In besieged Gaza, first English library to open window to world
(Artdaily.org)

Mossab Abu Toha has never actually left Gaza, instead devouring books as an escape. Now he is struggling to open the first English-language library in the beleaguered Palestinian territory. `Send us books in English, new or used,` says the 24-year-old reading enthusiast on his Facebook page. Abu Toha, like so many Gazans effectively trapped in the Palestinian enclave by Israeli and Egyptian restrictions, dreams of travelling. `Freedom begins when one frees one`s mind,` said the young graduate in English literature from the Islamic University of Gaza, who shares his passion by teaching Shakespeare at a United Nations school. `I have read dozens of books in English, and with them I can travel to every country in the world and through all periods. I feel like I am in another world.` Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, while the border with Egypt is also largely closed.