Turkish children's book commemorates Gaza tragedy through death of a girl

By Firat Tasdemir

ANKARA (AA) – An association linked to the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate has published a book in honor of a 3-year-old girl who died as the result of Israel’s months-long onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

The book from the Diyanet Foundation (TDV), named Gaza, Rim and Palestine, tells of Halid Nebhan, the grandfather who movingly bid farewell to 3-year-old Rim during Israel's attacks.

Rukiye Oklan, the book’s editor, told Anadolu that Gaza has been going through a genocide, with nearly 14,000 children killed, or about half of all the deaths in Gaza due to Israel’s offensive since Oct. 7.

Oklan underscored the heartbreaking reality of Muslim and global indifference to the events, and voiced hope that the violence and oppression will someday end.

She explained the group’s efforts to convey the suffering of the Palestinians and raise awareness.

When they were planning to publish a book about Gaza, she explained, the young girl Rim “was martyred. The book was written with the intent of creating awareness of Gaza through Rim. Rim represents all the martyred children.”

- 'Rim became a symbolic character'

Describing how Rim, who was only 3 years old and had a special bond with her grandfather, became the main character of the book, Oklan said the farewell scene with her grandfather, who said, “The soul of my soul, the life of my life,” deeply affected readers.

"In fact, Rim's grandfather said what other children's mothers, fathers, and grandfathers could not. In that sense, Rim became a symbolic character," she said.

Oklan stressed that the author and the group’s publishing arm created the book with a purpose.

"Rim's character sprang from the heart of our writer. There are symbols representing Palestine in the book to create awareness of Palestine among children.”

She explained: “For example, there are olives, the colors of the Palestinian flag, and Palestinian-style stuffed grape leaves in the book. In this way, we hope to prevent our children from forgetting Palestine.”

Oklan stressed the tragedy of Rim’s death just before her birthday last Dec. 23, over two months into Israel’s offensive, which continues to this day, despite international calls for a cease-fire and a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the onslaught.

She highlighted their primary objective of conveying the story to children in a sensitive way without unduly upsetting them, in line with the principles of children's literature.

The book carefully avoids explicit mentions of Rim's death but subtly implies her passing toward the end, ensuring that children can understand the message without distress.

- 'I wanted Palestine to take root in children's hearts'

Author Merve Kahraman Ozturk said her intention in writing the book was to ensure that Gaza and Palestine hold a meaningful place in the hearts and minds of children.

She felt the need to apologize to children for any shortcomings in their presentation.

She said she hopes the book will resonate with children who read it, raising their awareness and understanding of important issues.