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Ms. Rafia Abdel Hadi speaks about her autobiography, drawing inspiration from that long and eventful history of giving, and says:
My name is Rafia Al-Sheikh Youssef Mustafa Al-Qabaj. My father, Youssef, may God have mercy on him, was the head of a large, distinguished, and patriotic family. He worked to raise the level of his town, Anabta, for many years as its leader, as there was no municipality. Sheikh Youssef politically belonged to the National Council, which was headed by Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, the head of the Arab Higher Committee, against the opposition. My father and one of my brothers were imprisoned politically because of this position.
As for my mother, may God have mercy on her, Halimiya Hafez Bey Touqan from the city of Nablus, she married my father and lived the beginning of her life in the town of Anabta. She was known to give advice and guidance to all the women of the town, as she was from a well-known, ancient family that ruled the city of Nablus for many years. Besides, she came from the city to the village, and everyone, men and women, respected her. May God have mercy on her, she was a strong personality and very intelligent. She taught herself to write from the Holy Quran because her father, Hafez Bey, ordered the teacher (the Khawaja), as she was called at that time, to teach her and her sisters to read and the Quran only, without writing. He told her, “If they hold the pen in their hands, I will break their fingers.” My mother was determined to learn to write herself from the Quran so that she could write letters to her brothers in Nablus and to her daughters when they grew up and got married. She used to memorize poems just by reading them twice.
As we grew older, my mother insisted that we leave Anabta and move to Tulkarm so we could attend school, especially since she herself had been deprived of education. I attended the government school in Tulkarm until the seventh grade, which was the highest level of education at that time. The vast majority of girls finished this stage and stayed home, some learning sewing, weaving, or embroidery, or getting married. Only a very small number went on to study in Ramallah or Jerusalem. I learned sewing and playing the oud. In 1954, I married my cousin, Ibrahim Hilmi Abdel-Hadi, an agricultural engineer and graduate of the University of Tennessee in America. God blessed us with two daughters and twin sons. All my time was divided between caring for my husband and children and ensuring a happy and peaceful life at home. My husband also took responsibility for everything outside the home, providing for our needs, security, expenses, and our schooling and university. It was here that my leadership qualities and ability to make decisions and bear responsibility were confirmed.
The children grew up and no longer needed special care, so I joined the general assembly of the Nablus associations, which were not many at that time. This solidified my love for social, national, and charitable work. I witnessed the first exodus in 1948 when I saw crowds of refugees pouring into Tulkarm. They had left their cities and lands without taking anything with them from their homes, which they left in fear and wandering aimlessly, thinking that this would only be for a short time and that they would return to their country. But it was all in vain. In this tragic and miserable reality, the people of the town rushed to help them, collecting clothes, blankets, stoves, supplies, and money, and housing them in schools and abandoned houses.
In this atmosphere charged with anxiety, fear, and anticipation of what might happen to us in the remaining part of Palestine after the occupation of the 1948 section, and the news that people were hearing about what they did in Deir Yassin, my mother, may God have mercy on her, was afraid for us, as we were three girls. She asked my father to let us leave the city of Tulkarm and go to Nablus to get away from the border between Tulkarm and the section they occupied. But my father strongly refused and told her, “I am here and I will not leave my town. What happens to the people happens to us.” So we stayed, and there was a cave under our house that we did not fill in and kept to use for unused things. So we cleaned it and put a rug, mattresses, and a small lamp in it, and we would sleep in it at night, and in the morning we would go up to the house so that we would not be exposed to danger.
The tragedy was repeated in the Nakba of 1967. Hopes were very high that we would be liberated from the occupation, but the hopes were dashed, and I felt, like the rest of the people, oppressed and frustrated. But the determination of this Palestinian people and the strength of their belief in their just cause made us convinced that we must rise up and not give in to despair. Everyone rushed to help, and of course, like all the people of Nablus, we helped more than we could. My husband and I distributed some money from our own pockets to the neighbors whom we knew were in dire need of money. An idea came to my mind, which I suggested to my husband, that we involve his friends and acquaintances in this matter so that the benefit would reach the largest number of people. Indeed, he suggested this idea, and they responded, and the Committee of the Affected in 1967 was formed in Nablus, with receipts. This committee continued to work diligently and continuously to help the families of the martyrs until it was stopped by the military government authorities, who justified this by saying that the Department of Social Affairs in the West Bank Command was the only one responsible for such activities.
