims to draw a scene on the suffering of the Palestinian refugees during Nakba and in the camps of Diaspora.
We will start with the questions of the first section:
Can you tell us your full name?
-My full name is Ahmad Yousef Saleem Mohammad Taha.
+The place and the date of your birth?
-I was born in 1933, in Imwas Village.
+What is your father’s full name?
-Yousef Mohammad Saleem Taha.
+The full name of your mother?
-Zarifa Aref Mohammad Taha.
+Do you give us your consent to do this interview, and will you provide us with the information as much as you can remember?
-Yes, I don’t mind.
+Do you have any idea why Imwas was called with its name?
-What I know from what people used to say, that imwas was called its name because at the period of which the prophet’s Sahaba; friends/companions, the plague spread and the disease spread, and the agony which means people suffered, and the name came from this.
+That’s a new information. Do you know how many were the population of Imwas in the 1940s?
-almost around 1800 person.
+This village was a part of which city?
-after 1948 it was a part of Ramallah.
+And before 1948?
- it was a part of Al-Lydd and Ramleh.
+Do you know how far is Imwas from Lydd and Ramleh?
-15 Kilometer.
+In which direction was Ramleh from Imwas.
-Ramleh was located to the west from Imwas, and Imwas was in the north of Ramallah.
+What borders the village from the North?
-Yalu.
+How far was Yalu from Imwas?
-Four kilometers, and there were ruins too, it was called Salbit.
+And from the west?
-from the west there was Al-Qbab Village.
+how far was it from your village?
-four kilometers
+and after/further than al-qbab?
-there was Al-Ramleh
+And from the South?
-Beit Jeez.
+How far was it from your village?
-approximately six kilometers.
+And further?
-There was Artouf.
+How far was it?
-it was close and near it there was Beit Suseen to the east of Artouf.
+From the east?
-Deir Ayoub which is also called Bab El-Wad.
+Was it far?
- no more than five kilometers.
+Was there other villages?
-Yes, Of course.
+Can you name them?
-Deir Ayyoub, Saraa, Beit Suseen, Beit Jeez, Artouf, Kholda and others.
+Was there mountains and valleys around you?
-Bab El-Wad.
+Was there other well known mountains around your village?
-There was Ain Al-Aqed mountain.
+Where was it located?
- to the east.
+Was it far from your village.
-it was next to our village.
+Are you familiar with any other mountains or valleys in the area?
-there was the valley of Khold Al-Hamam, and this was known to have belonged to our master Jesus-peace be upon him.
+How was that?
-There was a water spring and in front of it a Hamman:[bathing area] is located.
+an old Hammam?
-Hammam
+Was it said that Jesus bathed in it?
-Yes, because there are evidance/ruins that proof this belonged to Jesus. And from the west there was an open wide area, which its people call Khallet Al-Adra, it sounds like it was named after Mary; [mother of Jesus].
+Why was this mountain named Jabal Al-Aqed?
-it was an ancient name.
+Was Imwas located on the top of a hill or at mountainside?
-on a mountainside, it goes from the plain all up the mountainside to the top.
+Was there any Qubanieh; [markets which later became settlements] or any Israelis settlements near your village?
-No, there was only Deir Latroun,
+Deir Latroun was a part of the village?
-Yes, it was a part of the village and there was also a church.
+How far was the Deir from Imwas?
-It was inside Imwas, in the village/town.
+How big was the area of this Deir? Was it well-known and important?
-everyone knows Deir Latroun, it was famous for the special wine that was made in it.
+that means there was grapes at this area?
-Yes,
+Was there paved roads near Imwas?
-Paved roads, the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem, it used to lead to the sea.
+Did it pass close to Imwas?
-Yes, it passed through the lands of the village, and the road from Gaza to Ramallah, it used to go through the center of the town.
….
+So, you had no issues related to transportation?
-Yes, we had no problems.
+Do you remember in regards to transportation and busses of certain companies? Do you remember its name?
-I think it was a private company.
+Did any of the villagers own busses?
-No, there wasn’t even a bike, that was before 1948, at that time there was no cars, only a bus, that goes from Ramallah that goes to Ramleh and people would commute through it, and the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem was very active, to be honest I was young and clueless and I don’t remember the name of the company.
+Was there unpaved roads around the town?
-Of course.
+Where was it?
-In the western side of the town
+Where does it reach to?
- it used to commute from our village to Al-Lydd and Al-Ramleh.
+Wasn’t it tiring for people to walk through it?
-the distance was close and people were used to walk through it.
+We have talked about the geographical description of the village and the roads network, now we will talk about the village itself and the the division of the neighborhoods and families, for example, who used to live in the northern neighborhood/block?
-it was a mix, because the whole population of the town are all from the same origin/root, and then they spread into four “hamael” A hamoula is family which are burdened if there was any murder, and one of them might be killed to revenge of the murderer’s family.
+the northern neighborhood was mostly populated by which family?
-Abu Qtaish Family.
+Did they have a mayor?
-of course, his name was Ahmad Deeb Azmi, he was the mayor until 1967.
+the western neighborhood?
-it was populated with Al-Sheikh family, and Khalil family too.
+they had a mayor?
-their mayor was Ibrahim Al-Sheikh.
+and the southern neighborhood?
-was populated by Hassan family.
+Did they have a mayor?
-Yes, their mayor was the late Abdel Aziz Mustafa Hussein Barghash.
+and the eastern neighborhood?
-it was populated by Khalil Family and Hamda family.
+they had a mayor?
-No, they didn’t.
+The families you mentioned are the main families, right? And the houses were close and packed together, there weren’t any neighborhoods which are far?
-No.
+It was all a block?
-almost.
+Was there any schools at the village?
-For males and females, there were two schools.
+Where was the males school located?
-It was at the center of the village.
+up to which grade did this school taught?
-til the seventh grade.
+How many classrooms were at the school?
-the primary males school had three classrooms and it was located close to a site called “Al-Jeser”;[meaning the bridge], from the southern side of the church.
+And the second school how far was it from this school?
-it was 200 meters away.
+So, the principal was one principal for two schools?
-Yes, he used to cover both schools and so were the teachers, moving between two schools.
+So, it must’ve been tiring for them too?
-the distance was close, and the teachers didn’t mind doing it.
+Do you remember the name of the principal?
-I remember, I was a student myself in the same school, his name was Ali Bedwan from Innaba village.
+And the teachers, were they from the village, or from outside?
-Some were from the village; like Mahmoud AbdelHamid, and there were teachers from other places and from the north, from Qulonsowa and Nablus too.
+Do you remember their names?
-I remember one was the principal he was called Teacher/Mr. Husni.
+Where was he from?
-from Nablus.
+What were the basic subjects the school used to teach?
-it was holistic, Arabic and English language.
+till which grade did you study at school?
-I studied until the fifth grade.
+Why did you drop out of school?
-Because of the Nakba situation
+And what about the girls’ school? Where was it located?
-it was at the center of the village?
+till which grade did they teach at the school?
-until the sixth grade.
+Was it all located at the same site, or was it split into more than one location, like the males’ school?
-It was all at one location.
+Do you remember the number of classrooms at the school?
-there were several rooms in one floor.
+Were the female teachers from the village or outside?
-They weren’t from the village, they would come from Amman or Al-Salt.
+So they used to live at your village?
-Yes.
+Do you remember the number of the students enrolled at the school?
-Yes.
+Approximately a hundred?
-More, the classrooms were crowded/ full of student.
+Do you remember your classmate?
-Yes, I remember Fakhri Mahmoud Birjas who used to work there as a teacher, and Abdelaziz Mahmoud, and some were in the west bank, like Nihad Thaher.
+Did any of your classmates finish their education?
-Yes, like Fakhri Mahmoud Birjas.
+Did he graduate from a college or a university?
-“Matrek”;high school certificate name at that time, Nihad Thaher finished his education too, and so did Abdelaziz
+Did any of the girls/females at the school finish their education?
-No.
+Imwas is considered a large village relatively, how many mosques were in the village?
-There were two main mosques, The Mosque if Sheikh Saleh, and it was a big mosque.
+Do you recall why was it named like this?
-because it was at the location of Pious worshipers of Allah.
+Where is this mosque located?
-At the center of the town.
+How big was the mosque?
-it was very big, it was enough for all the worshipers of the village. And it was a great mosque that we felt proud of.
+What was it built of?
- It was made of stone, and it had a minaret, which one of the benefactors has promised to complete.
+Was there a place for ablution in the mosque?
-Yes, and the bathrooms and all the services.
+Did the mosque have a yard?
-Yes, it had a big yard.
+And the other mosque?
