Plestia Alaqad’s weapon of choice? Her pen.
By all accounts, Plestia is a normal 23-year-old Muslim girl learning about life, love and growing into herself — except for one thing: she has lived her entire life under occupation, and now she has survived a genocide.
Since the start, Plestia sought refuge in her journal by writing diary entries chronicling the daily realities of life under siege. Those diary entries have become immortalized forever in a New York Times bestseller.
In her conversation with Muslim Girl, the 2024 Muslim Women To Watch honoree and digital cover star reminds the world that Gaza’s story isn’t over. And everyone plays a part.
MUSLIM GIRL: Which passage was the hardest to write from your book?
The Eyes of Gaza is made up of my diary entries, so the hardest part wasn’t the writing — it was living through all of it.
What do you wish readers outside Palestine understood about genocide that headlines and social media can never capture?
I wish readers outside Palestine understood that what appears as just a headline in the news, or a 20-second bombing video on social media, is actually the daily reality of life in Gaza for the past two years.
Many books about war are written about Palestinians, but not often by Palestinians themselves. What do you hope changes in the world because of your story?
For decades, we’ve been used to the world telling our stories, writing books and movies about us, but it’s rarely us talking about us, so I’m glad this is changing now and that we Palestinians are telling our own stories and writing our own books.
After readers finish your book, what is the response or action you most want from them?
I know the book will leave readers with many emotions, and what I hope is that they don’t stop there. I want them to take those feelings and turn them into action. Feeling is the first step, but acting on those feelings is what truly matters.
How does it feel for your diary entries to be turned into a book for the world to see?
I’m truly proud and honored that The Eyes of Gaza is now a New York Times and National Indie bestseller. I poured my heart and soul into this book. As sad as it is that we live in a world where such a book needs to exist, I’m grateful it’s reaching people and helping them understand what life in Gaza really means.
How do you feel about finally reaching a ceasefire in Gaza?
Just because the bombings have paused in Gaza doesn’t mean life is back to normal. The suffering continues, and people are still struggling to survive each day.
Gaza still needs the world’s attention, compassion, and action.