People recovered from this devastating shock, and in 1973, educated and patriotic women called for the revitalization of the Cultural and Sports Club, a branch of the Arab Women's Union Association in Nablus. They convened a meeting that included a large number of members from both the club's general assembly and the union's general assembly, after the club and association president, Hajja Andalib Al-Amd, approved the meeting. At this gathering, a committee called the "Working Women's Committee" was chosen, and I was selected from among twelve women and girls, headed by Sister Widad Abdel-Hadi, the oldest member. This committee worked diligently and with complete commitment, earning the support and respect of the people of Nablus and the members of the Women's Union Association. During that period, a booklet on first aid was printed to be useful during that critical time, along with another booklet on olive oil dishes for which our country is famous. We also established a center for sewing school uniforms and a cake-making project, in addition to cultural and social activities, religious seminars, and strengthening the literacy center. This committee worked for three years, which drew the attention of the Social Affairs Office to these increasing activities. We received a letter from them requesting official elections for the club, as stated in the letter. It is not permissible for this committee, which emerged from the club and the branch of the parent association, to continue to operate as an association, and its name has become known in Nablus. Accordingly, we called the general assembly of the club to meet, and we presented the matter to them, and they agreed, and the elections were held in a legal manner in 1976. The head of the committee apologized for not nominating herself because, as she said, she had given and done what she could, and she wished for the club to progress more and more.
The number of members who nominated themselves, including myself, was 15. The club's law stipulates that the administrative body consists of 12 members, in addition to the president, Hajja Andalib Al-Amd, who is the permanent president of the club for life since its establishment in 1945. She is not subject to the right of election, as stated in the club's basic system. May God have mercy on her, she was a pioneer of the women's movement and an example of a struggling, persevering, and committed woman. May God have mercy on her, she passed away on 10/21/1979.
I received the highest number of votes and became Vice President. The activities continued with high enthusiasm and unparalleled activity, and we carried out many diverse projects, such as trips inside and outside the country under the heading of “Get to Know Your Country,” in order to obtain revenue to carry out other new activities and projects. The turnout for all activities was very high.
We visited the city of Aqaba twice, hosted by the Ministry of Youth in Jordan. We were also invited to visit the brotherly country of Iraq. I was from the club, and two ladies were from the Women's Union Association in Nablus and the Child Care and Mother Guidance Association, also from Nablus. During this visit, I was able to arrange a trip with (the head of the Iraqi Women's Union, which is a very great association) to host the club members, numbering 60 women and girls, for 10 days to learn about the activities of this association and the great progress in education, heavy industries, and archaeological sites. In all the places we visited, we felt a very great interest in our cause. This was in 1980. Besides this, we returned with a large sum of money from the fees for this trip from the club members who participated in it.
The truth is that the success that has accompanied my career in social and charitable work is due to:
Firstly, from my early upbringing in a home characterized by generosity, giving, and helping others, my dedicated and responsible personality was formed. The most direct influence on my social and charitable life was my sister, the activist Samiha Qabaj Khalil, who cooperated with me and with everyone in need of her help. The club, and later the association, relied on her, her sincere opinions and guidance, and her love for unifying efforts and voices. Her efforts resulted in bringing together fifty-five associations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, uniting them under one banner, consulting and implementing in service of our cause. May God have mercy on her, she was very well known for her extraordinary activity and strong personality, to the point that her association, Family Revitalization, became a "state within a state," as our enemies described it. She continued to work tirelessly until the very last moment of her life. My younger sister, the late Fatima Qabaj Samara, was very active in social and professional work. An important stage in her life in national work was that she cared for the Palestinian leaders in Jordan, and her house was always open to them. They called her the mother of the fedayeen until she became ill with diabetes in 1970, which the Palestinians suffered from at that time, and this disease stayed with her until God took her because of it.
And truly, what greatly helped me to continue my productive work was my wonderful husband, who encouraged me with his sound advice and constant cooperation in everything that benefited the club and charitable work, readily donating whatever was asked of him. Moreover, he was never bothered by my continuous and tireless work, which was certainly not at the expense of the home. He also enthusiastically and generously helped all our sons and daughters in this charitable work, and the journey continued with all the enthusiasm with which I began for twenty years, during which I won the presidency for five consecutive terms. I believe that one of the most important reasons for the club's success during my career, from its beginning in 1973 until my resignation in 1993, including my time on the Working Women's Committee, was our involvement of the general assembly members in continuous and productive work in all practical and cultural activities, and the strong sense of responsibility towards the club's funds. The administrative body participated in the fees for all the material activities, out of concern for the trust placed in it during this period. We also cooperated with patriotic and sincere figures, both men and women, in solving the problems that confronted us, and they all proved themselves worthy of our trust through their constant cooperation.