-A shrine of Omar bin Al-Khattab was discovered, I mean when it was discovered that there’s a place connected to Omar bin Al-Khattab -may Allah bless him and others, and at the middle of Al-Sheikh family, and a mosque was built there. People used to build mosques, people discovered the ruins of an old mosque, a sanctuary away from the center of the town.
+Was it far from the center of the village?
-It was at the center of the town exactly.
+What was it build with?
-It was made of stone, and they had marble columns.
+Was it spacious? Was it enough to fit a hundred worshiper?
-More, it would be enough for two hundred or more.
+Was there a space for ablution and a yard for the mosque?
-the houses were close, so people washed and prepared before coming for prayers.
+Do you remember the name of the Imam of the big mosque?
-Sheikh Othman.
+Did he call for prayers and did he lead the prayer?
-Yes.
+From which family was he?
-he was from Al-Khatib family.
+Was he from the village?
-Of course.
+And the Imam of the other Mosque?
-Any person who was educated and who had knowledge he would be the Imam, but on Fridays they would all pray at the big mosque.
+Was there a church in the village?
-Yes, there was a church, a big church, the building was big.
+Was it built of stones?
-Yes.
+Who built it?
-We weren’t big and conscious at the time it was built, but we grew up and it was there.
+ Was it full? Were there priests?
-There was one monk in this church, and as for the monastery, there were about forty monks.
+From which village was the monk living in the church?
-it was said he was english.
+Was there no visitors?
-there used to be some tourists.
+And for the monastery?
-It was full, they used to plant the grapes and olives.
+Do you remember the name of the church’s priest, or the priest that was in charge of the monastery?
-He was called Elias, he was french, and I know from the christians of Lebanon and Palestine another person called Bernar in Madaba, who stopped being a priest to get married.
+Were there shrines of Pious worshipers in the village?
-There was a well-known shrine for Abu Obaida, Muath Bin Jabal, the shrine of Muath Bin Jabal is located 150 meters away from the army base.
+In which area of the village was the shrine located?
-it’s located in the southern part of the village, and it’s still there.
+And the shrine of Abu Obaida?
-Close to the cemetery, at the southern part of the village, it’s only a few meters away from the church.
+So, the church is located at the southern part of the village?
-Yes, and so was the monastery.
+How far was the monastery from the village?
-About 200 meters, and also we had ruins from the leftovers of the British, to the west of the monastery of Latroun to the northern west side, on top of a village called “Arrojom”, where the British government built a police office, that is still here till now.
+Did people used to come to visit the shrines?
-Of course.
+Was it taken care of?
-of course.
+Was there any Sufi corners?
-No
+People didn’t throw “Daq ala al edda” :”a celebration of which the sufis play on “daff” and similar instruments?
-Yes, Dar Al-Sheikh used to do it.
+which Tariqa:[path] did they follow?
-I didn’t know, I didn’t care. All we know that there were dervishes.
+Did they have flags, what were the colors?
-Yes, the flags were green and red.
+Was there a health clinic in the village?
-We used to rely/go to the clinic of the monastery.
+Was there a doctor in the clinic?
-Yes, there was doctors.
+And was the treatment for free?
-Yes.
+And when someone was very sick, were did they use to go to treatment?
-to Jaffa or to Jerusalem.
+Was there any doctors or famous hospitals?
-Yes, the french hospital in Jerusalem and another one at Jaffa.
+But, you had no hospital in the village?
-No.
+Was there more than a cemetery in the village?
-There was three cemeteries, one was close to the shrine of Muath Ibn Jabal in the Southern side.
+Was this cemetery the main cemetery?
-it was the main cemetery and it was located at the center of the town, between the wall of the church and the rest of the town.
+And the second cemetery?
-To the west side of the town.
+Was this cemetery dedicated for a certain family
-No, it was a public cemetery for everyone.
+Was it far from the center of the town?
-No, it was close, and it was surrounded by the rest of the town’s building.
+And the third?
-it was close to the shrine of Muath Bin Jabal, and those who lived close by used to burry their dead in it. But the main cemetery was the one at the center of the town, and when it became full, people started to go to the other cemeteries.
+Was their any water springs in the village and the surrounding areas?
-At our town, whatever water we used for life in general and for the animals to drink a well.
+And the name of the well?
-It wasn’t called a specific name, it was called the Imwas well.
+Where was it located?
-At the center of the town.
+Was the well’s water strong or weak?
-Strong.
+How did people extract water from it to drink?
-It was fixed and set and had “jawabi” and people used to pull out water to for drinking or watering plants
+What are Jawabi?
-water “pockets that are made when the well was made and prepared.
+it’s made of wood?
-No, it’s made of cement.
+You used to pull the water and fill it
-Yes.
+Was this work designated for a specific person to do?
-No, each person used to pull the water for his animals to drink.
+How did people drink?
-there were water pipes too.
+that means there was more than one well.
-Of course.
+The first well was at the center of the village for the livestock to drink and the second was for what?
-People used to drink from it, and it was located to the east side of the town, there was a mountain which water used to come from, at the previous times, there was a canal that would connect water to that location. After that, they did connection pipes for the water and they drilled to make a stair and pipes to distribute water.
+Who did those water connection pipes?
-My grandfather.
+Did he build it and distribute it to the rest of the village?
-No, it was all in the same location only, it was to make the water accessible.
+What was the name of your grandfather?
-Haj Saleem Mohammad Taha.
+Did he pay for these pipe connections, to make it easier for people to get water?
-Yes.
+This mountain was the water there old and no one knew where the water came from?
-Yes, No body knew the location of the well, except a few.
+Why didn’t they say?
-Because they didn’t care.
+Was it drinking water; clean? Because it’s groundwater?
-Yes, for drinking.
+All the people of the village used to drink from it?
-Yes, When the village grew and the population of the village grew, there was a well called the well of Al-Helou, and it’s a part of our village, and it’s close to the Jaffa-Jerusalem Road, which was close to the Monastery from the southern part, and it used to water all the surrounding villages.
32:00
+Who made the well? The British government? Or the people?
-The monastery made it, I don’t know to be honest but it was a part of the village, and the monastery used it for how strong the water was, they used to grow oranges.
+Was there a water pump on top of the well?
-Yes. The people of village asked the monastery to install water pipes, and each person used to buy his own pipes and install them, and they installed a main water pipe, and most of the village had installed water pipes, and we also did.
+So the taps of the water were directly connected to the houses?
-On the year of 1967, when we were displaced from our village, most of the houses had water pipes from the monastery.
+Was there lakes to collect/gather water in the village or in the surrounding areas?
-Our village was considered a water basin, on the northern part of the town the flow of the water springs was continuous.
+ Was there famous water springs?
-Yes, the water spring of Al-Aqed.
+Was the flow of the water from this spring strong?
-Yes, it was strong.
+What about other springs?
-To the south there was Al-Helou well.
+So the village was surrounded by springs and wells?
-Yes, it was a water basin
+Was there any old Roman pools or Canine engraved in the stones?
-No, there was one water spring that someone took over because it was located in his property; land, and when time passed and as he drilled the ground, he found the building that the water passed through, it connected to a tunnel that wasn’t built at the same period.
+it was from an ancient era?
-Yes, as he drilled he found a place that was thought that Jesus used to shower/bathe in.
+Where was this place located?
-In the northern side of village.
+it wasn’t within the village?
-No, it was half a kilometer away.
+Did the people benefit from this water?
-No, only he was using it in agriculture.
+Was there any valleys around the village?
-There was Al-Nada valley, which came from the east; from the side of Bab El-Wad.
+Was it far from the village?
-No, it was within the lands of the village.
+Was it a strong valley;(referring to the water flow)?
-it was enough to water all the lands of the village.
+Why was it called the valley of Al-Nada (meaning Dew)?
-It’s an ancient name.
+Did you use to go to these valleys?
-Of course! We used to pass through it because it was located within our lands.
+Did you use to graze the sheep there?
-Of course, we used to go to work in the lands, so we had to pass through the valley when we wanted to cross from one side to the other.
+Has the electricity services reached to your village before 1948?
-No.
+What did you use back then?
-We used kerosene lamps and bulbs.
+Where did you get kerosene from?
-We used to buy it.
+Was kerosene sold at the village mini markets?
-There was a distributer.
+Where did he come from?
-From a shop on the Jerusalem-Jaffa route, it was called Al-Sharbati, it was like a supermarket.
+Where did he get the kerosene from?
-from the cities.
+Before the 1948, you used water from wells, the water taps haven’t been connected yet?
-Yes, from the spring or the pure water, and we used to load the water on the animals, and also there was a well close to the mountain that was next to our village from the north, it was called; Heithah.
+Who owned this well?
-It was for everyone.
