Mohammad Basem Haj Omar (22 years old) is from the village of Ijzim in Haifa, Palestine. He grew up in Yarmouk Camp in Syria and studied law. However, when he was imprisoned and tortured, another law was applied to him. During the siege of the camp, he lost his younger brother, Oghaid (8 years old). He was killed by a missile along with their neighbor, Raed.
His brother's grave
Mohammad says, "The regime tried to kill life in us, yet people still found joy in the hardest times." The same was true for him. In the summer of 2014, he began learning to play the bagpipes when he joined the Jerusalem Scouts.
Mohammad playing bagpipes
Mohammad says, "My love for the bagpipes is tied to the camp because I learned it for Palestine. I became the leader of the band to pass it on to future generations of the camp so they won’t forget our customs and traditions."
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Mohammd in the Yarmouk camp
Although his band has performed in many cultural centers, playing inside the Camp remains a unique experience. Mohammad says, "Nothing compares to seeing the people of the camp happy.
Demolished building in Yarmouk camp
When they film us, I feel like I was able to give something back to the camp amid all this destruction."
Like everyone in the camp, he says, "We dream of bringing the camp back to life, and we dream of returning to Palestine.”
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Mohammd looking from his room into the ruins of Al Yarmouk Camp
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