The club's problems began in early 1991 with the Women's Union Association, at the behest of the Social Affairs Office, which sought to annex the club, along with all its assets, budget, and achievements, to the parent association, considering it a branch of the association, like the rest of the association's activities. This was despite the club having its own general assembly and finances, and our numerous correspondences with the Social Affairs Office being valid as a club. We were subjected to intense pressure, but thankfully, we overcame this matter by reaching an understanding with the association. A large meeting was held on September 14, 1992, which included the general assembly of the association, the general assembly of the club, and the presidents and members of the administrative bodies of the union and the club. The meeting was held amicably and was attended by the Director of Social Affairs and the coordinator of charitable associations to discuss the issue of the club's independence. The general assembly of the parent association unanimously approved the club's independence, with all its achievements, budget, and assets. From February 1 , 1994, the club was registered as an independent association, and its name became the Cultural, Social, and Charitable Association. We chose the same name that people were accustomed to, and we remained spiritually and morally committed to the parent association.
Despite the harsh conditions that we and our country went through, the club and then the association overcame these difficulties and achieved what we planned in terms of successful projects with complete success. Therefore, I felt completely satisfied because I felt that I had presented this committed national work to my country and helped a very large number of beneficiaries from all categories, and many different and productive activities, including building a main headquarters for the club on the roof of one of the buildings with a donation from the municipality of Nablus and its elected mayor, Mr. Bassam Al-Shak’a, with a symbolic annual rent. This donation was made to inform him of all these activities, and it was built in 1982. We also received a shield and excellent appreciation from the Union of Charitable Societies in the literacy program, as our students reached the first preparatory grade in very large numbers.
During this period, and with all honesty and sincerity, at the expense of my own comfort, it was time for me to rest and leave the helm of the ship to members who could guide it to safety. So, I submitted my resignation from the presidency and from membership of the administrative board on 8/21/1994. To be fair, the members refused the resignation and came to my house to persuade me to reconsider. I also received messages from prominent figures in the country regarding this matter. All twenty-two female employees of the association came to me and told me that they would submit their resignations if I insisted on it, but I had already made my decision and apologized to them all and did not back down. Finally, they accepted it with regret and invited me to a farewell party on 11/27/1994, which included the president and members of the Union of Charitable Societies in the Nablus Governorate and the Jenin District, my beloved sister Samiha, my family, and the heads of associations in Nablus. They presented me with a plaque on which was written:
date
(And say, "Work, for Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.")
To President Rafia Abdel Hadi, President of the Cultural, Social and Charitable Association
Which granted social work twenty years of rich giving, and bore fruit
He planted a towering edifice, and thus the Cultural, Social and Charitable Society/Nablus was established.
In appreciation of your efforts and services
1994
I also received gifts from the female employees of the association’s departments, and I gave a speech thanking them for this honor. The newspaper wrote about me under the title “A Lady Worthy of Honor” because it is rare for an official or person in charge of the center to give up while they are still at the peak of their activity.
I then received a letter from the association requesting that I be a member of the advisory committee for the construction of a complex that would house all of the association's activities, especially the home for elderly women, a project we had worked on together for a long time when I was president of the association. I gratefully accepted. As president of the club, I participated in all the conferences held in the West Bank and Gaza, and actively participated in sit-ins, hunger strikes, and national marches. In 1975, I and four other members of the club's administrative board founded the School for the Mentally Handicapped (the Special Education School in Nablus). The Women's Union Association in Nablus refused to adopt the project when we presented the idea to them, so we approached the Red Crescent Society, which agreed to support it. The school is still operating today, and we worked alongside Red Crescent members to oversee it for a long time. In 1979, my husband and I were invited to establish the Friends of the Patient Society in Nablus. We declined the invitation due to my commitment to leading the club and my husband's numerous other responsibilities. We regretfully left all the members behind, and the society continues to operate to this day. It now has several centers providing excellent medical services, and its activities cover all areas of Nablus. During the First Intifada in 1987 and the Second Intifada in 2000, the society played a vital role in providing first aid, transporting the wounded, and treating them. It also participated in the following Nablus associations:
- Member of the Arab Women's Union Association in Nablus.
