NEWS FROM GAZA ;
THREE days ago, Tareq Abu Dayyeh re-opened his Gaza souvenir shop called the Chairman Arafat Shop. The latest hot items at the shop are mugs bearing US president Barack Obama's smiling face. Priced at 50 sheqel (RM50), each mug carries a caption in English :
"Hey !!! Come & Drink the Palestinian Coffee with the flavour of the US Presidential Elections !!!
The mugs symbolizes Palestinians' hope that the change in the US presidency would possibly signal a shift i its foreign pilicy in the Middle East and be more even-handed in dealing with the long-standing Palestine-Israel issue.
"War is bad. We want peace. Insya Allah (God Willing), Obama will bring peace. Insya Allah he will visit Gaza and the West Bank," said Tareq who has been running the shop for 10 years.
Not to be outdone is former US president George W. Bush who has a souvenir bearing him in the form of a shoe-shaped olive tree bark with the words "The Kiss of Leaving Mr Bush" on it.
It is no doubt in reference to the famous shoe-throwing incident by an Iraqi journalist in December last year that made world headlines.
"It also costs 50 sheqel (RM50) and is just as popular. I made 20 but I only have one left", said Tareq, who also sells other tongue-in-cheek mugs carrying words like "Smile You Are in the Largest Jail on Earth".
No comments:
Post a Comment