DUBAI: On Dec. 31, 2008 at 7 am, two Palestinian men living in Dubai embarked on a 120 km walk to Hatta and back in an effort to raise funds for the people of Gaza and to show solidarity and raise awareness for the catastrophic war unleashed by Israel on the Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Under the name “Hatta Matta (which means ‘until when’ in Arabic) and with uncertainty about what their march from Dubai to Hatta would accomplish, Rabea Ataya and Salim Sahyoun, along with some close friends, headed out on a cold, brisk New Year’s morning. The plan was to walk approximately 120 km, commencing 40 km away from Hatta, spending the night there in the open and head back to Dubai in an 80-km home stretch the next day.
“I do not know if I will change anything but this is a good enough start. I believe though that this is an opportunity to dedicate a part of my life to the Palestinian cause by immersing myself for a few days to serve it, and to appreciate the freedom that I have, the same freedom that does not exist for the five million Palestinians living in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, and what is now known as Israel, said Ataya. “Moreover, this is an opportunity to raise funds for the cause. I will be donating a fixed amount of my personal funds for every kilometer I walk. The funds will go directly to any or all of a number of charities dedicated to improving the life of the Palestinians in Palestine.
She added, “I am frustrated with being frustrated and feel it is time to do something . anything. I refuse to stand by any longer and complain of being helpless. I want to protest, help, change, and make a difference all at once.
Salim said, “This peaceful but challenging effort symbolizes our willingness to go to any length and undertake any activity, patiently and peacefully, to help reach a just solution to end the suffering.”
The Hatta Matta project has so far raised over AED 294,000 ($80,000) for Gaza.
