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50 STORIES OF PALESTINIAN LIFE UNDER OCCUPATION

LOUJAIN  AZ ZAEEM

GAZA 


Background: Al Azhar University, 2007
(
CC BY-SA 3.0)

Loujain Sharhabeel Al Zaeem

We met Loujain in 2012, in Gaza, when she was a 19-years-old student.


❝I was always strongly inspired by my mother and tried to follow her in everything,❞ she told us.


❝She has a degree in English literature from Bir Zeit University. I grew up hearing great stories about this university and I decided to study there too.


However, Bir Zeit Univeristy is located in Ramallah, the West Bank, which ment that she could not get there unless Israel issued a special permit for that purpose.


❝In 2011, I finished my secondary school with very high marks and immediately applied to the Law Faculty at Bir Zeit. I applied for an exit permit through a human rights organization and was very disappointed to learn that my application was rejected by the Israeli security authorities.


I cannot see any legitimate reason why Israel would stop me from going to the university I want in my country. Israeli students can choose to study at any university they like in Israel.


Although I’ve started to study law at Al Azhar University in Gaza and already completed the first year, I would be happy to start again at Bir Zeit.

Humanitarian Bulletin, September 2012

This case was included in an article featured in OCHA's monthly Humanitarian Monitor, September 2012 issue.

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