+Was it far from the center of the village?
-It was two kilometers away.
+And when you brought the water, where did you put it?
-In barrels.
+Were the people going to bring water everyday?
-Everyday.
+ Was there anyone responsible for maintaining the wells?
-No, there wasn’t any person assigned, but everyone helped maintain it, everyone was aware and everyone care for it.
+So, the Al-Helou spring, and the well located in the center of the village, and the well with the unknown source of water, and Haitha well.
-And the spring of Al-Aqed in the east side of the village, and it used to supply the whole village in the old times when it was called the city of Al-Nasr; (meaning victory).
+How was that?
-the excavations revealed this. When the people of the village were doing excavations for the purpose of establishing the base for urbanization, they were stumbling on water pipes made out of clay.
+As if there was another village that was submerged under your village.
-Yes.
+So the village was built on ancient ruins?
-Yes, the city of Al-Nasr was an ancient arabic city, it was more of a capital to all the other surrounding villages.
+Do you have any idea of how it was named like this?(referring to the victory city name)
-it’s possible that Salah Al-Din Al-Ayoubi named it.
+Or maybe it was prior to the era of Salah Al-Din, because Imwas village is much older than that. We will pause for a little while to take a break.
40:05 break
___________
+Peace be upon you.
-Peace be upon you.
+We will continue, we are now at the second part of the oral history program of the Palestinian Nakba, and now we are at the house of Mr. Abu Yousef in Amman city.
The question are now about the downtown; did you have any local cafes at the village?
-Yes, there was a local café with a big open space in front of it where the busses used to park.
+Where was it located?
-at the center of the town.
+Was it spacious?
-Yes, it was.
+Was it made of one room?
-No, more than a room.
+What did people used to do there?
-it was a place where two people meet if they had an appointment.
+Who was the owner of this café?
-it was owned by Haj Mohammad Mustafa.
+Where is he from?
-from Imwas.
+From which family?
-from Abu Qtaish family.
+Did he hire workers in it?
-His son used to work in it.
+What was his name?
-Saleh.
+Was there a radio? A singer or a storyteller?
-there was a radio.
+To which radio station did you listen to? Which programs?
-Whoever wanted to listen to songs he would lister, but I rather listening to the news.
+the news from which station?
-We didn’t have an interest in one specific station, people weren’t that aware at that time.
+Did you throw concerts at the café?
-No.
+For example; didn’t you have a singer who plays on the Oud?
-No, because everyone else had spaces and yards around their houses, so if there was any events/celebration or wedding, people used to go to the house of the person who had the celebration.
+Was there a storyteller in the café?
-No, people used to spend their evenings at their houses.
+Was there a butchery shop in the village?
-There were four butcheries.
+Where were each of these located?
-at the center of the village/ downtown.
+Do you remember the names of their owners?
-Of course, Diab Hasan Al-Taweel.
+And the second?
-the brother of the mayor, Mahmoud Al-Sheikh Mustafa.
+And the third?
-Hussein Ali Hussein.
+From which family?
-from Hamdan family.
+And the forth?
-Mahmoud Al-Sheikh Tayyeb.
+What did they slay? Sheeps and cows
-Yes, sheeps and cows they used to import from the traders
+Did they use money to sell or what?
-Yes, money.
+When you were children, What did you play with?
-the fields were spacious, we used to play with everything, we used to horse-ride and compete, and in the rainy days the boys would gather to play “Al-Joura”; [the hole]
+How was the game like?
-Each person would hold a stick and there was a bended piece of iron, that they would play with.
+two teams?
-Yes, it’s an old game.
+it was a game for both children and youth, but what about elders, how did they spend their time? Was there any specific activity they had fun with?
-they used to gather underneath Sidra tree [Ziziphus spina-Christi].
+Where was it?
-By the cemetery, in front of Abu Obaida Shrine; Amer Ibn Al-Jarrah, they would gather and play “al-Seega”
+Was there a radio in the village?
-There was one radio for the whole village.
+Where was it?
-It was at the house of the mayor, before the 1948, on the days of the world war; people used to listen to the news through this radio, the british mandate has provided the mayor with this radio and it was loud, so loud that other villages may hear it. What made it possible for them to listen is that the number of people was much less and there wasn’t noise like the noise from airports and cars.
+Did you listen to anything else, other than the news?
-People didn’t care about that, they were busy with their work.
+Was there any barber shops in the village?
-Yes, There was one person from Innaba, who had a barber shop.
+Where was it located?
-At the center of the town, and another person called Thiab Al-Sha’er.
+The person from Innaba, what was his name?
-Al-Helu, Ibrahim Al- Helu.
+So you mean there was three barber shops?
-Two barber shops, a shop owned by Ibrahim Al-Helu and another owned by Thiab Al-Sha’er.
+Did they get paid for their work?
-Of course. There was a a former barber; his name was Sheikh Othman, who used to do haircuts for people all year long and exchange the service with grains.
+Was there a trendy haircut back then?
-Each person did whatever he liked.
+But I mean; was there a certain trendy haircut? What was its’ name?
-Fraika.
+Did you own any ovens in the village?
-There was an oven right next to the café, and there was an oven man.
+Who is Haj Mohammad?
-The owner of the Café.
+Who use to work in the oven?
-People from other villages.
+And the other oven?
-It was located in the middle of the town, The oven of Al-Amerieh.
+Why was it called like this?
-Because the owner of the oven is called Mahmoud Al-Amerieh.
+Did he bake for the village?
-For everyone.
+Were people making their dough at their houses and taking it to the oven to bake it?
-Yes, they used to make the dough with wheat and carry it on their heads and take it to bake it in the oven.
+Was he baking bread and selling it?
-No, he didn’t sell bread, each person baked it for himself.
+And as for the wheat, from where did you bring it?
-We used to tillage the land and grind the wheat we used to grow/plant.
+Was the bread made out of the wheat you used to grow or did you mix it?
-Wheat, Corn and whoever didn’t have corn, used to make it from wheat alone, the majority of the town were from the elder farmers, they used to use Tawabin/Taboon; [an ancient oven; a hole in the ground filled with heated stones.
+So they didn’t use ovens?
-No, they had animals which could supply the “Taboon” with Manure and they used to cooperate together to make it ready.
+Did you have any workshops in the village like a blacksmith’s shop or woodworking shop?
-No.
+Did you have a Quarry or a brick factory?
-No.
+Did you have a person who fixed kerosene stoves?
-Yes. There was.
+Where was he from?
-He was from the leftovers from the Ottomans.
+What is his names?
-Ismail Al-Turki.
+Was he from the people of the village?
-Yes, and other used to come from the outside too, but this person was living at village.
+How was his payment?
-Cash.
+Was there a person who used to bleach/polish the cooking pots?
-From time to time, some Egyptians used to come in certain seasons and do this work, they used to polish copper and they would settle in a certain area and people used to take their cooking pots for them to bleach/polish.
+Where was the shop were they used to fix the kerosene stoves in?
-At the center of the village, next to the café.
+Did any of the men who used to polish the cooking pots settle in your village?
-No
+Can you tell me about the ruins and historical sites in your village, was their any historical sites in the village?
-Of course, The shrine of Abu Obaida Amer bin Al-Jarrah.
+I meant ancient Roman/Canaanite?
-There was also a shrine of Muath bin Jabal.
+You have told me that sometimes when people used to dig in the earth in order to establish a building, they found pottery or ancient antiquities. Do you remember which kind of antiquities?
-All I know is that the Aqad water spring used to supply the castle of Latroun with water through our village and the ruins still exist, in the village there were ruins for stone extensions designed in a specific way to ensure the delivery of the water through the canals, and the ruins are still there.
+Did you have a Diwan for the people of the village?
-Each family had there own guest salon.
+And how did this area look like?
-There was a server for this area from the village or from other villages.
+And as for the furniture and the arrangement?
-It was furnished with arabic traditional floor seating and there was a special area for the coffee pots.
+Where did they use to put it?
-It was placed on shelves and there was a coffee roasting tool “mehmas”, and they would grind it with the use of a special machine, all of this was before the 1948.
+And when you had guest; did they sleep at the guest room?
-Of course.
+And was the server of the guest room paid?
-Yes, they would pay him with grains annually.
+Did you have club? a sport club?
-No, there was a football team from the school.
+Was there a football court?
-Yes, in the land owned by Al-Sheikh, from the land of the shrine of Muath bin Jabal.
+Do you remember who was the trainer of this team?
-Mohammad Hendi.
+Was he the sports teacher?
-Yes and the trainer who followed him was one of his students Fakhri Berjas.
+From which country was Mohammad Al-Hindi?
-From Yazour, he was the sports’ teacher.
