{"id":536893,"date":"2024-12-16T18:57:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T02:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/?p=536893"},"modified":"2026-02-12T17:18:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T01:18:36","slug":"the-intersection-of-disability-and-genocide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/2024\/12\/16\/the-intersection-of-disability-and-genocide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Intersection of Disability and Genocide"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Intersection of Disability and Genocide<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

dena harry saleh<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

En Espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFlies, mosquitoes, gunshots and bombing – everything is against me \ud83d\ude02\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

– Khaled Sulaiman <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Khaled Sulaiman is a 26-year-old disabled man surviving the onslaught of Israel\u2019s\u00a0 brutal and sustained attack on the people of Gaza. I am a Palestinian of the diaspora and met him through a dear friend and fellow organizer who learned of his viral story from\u00a0 disabled influencer, <\/span>Imani Barbarin<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Khaled agreed to talk with me about his experience and we met with the idea to do this interview.\u00a0 It started with small, socially polite sharings permeated by the undeniability of the genocide. We connected 11 days after the closing of the Rafah crossing, 11 days after he was fractured from the whole of his most immediate family whom he hasn\u2019t seen since. Not too much later, Khaled and I began to share in a more emotionally vulnerable way.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would send each other voice notes and I could hear the bombs in the background. Behind his quiet morning whisper, I could also hear the sounds of gunshots and chirping birds. I use quotations in this piece so you can hear Khaled\u2019s voice, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in Jabalia in 1998, Khaled is the second-oldest child. His family began to notice the symptoms of muscular dystrophy when he was around 18 months old – his parents saw that he couldn\u2019t hold his head up and \u201cknew something was happening.\u201d He was bullied in his younger years and \u201cgoing out to a place that had an elevator was like Disneyland\u201d for him.\u00a0 I asked him how Israel treats disabled people. \u201cWe know the stories,\u201d he simply said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Khaled doesn\u2019t see his disability negatively. At one point he lamented to my friend, \u201cIdk what I have done in my life to be in this torture \ud83e\udd72\u201d When my friend, who is also disabled, commiserated about how disabled people are too often made to feel that they did something wrong to deserve their pain, Khaled interjected – “I mean being here in Gaza, not my disability. I accepted my disability years ago. I’m fine with it. In fact, I can say that I’m happy with it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"close-up
close-up of Khaled outside in the sun, dark brown hair combed up, slight brown beard and hazel-brown eyes staring into the camera. He wears a slight smile and a blue and gray zip up with maroon shirt underneath.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the war, Khaled was a gamer; he\u2019s \u201cbeen playing video games since [he] can remember.\u201d\u00a0 When he was 12 it was \u201cnoticeable\u201d that he was talented with computers, even fixing them himself. After years of experience, he became one of \u201cthe best players in multiple games,\u201d such as survival games, RPGs, League of Legends, Apex Legends. Largely restricted to his home, Khaled\u2019s \u201ctrue friends were friends that I met online.\u201d He believes it was his disability that made him \u201csuper skilled in computers.\u201d He \u201cwent through many different colleges but never got to finish any.\u201d After studying many subjects, he \u201ceventually decided to study English literature,\u201d but then \u201cwas offered a golden chance (a work from home for a fine salary), so [he] took it and dropped out of college after studying for 2 years.\u201d He speaks English with fluency and loves music.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaza on October 7th, 2023 was as normal as a day could be. But after that day, the family \u201chad to keep moving from one place to another.\u201d\u00a0 After shuffling around for about a week, they got the warning from the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) to evacuate the area. That was the last time he saw his home in Gaza City; Zionists bombed it, along with his neighbor\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

