Thorns and Carnations: A Reflection on the Book Authored by Yahya Sinwar

In a world where people rarely agree on everything, there are two universal, yet contradictory truths: life and death. From the moment we are born, we are granted the promise of existence, yet this existence remains incomplete until death arrives, closing the circle and fulfilling its meaning.

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas movement, departed from this world, but he was neither the first nor the last of the resistors in a world where everything heads towards oblivion. Here, we do not narrate his death, but rather how he lived, fully aware that death is not a defeat but a reality he faced with courage befitting human existence. Through his novel Thorns and Carnations, we seek to uncover the philosophy of this man regarding life and the world around him.

A Brief Introduction to the Author and the Context of the Novel

Yahya Sinwar, a Palestinian from Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, served as the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas.” He spent twenty-three years of his life in Israeli prisons, including four years in solitary confinement. After being released in a prisoner exchange deal in 2011, he orchestrated one of the most significant intelligence and military operations in the history of the occupation, surprising the Israeli army during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle—a title that primarily symbolizes the freedom of Palestinian prisoners to whom Sinwar remained faithful.

In 2004, after a complex and lengthy operation involving the efforts of many prisoners, Yahya Sinwar managed to write his novel Thorns and Carnations from within the prison walls. The novel sheds light on aspects of the Palestinian struggle, spanning from 1967 up to the Al-Aqsa Intifada, focusing on the rise of the Islamic resistance, particularly Hamas, within its social, political, and cultural contexts.

The narrative begins within the walls of a house in a Gaza refugee camp, where children’s values and choices are formed—children who would grow to become pivotal figures in the resistance movement. From this home, the story expands to encompass families, neighbors, the camp, the entire Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the rest of the occupied territories, with each individual representing a piece in the mosaic of the resistance experience during this crucial era.

The Introduction to the Novel

In the introduction, Sinwar dedicates this work to all whose hearts are bound to Jerusalem, from one end of the Arab world to the other. He states clearly, “This is not my personal story, nor is it the story of a particular individual, although all its events are real.” Every scene depicted in the novel reflects the life of a Palestinian somewhere, collected by the author from the mouths of those who lived it.

Sinwar does not hide behind fiction; he mentions in the introduction that the only imagination involved was in transforming reality into a novel centered around specific characters, thus giving it the form and structure of a literary work. Everything else is factual, experienced by Sinwar himself or recounted by those who went through it—whether they, their families, or their neighbors, over ten years in the land of Palestine.

In this regard, Dr. Suleiman Saleh, a professor of media at Cairo University, wrote: “Thorns and Carnations cannot be seen purely as a literary work; it is a message to the entire Muslim Ummah, aiming to explain the Palestinian cause as Sinwar wanted it to be understood. A scholar of the Arabic language from the Islamic University, Sinwar chose to use classical Arabic in narration and dialogue. When he resorted to the Palestinian dialect, he ensured that the expressions were explained in Arabic.”

The Palestinian writer Hanin Awadallah, in her article titled “The Philosophy of Hamas: Politics and Existence through Yahya Sinwar,” argues that historical novels are not mere reflections of past events; they are a deep exploration of the social, philosophical, and moral forces that shape historical movements. Characters in historical novels embody and engage in philosophical conflicts within the context of their time. In other words, historical novels serve as a means to understand the intricate relationship between personal beliefs and the broader sweep of history.

Thus, the novel emphasizes education and upbringing, relying on analyzing and deconstructing reasons, reality, and its contradictions alongside documenting historical events.

The Novel Thorns and Carnations

The story is narrated by Ahmad, a camp-born child who opened his eyes to the harshness of life around him, starting from the Al-Shati Camp in Gaza, through the war that took his resistance-fighter father without a trace. Ahmad was raised in a poverty-stricken home, where rain would drip through the ceiling onto the family during cold winter nights.

His older brother, Mahmoud, who studied engineering in Egypt, joined the “Fatah” movement. Imprisoned and tortured for his political activities, Mahmoud led a strike within the prison that secured some rights for the prisoners, becoming a symbol of struggle admired by his family. Nevertheless, Mahmoud remained committed to Fatah’s principles and vision, especially during the period of the Oslo Accords.

In contrast, Ahmad finds himself torn between two conflicting ideologies: his brother Mahmoud, who supports Fatah’s ideas, and his cousin Ibrahim, who represents the Islamic current as a member of Hamas. Ahmad’s emotions swing between the two, but he eventually finds himself influenced by the thoughts of his cousin Ibrahim, the son of a martyr who grew up with him under the same roof, becoming a true model of leadership.

Ibrahim, another central character, is portrayed as a student leader who embodies the principles of the Islamic movement, expressing them through his actions and positions throughout the story. He chose to join the resistance while also working in construction to earn an honest living.

Historical Context

The novel begins in the winter of 1967, just before the Six-Day War, when Gaza was under Egyptian administration. Ahmad, then a five-year-old child, recounts his early memories, vividly recalling the moment of defeat when Israel occupied Gaza during the war. This memory is depicted through two significant scenes etched into his mind.

The first scene is of a kind Egyptian soldier who once gave him sweets, suddenly sternly warning him to keep his distance when the war broke out, fearing for his safety. The second, far more horrific, involved the Israelis gathering men in Al-Shati Camp, selecting those deemed “the strongest” to be executed, while the rest were forced to flee towards the Egyptian border, only to be shot at if they dared to look back.

Sinwar chose to begin the story after 1967, as he sought to document this pivotal phase in the history of armed resistance, presenting it in a creative, narrative form. Through these scenes, he attempts to recall a turning point in Palestinian resistance, analyzing it as a moment of ideological transformation where Palestinians began to realize the inadequacy of Arab nationalism as a political solution, recognizing the need for a different approach in the face of escalating occupation.

The novel also illustrates how Palestinians saw in the Islamic movement a bastion that stood firm against the occupation’s attempts at erasure. The intertwining of political practice with faith, shifting the Palestinian cause’s reference to God, created an impenetrable barrier that the enemy could not dismantle. Islam, with its self-reliant system and profound impact on individuals, allowed Palestinians to build resilient political structures that resisted attempts to dilute their consciousness and divert their path.

The Struggle Between Faith and Betrayal

The novel introduces a deep contrast between those who seek individual salvation and those who pursue collective liberation. This contrast is exemplified through the characters of Ibrahim, who sacrifices for his community, and Hassan, his brother, who seeks a personal escape. Hassan’s desire for a better life leads him to Tel Aviv, where he becomes entangled with an Israeli woman and ultimately betrays his own people by working as a collaborator.

Faced with his brother’s betrayal, Ibrahim channels his anguish into establishing a security system designed to counteract collaborators, ensuring justice is served without leaving any trace that could be used against the resistance.

Conclusion: The Legacy of Thorns and Carnations

Sinwar’s novel offers more than a retelling of historical events; it presents a philosophical exploration of the spirit of resistance, the value of education, and the unyielding connection between faith and national identity. Through Thorns and Carnations, readers gain insight into the underlying dynamics that have shaped the Palestinian struggle, particularly how Hamas’s emphasis on upbringing and preparation has built a resilient generation capable of enduring the trials of occupation.

The story brings to life the broader narrative of Palestine’s resilience and the intricacies of a struggle that has transcended decades. It sheds light on how moments of despair were transformed into collective strength, depicting the rise of the Islamic resistance movement as a beacon of hope for future generations.