+Did the football team play with other teams, from other villages?
-Yes, with all the villages.
+Was it a strong team?
-They were great, they won the championship of the west bank.
+Did they won a trophy for the championship?
-Of course.
+Did you throw any poetry recites evening, or plays at the school?
-No, at the graduation ceremony at the end of the semester they used to do some plays.
+Was it done by the students?
-Yes.
+We will move another subject; agricultural and livestock production, what were the products you used to produce before the 1948?
-We used to grow wheat, corn, malt, grapes and almonds.
+Wheat and malt; was it rain-fed farming
+Were wheat, barley, and corn rainfed agriculture as well?
- Sure
+And grapes and almonds?
-Also, rain-fed
+Were all the plants rain-fed?
-Yes
+Did you water the crops
-No
+Was it raining sufficient amounts in the farming areas?
-Yes, the farming was rain-fed and there was rain.
+And in the summer? Did it need irrigation?
-No, the trees did not need irrigation and
Al haj excused to go to the toilet
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+Peace be upon you.
-Peace be upon you
+We were talking about agriculture; the trees didn't need irrigation?
-No, the rain was enough
+Was there morning dew in your area during summer?
-Yes
+That’s why there was no need for irrigation in the summer?
-Yes
+Where were the wheat threshing floors in the village? In which area?
-In the north and the south
+Why was it only limited to the north and the south?
-No, it was everywhere, because we were carrying the crop using camels, wherever was the crop, the produce was carried
+Was the area of the wheat threshing floors wide?
-Yes, it was fine
+Did each person know the exact boundary lines of his land and the area he was cultivating?
-Of course, every person`s land was next to his house, our house was in the north of the country, and our land was located next to it
+The orchards that were grown with grapes and almonds, were they in certain areas?
-of course, Khallet Al-Taka
+Where was this area?
-In the east part of the town
+What was it planted with?
-Everything, grapes, and olives
+Was it a common land or was it owned by specific people?
-Each family had a specific area, each family had its own lands, and some people were sharing the land.
+Are there other places besides Khallet Al-Taka?
-Common land mountain, Miri Lands; [Miri was a form of land ownership in the Ottoman Empire]
+Were you cultivating it?
-Yes, we used to grow grapes and olives there
+Were the grapes of Imwas known for their quality?
-Yes, Imwas had a fertile soil
+Were there specific grape varieties that you grew?
-Of course, Al-Dabouqi (yummy crunch), Al-Samari (scarlet royal), and Al-Jandali (arra mystic star)
+What are the characteristics of the Jandali grapes?
-The grapes are gradual, small, and large, and there was the Halawani (flame seedless) grapes, which is called (Bezz al-Hamara) (donkey nipple). It was quality grapes.
+Were you using the old plowing methods or tractors?
-We used animals, but at the time of plow we rented tractors
+Did you have an olive press in the village?
- No
+Where did you press the olives?
-Outside the village, in Beit aur
+Where was Beit aur located?
-On the road to Ramallah
+In which direction?
-Northeast of the town.
+Was it far from Imwas?
-About 12 km
+How did you transport olives?
-using animals, sometimes cars
+Was the fare paid in cash or as a share of the olives?
-a Percentage, share
+Was there a mill for grains and flour in the village?
-Yes, there was a mill in the monastery
+Was it required to pay in cash?
Yes
+What about those who had no money?
-One can pay by a share of the grain
+Was it for the Latrun Monastery
-Yes
+People had a lot of land, what were you doing with the surplus crop?
-it gets sold. we sell it
+In cash?
-Yes
+Where?
-In Al-Ramla city
+Did a merchantman come to your village to buy grain?
-Yes, they used to come and buy barley and corn
+ During the season of harvesting or picking grapes, if a person who had one or two sons and his land was wide, did people help each other in the harvest?
-They used to hire each other
+Was there such a thing as aid to help each other? Yes, the “Awn” meaning aid is at the end of the journey, but if someone needed help for a long time, it is not appropriate to rely on aid, aid is for one day of work or a simple task, but the -owner of large land hires people to help him and pay for the service.
+During that period, under the British Mandate governance.
Was the government of the British Mandate providing any aid, loans, or supplying you with modern irrigation systems or tractors?
-No, the Mandate was against us
+Were they holding you back?
-Yes
+How so?
-It was imposing taxes, estimating the cultivated lands, and demanding a percentage. If the crops you had were twenty or thirty tons, the government would impose more taxes and take the crop at a cheap price.
+Why?
-Preparation to weaken and make us bored, because the government had given the Jews the Balfour Declaration, The mandate was seeking to drive us to hate farming and working in the land, and most of the villagers stopped farming because the mandate government It was meant to make people bored with cultivating the land and then make them give it up, And sometimes they leave the land fallow, and go to work where there was vacant opportunities in the British Camp?
+ What does a camp refer to?
-British camps. There were two camps, a camp in the south of the town on the Gaza Road called the Detention Center, and The Mataeen Camp was adjacent to the village. They even gave a chance to people, if you just want to go just to prove your presence they gave you money, the intention is to keep you from farming and give up your land.
+Were they encouraging people to sell their lands?
-They bore them, but the people of the village had a strong belonging to the land and refused to give it up, they circumvent authorities, they grow crops that are not under the British government's terms, for example, corn and sesame, these crops were not subject to the policy of tax speculation) and tax.
+What was subjected to that policy?
-Wheat, the Zionist traders were importing wheat from Australia, they import it, bring it into the market, and flood the market. And it is sold at a competitive price, therefore the cost of growing and harvesting wheat is more than the price of wheat that these traders bring. The price of a pound in the market is two and a half piasters, but the cost of cultivation is more than two and a half piasters. You were throwing a golden coin in a bag of wheat, but you couldn't find it because of the high quality of the wheat (metaphor)
very fine wheat, they used these methods to make us hate our lands and cultivating them, but we were sticking to the land, we grow and sell barley, corn, and sesame, and we sell sesame to the mills, we buy wheat from the market
+Because it was subjected to estimation (tax speculation)
- Yes
+Was the speculation high?
- If one of us produces 55, For example, once they imposed 55 kantars (weight unit)
And what we grow does not reach 55 kantars, does not equal, so we tried to cheat, to mix wheat with sand. There was sand from the water torrent that had a wheat-like color. However, they discovered what we had done and rejected it, so we said to them: tile the sea (go attempt the impossible), and I don't remember what happened after that, but my father remained violent with them.
+ Were you studying or working before the Nakba?
- I was studying, I was a student
+The professions that existed in that period, were they permanent or seasonal, what were the permanent professions at that time?
-There were no professions, except agriculture and there were no other professions, there was a carpenter who makes tools
+ So, there was a carpenter shop in your village?
-Yes, carpenter shop and a carpenter who made plowing tools
+What was his name?
-Yes, Muhammad Al-Najjar and Khader Al-Najjar they were brothers, Suleiman Al-Najjar and Musa Al-Najjar.
+They were from the village
-Yes, because their father came to the village, and he settled down and bought a house in the village.
+When there was no work, what did young people do? Did they go to other cities (villages) to work?
- They were going to work in the British Police
+Has any of you ever gone to work in the port?
-No, there was no need, whoever rolled up his sleeves and worked in his land had no need to go to another place for work,
+The most important thing was for him to work in his land and prove himself by that
- Because agriculture was more important, and raising livestock, which was very profitable, you could sell the newborn livestock and use their wool,
+Did you have property before the 1948th, for example, houses or shops?
-We had large land
+I ask you about houses
- And houses
+Did you have a house other than the one you used to live in?
-We used to live in a big house like a colony
+Can you describe it?
-The ground was tilted/one side higher than the other. We used to live in the higher land, and we had built four main pillars. It is called the pillars of the cross, and it means four pillars above four corners that touch at the top to cover the area of the dome. House space...
+Did the house consist of one room or more?
-One dome (Aqed), linked together (he explains the details of the design, but the description is not clear)
+What is the surface area of the dome?
- Eight times eight meters, we used to live in the high area and go down using the stairs to the wide lower area, which we called Al-Sira, because it was sheltering the sheep, The elevated area had a section for cows, a section for mules, and a section for storing supplies
+ Where did you sleep?
-In the upper area which we go up by stairs
+How were the windows in the house? Double or single?
- Double, and the windows were wide, windows on the north side, so we don't need a fan or an air conditioner
+Were your houses old or new?
-My grandfather built it, he brought a mason from Ein Kerem and built it.
+Did you have other shops or for example other rented properties?
- In the same building that I'm talking about there was a warehouse.
+How much land did you own?
-We had lands in the south of the village, the area of the land that was called al-Saffar
+What is the reason behind that name?
