Palestinian women and girls in Beirut’s Burj al‑Barajneh camp take Brazilian jiu jitsu classes for self‑defense and empowerment
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Pastoral Outlook
In the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in south Beirut, Palestinian girls and women have been taking a two-month Brazilian jiu jitsu course led by Lebanese-Canadian coach Mirella Atallah. The training — framed by Atallah as women’s empowerment rather than only self-defense — includes physical techniques, situational awareness, voice training, and community-building. Participants range in age from about 12 to 83 and include Palestinian refugees as well as Syrian migrants; classes are provided free in coordination with NGOs and serve other marginalized groups (including migrant workers and LGBT people). Students and the coach describe gains in confidence, mental health, and willingness to participate publicly; some students say classmates intervened on behalf of peers facing abuse. The piece also situates the classes within a broader context of poverty, gender-based violence, unsafe public transport, and the 2026 conflict that forced some to leave the camp during bombardment. The article profiles Atallah’s background (she is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, a former competitor, and a trainer who has worked in several countries) and cites examples of individual change among students such as Aisha Saqqa and Fatima Mohammad.
This story depicts a practical, grassroots response to vulnerability: teaching physical skills and creating small support communities that restore dignity and agency to women who face poverty, harassment, and domestic abuse. Biblically, protecting and defending the vulnerable is a clear moral imperative (see Psalm 82:3), and the personal transformation described — greater confidence, mutual support, practical help in crises — aligns with Christian commitments to neighborly care and justice. At the same time, the article’s emphasis on personal empowerment and individual resilience can understate structural realities (political displacement, systemic poverty, and ongoing conflict) that also require advocacy and long-term solutions. Christians should welcome and support programs that reduce harm and build community, while remembering that spiritual care, structural justice, and sustained material aid are complementary: empowerment is good, but it is not a substitute for working toward just social and political conditions. Finally, be cautious of a purely secular framing that treats empowerment as an end in itself; Christians are called both to practical help and to speak prophetically for the oppressed, offering compassion and truth in ways that respect cultural context and human dignity.Thought to Remember
“Psalm 82:3 - "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."”