"Liberation - Catharsis" by Najat El-Khairy- a collector and lecturer on Palestinian embroidery who uses her art to preserve this cultural legacy.... "The olive grove and doves are prominent features in the artwork. The olive grove with its trees represents peace, while the two doves in the sky symbolize freedom and the right of return."

"Liberation - Catharsis" by Palestinian artist Najat El-Khairy.

Zara Zhar

@Boudicca61AD

 

"Liberation - Catharsis" by Palestinian artist Najat El-Khairy. The artwork is part of a series that explores themes of purification and liberation from occupation, reflecting on the artist's personal journey and the Palestinian experience. 

 

Symbolism and Meaning 

 

The woman in the artwork represents the "Palestinian Fellaha" or village woman, and also the olive tree, which is a symbol of resilience, resistance, and determination. She is depicted with tree roots for legs, deeply entrenched in her land, proudly holding her history, culture, and heritage. 

 

Her face is intentionally omitted to represent all Palestinian women. The embroidery on the woman's dress and in the background is a central element. 

 

Najat El-Khairy is a collector and lecturer on Palestinian embroidery and uses her art to preserve this cultural legacy. The patterns often include motifs with specific meanings, such as "The Walls of Jerusalem" and "the Star of Bethlehem," and are used to assert the identity of the land. 

 

The olive grove and doves are prominent features in the artwork. The olive grove with its trees represents peace, while the two doves in the sky symbolize freedom and the right of return. 

 

The "forbidden colors" (red, green, white, and black) of the Palestinian flag, which the occupiers banned in artwork from 1980 to 1993, are freely used in this piece to assert Palestinian identity. 

 

Najat El-Khairy's art, including "Liberation - Catharsis," is her way of documenting and preserving Palestinian cultural heritage on a lasting surface, such as porcelain, to prevent it from being forgotten or appropriated. 

 

The artist was born in 1948, the year of the Nakba, which she sees as a driving force for her mission to keep Palestinian culture alive.

 https://x.com/Boudicca61AD/status/2051783193280323932/photo/1

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Dear America, Funding and arming terrorism and violence is evil and wrong: America should not be funding, arming, defending, or trusting today's Israel in any way, shape or form.

United Nations logo for PEACE 

 

letter I just sent to my elected leaders

Dear America, 

Kudos to all who firmly and clearly voice opposition in response to Israel's plans to increase even more control over the West Bank- Palestine.  It is important to stand up for what is good and right... and Israel right now is not good or right.

Modern man-made Israel uses both peace and war to usurp land and impose more "security" measures to torment and destroy Palestinians. 

Israel also invests heavily in propaganda campaigns, and bribery... HAMAS and Islamist terrorists only make the situation worse, as Israel seeks excuses to bomb and bulldoze- destroying homes and killing Palestinians and their neighbors.

Checkpoints are everywhere.

It is all a big ugly game that Israel aims to win no matter what or who has to suffer. 

We have been watching this tragic situation for years, as Israel intentionally impoverishes and displaces the native non-Jewish Palestinians at every turn.

Even if you could dismantle international law and The United Nations, basic inalienable rights will always remain. The human spirit is strong, and the quest for freedom, justice, equality, and respect is a universal need. 

Funding and arming terrorism and violence is evil and wrong:  America should not be funding, arming, defending, or trusting today's Israel in any way, shape or form.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

Israel’s security cabinet has approved plans that pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory

Her father’s war grave in Gaza was bulldozed by Israel. Amid the grief and anger, she wants answers... " “They have no respect for the living, so why would they respect the dead?” Wilma says of the Israeli government."

US politics: After years spent documenting state terror, I know it when I see it. And I see it now in the US and Israel. It’s chilling to watch as Trump and Netanyahu adopt the methods of regimes their countries once condemned

"The true irony is, state terror does not make a state safer. When democratic states adopt the methods of tyrannies, they become weaker. Their global credibility frays. They sacrifice the legitimacy they once held that distinguishes them from the regimes they claim to oppose."

In Growing Gardens for Palestine Mother and her child (أم وطفلها), mud on wood, 2000 by Sliman Mansour of Palestine

Bishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna: Resolving the Palestinian issue is the key to peace....

A STATEMENT FROM THE PATRIARCHS AND HEADS OF THE CHURCHES IN JERUSALEM ON UNITY AND REPRESENTATION OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN THE HOLY LAND

Human Rights Watch researchers resign after report on Palestinian right of return blocked : The organization claims the report, which finds Israel’s denial of the right of return is a crime against humanity, is ‘paused pending further analysis and research’

‘A violation of our history’: Palestinian uproar over Israel’s plan to seize historic West Bank site- Residents of Sebastia say heritage project is pretext for massive land grab and expansion of Jewish settlements

1940s, Lydda, Palestine

Jewish Voice for Peace: "We strive to build a world where every human and every plant can thrive without fear of being killed or uprooted... "

“The underreported silent war: record levels of violence in the occupied West Bank since October 2023. More than 1,000 Palestinians — almost a quarter of them children — have been killed. Attacks by Israeli settlers continue unabated, with Palestinian communities being constantly intimidated, uprooted and their livelihoods ruined. Impunity reigns....

Palestinian girls wearing the traditional Palestinian dress in front of the Church of All Nations (Gethsemane) in Jerusalem ✝️

"The war on journalists in Gaza continues Despite a supposed ‘ceasefire’, international journalists are still not freely allowed in Gaza and Palestinian journalists continue to be killed by Israel. Western journalists should be in uproar about this assault on press freedom. Instead the likes of CBS are simply parroting Israel’s talking points." Arwa Mahdawi

 The war on journalists in Gaza continues

Despite a supposed ‘ceasefire’, international journalists are still not freely allowed in Gaza and Palestinian journalists continue to be killed by Israel. Western journalists should be in uproar about this assault on press freedom. Instead the likes of CBS are simply parroting Israel’s talking points.

CNN ‘We are reliving the Nakba’: A Palestinian community says it’s being erased as Israeli settler violence intensifies

UNRWA's Sam Rose "We are not alone in facing unacceptable challenges that defy the most basic obligations of an occupying power under international law. The registration process for international NGOs has become a de facto blockade in itself, with the vast majority of the existing aid system now on the brink of shutdown. Restrictions on so-called dual-use items have turned basic shelter and construction materials, among other essential supplies, into contraband, leaving families exposed to the elements and rendering reconstruction impossible as harsh winter weather persists. This brings us to the uncomfortable truth: These restrictions are not merely bureaucratic impediments. They appear to be part of ongoing efforts to systematically dismantle the means for Palestinians to survive. Every restriction, every obstacle, every denial of basic materials adds another layer of evidence..."

Israel’s strike on Gaza City killed a mother, three children and one of their relatives on Saturday morning, while Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said a strike in a tent camp caused a fire, killing seven, including a father, his three children and three grandchildren.

Gaza’s health ministry has recorded more than 500 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of the ceasefire on 10 October.

AMERICA: ""Their gear represents “the manifestation of decades of war, now in broad daylight in American cities.” One of the most heavily funded militaries in the world is now focused inward." Detroit resident" ... Rashida Tlaib

There are officially no more hostages in captivity in Gaza: Apart from the two million people who actually live there...

"They are being genocided. And still continue to make the world a better place." Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt, on Palestinian Australian Issam Hijazi & his social platform UpScrolled

Israel has the obligation to ensure access to the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, medical supplies and services, and to facilitate the work of UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem where Israel is not entitled to exercise sovereignty...

"It’s not what we can or cannot say that matters; rather, it’s whether what we say can get any visibility at all, and whether it is able to move against the political climate imposed by those controlling platform algorithms."

What the US TikTok takeover is already revealing about new forms of censorship

Social network UpScrolled sees surge in downloads following TikTok’s US takeover: "The app was founded last year by Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist, with the aim of giving users a place to “freely express thoughts, share moments, and connect with others,” according to the app’s website. The team behind the app says they’re “building a platform that belongs to the people who use it — not to hidden algorithms or outside agendas.”"

Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026 "The genocide did not begin with concentration camps and gas chambers; it started with apathy and silence in the face of injustice, and with the corrosive dehumanization of the other. Today, and always, we need to remember this." Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Emmy winning Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda with 1.4m followers reports TikTok ban [2026] ... According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 207 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with the “vast majority” killed by Israeli forces.

On Tuesday's #HolocaustRemembrance Day, we honour the memory of all those who perished in the Holocaust & the enduring legacy of those who survived. Today & every day, we must counter antisemitism, Holocaust denial & distortion and all forms of hatred.

Anne Frank 1929-1945 Hind Rajab 2018- 2024 ... NEVER AGAIN MEANS NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE !

"We call on Israel to immediately cease such actions against UNRWA premises, respect the Agency’s mandate, lift all restrictions imposed on its activities, and fully comply with its obligations under international law, in line with the latest advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 22 October 2025 on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian territory. "

Gaza City, Gaza: A displaced Palestinian girl looks out from her tent in Gaza City- Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters- Holocaust remembrance and a tsunami museum: photos of the day –The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world Tuesday 27 January 2026 ... & "“I represent one and a half million children who were murdered and who are not here to speak for themselves,” Friedman told German media. “My story is representative of all their stories because we all had similar experiences. I was simply luckier than them, because I survived.”"

"The family I mentioned happens to be Christian. But let no one think this is about Christians or Muslims. This is about Palestinians. All of us. We are all now exposed. All unprotected. All living under a system where the attacker is shielded and the victim is punished..." Rev. Munther Isaac

The Women Who Shaped the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"It was not Hitler or Himmler who abducted me, beat me, and shot my family... It was the shoemaker, the milkman, the neighbor- who recieved uniform and then believed they were the master race." Karl Stojka, Auschwitz survivor

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/id-card/karl-stojka

#ProtectTheFacts

Dear America, A barbaric new era has already begun as Americans are duped into being wage slaves for billionaires who have no respect for basic human rights and the rule of fair and just laws.

Dear America- Golden Rule Thinking IS GOOD

Dear America, Our land and resources are being gobbled up for AI data centers for what purpose? Is it for the greater good of tax paying citizens- or is it to feed the greed of corporations and companies that already use our data to charge us as much as they can at every turn.

Real freedom, justice, and democracy are being embezzled by corporate greed and political corruption to empower Israel and war.

"ISRAEL SAYS" is not God talking.

Israel has a right to exist, but Israel has no right to starve and displace the men, women and children of historic Palestine.

The vast majority of Americans are not wealthy & the taxes that We The People pay are being diverted into funding religious bigotry and terror via Israel's cruel war on the native non-Jewish men, women, and children of historic Palestine. HAMAS cruelty and stupidity echoes Zionist cruelty and stupidity and on and on it goes. Neither approach will build peace or security.

The weapons industry and a global war machine- AND INJUSTICE- burgeon with American tax payer funds.

Violence is a problem- not the answer.

"The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. This intergovernmental organization born out of the ashes of the Second World War remains indispensable to the pursuit of world peace, justice, equality and sustainable development" https://www.un.org/en/

The right of refugees to return to homes and lands they were expelled from is an individual right and cannot be unilaterally abrogated by third parties.  https://imeu.org/resources/resources/fact-sheet-palestinian-refugees-the-right-of-return-under-international-law/441

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

GLAMOUR: Ms. Rachel’s Dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards Has a Special Meaning

GLAMOUR: Ms. Rachel’s Dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards Has a Special Meaning- Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Get exclusive details behind her incredible look.

 

By Anna Moeslein

November 4, 2025

Ms. Rachel’s dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards proves that she wears her heart on her sleeve—sometimes literally. Rachel Accurso (or as you know her, Ms. Rachel) continued her advocacy work for the children of Gaza by attending the 2025 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in a dress that had a very special meaning behind it.

