In early 2023, Mahmoud and Nadia Habib opened their cafe in Manila to bring a piece of Palestine to the Philippines. With foods ranging from simple Pita Bread and Hummus to Chicken Biryani, Shahwarma, and the Palestinian sweet Knafeh, that establishment on Mabini Street became a "Darling" for those who expressed solidarity, particularly during a time of national struggle.
At first glance, Cafe Habib appears to be a light, warm, and informal establishment that displays maps, photos, and symbols of Palestinian heritage. Mahmoud, a native of Gaza, and his Filipino-Iraqi wife wanted Cafe Habib to feel like Filipinos were experiencing Palestinian hospitality and to highlight Arab culture.
And this writer, who happened to visit the cafe a few days ago, found the Chicken Biryani and Falafel to be quite good, reminding him of college days eating Middle Eastern food for lunch, as well as meeting Arabs who find yours truly "authentic" in expressing solidarity with Palestine and its people.
To be honest, most people may still cling to the narrow-minded thought of most Arabs as warmongers, that there's no "Palestine" but rather "Israel" in its place; all due to what the media (even the internet) presents to them; but, for those who truly concerned, especially those who yearned for peace knows why resistance became necessary for the Palestinians as they themselves expelled from their homes, farms, and communities, and be dismissed as "terrorists" and thus susceptible for destruction.
And according to Mahmoud in an interview from "Arab News" that the last time they visited was in September, just two weeks before Israel launched its latest deadly onslaught that has since killed at least 30,000 people, wounded tens of thousands more, and displaced about 1.5 million. Saddening isn't it? The civilians who wished for their right for peaceful coexistence with its neighbours be "punished" by those claiming to be superior. Thus no wonder why yours truly would say that the concrete border wall wails aloud than the wailing wall itself in Jerusalem.
On the other hand, there are those who simply apathetic on the situation in the Middle East, maybe because they got used to limit Middle East to that of getting a job in Saudi Arabia or in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, but one Arab whom yours truly interviewed said that Iraq before the US intervention was way developed than Saudi Arabia; and Syria under Assad served as a sentinel against terrorism brought by the "islamic state". "If not for Assad, Syria and the Middle East is occupied by ISIS" he said.
Pardon if the visit may sound political - for the act of fraternising with Palestinians is itself political, what more seeing them serving their food and enjoying it is also political! Why is it anyway? A simple serving of Falafel with Garlic sauce is itself showing people a glimpse what more the taste of Palestine, and who the Palestinian people are, that is, different from what the media shows as rabblerousers and "terrorists".