- it’s an old name, and a land called Horan
+Was it far from the center of the village?
-About 4 km
+Was the land`s area large?
- Of course, hundreds of Dunum (dunum=1000 square meter), and the British government built a prison on a part of this land
+ From where did they bring the prisoners??
- From all sentences.
+Were Arabs and Jews arrested in this prison?
- Yes, the Jews dug a tunnel to escape
+Did the house have a distinctive architectural style?
- It was all cruciform columns
+Do you have ownership papers?
-The southern lands, yes, ownership papers were issued by the Mandate government, and as for the other lands, they did not do an anointing of the land
+Why?
-anointment of lands didn’t cover those lands, I remember when I was a kid I used to follow the land`s survey, when representatives came from the Mandate government, There were English people among them, Until they pointed to one who came with a piece of iron 60 cm length, He was told to go and use a curse I wouldn't say (the old man talks about an passing event; , but the words are not clear, it seems that he describes a dispute between two people about anointing a small area of land, then goes on to say) They organized the streets, there was a street that descended from Latrun Across Al-Nada Valley, a number of buildings were built adjacent to it, and they were called Al-Latrun Al-Tahta (lower part of latrun) . As for the rest of the buildings at the top, they were called Al-Latrun Al-Fawqa (higher part of latrun). From the Jaffa-Jerusalem route, it passed through these lands until it reached the Gaza Street. From there, where the organization was practically taking place, there was a road connecting the village of Al-Qbab that passed between the lands. We knew how big the street was, and everything was organized, it separated Al-Nada Valley from Wadi Al-Kabir, which belongs to a village called Maharten, which is one of the lands of Imwas
+Why was it called by that name?
- Because it has two demolished villages
+Are they ancient?
- Yes,
+Are they Romans or Canaanites? Are they old?
- No, it's not Romanian, it's Arabic
+Do you have any birth certificates?
- Yes, (hands it to him) the birth certificate of one of my sisters written in Arabic, English and Hebrew
+Was it written that it was issued by the Palestinian government?
- Name: Aisha Yousef Salim Mohammed Taha, my sister, mother: my mother Zarifa Mohammed Taha, Imwas written as the address of the parents, Palestine
+The father's nationality is Palestinian, the mother's nationality is Palestinian, (he reads from the document), we will photograph this document when the filming is over
+Did you have census papers for sheep?
-When the village was destroyed, we were barely able to take these documents, because once the village was raided, people could not take anything of their properties. Whoever had something in his pocket would throw it away, and my father felt pity for the two sons of my nephew and my son (He probably talks about two children riding on an animal because of their young age, it is not clear what he says in this part)
+Were there known community leaders in the village?
- Of course
+Those who make peace between the disputants, and marriage proposals, were there specific people?
- Of course
+Can you remember their names?
-Of course, I have witnessed Theeb Ali Ahmed from Abu Qutaish family, And AL-Hajj Salim Muhammad Taha, from Abu Qutaish family. And whoever came after them was Ahmed Theeb Ali. And following Salim Muhammad Taha was Muhammad Salim, and Youssef Salim, they were notables/community leaders of the town, and every family had their own, so we can consider them notables in the area.
+Are there others?
-Hajj Abdul Aziz Al-Ghoula, from Khalil family, Al-Hajj Ahmed Berjas from Khalil family, Nimr Abu Khalil from Khalil family, and from Barghash family, Hajj Abdul Aziz Mustafa Barghash, and his brother Musa Hussein Barghash, they were the community leaders of the area, and he was from hamadah Thiab Qaddoura family. He was made the person to be taken for the marriage proposal (Jaha).
+Were there disputes and problems in the village? Did it happen that there was a big problem that required going to the police station?
- No, the problem was solved before it reached the police station
+Was there a police station in your village?
- During the period of the mandate governance there was a police station
+Was it close to your village?
- Of course, it was located within the village lands
+How far was it from the center of the village?
- Not much, about a kilometer
+Was the building big? It consists of one or two floors?
-More than one floor and its features are still present
+Were the policemen English and Arab?
- They were Arabs and English
+Were they solving problems between people?
-No, problems rarely reach them, problems were solved before they got to them
+Was there a large number of soldiers?
-Their number is not less than 50-60 soldiers
+Was there a prison in this police station?
- Was there a place for detention
+Do you remember the name of the English police officer?
- not quite sure
+ Was any resident of the village detained in that police station?
- There were some infringements by shepherds, on state property, they steal pieces of iron or cut a clothes rope and things like that, they accuse them (referring to the shepherds), but mostly thieves came from outside the village, and they do these actions, but in the police station they were suspecting the shepherds or people from the village, there was a person called Abu Saif
+ Who is Abu Saif?
- He was an officer in the police station
+ Was he an Arab?
- Yes, there was a person who was called Abu Al-Haradin (agamas)
+Was he an Arab, too?
- No, he was English
+ Why was he called by that name?
- Because he was fond of killing the Agamas, He was carrying a pistol and hunting agamas
+ Every village or region was famous for a certain thing. What was Imwas famous for?
- Imwas had vast lands
+What are the crops that were grown the most?
-Wheat, corn, and sesame
+ And the grapes?
-The grapes were from the bushes in the east of the country, we used to grow figs and grapes
+Before the Nakba, did you make visits to Palestinian cities?
- Of course, I went to Jaffa
+ Can you describe your journey from home to Jaffa?
- I remember, I remember that my mother went with my brother and stayed in the French Hospital in Jaffa, and we went to visit her, Myself and my father and some family members, and the doorman who was there was from our village,
+When you left Imwas, what was the transportation method you used?
- The bus, from our village to Ramla, then from Ramla we took another bus to Jaffa
+Do you remember how much the fare was?
- I don't remember because I was young
+ When you arrived in Jaffa, where did you get off? Did you get off at the bus station?
- Yes
+What was the name of the station?
-I don't remember, I was young and missing my mom
+And after you arrived in Jaffa and checked on your mother, did you go to the market to shop, or did you go to go to the sea?
- Yes, we went, ate fish, and sat on the seashore
+Did you go to the cinema or to the theater?
- No, (laughing) that would be shameful, we went to the AL-Madfaa coffee shop
+What did you drink in the coffee shop?
- Kazouz (soft drink)
+Did you leave the village directly by bus?
- We got out of the house and stopped at the line at the Sharabati supermarket
+How far was it from you?
-It was very close to the police station. A little to the south, west of the monastery, we stopped there and got on the bus. The bus was a Jewish bus from the old IGUIDE (not sure of the name) Company, we got to Ramla, then from Ramla we took another bus
+I would like to ask you about religious ceremonies and holidays. How was the way these occasions are celebrated?
- On Eid al-Fitr, the Eid prayer was performed in our house because it was spacious. In the house where I was born my home and my grandfather's home, and that was on rainy days, but if the weather was clear, the prayer would be performed outside in the Threshing floor, the groves
+All the people go to threshing floor to pray
- Yes, and who had cattle, and on a certain occasion I remember the generosity of my grandfather he once told the people who were not able to buy sheep for sacrifice.
+ So, this was on Eid al-Adha?
- Yes, whoever does not have the money to buy a sheep, here are the sheep for you to take from them, and bon Appetit
+Were there people who needed and took from it?
- Yes
+The people were friendly and helpful
- Yes, and they were generous
+ Do you remember eggs Thursday (Easter)?
- Yes
+ What were people doing on Easter?
- We used to celebrate this day, pay a visit called the visit of the Prophet Saleh, we used to go to visit him and watch all the games
+ Where was the Prophet Saleh?
- West of Ramla
+ On Eggs Thursday (Easter)?
- Yes, or maybe a week later
+Let's talk about marriage, how the details were done from the first day you ask for the bride's hand (marriage proposal) until the wedding night
-The father of the groom went with the old men he knew; the groom often has no control over the matter. His family chooses a bride for him. In my time, the bride's paid dowry was 60 Palestinian pounds, and the Deferred Dowry was not expensive. They ask for the bride's hand and go to Ramla to register their marriage. Then the wedding party takes place, a whole month of dancing and singing,
+Was the wedding taking a long time?
- Yes, every night people gather, they perform Samir (it’s a singing and dancing style) for the men, the women sing together.
+When did the bride leave her family's house?
- She would ride a horse
+ Were they grooming/decorating the horse?
-Sure
+ Who used to take the bride out of her father's house? Her uncle?
- Her father of course if he is alive, or her older brother if her father isn’t available.
+Who leads the horse?
- As soon as the bride leaves the house, the bride's family takes care of that
+Did she go out with a box?
-Yes, boxes for her clothes, and the situation was advanced as she goes out with a wardrobe
+When the bride passed from one neighbor to another, was the parade stopped by what was called the “Sheikh al Shbab”?
-There wasn’t Sheikh Al-shbab in our village either the uncle clothing (father side) or the uncle’s clothing (mother side) (These traditions were in some villages and cities) These habits were hated because they caused problems,
It has laid off people from their jobs. I remember that one of them came from the village of Latrun to propose to a girl. One of the notables of the village was defrauded by telling him it is not right for a girl to move from one village to another without paying for “Sheikh al-Shbab”, that caused trouble and fights, the mother of the bride was injured in the head, she sued the mayor Abdel Aziz Barghash. And the Mandate government dismissed him from being the mayor
+ So, this tradition stopped in the village
- Yes, people were careful, including my father, who said that these habits lead to problems and are unnecessary
+What was the wedding present?
- Money
+ Did people bring livestock with them?
- Yes
+ What were they bringing?
- Sheep or goats
+Was it possible to give livestock as a paid dowry?
- No, cash only
+Was the Samir (singing and dancing style) going on all night?
- Sometimes it lasts all night, it would be a peaceful night and lamps are lit.
+Did the women sing too?
- Yes
+Were women and men separated?
- Yes
+ At funerals, were all people united?
-Yes, all the inhabitants of the village used to gather to bury the dead person because it takes effort, they built a house they call it (fasekeiah) in the ground, and the dead person was placed in the grave. And some of them were making higher grave, In Imwas, the grave of my uncle Shaker Mustafa is still there and has lines of poetry written on it
+Why did he like poetry?
- He was a poet, his name is Shaker Mustafa, and his grave is in Imwas in the cemetery of Imwas, it's not far from the street and the cemetery is part of the shrine of Abu Ubaidah Amer bin Al-Jarrah
+How many days of mourning?
- Officially a total of 40 days and they do something called (AL-Tahlelah) People gather and read Qur'an
+Did people come from outside the village to offer condolences?
- Of course, the people of the village will welcome them.
+ Were there any famous people in your village? For example, one of the national revolutionaries or Sheikh Azhari or a doctor or a poet?
- There were no famous poets, recently, a new poet appeared his name is Abdul Aziz Abu Ghosh, and he is one of the students at my school.
+ In that era the forties and thirties there weren’t any known poets or Sheikhs?
- Yes, there was Sheikh Abd, who is the father of Sheikh Othman
+In the forties, people used to go for Pilgrimage (hajj).
- Yes, and before the forties
+How was the road for the hajj?
- They used to go to Jaffa and use the railways or to Led till they reach Arish of Egypt; from there they use boats through the Suez Canal then to the Red Sea and head to Jeddah and go for Hajj: Pilgrimage.
+ That was taking a long time, right?
- Of course, three months
+Did people go to bid farewell to pilgrims in a festive way?
- They cried a lot, and they also gave them money
+And when will they come back?
- They celebrate their return, as pilgrims bring gifts and distribute them
+ Were there specific songs, poetry, or zajal (old Arabian style of rap) said on this occasion?
- Yes
+Do you remember anything that was said on these occasions?
- to those who visit the prophet, salute his grave, and Words like this
+Like Religious songs
- Yes, it was related to Hajj, and it was called (Tarweed)
+ Now we will move on to the second part of the interview. This section aims to convey a picture of the Palestinian refugees suffering in the Nakba and then in the refugee camps. Therefore, it is important for us to pay attention now to the chronological order of events.
+Did you have political parties in the village parties or organizations for the revolutionaries? Before 1948?
- It was the revolution of the 36th, which started at the 1936, One of our relatives, Saeed Abdullah Mustafa, was martyred
+From which family?
- Abu Qutaish family.
+ He was martyred in the 36th or after that?
- in 1936,
+Was he one of the revolutionaries?
- Yes, He was martyred in the village of Beit Mahsir His father and his relatives did not dare to take an action for him or show that they are related to him
+ Why?
- afraid of what might happen, they would have faced the same destiney the other families of the martyrs because of the occupation. They will demolish their home, destroy their property, and attack them. My grandfather took care of the body and buried him.
+Were there any organizations for revolutionaries in 1945-1956?
- No
+When did the skirmishes and Zionist attacks begin When the shooting at the village started?
-Our village was a little far, the initial skirmishes were against Salmah village,
+Next to Jaffa
- Yes, the village was attacked several times until it fell, then they slowly crawled towards us, Because Al-Lydd and Ramla, Ramla was subjected to more than one attack. Al-Lydd was subjected to one attack and fell, Ramla resisted the most
+Did you know this information through newspapers and the media?
- by eyewitnesses
+People were circulating news to each other
- Yes eyewitnesses, we were able to see it with our own eyes too, because our lands are high and overlooks the area
+Were there direct confrontations between your village and the Zionists?
- The village was getting attacked night after night,
+This is what we will talk about now, how did the attack happen?
- It was our destiny that the battalion which came to us is the fourth battalion
+ Before talking about the fourth Battalion, Did the villagers own weapons?
-Everyone was selling his wife's gold (What a woman owns of gold jewelry) Even if he had to sell the mattress, he sleeps on to have enough money to buy a weapon
+Were you giving money to certain people to go and buy you weapons?
-The weapons came through smuggling from Jordan
+Were people going by themselves to buy their own weapons?
- Yes, everyone goes by himself by smuggling, they came through the Jordan River
+Have any weapons dealers ever come to your village to sell weapons?
- No, everyone who wants to buy a weapon goes and buys it himself
+did you buy weapons before the skirmishes, or after?
- During the skirmishes
+Who trained you to use weapons?
-If there is a trained person, he was training the others, in the old days they owned weapons sometimes, the weapon ban did not prevent all people from owning weapons at that time. And when Britain began gathering their equipment to leave, after that All people were allowed to own weapons, People started having weapons and getting trained on using them and because some people were working in the British police.
+Who organized the people in the village? Were there people responsible for organizing people?
- Of course, my uncle Mohammed Aref Mohammed Taha
+He is the one who was responsible.
- Yes, he was in contact with certain parties He goes to get ammunition and so on
+Was he the one who was organizing the village defense?
-Yes, and if there was any attack on any village, people would go to help them against the attack, they were protective of their people and land, they had pride, and magnanimity
+Were there any fortifications around the village?
-Yes, there were fortifications
+ what kind of fortifications? Did you dig trenches?
- Yes, we dug a trench
+Around all the village?
- Yes,
+How was the guarding process?
- Guards were distributed, each family sent some people and took up a position to guard the village
+Do you remember that there were disagreements about this? Or did everyone agree about it?
- They were united, everyone agreed to prevent the convoy from passing from Bab al-Wad to Jerusalem and they managed to destroy the convoy and loot it many times.
+ Did you happen to go out to help other villages?
- I remember when we were kids, we threw our school bags and went to watch, and I saw a group of people running and my father was on the front. The battle was in Kholdah village. There was a group of the Jews running to reach the quarry, whoever reaches the quarry dominates, my father was lucky, who, despite his weak body, reached the quarry before them and dominated it, People didn't have tanks, there was a Jewish armored vehicle winning the maneuvers and inflicted great loss. However, there was an experienced and trained German volunteer He slipped through the plants and blew up the tank, and relieved people from it,
+You say there was a German person helping you in the fight?
-Yes, he was a volunteer, from the forces affiliated with the leader Hassan Salama, and he was able to reach the tank and sacrificed himself for the sake of others
+ You mean he died as a result of the operation?
- Yes of course, he blew himself up to destroy the tank
+Do you remember if anyone from the village was martyred or wounded during this period?
-Yes, there were those who were wounded in these battles, there was a person named Mahmoud Darwish who broke his leg
+From which family?
-From the Hamdan family
+Did you help any other village? Or did you get help from it?
-No, we didn't get help because we weren't under attack, except in the days of the Fourth Battalion, after the loss/fall of Ramla, the village of al-Qbab, and the other villages around us had fallen under the occupation. Then our village began to be attacked, but the Jordanian army had arrived and took up their positions. On the same night when the army took up their positions, we were attacked by five thousand and five hundred Jews. The attack continued after that, every night after night they attacked us and stopped in the morning.
+The skirmishes only happened at night.
-Yes, and there were at least 700-800 bodies that we saw lying on the ground after each skirmish. We used to throw them into valleys and wells and so on.
+ Whose bodies?
-The bodies of the Zionist soldiers, as for those who were martyred from our village, they were a few. My cousin's name is Atallah Ahmad Al-Saeed. And my father's cousin, Tawfiq al-Abed Barghash, they were wounded by shrapnel (Artillery shrapnel that the Zionists were hitting on the village) They were not armed, Hassan Mahmoud Al-Amriya and an old man who was called Abu A’qla, I do not know his first name
+During this period, refugees began to pass through. Have there been refugees who have been displaced from their homes to your village?
-Refugees passed by us, and they settled in the village, they were a few
+From which villages were they?
- Khirbet Slebit, Beit Jeez,
+Have they stayed in the village?
-Yes
+Did you help them and give them shelter or did they rent one?
- There was an endowment land on which they built a shelter on it, for example due to the circumstances, my uncle and his family went to Amman and left their home. I begged a refugee to live in my uncle's empty house to take care of it
+During this period, did any of the villagers leave the village?
- Yes
+Why?
-Because some of them were employees of the Water Authority of the Jaffa-Jerusalem pipeline they worked in mechanics and similar jobs. They heard that whoever goes to Amman will be able to find a good job and so on, at that time, a person named Ahmed Al-Ameriya came. He was married to a Turkish woman, and his wife's family were in Amman. He came to Na’ur and lived there for a while, and my sister and her husband came and lived in Amman in the year 1949.
+Did the skirmishes that happened affect the economic situation in the village?
-Of course, the lands have been withheld (blocked) from us
+You mean they started occupying the lands?
- Yes
+They dominated the lands you used to grow wheat and barley
-Yes, a large part of the lands, when the occupation phase began, people could not take it
+The economic situation in the village became difficult. Where did you get supplies of food and drinks from?
- We started going out to work, sneaking out from the Jews
+How was that?
-The inhabitants of some villages had left their crops and possessions there
+They thought they would come back
-The Jews did not have much power, some patrols were just passing by
+Did the occupation intentionally destroy trees or water wells?
-In our village, no, they did not reach it, but after the year 1967 they destroyed everything
+Have you heard about the Deir Yassin massacre?
-Of course
+What was the impact of the massacre on the people?
-The people were terrified, when people hear about the crimes of the occupation like killing, slaughtering, and skinning, (he means that the story of the massacre was propaganda that was published with the aim of frightening people)
+Did you hear this propaganda through the news or by the people?
- By people, of course
+So, you were terrified after the story spread?
- We were not terrified. We were in high spirits, and I think that what happened in Deir Yassin was just propaganda to intimidate the Palestinian people, as for what happened in Abu Shusha, it was worse than what happened in Deir Yassin
+Abu Shusha
-Yes
+Abu Shusha is a village that belongs to which city?
-To the west of our village, in Ramleh area, adjacent to our land
+Have you been following the news of the war through...?
-We were rushing to other villages to resist the Zionist occupation
+So, you rushed to help other villages?
- yes of course
+We'll talk about this after the break
…………………………………………………………..
+ Peace be upon you
- Peace be upon you
+ You told me that the Fourth Battalion reached you, when it arrived, what happened?
- The attack began, the attack began by the Jews (Zionists),
+ Was The 4th Battalion Jordanian?
- Yes, the battalion was Jordanian
+ Do you remember who their leader was?
- Habis Al Majali, And the Staff of the War of the Brigade, Mahmoud Al-Rousan, and other individuals we know, we heard their names before.
+ You mentioned the well-known and the famous
- Yes, Field Marshal Habis al-Majali was the commander of the Fourth Battalion, and with his leadership they defended the village desperately, and inflicted a loss on them. Where they had artillery behind them located under the olive trees of Beit Leqia, the artillery is not in the front, it was a little behind
+ Was it far from Imwas?
- About 6 or 7 kilometers, and the attack was starting in the afternoon, the artillery took the targets, and the attack began to creep into the night, The Jordanians soldiers confronted them and inflicted heavy losses upon them. Most of them were killed
+ Did these skirmishes last too long?
- Until they signed the truce.
+ Were the skirmishes daily and continuous?
- Almost daily, almost every night, and the brave Jordanians were fine
+ Were there militants from the village joining them?
- Of course, many youth villagers were joining the fight, Mahmoud al-Rousan organized them and gave them weapons, mercy upon his soul. He supported them with everything, and they were helping the army
+ Has any of the villagers been martyred these days?
- Sure
+ Do you remember their names?
- Abdullah Hassan Al-Saeed, Tawfiq Abdel Aziz Mustafa Hussein Barghash, Hassan Mahmoud Al-Amriya, who was a young man, and there was an old man called Abu A’qla, and I don't remember his name
+ Were the Jews hitting the village with heavy machine guns without artillery or what?
- Their artillery was simple, but when the attack erupts and the forces approach each other, artillery cannot be relied upon. Because they used blades in the clashes
+ Has there been any clash with blades
- Yes, with light weapons
+ Were the losses of the Jews (Zionists) always many?
- Their losses were not less than 800 killed soldiers
+ Were the people of the village getting injured? Or from the Jordanian army? Where were they treated?
- About thirteen soldiers were killed from the Jordanian army, they are buried in Imwas
+ are they buried in the village?
- Yes, mercy be upon them
+ There was a severe economic siege on the village, how did you manage your manners during this period?
- We were selling the old copper that we had because our village was a life of joy, they had wool and copper, and there was common land that was not owned for a specific purpose. We were cultivating it. The vineyards were all unexploited, so we used the grapes and figs. People were living on their previous produce, because the village owned large lands bordering the village of al-Qbab, and Beit jeez, and Abu Shusha, and Beit Sisin, and Yalu, and Deir Ayyub, And Al-Fawwar valley, which descends from Beit Nuba the north of the village. It had vast lands full of bounties. Until we knew the way to Amman and started going to Amman to work in it
+ What work have you been doing in Amman?
- We were working in construction
+ You work in construction, and you used to come back in some periods
- Yes, I came to Amman in the fifties and opened a brick factory in Wadi Al-Remam
+ When the last attack on the village happened, before you got out of it, were you in it?
- You mean the last attack that happened in 1967?
+ Yes, were you in the village? And before the 67th, did you try to enter the village to bring something specific from the inside, after the Jews (Zionists) occupied the village?
- Yes, the villages were located in 1948 areas almost not covered by the Jews (Zionists), they did not have enough military forces, But the villages were unattended and unprotected, there were cultivated lands, as for wheat, the grain of wheat was stored. We were cooperating to move it
+ Do you remember one time that you went and brought something from inside the village?
- I don't remember but I saw,
+ seen? What did they tell you?
- They rented camels from us and went and loaded them with wheat from Annaba
+ Did they return it back?
- There were people on the way who found out that the corn was not harvested, and they told others, so at night others went to harvest corn,
+ You told me that you went to Abu Ghosh village after a while
- After a while, after the truce was signed, there were truce observers
+ This happened in the fifties.
- Yes, once my grandfather's sister. We heard the news that her husband had passed away. Her children are part immigrant and part separated from her, and she needed support. My grandfather did not accept that situation and because I’m his grandson, he sent me to get the grandmother, and we went
+ How far is it?
- 15 km,
+ were there Jews (Zionists)?
- Yes
+ Who did you go with?
- Me and my brother
+ Is he older than you or younger than you?
- No, he is older,
+ What's his name?
- Nemer, and it was like a trap, and they caught us,
+ Before you reach the village?
- When we got to the village
+ The Jews imprisoned you during that period?
- They held us for a while
+ Do you stay in prison for too long?
- I remember that among them there were people who were caught by the Jews They changed their names and the names of their villages. What are their circumstances, what happened to them we did not know; our names and the name of our village have not been changed, what is your name? I say my name and from which village, and so on
+ Yes
- They have experience in the country (villages) by the merchantmen who were selling fabric to the country, there was a man named Abu Shehadeh who leads them through villages.
+ Is this Abu Shehadeh a Jew?
- Yes, a Jew, a fabric merchant, and everyone knew he was a Jew,
A fabric merchant used to come to Imwas, and before 1948 there was no dispute between us. He used to come to our village, and we welcomed him very well and he would trust us on the goods. And if we went to Jerusalem for a visit, we would bring him a gift and visit him. This old man. Even though he had a son holding a rank in the Jewish police, He wanted to prove whether we were truthful or dishonest about whether we were from a certain village or otherwise. They assigned him to investigate us. He asked me a question, he said: Was there a Jew who came to your village to sell fabric? I told him yes there were three, one named Abu Shehadeh, and I noticed his face when I mentioned the name. One was named Dahoud, and the third was named Abu Anwar. There were also two Jewish women from Aleppo selling fabric, but our relationship with everyone was not solid, but we knew everything about them, they were from different sects, for example: as for the religion of Dahoud, one can marry his sister's daughter. As for Abu Shehadeh, no, their characters were close to ours, and this is who we had a relationship with. I remember one day I went to Jerusalem with my grandmother. The image of that man has never left my mind. When his father instructed him to go buy a gift, I remember him. I told him that you are Shehadeh, aren't you Shehadeh?? He left everything in his hand, where he yearned for those days, and he kissed me. He told me that you are the best and most honest people!