Glamour has learned exclusively that ahead of the event, which took place on November 4 at the Plaza in New York City, Ms. Rachel asked kids from Gaza to make artwork that told their stories, and then had their pictures embroidered onto an upcycled dress that she purchased for the event. We’re told she knows the meaning behind each artwork, and her hope is that she will elevate these children’s stories, and so many others, by wearing them tonight.

“I’m thinking about all the little ones there and what we can do for them,” she told livestream hosts Brooks and Grace Ann Nader on the red carpet, adding that she also has pictures of all the children with her.... READ MORE 

 https://www.glamour.com/story/ms-rachel-dress-at-the-glamour-women-of-the-year-2025-awards

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A ‘magic pill’ made Israeli violence invisible. We need to stop swallowing it- For years, I pressed Palestinian interests in peace talks. The response to Trump’s plan proves the international community hasn’t learned from catastrophe. [FACTS] by Diana Buttu in The Guardian

Illustration: Edmon de Haro/The Guardian

Sun 5 Oct 2025

For two years, the world has watched as Israel has systematically destroyed the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and maiming an untold number more. As dangerously, Israel continues to methodically target the healthcare, education, water and sewage systems to ensure that life cannot resume in the Gaza Strip.

Western governments’ responses to Israel’s actions have ranged from cheerleading and unconditional support in the first year of Israel’s attack on Gaza after 7 October 2023, followed by statements of concern and handwringing, to, more recently, occasional expressions of consternation and empty threats that continued Israeli attacks may, at some unspecified time, lead to an arms embargo or a drop in trade relations. In the last few months, there have also been the greatly celebrated proclamations of conditional recognition of a Palestinian state. The irony cannot be more profound: tepidly recognizing a state as it, and its people, are being erased without mercy.

As I write this, confusion swirls around Donald Trump’s plan to end the war and hope is mounting for a hostage and prisoner swap. While an end to the bombing, the freedom of captives on both sides and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza would bring some relief in an otherwise unbearably bleak landscape, it would be a mistake to view the plan as a historic breakthrough for Palestine. Trump’s vision is yet another American-Israeli concoction cooked up without any input from Palestinians that would retain Israel’s perpetual control over Gaza’s future.

The world has never listened to Palestinian voices or taken seriously the existential threat Israel poses to Palestinian life, and this has not materially changed despite the increase in performative angst. To the contrary, Palestinians have for three-quarters of a century endured the world telling us that Israeli “security concerns” – however defined by Israel – are more important than our rights and lives. As a result Palestinians live with two omnipresent forms of violence: Israeli violence directly inflicted upon our bodies, land and society, and western violence, where only our erasure prompts the world to notice us and see our humanity – but only barely.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/oct/05/gaza-palestine-israel-trump-peace-plan

 AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies] 

"Statehood cannot be declared in press releases while genocide burns Gaza and land is stolen daily in the West Bank. Recognition of Palestine is hollow if it ignores the uprooting of people and the violence that became a daily reality. Better to first recognize the atrocities and confront injustice than to offer symbolic statehood to a people whose very existence is already rooted in their land yet their land, and their lives are under attack." Sliman Mansour of Palestine

                 A caricature that was published in Al Fajr English language newspaper in the 1990’s.

sliman.mansour

Statehood cannot be declared in press releases while genocide burns Gaza and land is stolen daily in the West Bank. Recognition of Palestine is hollow if it ignores the uprooting of people and the violence that became a daily reality. Better to first recognize the atrocities and confront injustice than to offer symbolic statehood to a people whose very existence is already rooted in their land yet their land, and their lives are under attack.

Nagasaki’s twin bells ring in unison for first time in 80 years to mark atomic bombing. Mayor of Japanese city used the anniversary of US bombing to urge the world to stop armed conflicts, warning nuclear war was ‘looming’ over everyone

Doves are leased over the peace statue in Nagasaki, during a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing. Photograph: Kotaro Ueda/AP

Sat 9 Aug 2025

Twin cathedral bells rang in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years on Saturday, commemorating the moment the city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb.