His father had a car and that’s how they were able to leave. After six days they \u201cmoved to the south and stayed with relatives in Al Qarara, Khan Younis and were there for 50 days. It felt like hell, missing home, wishing for the war to be over every day. There was a ceasefire after 50 days, then after that, the first thing the IOF did was bomb Khan Younis.\u201d The family then moved to Rafah. \u201cWe know what happened in Rafah after the temporary ceasefire,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the spring, the family had gathered enough funds to evacuate to Egypt but hours before they were supposed to leave, they learned that Khaled\u2019s name had been removed from the list. Like everyone else in the family, he had passed the required security clearances, but only his name and date of birth was crossed out with a careless line and erased, like a bad attempt at white out. To this day, the family has not been given a reason why \u2013 but as <\/span>Barbarin shared<\/span><\/a> when she saw Khaled\u2019s story, \u201cNobody wants disabled people to immigrate to their country\u2026 There\u2019s a reason why you rarely if ever hear of disabled people, particularly physically disabled people, crossing a border and gaining asylum, or immigrating to a country\u2026 When it comes to evacuating disabled people and getting people to safety, we usually are last.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was crying,\u201d says Khaled, but forced to choose between one person staying in a war zone or everyone, the family made the devastating decision to go. At first, Khaled\u2019s mother refused to leave, staying by his side for several weeks. But Khaled feared that her window to escape would close and urged her to go. Khaled stayed behind while his family and organizers desperately searched for a way for him to evacuate \u2013 if not to Egypt, then anywhere that would take him and be safe. His story went viral and with the help of influencers who highlighted the ableism Khaled faced at the crossing, his family managed to raise enough funds for him to evacuate, albeit <\/span>for three times the amount that each of them had been charged<\/span><\/i>. But the money came in too late. Just a few weeks after Khaled\u2019s mother left, they closed the border \u2013 and to this day, it remains closed. After almost a year of waiting and hoping for an opportunity for Khaled to come join them in Egypt, the money the family had raised for that purpose was recently stolen. They now have nothing. And Khaled remains without them in Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the effects of muscular dystrophy, Khaled told me that his heart is weak. If he goes for a walk, his \u201cheartbeat goes very fast.\u201d It is difficult to use the wheelchair in Gaza – \u201cstreets are just dirt and sand.\u201d He only recently got a handmade bed, and \u201ccan’t sit on the ground.\u201d He has been displaced many times along with the extended family members he is staying with, a brother-in-law and disabled and elderly relatives who also couldn\u2019t evacuate. He thought he was in a safe zone but Zionist forces continued to target his makeshift shelter. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to shower – it takes a lot of effort,\u201d and they use tanks to splash water on themselves. He uses only a covering outside, which is where he sleeps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Palestinian of the diaspora, this most current genocide has me reeling every cursed day, but of course, I feel like I can never take a lot of space because Khaled is actually living through it. Still, he presses for information about how I\u2019m\u00a0 doing and the truth is, I am doing horribly. It\u2019s difficult not to cry after sending him voice notes. He listens with empathy. He listens to my horrible approximation of Arabic and offers to give me lessons. And he always tries to make me smile, somehow finding the humor and absurdity in this horrific situation. He sent me <\/span>the meme of a bruised and broken Squidward <\/span><\/a>with the line, \u201cIf my sleep schedule was a person.\u201d His favorite food is pizza, though he had recently tasted musakhan (sumac chicken and onions on flatbread) for the first time and \u201cbecame an addict.\u201d He tells me these things amidst the sound of rapid gunfire. I messaged him that one of these days we\u2019ll eat musakhan together and he replied, \u201cOh don\u2019t give me hope, I haven\u2019t had that for months.\u201d After apologizing for my faux pas (how do you cheer someone up\u00a0 who\u2019s living through a massacre?) he reassured me, \u201cdon\u2019t be sorry for being positive. I just try to keep my hopes low, cause I can\u2019t see any hope.\u201d\u00a0 With discomfort, I told him I understood. Then he wrote, \u201cAnd I really hope we could actually eat that together one day. Although that\u2019s gonna be a messy meal \ud83e\udd2d\ud83d\ude02\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"In
In a white-walled corner of a room with windows where the blinds are drawn, a few members of the Sulaiman family, from the left – Nada with\u00a0black hijab, white blouse, and long black skirt holding her four year old son; her sister Wafaa in a beige-pink blouse and black hijab and long black skirt; comrade Daranee with long black hair in a ponytail that falls to her right, gray blouse and striped pants; and comrade Joie with long black hair, blue shawl, and black pants. dena is to the furthest right and is holding the infant; they have curly black hair, green shirt, keffiyeh scarf and blue jeans. They all sit on a brown couch and everyone is smiling except for the children.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was able to visit Khaled\u2019s family, the Sulaimans, in Egypt this past summer. Two comrades and I had been raising funds for displaced Palestinians in Cairo and were able to travel and\u00a0 help distribute these funds. Since I had been in touch with Khaled and his two sisters for months by this point, we all decided that Khaled\u2019s family and I would meet in Cairo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sulaiman\u2019s welcomed my comrades and me into their home with true grace and the flat, though sparsely furnished, was pristine and bright. We played with the four-year-old and infant child of Khaled\u2019s older sister. Talked about books and school with Khaled\u2019s younger sister.\u00a0 We spoke with Khaled\u2019s father about Islam and each took turns holding the baby. We shared our anger and sadness at the continuous massacre with Khaled\u2019s mother while his 16-year-old brother sat quietly and listened. We left after a couple of hours and made a plan to come back for lunch a few days later. After slightly prolonged and emotional goodbyes I realized that I had gotten to hold Khaled\u2019s nephew, who was born in Cairo, before he did, and even before the baby\u2019s own father because of the IOF. I learned that my meeting with his family made Khaled sad, \u201cbut not in a bad way. It\u2019s just upsetting to think that someone [who] lives on the other side of this world got to hold that baby and what\u2019s stopping me are just some stupid borders and the Israeli army.\u201d Knowing that my actions added to his pain upset me and though I wasn\u2019t able to hide it, I decided it was part of what it means to be in a true community. Sometimes it will hurt. After all that, Khaled told me that he\u2019s \u201cstill very happy\u201d that I got to meet his new nephew and the whole family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The lunch a few days later was truly incredible – makloubeh with lamb, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. It was delicious and to this day I regret not being able to eat more. Afterwards, Abu Khaled and Khaled\u2019s younger sister took my comrade and me to the souk (marketplace) so that we could get some souvenirs. Abu Khaled insisted that he haggle with the vendors and buy the items because he could get us a good deal. We let him, and after a couple of great bargains we had some tea on the street. Satisfied with our adventure, we sat in comfortable silence surrounded by at least three mosques and five street dogs lying down\u00a0 in the afternoon heat. We asked to be taken to an ATM to pay Abu Khaled back, but despite our multiple pleas he wouldn\u2019t allow it. He thanked us in a\u00a0 serious manner and said that the true gift was our visit to his family and our care for the Palestinian people. We said goodbye and promised we would see each other again \u2013 hopefully next time in a free Palestine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the tens of thousands of dollars raised for Khaled\u2019s evacuation were stolen, the details of which we cannot share out of concern for the family\u2019s safety, Khaled\u2019s family is now left with nothing and doing what they can to rebuild. And the family is still left without Khaled in their lives. It’s the latest step in a cycle of devastation, hope, and despair. The war came to Gaza, but the family was able to evacuate. Khaled passed the security clearance, but he wasn\u2019t allowed to cross with them. They raised the money for his evacuation, but the border was closed. There\u2019s talk of the crossing opening up soon, but now the money’s gone. Khaled believes he has \u201cbad luck.\u201d Even after so much effort, Khaled\u2019s material life hasn’t gotten better, and arguably has gotten worse. We can help change that, even if just a little, and even if just for now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