Israel is holding them. I told him: What is Israel? Is the country called Israel now? He said: Yes. The important thing is, we proved the truth of what we said, and there is no longer an investigation, so we were happy. Otherwise, they would make it harder for us and harm us, and after that we were not subjected to any provocation. But in the past, they all used all means to provoke us and curse at Mohammad (use a cultural way of insulting Arabs, by mentioning his sister’s private parts.)
+ You mean that they were insulting you?
- Yes, in the most ignominious manner. This indicates that they are not a government but extremist gangs.
+ Right, right, did you spend a long time in their custody?
- About a year
+ A whole year in prison?
- Yes, they were transporting us, we had no charges, and our cases were closed. For example, they accused us of entering an illegal area, we completed our sentences, and then they started to move us
+ After you returned, did you stay in Imwas, or did you leave it?
- After we returned, the government of Jordan, may God bless them, accused us that we snuck out by someone called Al-Aranki and come back, and they sentenced us for another year
+ You were imprisoned for another year in Jordan?
- Yes, and we spent most of it in Wadi Araba.
+ Jail or what?
- Banishment, we built an outpost (police station) there
+ You mean that you worked there?
- Yes, they gave us some money to buy flour and food
+ When it was time for the main battle that took place in Imwas and people began to leave the village, were you in the village then?
- I was in Amman, I was working in a factory for a person named Ibrahim Farraj, and I crossed the Jordan River and went to Imwas while the fighting was going on there.
+ You went to the village during the battle?
-Yes, I crossed the Jordan River after the bridge was blown up. Jericho Bridge or King Hussein Bridge as it is called, and I confronted the Jews near the honey farm, they were going to shoot me but what happened was I was wearing a CGC shirt, they assumed it was a military uniform, and when they saw my ID, then looked at the collar of the shirt, the situation calmed down. I knew they wanted to find out if the shirt was military or something else, They found out it was royal and they let me go, and they gave me an advice, they said when it is five o'clock you have to stick to your location, because the curfew begins, And we implemented their demands, and indeed, after that I continued on my way to Ramallah, and I found my wife, my sons, my brothers and my parents, part of them in Petunia and the other part in Ramallah.
+ What did they tell you? How did they get out of the village?
- The Jews raided the village, and they called all the residents of the village and ordered them to leave, or else they would demolish the houses over the heads of its residents. Indeed, they came out of their homes and told them to go on your way outside the village, go to Asira,
+ Were people able to take home furniture or anything?
- Nothing at all, no cow, sheep, no piece of cloth to wear, or shoes to wear, nothing
+ So, a lot of people went out barefoot and with only the clothes they were wearing
- Most of them were barefoot and walked on their feet, even their animals they were not allowed to take them
+ Did someone get sick or die on the road?
- Died of thirst, one of our relatives, she is the mother of my brother's wife, she was emaciated from extreme thirst and died and was buried on the side of the road
+ How long did it take to get from Imwas to the first place you stopped at?
- Two days or a day
+ How was the weather then?
- The temperature was high, this was on June 5-6-7,
+ How did people eat and drink?
- In the villages we came across ahead
+ What was the first village the people of Imwas found on their way?
- Beit Nuba was the first village to evacuate with us, Yalu, Imwas and Beit Nuba they expelled us together, and some of the people went to the village of Beit Leqia and did not receive them out of fear and cowardice. Hence, the situation of the village itself was dilapidated, so the people continued walking until they reached Ramallah,
+ Was it far away
- about 36 km approximately.
+ 36 km walking!
- Yes
+ Was it a main road and walking on the asphalt?
- Yes
+ And people walked?
- Yes, even some of them, the young men, were taken captives by the Jews
+ Did they release them later? Or did they remain captured for a long time?
- Yes, they set them free, and they did not stay for a long time, and a large part of their families already went to Amman, so they joined them after being free.
+ Where did you meet them?
- In Ramallah, in a factory for a person named Issa Musa, an employee in the municipality,
+ Did they have anything? Or were their circumstances difficult?
- They had some money to buy some supplies, they even bought some biscuits for the kids
+ What did the villagers say? Did they walk during the day and sit at night or what?
-The distance is not long. The young men arrived in Ramallah and settled there. And when I reached them and asked them about my parents, they said that they had left them in Beit Leqia, and I asked more, and it turned out that they had gone to Petunia.
+ So, you went to Petunia?
- Right away, I went to Petunia, and they were there, then I went back to Ramallah, and I brought a mule cart, and I took them in the cart to Ramallah,
+ Is the distance far?
- Between Petunia and Ramallah? About six kilometers
+ Have you settled in Ramallah, the city, or in a camp?
- In the brick factory room, in the same place where the tile machines were located, and when we didn't like living that way, we thought of going to Amman, because we tried to return to Imwas, but there was no hope to return.
+ Did all the villagers go out together? Or separated families?
- All the village together, at once, some people had taken shelter in the monastery from bombing and so on, but an order came for them to leave, so they went out, and I think there are pictures of the bus on the monastery road. they told him (bus driver) that you brought Egyptian commandos yesterday, get on the bus immediately, and indeed they walked out of the monastery, the monastery tried to protect them, but the Jews did not consider anyone, even they told the mayor Ahmad Theeb to put the stamp here, they ordered him to take it out of his pocket and throw it away.
+ When you arrived in Amman, how did you leave Ramallah?
- In a small truck
- To Jericho and Masina, that was allowed, we reached the river and crossed it, there were cars
+ Did the Jews have dominance over the river?
- Yes, we walked across the river by walk and came to Amman
+ Where did you live? In camp?
- First, we went to an ice factory, the owner of the factory is from Al Walaja village. On the road to Ras al-Ain, there we rested for a while. We washed our clothes and showered, and continued to Jabal al-Hashimi, to My uncle's place of residence where he had lived before people were displaced. They hosted us and stayed with them until we found a house and rented it. And I was working, of course, because I went to get them and came back, I kept working and helped both families
+ Did you return to Imwas after that?
- No
+ Did anyone you know go to Imwas and tell you about the experience?
- No
+ You did not know anything about Imwas after that
- I once watched a tape on TV, how a young man had visited Imwas with journalists, and explained to them what was there, the door of the house of my uncle Theeb Ali and his son Hikmat, he told them that it was the door of the orchard he said: Let's dig its place to explore, and when they excavated the place of the door appeared, and here are the landmarks that proved the existence of an inhabited village
+ Do you have a bureau or an association for the people of Imwas here in Amman?
- Yes, here, there is an association for the people of Imwas
+ What services does it provide to people?
- People's belonging to it was weak, but it helps weak and needy people
+ Do you financially help students who are in need? Give financial aid?
- For high achievers
+ The decision 194 of the United Nations Assembly; This decision states that you have the right as a refugee to return to your homes and property and recover them and to be compensated for the suffering you have lived from 1948 until now, if this decision is implemented, will you return to Imwas?
- Even without compensation, If I could go back to Imwas and I say it without exaggeration, if I possessed Paradise and were given the choice between staying in Paradise and returning to Imwas, I would prefer to return to Imwas.
+ The decision stipulates the return and taking compensation as well, not only return, that you should be compensated for your loss of property and you’re suffering from displacement.
- Despite all the advantages you are saying, the preference for me is my hometown, I'm not interested in money
+ Regardless of who has governance over it?
- Of course
+ Even if the Jews are in control?
- Even if they had governance over it
+ And then you'll manage,
If compensation was imposed without return, would you accept that?
- No, nothing can compensate a person for his property, Compensation is called compensation, not equivalent (Speaks with tears in his eyes)
+ After the suffering that you have lived and the displacement that you have been through, what is your view at the world and its way of dealing with the Palestinian case, and what is your view at the world in this regard? Was it fair?
- No, they did not do us justice, and none of the parties in the case did us justice, This is what we have noticed, that there are no regimes in all the globe that have supported us and stood by our side as they should, They did not feel our pain while ignoring us, this reality and I do not speak from my imagination, I do not see condemnation in the newspapers, not even manifestations of that. This is what we are experiencing now. The Palestinian people are subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing. There is no one standing by Palestinian people`s side, and I am not the only one who sees this, everyone feels that they failed us, from the rich and poor countries
+ At the end of the interview, we would like to thank you, for this frankness, interesting discussion, and the information you provided us with about Imwas and about the issue of displacement and how it took place, and by God’s willing, you will all return to your homes.
- I spoke the truth, and I didn’t do it justice describing the situation too, I still feel that I missed on things.
+ Do not say this, you did not, you did what you could and more, I pray to God to prolong your life.
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