As he grew, Khuder opened an Arabic food stall in one square meter shop. Suddenly a tragedy shook his life.

"Some 15 years ago, I lost my mother Ume Rizik that day. May God rest her soul in peace”, he recalls in a somber voice.

Shocked Khuder hardly knew what he was waited for him in a life, already filled with surprises.

“Women prepared her dead body for burial service but Christian hanote (man responsible for laying the coffin in grave) demanded huge money for service, which we did not have,” he explains. When family and friends stood dumbfounded with the dead body, “I would bury my mom . . . Yes, I would.”

He laid Ume Rizik to rest following the rites and the funeral of Christian service. Her’s was first burial of its kind but not the last in the region.

Following such an emotional yet satisfying experience, Khuder could never say no if a Christian family asked for the same. The Palestinian suddenly discovered that he can not only return the favor but also adopt it as a profession.

Back-to-back burials of Christians by a Muslim raised eyebrows in both the communities. Khuder’s defence was simple: “Death does not differentiate between a Christian or a Muslim . . . My religion Islam teaches me to bury the dead with honor.”

Majority inside the Gaza Strip endorses his work being symbol of ‘religious and social harmony.’ However, Khuder had his share of odds.

With a flat face he says, “Some Muslims, who misunderstand Islam, refuse to buy food from me for I bury bodies of Christians?” His job is to lower the coffin in grave with the help of some men and ropes, without ever touching the body.
Raed Abu Kwik has been buying breakfast from here many years. “We respect and appreciate his work. He is a symbol of tolerance in Islam,” he explains as Arafat prepares his order.

Hardliners exist in every community and each religion. Some Christians don’t converse with Khuder considering him an intruder.

Once Khuder was sitting with a Christian friend, suddenly his cousin arrived there. “My friend asked him to shake hands with me and win 1,000 Dinar. Shockingly, the man refused to greet me!” He found such behavior shocking and disappointing.

After a deep silence, Khuder says: “I seek forgiveness and compassion from Allah for the dead Christian as I do for the Muslim ones.”

Ever since Khuder got involved with Christian funeral service, he finds himself more attached to Islam. “I find Christians more committed to their religion than us, thus inspiring me to be the same for Islam,” he observes.

Khuder has transferred these values to his six children as well.

Arafat, the eldest amongst his four sons who helps him in the shop, says: “My father has taught us with action the difference of opinion or religion within people and how to embrace the other nonetheless.”

Though in minority but significant Christian population in Gaza has lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbors in Gaza strip.

Imad Al-Souri, a Christian from Rimal street, describes Muslim-Christian harmony in Gaza as if “the two communities practiced the same religion.”

Palestinian identity overrides the religious faith in youth as well.
Esra Hassouna, a Muslim girl, says, “I eat and drink with my Christian friends; they fast with me in Ramadan and invite me for Christmas celebrations.”

Now aging Khuder stays at home after his health deteriorated a few months ago. However, his passion to spread “fraternity and love among Muslims and Christians in the Gaza Strip” hasn’t dimmed.

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