FOR MORE<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Please donate to this Go Fund Me to help <\/span>replenish<\/span><\/a> the Sulaiman family\u2019s funds<\/span><\/p>\n

To donate to displaced Palestinians in Cairo, <\/span>please send to this Venmo account<\/span><\/a>, where a trusted comrade sends mutual aid to <\/span>Sanad<\/span><\/a>, a grassroots organization founded by displaced Gazans living in Egypt. Please, do not use an emoji in the comment and write \u201cpyramids\u201d instead. You may also contribute to <\/span>this Go Fund Me<\/span><\/a> which goes to the same organization.<\/span><\/p>\n

ABOUT<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"dena,
dena, with short black hair and shaved sides, sitting on a stool and smiling against a brick wall wearing a pink shirt with blue, red, white, and black rectangular shapes. They have their hands folded in front of them and are wearing blue jeans and a red, black, green and white bracelet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

dena harry saleh<\/strong> (they\/them) is a queer Palestinian of the diaspora living on Turtle Island. They are also a parent of two amazing young children, and loves to write, read, play music, and make art. They are currently a PhD student at CU Boulder, and wholeheartedly believes that not only will Palestine be free, but that they will return in this lifetime.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Intersection of Disability and Genocide   dena harry saleh   En Espa\u00f1ol   \u201cFlies, mosquitoes, gunshots and bombing – everything is against me \ud83d\ude02\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 – Khaled Sulaiman   … Continue Reading The Intersection of Disability and Genocide<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":536891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[6701202,1],"tags":[587153262,587153239,587153235,587152505,587152379,587153215,15949,316126,587153216],"class_list":["post-536893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-blog-posts","category-uncategorized","tag-crowdfunding","tag-diaspora","tag-disabled-palestinians","tag-displacement","tag-evacuations","tag-gaza","tag-genocide","tag-muscular-dystrophy","tag-palestine","post-has-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Khaled.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4H7t1-2fFz","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityvisibilityproject.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}