Ayah Victoria McKhail is a Palestinian writer based in Toronto with family in Gaza. Her writing has appeared in The Palestine Chronicle, The Globe and Mail, and the Literary Review of Canada, among other publications.
Wedad Abed always knew she wanted to be a journalist. Although she was only six years old at the height of the second intifada, she recalls being immersed in the news while experiencing it first-hand as Israel laid siege to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"One day, my two brothers and I were attempting to return home from school. Israeli soldiers had erected a military checkpoint, but they were preventing anyone from crossing. Suddenly, they started shooting at us. Tear gas was used and sound grenades echoed. In an attempt to protect us, a woman who lived nearby allowed me to seek shelter in her home."
Abed remembers the palpable sense of fear that prevailed. "My family and I would sleep in our home's corridor. We were fearful of the bombing and we didn't want to draw attention to our home, so we'd refrain from using electricity."
Al Jazeera offered an unceasing stream of updates that were inescapable and inspiring. "I'd always stand up and emulate journalists like Shireen Abu Akleh, Walid Al-Omari and Guevara Al-Budayri. I'd sign off with my name as I longed for the day I could enter the profession."
Now 28 years old, the Hebron native is a journalist, having studied the profession at Hebron University. She lives in Halhul, a nearby city. "I love writing articles about the daily suffering of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation and about social issues."
Abed is adept at conveying human stories with candor and sensitivity. Her voice commands attention while carrying an air of solemnity. As someone suffocated by Israeli military checkpoints for as long as she can remember, journalism breathes a welcome rush of freedom into her life.
She finds strength in the work of the legendary Palestinian writer and politician, Ghassan Kanafani, who wrote, "My pen is a bullet." Like him, Abed seeks to pierce our collective conscience with her words, recognizing the vital role journalism plays in advancing social justice and exposing human rights violations.
"I'd always stand up and emulate journalists like Shireen Abu Akleh, Walid Al-Omari and Guevara Al-Budayri. I'd sign off with my name as I longed for the day I could enter the profession."
- Wedad Abed
She points to Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque as a place where Israel's dominance and apartheid over the Palestinian people is notably palpable. Calls to prayer are often banned. Access for Palestinians is restricted.
"Sadly, this affects not only the Old City, but areas like Masafer Yatta, where settlers and soldiers intimidate and attack residents, impose geographical segregation with iron gates and conduct constant raids. Life in Hebron is heavily burdened by these restrictions."
Most recently, Abed was in a training program for journalists with Amideast, an American nonprofit organization. She was stationed at Radio Alam, affiliated with her alma mater. She was writing the news, but the program has been cut by the Trump administration.
In addition to raising awareness about decades of injustices against the Palestinian people, Abed is keen to confront an adjacent issue often overlooked: gender-based violence (GBV).
"I've conducted many sessions to educate women about their rights. I explain the different types of violence that are perpetrated, along with their physical and psychological effects. I aim to show how violence creates an endless cycle in society and why we must stop it."
Photo: Wedad Abed
Over the past three years, she has volunteered as a meeting facilitator with the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA). The organization seeks to empower Palestinian youth in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, to effect positive change in their communities and in Palestinian society.
"We organized an exhibition in various West Bank cities, titled "Coffins Speak," to raise awareness about GBV and femicide in Palestine. To center the narratives of victims, attendees could hear their stories using earphones connected to symbolic coffins."
Abed also provides emotional release sessions for women and children. The meetings for women seek to address the stress, anxiety and psychological trauma they may experience from living in a conflict zone. The meetings for children include age-appropriate exercises, games and strategies with the overarching goal of relaxation.
The programming aims to help them cope with the unique challenges they face and the resultant fear they experience, which robs them of their childhood. "Caring for mental health reflects positively on physical health and all aspects of life. In my emotional release sessions with women and children, I focus on validating feelings, encouraging acceptance of emotions, avoiding self-blame and seeking professional help if needed, alongside exercises to relieve anger and negative energy."
As with her journalism career, Abed's experiences drove her into this work. A Facebook post about depression sensitized Abed to mental illnesses over a decade ago. "Since then, I started reading more about psychology and mental disorders and watched related documentaries."
She felt it was important to conduct research, so she delved into books on the subject, familiarizing herself with first-hand accounts of mental illnesses. "I came to understand their suffering, especially in societies that stigmatize and shame them."
Abed propelled into action. "I felt it was necessary to speak up and write about their pain because, often, they suffer in silence. Also, some people mock them as attention-seekers, weak or claim their illness is caused by a lack of faith."
She has sought to challenge widely held misconceptions about mental illness that permeate across Palestinian society, raising awareness at every opportunity. "Throughout university, I wrote articles and reports on mental health-related subjects to shed light on them."
Abed hopes people will understand that "Mental illness is a chemical imbalance in the brain that requires treatment and follow-up. We must educate society about the importance of therapy and the reality of mental illnesses, since anyone can be affected."
Her passion evolved into other innovative actions, including work with Bait Byout, which specializes in live action role playing (LARP). The activity provides players and viewers an opportunity to gain unique perspectives on subjects of relevance in Palestinian society. Examples include a father losing his job and the pressure some women experience when marrying before they feel ready.
"The goal of LARP is to highlight social issues and raise awareness in a non-traditional way, so that players live the characters' emotions and understand their reactions and conflicts. However, in an attempt to add an air of levity, a range of subjects, including entertaining topics are also highlighted."
Abed, who is also a scriptwriter, has also written a book of ten stories for children, which she hopes to publish. "Children are like a blank page, so I want my books to not only be entertaining, but also to teach them important values and lessons."
She links these efforts challenging gender-based violence, alongside her advocacy work in support of women and children, to the broader struggle to live free from all forms of abuse. To her, it embodies the essence of the Palestinian cause and the true meaning of liberation.
"My only wish is for the shedding of Palestinian blood to stop amid the world's deafening silence and for us to gain freedom, peace and security so that we, as Palestinians, can pursue our dreams and rebuild our homeland."