The two bells rang out at Immaculate Conception cathedral, also called the Urakami cathedral, at 11.02am, the moment the bomb was dropped on 9 August 1945, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima.

The imposing redbrick building, with its twin bell towers atop a hill, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous explosion just a few hundred metres away. Only one of its two bells was recovered from the rubble, leaving the northern tower silent. With funds from US churchgoers, a new bell was constructed and restored to the tower.

After heavy downpours on Saturday morning, the rain stopped shortly before a moment of silence and ceremony in which Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki urged the world to “stop armed conflicts immediately”

“Eighty years have passed, and who could have imagined that the world would become like this?” he said. “A crisis that could threaten the survival of humanity, such as a nuclear war, is looming over each and every one of us living on this planet.”

About 74,000 people were killed in the south-western port city, on top of the 140,000 killed in Hiroshima.

Days later, on 15 August 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of the second world war.

Historians have debated whether the bombings ultimately saved lives by bringing an end to the conflict and averting a ground invasion. But those calculations meant little to survivors, known as hibakusha, many of whom battled decades of physical and psychological trauma, as well as stigma.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/09/nagasaki-japan-atomic-bomb-twin-bells-urakami-cathedral

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Hiroshima’s fading legacy: the race to secure survivors’ memories amid a new era of nuclear brinkmanship

At 8:15am on 6 August, the Enola Gay, a US B-29 bomber, dropped a nuclear bomb on the city. “Little Boy” detonated about 600 metres from the ground, with a force equivalent to 15,000 tonnes of TNT. Between 60,000 and 80,000 people were killed instantly, with the death toll rising to 140,000 by the end of the year as victims succumbed to burns and illnesses caused by acute exposure to radiation.

Three days later, the Americans dropped a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki, killing 74,000. And on 15 August, a demoralised Japan surrendered, bringing an end to the second world war... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/05/hiroshima-atomic-bomb-80-year-anniversary-survivors

"We remember everything" 2025 Keys to Return painting by Palestinian artist Irina Naji

"We remember everything" 2025 Keys to Return painting by Palestinian artist Irina Naji

 https://www.facebook.com/reel/1978783495861828

https://www.facebook.com/irina.naji

Palestine Heritage Traditions Culture Art 

"All my paintings are pages of my life in Gaza" Irina Naji  

https://www.instagram.com/irina.naji

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-irina-naji?tab=about

Irina Naji  "Dream" painting from 2021

- An acrylic on canvas painting by Palestinian artist Irina Naji, named Dream, displayed at an art exhibition in the West Bank city of Ramallah (2014 photo credit :AP/Nasser Nasser)

Sliman Mansour of Palestine: Peace (سلام)، oil on canvas, 1990

sliman.mansour

Peace (سلام)، oil on canvas, 1990

'Our unwavering determination to return one day': Displaced Palestinians keep hold of keys to Gaza homes like their Nakba ancestors: Palestinians displaced by Israel's war on Gaza are holding on to keys from their damaged or destroyed houses as a symbol of one day returning to their homeland.

The significant act of holding on to the keys of their homes has become a powerful testament to the resilience of Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel's brutal war. 

Throughout Palestinian culture, art, and activism, the key of return is prominently featured as a symbol of resistance and a reminder of the ongoing quest for justice and peace.

It is also a testament to the enduring connection with their homeland, regardless of geographic distance or political circumstances.

“These keys, passed down through generations, represent not just physical properties, but also the cherished memories, identities, and aspirations of displaced families,” Dr Hisham Ahmed, a Palestinian anthropologist at Michigan State University specialising in peace and conflict studies told The New Arab.

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According to Dr Ahmed, “the key of return" holds profound significance in the Palestinian narrative and symbolises the longing for the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants displaced during the Nakba —  the mass violent exodus of at least 750,000 people from Palestine in 1948. 

Now, history is repeating itself, as a staggering 85% of the total population of Gaza — 1.9 million civilians — have been forcibly displaced amid Israel’s war since October 2023. It is uncertain if they will ever be allowed to return.

