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| Hanan Ashrawi, head of the PLO’s Department of Culture and Information |
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May is the cruelest month despite the promise of spring.
It carries the bitter memories of ongoing loss and injustice for a
nation, my nation. Every year, Palestinians mark Al-Nakba, or the
Catastrophe, of 1948, to remember how our vibrant society was physically
and politically crushed by violence and forced expulsion.
It was not a natural disaster. Indeed, we have no doubt that itwasa
detailed plan of systematic destruction carried out with chilling
efficiency. It was the biggest assault and threat Palestinian heritage
has ever endured and the beginning of a deliberate effort to suppress
the Palestinian narrative.
For many Israelis, recognizing what happened back in 1948
is a painful process. The slogan “Your independence is our Nakba”, which
is on display in many Palestinian cities is indeed correct. Many
Israeli historians have researched and written about this dark era,
demonstrating that Palestine was a land with a vibrant society and rich
culture. These brave historians ended decades of denial about
Palestinian society and suffering.
By 1948, Palestine was one of the most developed Arab societies,
boasting one of the healthiest economies under the British mandate and a
high school enrolment rate, second only to Lebanon. Commerce, the arts,
literature, music, and other cultural aspects of life were thriving in
Palestine.
We remember that between 1911 and 1948, Palestine had no less than 161
newspapers, magazines and other regular publications, including the
pioneer “Falastin” newspaper, published in Jaffa by Issa al-Issa.
Dozens of bookstores across the country selling hundreds of Palestinian
and internationally-authored books could hardly keep up with the
demand. Books like “The Arab Woman and the Palestine Problem” by Matiel
Moghannam, a feminist leader, and George Antonious’ “The Arab
Awakening”, were highly popular in Palestine, England, the US, and
beyond.
Palestine had a strong women’s movement as early as the 1920’s. Women
excelled in many fields, including education, journalism, and political
activism. Women activists were among the first to lobby for Palestinian
self-determination at the beginning of the British Mandate.
Palestinian dedication to education is deeply rooted in our culture. By
1914, there were 379 private schools in Palestine, including the
country’s first girls’ school, Al Moscobiye, in Beit Jala, founded in
1858 as the first school for girls in Palestine, and the Friends School,
founded by the Quakers in 1869, which continues to be among the most
advanced education institutions in Palestine.
In the area of arts, music, and drama, Palestinian creativity was
boundless, inspiring artists around the region. Composers like Yehya
Al-Lababidi collaborated with famous Arab singers of the time, like
Farid Al-Atrach. Other singers like the legendary Um Kalthoum and
Mohamad Abdel Wahab regularly performed to Palestinian audiences in
Haifa, Jaffa, and Jerusalem. Our cinemas, from Gaza to Akka, were
showing the latest films of the time.
Al-Nakba represents the abrupt and unnatural disruption of these
accomplishments and signaled the beginning of a culture of exile and
dispossession. In being forcibly expelled from their homes, Palestinians
lost their properties, personal history, and cultural assets.
This included thousands of books. In West Jerusalem alone, 30,000 books
were “collected” from Palestinian houses, as well as around 50,000
other books from homes in Jaffa, Haifa, Tiberias and Nazareth. Khalil
Sakakini was one of those people who lost his entire library. A number
of his books can be found today in the National Library of Israel,
marked ‘AP’, meaning “Abandoned Property.”
Al-Nakba is therefore not merely a historical date to be commemorated.
It is the collective memory of Palestinians, which shapes their
identity as a people. Al-Nakba is not a distant memory but a painful
reality that continues to fester, as the rights of refugees continue to
be denied and the inalienable rights of our nation remain unfulfilled.
It is time to recognize that Al-Nakba is as real for Palestinians as it
should be for Israelis. It is an inescapable story of loss,
dispossession and a great historic injustice that targeted the most
precious characteristic of any people: its identity.
But Al-Nakba to Palestinians is not about defeat. Stripping the
Palestinian people of their national and cultural symbols, as well as
stunting the growth of Palestinian cultural life was a merciless crime,
no doubt. But our people have persevered, rebuilding, time and again,
their heritage of cultural and educational excellence.
There have been many new challenges and setbacks since Al-Nakba,
especially the military occupation that began in 1967 and its oppressive
policies targeting culture and education. But Palestinians kept
marching forward, holding on to the proud memories of excellence and
building new ones.
For peace to prevail, for two states to live side by side, for a future
of security and prosperity to begin in the region, Israel should not be
afraid to recognize Al-Nakba and learn the lessons of its history.
Israel must come to recognize its historic accountability in creating
Al-Nakba for neither denial nor distortion can serve the cause of
peace.
Genuine recognition is a sine qua non
for the process of historical redemption. Peace is a phase of healing
that must be established on truth, justice, transparency, and equality.
There is no other formula. By recognizing our historical narrative and
suffering, Israel will be embarking on a true journey for a just and
comprehensive peace.
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi is a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the PLO’s Department of Culture and Information
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