Weeks after Sarraj Alsersawi moved from Gaza to Dublin in September 2023 as part of the Ireland-Palestine Scholarship Programme, his life was turned upside down in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. While trying to adjust to college in a new country, Alsersawi feared for the safety of his Palestinian family and friends who were now living under constant Israeli bombardment.
“It wasn’t a typical international student experience. You could talk about the weather, you could talk about accommodation, for example. Those are everyone’s issues. But you have all of that plus seeing your country on the news, seeing your friends and family being bombed.”
Despite facing immense stress throughout his degree, the recent Dublin City University (DCU) graduate came top of his electronics and computer technology class. Unfortunately, Alsersawi’s mother – his “number one supporter” – was unable to make it to Ireland for the graduation in March. He says she was not granted a visa to travel over, but hopes they will be reunited again soon.
“I had mixed feelings. If you look at the Dean’s list pictures, I’m the only one who’s shaking the Dean’s hand with nobody beside me. I had no friends or family to join in this special moment with me.”
Alsersawi’s parents have managed to seek refuge outside Gaza, in Egypt. “During my studies, I actually had to fly to Cairo to be able to help them settle down. My parents are both over 60 years old and being displaced is not easy. They were alone at that time because my brother was also abroad. He’s doing his PhD in the US.”
Hearing of his former university, Al-Azhar, and the family home both being destroyed by Israeli forces, Alsersawi’s studies at DCU became an important means of escape from the distressing news coming from Gaza.
“It’s a textbook definition of genocide. Academics, medics, engineers, teachers, students – everyone is getting targeted and killed. So my focus is on the next generation of educated young Palestinians. Palestinians need to be at the core of the future, because it’s only up to us to decide and to start a new chapter after all of this destruction.”
The 26-year-old has been living in Cork, where he works as an engineer for medical device manufacturer Stryker, since last August. He says this has been a welcome move.
“I like Cork more than Dublin, to be brutally honest. It’s a very lovely place. People here I think are more genuine and authentic. They’re really nice and helpful.”
The “smaller city” feels more like home to Alsersawi, who says that “in some ways, even the Cork port reminds me of Gaza”. There are some minor drawbacks – public transport, for example – “is much worse than in Dublin”, something which he has recently personally remedied by getting an Irish driving licence.
Considering himself “lucky to find a place to live here in Cork”, Alsersawi says the housing situation in Ireland has been stressful. “The accommodation crisis – I know many people and it’s driving them crazy, and it drove me crazy as well.
“It’s really hurting young people mentally, and there’s a lot of frustration as well. This also causes other problems. When people become frustrated, they can become racist, they can channel their anger towards people who are not responsible for this problem, instead of pointing at the root cause.”
Alsersawi also found solace in music. “Music is something that is an essential part of my life. It helped me a lot to go through the last year and a half. Without music, I doubt that I would have made it.”
A talented instrumentalist, Alsersawi has added the mandolin to his repertoire since moving to Ireland. The premises of Gaza Music School, where he first developed this love for music, was destroyed by Israeli bombs in January 2009 just months after opening. Later the school became the first branch of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in the Gaza Strip, and here Alsersawi picked up the oud and buzuq.
For Alsersawi, music is “a way to create connections with people and share culture”. He has started teaching colleagues and friends “some Palestinian and Middle Eastern music”.
“I go to The Gables here in Cork. Every Thursday they have sessions and I just go there and listen and I bring my mandolin as well. I’ve started learning slip jigs, jigs and reels, horn pipes and polkas. In work as well, we have a trad band group that we’ve recently just created.”
Seeing the Irish sense of solidarity for the Palestinian cause has been uplifting for Alsersawi during this difficult time.
“Palestinians, they definitely know about Irish history,” he says. “Because they’ve been oppressed – Irish people – and we are currently being oppressed. They’re the people that most understand what Palestinians are going through. This is why you see all of this solidarity ... definitely there’s a shared struggle.”
He has aspirations to study and speak Irish. “That’s something I have to do ... People still have this connection to the language because it’s part of their identity.”
Discovering that the Irish language is not widely spoken was a surprise for Alsersawi. “I thought that every Irish person would speak Irish, but that was not the case.”
One aspect of living in Ireland that Alsersawi has found “really eye-opening” is the multiculturalism, which he says stands in contrast with the Gazan community.
“Something that people outside Palestine, or Gaza specifically, take for granted is travelling and meeting different people from different cultures. Especially as the Gazan community, is kind of homogenous – because there’s a siege and the restriction on travelling and movement. You’d always meet Gazans only, because of the blockade.
“Ireland is a very multicultural place. You get to meet people from around the world ... that to me is fantastic and that was a really eye-opening experience.”
Speaking of living away from home for the first time, Alsersawi says: “Sometimes you feel like you’re a baby – you’re learning stuff that you never knew about. I’d never lived outside Gaza for more than one month. I think that’s the case for almost every single person from Gaza.”
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish
