Dec 29 2013
Prominent Palestinian psychiatrist Eyad Sarraj dies
By Daoud Kuttab
In the middle of the Alexa blizzard, which turned the Gaza Strip into a giant lake, Gaza lost one of its most respected men.
Eyad Sarraj, a Palestinian refugee and psychiatrist, died on Dec. 17 with the same dignity that he lived.
While most Gazans have little choice of where to live, Sarraj did. During his stay and studies in the United Kingdom, he obtained a British passport, yet he chose to work, live and die in his beloved Gaza.
When the first intifada broke out, Sarraj’s attention differed from everyone else’s. While everyone was talking and dealing with issues of liberation and resistance, he focused on his people’s mental well-being and especially the trauma that Palestinian children had gone through. The Gaza Community Mental Health Program quickly became the mecca of all pilgrims interested in Palestine and especially those who were willing to look beyond the physical resistance and oppression.
In a region and time where it’s next to impossible to stay neutral and independent, Sarraj held on dearly to both, which earned him the trust and respect of all factions including those who fought each other in the street battles that eventually led to Palestine’s deepest split. Through every reconciliation effort that had an element of independent personalities, there was no question about where Sarraj stood. Continue Reading »