Sirin Muhammad Asaad al-Saidi

‘Breezes from Damoun’

This morning, I visited Damoun Prison in Upper Carmel to meet with prisoner Sirin Muhammad Asaad al-Saidi (born 09.04.1979) from Beit Lid/Tulkarem, PhD in Theology and Sharia, International Islamic University/Jordan, teacher at Tulkarm Sharia Girls' School and Al-Quds Open University.

For God's sake, ask Umm Omar if they sacrificed for me? And ask Umm Hamza if she delivered the message to our friend? This is how I began the meeting after the greeting, and she laughed and asked me: Is this what's bothering you?

She is troubled by the publication of her book ‘Letters to Safiya al-Rouh’ and asked to follow up on the matter with Samah al-Muzayn, who has the right to make the necessary amendments.

I asked her to convey a thought: ‘To my brothers and sisters, the legacy of my mother and father, to Majda, Hayam and Rakez, my support and foundation, as long as I feel that I am the youngest daughter of one of you and as long as you make me feel that I am the last of the bunch, no matter how old I get,’ and to Osama, ‘my trusted friend,’ and Asid, ‘the apple of my eye,’ and Amjad, my affectionate companion, to my neighbour and friend Noha, ‘as long as we drank coffee together,’ and to Basma, with her smiling face and laughing eyes, ‘how much kindness I found in your heart and home, you were like a mother to me after my mother passed away, and I inherited from you after my mother's departure.’ And to all the neighbours, especially the two little children, Eva and Dia, who are dear to my heart, and I will never forget my aunt, my mother's sister. And to the families of my dear friends in Damoun... (Breezes from Damoun Prison. Dr. Sirin).

I asked her to convey my regards to the girls' families.

She told me about her cellmates in cell number 4 (Siham Abu Salem, Tasnim Odeh, Bushra Qawariq, Walaa Al-Houtari and Masah Ghazal) and the other female prisoners in the detention centre, and about the difficult conditions in Damon Prison, the insults, shouting and humiliation. They have no humanity or mercy.

She told me about her arrest: in the middle of the night on 12 February 2025, heavily armed forces stormed the house, more than thirty soldiers... and one female soldier, "They handcuffed me with plastic, took me to the Barfosh camp, to Ariel, to the Binyamin centre, to the Masqubia (14 days), to Ramla (4 hours), to the Sharon prison (one night) and to Damon. It was a journey of torment upon torment.

Suddenly, she was released and said: I will write a book in my mind, ‘Breezes from Damoun’.

My dear Sirine, I send you my warmest regards, and freedom to you and all the free women of Damoun.

Haifa, 12 June 2025