Teaching the university students

It has been a real pleasure teaching the students from Al-Quds university. Mostly they are highly articulate, intelligent, friendly and funny.

The last couple of lessons we have done 'interviewing' (all in english of course!). They interviewed me about life in Britain and why i had come to Palestine.

Then i got one of them to assume the role of a famous person (they chose Yasser Arafat) and the rest of the class asked him or her questions. This lead to some interesting debates about strategies for the Palestinian liberation movement.

Then i ask them some questions. This sparked a very good debate yesterday after i asked 'what are your hopes for the future?' A male student replied, 'To have four wives'. At which point he was taken to task by some of the women in the class (most of whom wear the hijab), who argued that this was an unequal relationship and was not a necessary part of Islam.

Another reply was, 'to see Palestine free'. To which another student replied, 'it is not enough to hope you have to do something'.