Imprisoned But Free: Letter from the heart from jailed Palestinian leader Khalida Jarrar to her daughter, Suha, gone too soon

July 13th, 2021

I am in so much pain, my child, only because I miss you.
I am in so much pain, my child, only because I miss you.

From the depths of my agony, I reached out and
embraced the sky of our homeland through the window
of my prison cell in Damon Prison, Haifa.
Worry not, my child.
I stand tall, and steadfast, despite the shackles and the jailer.
I am a mother in sorrow, from yearning to see you one last time.

This doesn’t happen except in Palestine.
All I wanted was to bid my daughter a final farewell.
With a kiss on her forehead and to tell her I love her
as much as I love Palestine.

My daughter, forgive me for not attending the celebration of your life,
that i was not beside you during this heartbreaking and final moment.
My heart has reached the heights of the sky yearning to see you,
to caress and plant a kiss on your forehead through the
small window of my prison cell.

Suha, my precious.
They have stripped me from bidding you a final goodbye kiss.
I bid you farewell with a flower.
Your absence is searingly painful, excruciatingly painful.
But I remain steadfast and strong,
Like the mountains of beloved Palestine.