- Member of the District Union of Nablus Governorate and Jenin District, in my capacity as President of the Association when it was officially registered as an association.
-Member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
- Member of associations for organizing and protecting families.
- Member of the Child Welfare and Mother Guidance Association.
- Member of the Palestinian Women's Union.
- Member of non-governmental organizations.
- A member of the Union of Voluntary Women's Associations, which included all associations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem – numbering 55 associations in 1979. The club was not an association, yet they included us because our activity was at the level of an association. The results of this union were the magazine "Zaytouna Baladna" (Our Country's Olive), in which all the associations affiliated with this union participated. In 1988, the club produced the book "The Family and the Intifada." A research committee was formed from seven women from the club's general assembly, all of whom were researchers in social, psychological, economic, educational, health, legal, and artistic fields. They all held master's degrees, doctorates, or American Board certifications in pediatrics. My daughter was among them, and I served as an observer on this committee, by decision of the administrative board, and as the liaison between the committee and the club's board. This committee worked with enthusiasm and focused study on a voluntary basis. The association also published a cookbook for young wives in 1993, and we also published an annual calendar with various formats and benefits.
During this period, and with all honesty and sincerity, at the expense of my own comfort, it was time for me to rest and leave the helm of the ship to members who could guide it to safety. So, I submitted my resignation from the presidency and from membership of the administrative board on 8/21/1994. To be fair, the members refused the resignation and came to my house to persuade me to reconsider. I also received messages from prominent figures in the country regarding this matter. All twenty-two female employees of the association came to me and told me that they would submit their resignations if I insisted on it, but I had already made my decision and apologized to them all and did not back down. Finally, they accepted it with regret and invited me to a farewell party on 11/27/1994, which included the president and members of the Union of Charitable Societies in the Nablus Governorate and the Jenin District, my beloved sister Samiha, my family, and the heads of associations in Nablus. They presented me with a plaque on which was written:
(And say, "Work, for Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.")
To President Rafia Abdel Hadi, President of the Cultural, Social and Charitable Association
Which granted social work twenty years of rich giving, and bore fruit
He planted a towering edifice, and thus the Cultural, Social and Charitable Society/Nablus was established.
In appreciation of your efforts and services
1994
I also received gifts from the female employees of the association’s departments, and I gave a speech thanking them for this honor. The newspaper wrote about me under the title “A Lady Worthy of Honor” because it is rare for an official or person in charge of the center to give up while they are still at the peak of their activity.
I then received a letter from the association requesting that I be a member of the advisory committee for the construction of a complex that would house all of the association's activities, especially the home for elderly women, a project we had worked on together for a long time when I was president of the association. I gratefully accepted. As president of the club, I participated in all the conferences held in the West Bank and Gaza, and actively participated in sit-ins, hunger strikes, and national marches. In 1975, I and four other members of the club's administrative board founded the School for the Mentally Handicapped (the Special Education School in Nablus). The Women's Union Association in Nablus refused to adopt the project when we presented the idea to them, so we approached the Red Crescent Society, which agreed to support it. The school is still operating today, and we worked alongside Red Crescent members to oversee it for a long time. In 1979, my husband and I were invited to establish the Friends of the Patient Society in Nablus. We declined the invitation due to my commitment to leading the club and my husband's numerous other responsibilities. We regretfully left all the members behind, and the society continues to operate to this day. It now has several centers providing excellent medical services, and its activities cover all areas of Nablus. During the First Intifada in 1987 and the Second Intifada in 2000, the society played a vital role in providing first aid, transporting the wounded, and treating them. It also participated in the following Nablus associations:
- Member of the Arab Women's Union Association in Nablus.
- Member of the District Union of Nablus Governorate and Jenin District, in my capacity as President of the Association when it was officially registered as an association.
-Member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
- Member of associations for organizing and protecting families.
- Member of the Child Welfare and Mother Guidance Association.
- Member of the Palestinian Women's Union.
- Member of non-governmental organizations.
- A member of the Union of Voluntary Women's Associations, which included all associations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem – numbering 55 associations in 1979. The club was not an association, yet they included us because our activity was at the level of an association. The results of this union were the magazine "Zaytouna Baladna" (Our Country's Olive), in which all the associations affiliated with this union participated. In 1988, the club produced the book "The Family and the Intifada." A research committee was formed from seven women from the club's general assembly, all of whom were researchers in social, psychological, economic, educational, health, legal, and artistic fields. They all held master's degrees, doctorates, or American Board certifications in pediatrics. My daughter was among them, and I served as an observer on this committee, by decision of the administrative board, and as the liaison between the committee and the club's board. This committee worked with enthusiasm and focused study on a voluntary basis. The association also published a cookbook for young wives in 1993, and we also published an annual calendar with various formats and benefits.
During this period, and with all honesty and sincerity, at the expense of my own comfort, it was time for me to rest and leave the helm of the ship to members who could guide it to safety. So, I submitted my resignation from the presidency and from membership of the administrative board on 8/21/1994. To be fair, the members refused the resignation and came to my house to persuade me to reconsider. I also received messages from prominent figures in the country regarding this matter. All twenty-two female employees of the association came to me and told me that they would submit their resignations if I insisted on it, but I had already made my decision and apologized to them all and did not back down. Finally, they accepted it with regret and invited me to a farewell party on 11/27/1994, which included the president and members of the Union of Charitable Societies in the Nablus Governorate and the Jenin District, my beloved sister Samiha, my family, and the heads of associations in Nablus. They presented me with a plaque on which was written:
(And say, "Work, for Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.")
To President Rafia Abdel Hadi, President of the Cultural, Social and Charitable Association
Which granted social work twenty years of rich giving, and bore fruit
He planted a towering edifice, and thus the Cultural, Social and Charitable Society/Nablus was established.
In appreciation of your efforts and services
1994
I also received gifts from the female employees of the association’s departments, and I gave a speech thanking them for this honor. The newspaper wrote about me under the title “A Lady Worthy of Honor” because it is rare for an official or person in charge of the center to give up while they are still at the peak of their activity.
I then received a letter from the association requesting that I be a member of the advisory committee for the construction of a complex that would house all of the association's activities, especially the home for elderly women, a project we had worked on together for a long time when I was president of the association. I gratefully accepted. As president of the club, I participated in all the conferences held in the West Bank and Gaza, and actively participated in sit-ins, hunger strikes, and national marches. In 1975, I and four other members of the club's administrative board founded the School for the Mentally Handicapped (the Special Education School in Nablus). The Women's Union Association in Nablus refused to adopt the project when we presented the idea to them, so we approached the Red Crescent Society, which agreed to support it. The school is still operating today, and we worked alongside Red Crescent members to oversee it for a long time. In 1979, my husband and I were invited to establish the Friends of the Patient Society in Nablus. We declined the invitation due to my commitment to leading the club and my husband's numerous other responsibilities. We regretfully left all the members behind, and the society continues to operate to this day. It now has several centers providing excellent medical services, and its activities cover all areas of Nablus. During the First Intifada in 1987 and the Second Intifada in 2000, the society played a vital role in providing first aid, transporting the wounded, and treating them. It also participated in the following Nablus associations:
- Member of the Arab Women's Union Association in Nablus.
- Member of the District Union of Nablus Governorate and Jenin District, in my capacity as President of the Association when it was officially registered as an association.
-Member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
- Member of associations for organizing and protecting families.
- Member of the Child Welfare and Mother Guidance Association.
- Member of the Palestinian Women's Union.
- Member of non-governmental organizations.
- A member of the Union of Voluntary Women's Associations, which included all associations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem – numbering 55 associations in 1979. The club was not an association, yet they included us because our activity was at the level of an association. The results of this union were the magazine "Zaytouna Baladna" (Our Country's Olive), in which all the associations affiliated with this union participated. In 1988, the club produced the book "The Family and the Intifada." A research committee was formed from seven women from the club's general assembly, all of whom were researchers in social, psychological, economic, educational, health, legal, and artistic fields. They all held master's degrees, doctorates, or American Board certifications in pediatrics. My daughter was among them, and I served as an observer on this committee, by decision of the administrative board, and as the liaison between the committee and the club's board. This committee worked with enthusiasm and focused study on a voluntary basis. The association also published a cookbook for young wives in 1993, and we also published an annual calendar with various formats and benefits.
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