This past Sunday in Dubai, Hanan al-Hroub, a Palestinian elementary school teacher, received the second annual Global Teacher Prize, recognizing teachers who have made exceptional contributions to their profession. The award gives Hroub $1 million for her services. Hroub grew up as a refugee in Bethlehem and now teaches refugee children in the West Bank city of al-Bireh. With the increased tensions between Israel and Palestine, Hroub’s victory is a victory for Palestine and a victory for peace.
At the award ceremony, Hroub was one of 10 finalists, many of whom had to cross the globe to come to the event. At the event, a video message gave congratulations to Hroub from the Pope. Reflecting on her win, Hroub remarked, “For an Arab, Palestinian teacher to talk to the world today and to reach the highest peak in teaching could be an example for teachers around the world,” according to The Associate Press.
As Hroub witnessed her husband and children being shot at on their way to school, both her and her children’s views on education changed dramatically. After that incident, her children began to become more focused on education. Sadly, it took a bullet to inspire Hroub’s children, for the teachers did not. And in that moment, Hroub stepped in – she stepped up, in the name of change and education. Hroub began to create games at home to help her children’s learning, leading to the improvement of their grades. Slowly, her games grew in popularity in her community and other families began to send their children to her, eventually leading to her internationally recognized success as a teacher.
With her newfound expertise and knowledge in the subject of education, Hroub wrote a book, “We Play and Learn,” which discusses respect, trust, learning, literacy, honesty and non-violence. She currently teaches young refugee children, who have been subjected to violence. In teaching these children, Hroub hopes to exemplify to them that violence is not the answer, in part through her slogan, “no to violence.”
However, it is not her book nor her service that stands out most to me, rather the fact that she, a Palestinian woman and former refugee, received an international award for her service in education. In a time which many people in the U.S. — including Donald Trump, a man contending for presidency — view Arabs as violent. With her win, Hroub shuts down all stereotypes surrounding Arabs and Palestinians that have been engineered by our 21st century, hateful society. And hopefully, her win will help change U.S.’s views on Islam.
Currently in the U.S., Islamaphobia has increased, or at least it has been more frequently vocalized, with the start of the 2016 presidential election. Candidates such as Donald Trump along with others have threatened to deport Muslims from the U.S., deeming them as “terrorists.” Because of Trump’s rhetoric, Islamaphobia is rapidly increasing in the U.S.
Thus, I commend you, Hroub. I understand that, with the world’s current view on Islam and your situation of growing up as a refugee, you must have toiled tirelessly to even get to a position in which you could have seen considered for the award, nonetheless win it! Ultimately, your win is a win for Palestine, Islam and humanity.
