used to think that dystopia, apocalypse and nightmarish visions of the world were always fictional. Taiba Abbas’s Who Will Speak for the Men of Gaza altered my perspective altogether. Abbas is a writer, a teacher and the founder of the publishing house Àla Books and Authors. Born in Pakistan, she grew up in Italy and holds a master’s degree in comparative literature from SOAS, University of London. She is the co-author of The Night in Her Hair—a modernised retelling of selected folk romances from the subcontinent. Her teaching career spans several years, during which she has taught courses in Italian, English literature, film and cultural studies at universities and schools in Lahore and Islamabad.

The book defines what it means to be a Gazan. I deliberately use the word ‘define,’ not ‘redefine.’ Who Will Speak for the Men of Gaza resurrects and immortalises the people of Gaza. The intricate narrative adopts a confrontational style, criticising the silence and complacency of the Western world in the face of the genocide of Palestinians.

Sabreena Ghaffar Siddiqui, professor of social psychology and criminology at CSRR, writes, “What’s dystopian is that a child of any age killed by a targeted drone strike on their home should be outrageous enough because children should never be considered necessary collateral damage in any war.”

The ‘memoricide’ and ‘epistemicide,’ as Abbas rightfully labels this catastrophe, urge its audience to step in and break the cycle of the endless Nakba. It calls upon readers, watchers and witnesses to take charge and challenge the brazenness of the Israelis. The stories and lives of Gazans need a proper channel to address the irrevocable damage inflicted on this land and its people.

Abbas etches a tale of invincible resistance by giving voice to the life of Maisara Al Rayyes. The erasure of identity and individuality is countered through her powerful words.

Abbas raises the rhetorical question of how to bear the burden of continuing with one’s own life while innocents are being massacred. “How do we atone for the guilt of being alive? How do we offer ourselves to Gaza?”

The only answer she suggests is: “...by letting them fill our lives until our life is no longer our own.” She speaks of rekindling sensitivity in the collective conscience and keeping their memories alive through constant remembrance. Maisara Al Rayyes, an SOAS community member, Chevening alumna and medical doctor from Gaza, Palestine, was martyred on November 8, 2023.

Sifting through the pages and photos, one realises that life is meant to be dedicated to a far greater cause.

Abbas’s is an innovative take on a photographic novel, blending images with a profoundly heartfelt narrative. The images provide readers with an opportunity to engage with the real-life Maisara, who embodies the spirit of humanity and selflessness. The range of visuals becomes even more poignant when contextualised against the barbaric atrocities committed against a people. “What does it mean to live in Gaza? The fact that at any moment you could face death, for no reason, while trying to look exactly like any other person,” wrote Al Rayyes.

Abbas reveals to her audience the true picture of the ‘eliticide.’ She highlights the inhumane rigor of the perpetrators of violence, who rip away the future, dreams and ambitions of a nation. The prose solidifies the ethnic cleansing and eliticide – “the targeted, systematic killing of a people’s leaders, their education sector, their professional core, their talent and their genius.”

Who Will Speak for the Men of Gaza deconstructs the objective of uprooting and incapacitating an entire nation, generation after generation. It showcases the ongoing eradication of the human element from an entire race. In the demolition of Gaza’s socio-cultural identity, historical roots and traditions – what Abbas callss ‘epistemicide’ – is exposed. The people’s dedication and their efforts to revive the lost culture, art and knowledge of Gaza have been futile.

“But who will speak for the men of Gaza? The lip service, the empty, blood-soaked lip service paid by the West’s representatives…” The author carefully deciphers the dehumanisation, torture and vilification of the men of Gaza. Against this systematic elimination through mass murder, these men stand defenceless. Abbas writes, “Their existence is their resistance.”

Taiba Abbas has worked arduously to pay her tribute to those who have lost their lives, and to those still trying to extend their existence for just one more day – or perhaps, one more moment. Their stories must be shared, and their lives preserved in whatever form possible.

While sifting through the pages and photos, one realises that life is meant to be dedicated to a far greater cause.

Who Will Speak for the Men of Gaza

Author: Taiba Abbas

Publisher: Àla Books and Authors

Pages: 180

Price: Rs 3,500

The reviewer is a lecturer at the Department of English Language and Literature, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore