Gaza Strip

By Cray Shellenbarger

The Gaza Strip is a small area along the Mediterranean Sea. It shares borders with Israel and Egypt. The population is around 1.6 million people in an area of about 139 square miles. The majority of these are considered refugees. The area is known for
cultural, religious and political unrest. That is why I’ve chosen it for the site of my thesis project.

My thesis deals with spiritual space and the affect it has on people. It goes on to discuss the cultural and biological reasoning for this. The Gaza site was chosen specifically for its location in relation to the three major religions of our time. Islam, Judaism and Christianity all share roots in this region.

The area has gone from Egyptian control to Israel control. Although Israel pulled all military out of the area, they still control much of what goes on in the Strip. Beings that Israel controls two of the borders and the coastal area is under constant military patrol, Gaza is at the mercy of the Israeli government in terms of goods and people coming and going.

Up until 2007 the Strip was under control of the Palestinian Authority. In 2007 elections were held in which the Hamas won. Hamas along with other militant groups began firing Qassam rockets across the border into Israel. This caused Israel to cut off the flow of goods and supplies into Gaza.

The actions of both sides of this conflict have been under scrutiny from many governments. The EU, UN and United States have strongly discouraged actions considered to violate basic human rights laws including the interruption of food into Gaza and the bombing of the only power station in the Strip.

This site is perfect for a project encouraging universal spiritual connection and peace. This struggle which is said to have begun with Abrahams two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, is as complex as a problem one can find in the world.


Image courtesy of theglobaleducationproject.org