Unshaken Devotion: How Quran Centers in Gaza Outlast A Devastating War
Schools, hospitals, and homes have been flattened. Yet, the flame of devotion to the Book of Allah has not only survived—it has burned brighter.
The war and the immense destruction it left behind were not enough to extinguish the flame of devotion to the Holy Quran and its memorization and learning in the hearts of Gazans.
Despite the widespread destruction inflicted on infrastructure, religious and educational institutions, mosques, and Quran memorization centers during the two years of war, the Gaza Strip is witnessing a remarkable official, popular, and community movement to reactivate Quran memorization and teaching centers as an effective tool for spiritual and psychological recovery and for rebuilding the human capital exhausted by the brutal war.
Rami al-Shaqra, supervisor of the Al-Nour Centre for Quran Memorization and Sciences in the Gaza Strip, affirmed that the center’s work represents an attempt to recover and rebuild Palestinian identity in the face of the repercussions of the war and attempts to undermine all aspects of life over the past two years.
He said that the Al-Nour Quranic School was established on the ruins of what the occupation destroyed.
Al-Shaqra indicated that the current focus is on "rebuilding the most important human resource, the individual, and reconstructing the person exhausted by the deadly war through a comprehensive Quranic and educational program”.
He noted that the center currently attracts approximately 800 male and female students of various ages, from young children to senior citizens over 60, for whom specific programs are tailored to their age group.
The official added that this system is managed by an educational and training staff comprising about 60 supervisors and Quran teachers.
Regarding the nature of the programs offered to students under the current circumstances, al-Shaqra explained that the center's program is not limited to traditional worship and memorization, but rather stems from a comprehensive educational, psychological, and rehabilitative vision aimed at integrating the Holy Quran into the daily lives of citizens as a means of psychological healing and overcoming trauma.
“Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, we prepared comprehensive educational curricula suitable for all age groups,” he said.
“This program includes a key component for the psychological and emotional release of students, supervised by a select group of psychologists and counselors to rebuild the individual's personality and psyche,” al-Shaqra added. “Alongside this is an educational program that explores Quranic stories, the biographies of prominent figures and influential Islamic and historical personalities to connect the generation to its roots and identity.”
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Abu Shaaban told to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Quranic study circles have become a psychological haven for displaced children, providing them with a daily routine that has restored their sense of stability, in addition to instilling values of patience and mitigating the difficult behavioral effects of prolonged displacement.
Huda al-Farra, 56, told the QNA: “The Quranic School has been a great motivator for us to memorize the Book of God and learn Islamic jurisprudence and religious sciences.”
“After all we have endured – the loss of family and loved ones, injustice, and displacement – we have found in the Book of God a safe haven,” she said. “And to hold on to strength and serenity so that we may begin our lives anew."
Source: QNA
