24 May 2018•Update: 24 May 2018
By Mohamed Majed
GAZA CITY, Palestine
The friendship between two Palestinians -- Hatim Hiriz, a Muslim, and Kamal Tarzi, a Christian -- reflects the religious and cultural coexistence that has always characterized the Gaza Strip.
Tarzi, 56, accompanies his friend, Hiriz, 47, who is blind, to and from the mosque each day and helps him perform everyday tasks.
In the Gaza Strip, where Christians and Muslims have long lived in harmony, their friendship isn’t considered unusual.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Tarzi said that the two communities had lived side by side since time immemorial.
“This is always how it has been in Gaza,” he said.
Tarzi recalled how he first met Hiriz 15 years ago, with whom he has since established a strong bond of friendship.
"Hiriz, who used to work as a pharmacist, lost his sight six years ago while preparing a prescription,” he said.
“Before going blind, he used to frequently pray at the mosque, so I decided to help him,” Tarzi added.
“Now I accompany him to the mosque each day, waiting for him outside while he prays,” he said. “When he is done, we come back together.”
Sometimes, Tarzi reads aloud from the newspaper -- or from news websites -- for his blind friend.
“Our religions don’t cause problems between us,” Tarzi said. “We share the same difficult living conditions -- and the same enemy.”
He added: “Our two communities, with their deep historical ties, are joined by blood and a love for our homeland.”
Hiriz, for his part, still deeply regrets the loss of his sight, which has greatly affected his mobility.
“But my friend Tarzi has always stood by my side,” he said. “He always helps me and lifts my spirits with his jokes.”
Over the past 10 years, many of Gaza’s Christians immigrated to Europe due to Israel's ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Today, the coastal territory is home to roughly 1,000 Christians out of a total population of some two million.
*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara
