Gina Dirawi's Quest for Meaning: From YouTube to Pilgrimage

Shamans and strange powders do not aid seeker Gina Dirawi, affected by a 'generational trauma' as a Palestinian. In 'Sommar i P1', the host shares her experience of a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, becoming a 'hajji'.

Charming and humorous Dirawi, born in Sundsvall to parents of Palestinian descent, has a remarkable career. As Sweden's first YouTuber, she has hosted Melodifestivalen and Idol, and is now a summer speaker for the second time at 34 years old. It seems middle age has caught up with her, bringing introspective thoughts.

Then, 'old school God knocks'.

Perfectly suited for a summer talk, this awakening was initially intended as a TV program that never materialized.

Instead of partying in Ibiza, God calls her to a sweaty tent with portable toilets in Saudi Arabia, where Dirawi searches for the meaning of everything. The realization: she has used humor as armor her whole life, and now she must 'stop trying to survive and start living'. The new hajji-Gina is as irreverent as the old Dirawi, juxtaposing a puddle of diarrhea with the Kaaba. Yet, there is also profound sorrow over Gaza, genuine, serious, and impactful.