Manila
\nMahmoud and Nadia Habib opened their cafe in early 2023 to bring a piece of Palestine to the Philippines. Little did they know that the place would soon turn into a center of Gaza heritage and a hub of solidarity in Manila.
\nLocated on Mabini Street, Cafe Habib is light, warm and informal with its white tables, grey sofas and ochre walls showing maps, photos and symbols of Palestinian heritage.
\nFrom the beginning, the husband \u2014 who is a native of Gaza \u2014 and the Filipino-Iraqi wife wanted their restaurant\u2019s ambiance to make Filipinos feel as if they had stepped into a place in Palestine.
\n\u201cWe came up with the concept to create a special place where when customers come in, they will not think they are in the Philippines anymore. We wanted to spotlight Arab culture,\u201d Mahmoud told Arab News.
\nFor Nadia, it is also an attempt to \u201cbring a piece of Palestine to the Philippines\u201d to share its rich heritage, traditions, and flavors.
\n\u201cThe Palestinian-themed cafe became our platform to introduce the Filipino people to the beauty and depth of Palestinian culture. We believed that by immersing them in a unique and authentic experience, we could foster understanding and appreciation,\u201d she said.
\nTheir menu features authentic dishes such as falafel, shawarma, and the iconic Palestinian knafeh \u2014 crispy filo dough with cheese soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios \u2014 all based on recipes that have been in the Habib family for generations.
\n\u201cThese recipes all come from my mother,\u201d Mahmoud said, adding that Nadia also learned to make them during their trips to his home in Gaza.
\nThe 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.
\nThey saw the destruction and hid from daily bombardment, only managing to return to Manila when Philippine authorities evacuated some of the Filipino-Palestinians from the besieged enclave in November.
\nNadia was born and raised in the Philippines, while Mahmoud has been living in the country since 2013, when he arrived to study architecture at the National University.
\nUpon their return to Manila, they have been trying to reunite with Mahmoud\u2019s family, but until now, it has been to no avail.
\n\u201cI tried to bring them, but it is very hard,\u201d he said.
\nIt is their cafe, a reminder of Palestine, that keeps the couple strong and gives them space to spread awareness among Filipinos on what is happening in Gaza.
\n\u201cSpeaking up about Palestine is a crucial aspect of our mission, as it lies at the core of why we established this cafe. If customers initiate a conversation about \u2026 Palestine, we wholeheartedly engage in the discussion,\u201d Nadia said.
\nThey also helped facilitate the efforts of Filipino peace activists who organized a Gaza solidarity march in November.
\n\u201cThey gave me more power. This shows that our voice goes out to the world, and everyone really has a huge heart,\u201d Mahmoud said.
\n\u201cI am proud of (this cafe). I am really happy because I\u2019m showing people what Palestine is, who the Palestinian people are.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Manila Mahmoud and Nadia Habib opened their cafe in early 2023 to bring a piece of Palestine to the Philippines. Little did they know that the place would soon turn into a center of Gaza heritage and a hub of solidarity in Manila. Located on Mabini Street, Cafe Habib is light, warm and informal with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-390888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n