Skip to content

Dr. Shammaa’s story was a dreadful one and her voice broke…

“Dr. Shammaa’s story was a dreadful one and her voice broke as she told it. “I had to take the babies and put them in buckets of water to put out the flames,” she said. “When I took them out half an hour later, they were still burning. Even in the mortuary, they smouldered for hours.” Next morning…” quote by Susan Abulhawa
Download Open image
““Dr. Shammaa’s story was a dreadful one and her voice broke as she told it. “I had to take the babies and put them in buckets of water to put out the flames,” she said. “When I took them out half an hour later, they were still burning. Even in the mortuary, they smouldered for hours.” Next morning, Amal Shammaa took the tiny corpses out of the mortuary for burial. To her horror, they again burst into flames.””

Susan Abulhawa

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Trauma can manifest physically, and even after rescue, pain may persist and resurface.

In simple terms: Trauma leaves lasting physical scars.

Key Takeaway

Address both emotional and physical healing.

Themes

trauma healing resilience

Mood

somber empathetic

Type

literary historical

When to use this quote

  • disaster response
  • medical care
  • grief counseling

Key Concepts

psychological impact physical symptoms post‑traumatic growth

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you support survivors of ongoing trauma?
  • What signs indicate hidden suffering?
A Different Perspective

Physical signs may not fully capture emotional suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Susan Abulhawa

Explore all 67 Susan Abulhawa quotes

More Palestine quotes

Browse all 446 Palestine quotes