Gaza has always been rebellious . . . stubborn, addictive. I'm her
daughter, and I look like her.
A Palestinian journalist who grew up in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza,
Asmaa al-Ghoul offers a rare view of a young woman coming into her own
political and secular beliefs amidst the region's relentless violence
and under Israeli occupation. She has been called "too strong minded,"
frequently criticized for not covering her hair and for being outspoken.
As a journalist and activist, she has led demonstrations and been vocal
in her opposition to Hamas and Fatah, which has led her to family
strife, imprisonment, brutal interrogations, death threats and attacks.
A Rebel in Gaza is Asmaa's story as told to Franco-Lebanese writer
Selim Nassib over the course of the "Arab Spring" through meetings,
phone calls, Skype, and even texts during the siege of Gaza in 2014,
when Israel conducted Operation Cast Lead in response to several rocket
attacks by Hamas and she was locked in the "open air prison" that her
homeland had become. Both determined and dedicated to its liberation
through writing, education and culture, she paints the sensory portrait
of the native country she passionately loves, which over years has
become a cauldron of wars and fundamentalism.
Asmaa al-Ghoul (b. 1982) was given the prestigious Courage in
Journalism Award by the International Women's Media Foundation and is
described by The New York Times as a woman "known for her defiant
stance against the violations of civil rights in Gaza."
Selim Nassib (b. 1946), journalist for Libération and novelist is
the author of I Loved You for Your Voice and The Palestinian Lover
(Europa Editions).