And so, the current act of Gazans keeping hold of the keys to their houses serves as a tangible link to the past, evoking memories of lost homes and shattered communities displaced during the 1948 Nakba, many of whom still hold their keys in their possession. 

Hope of return 

Before Bou Adnan and Um Adnan were displaced from the South of Gaza to a Rafah refugee camp with their four children. The family insisted on taking the keys to their home with them.

"We must hold onto our hope and our dignity, these keys are not just for our house; they symbolise our unwavering determination to return one day, to rebuild and reclaim what is rightfully ours,” Um Ahmad told The New Arab.

"The key is our symbol of resistance against occupation and oppression with the hope that one day we will reclaim the rightful of return to our places"

Amid the devastation of the war, the key of return represents a collective aspiration for a just and lasting resolution, one that recognises the rights and dignity of all Palestinians, including those living in Gaza.

“The key is our symbol of resistance against occupation and oppression with the hope that one day we will reclaim the rightful of return to our places,” said Bou Ahmad.

For Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, the simple act of holding onto their home keys goes beyond material possession as it connotes a connection to their lost homeland since their displacement.

These keys to the homes passed down through generations, carry the weight of memories, longing, and resilience.

“My mother would often recount tales of her childhood spent playing in the courtyard, of the fig trees in her family's garden, and of the warmth of family gatherings that filled every corner of the house, of the Palestinian neighbours, food, weddings and traditions,” Said Mahmoud Hammami, a 56-year-old Palestinian refugee who lives in Lebanon’s Burj Brajneh camp.

“She tells us we are too young to remember the home we had never known, but we always listened to her stories, with our eyes alight with curiosity,” Said recounted.

To them, the keys represent not only the promise of a physical home but also the hope for a return to their homeland.

RELATED

Gazans pick baby names that bring hope despite Israel's war

Society

The New Arab (From the Arabic Edition)

In the face of adversity and the passage of time, these keys serve as silent testaments to the determination of the Palestinian people to preserve their identity and heritage, even in the most challenging circumstances.

“The keys represented the hopes and dreams of past generations, the struggles and sacrifices that had shaped my family's journey through displacement and diaspora,” Said added.

Despite the hardships they’re facing, the scarcity of food, the fear of airstrikes and the uncertainty of tomorrow, some families in Gaza are still holding onto their home keys with the belief in the right of return, where they reclaim their homes and rebuild their lives.

“For those individuals, their home keys are not just simple metal objects, they show the strength of a population who dared to believe that amidst the chaos of war, the promise of home would always endure and for Palestinians who were displaced in the past, the keys are a reminder of where they came from,” said Sarah Al Omari, a Jordanian researcher and expert on Palestinian refugees who has extensively studied the issue of the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

There are institutions, museums, and cultural centres in various locations, including Lebanon, that have showcased or highlighted artefacts symbolising the Palestinian experience, including keys symbolising the Nakba.

The Memories Museum is located in a hidden alleyway in Beirut's Shatila Palestinian refugee camp. It is home to several hundred objects brought by the Palestinian refugees in 1948, which were later donated to the museum's originator, Muhammad al-Khatib.

The museum contains ancient clay cookware, decorative jewellery boxes, quaint wooden combs designed with caricatures from antiquated times, muddied wheat cutters once owned by Palestinian farmers, and a dozen ruined keys meant for dilapidated Palestinian homes.

“The Memories Museum plays a vital role in preserving Palestinian heritage, it is proof that this is our land and we were once there,” said Sarah.

In the Occupied West Bank, giant keys can be seen in various locations as a symbol of displacement for refugees there.

This artistic expression serves as a visual reminder of the Palestinian narrative of displacement and dispossession, particularly in areas where Palestinians are confronted with physical barriers such as the Israeli West Bank barrier often referred to as the "separation wall" or the "apartheid wall, according to Sarah.

Rodayna Raydan is a Lebanese British journalism graduate from Kingston University in London covering Lebanon

Follow her on Twitter: @Rodayna_462

  https://www.newarab.com/features/symbol-resistance-gazans-keep-hold-keys-homes

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17 children’s books for Arab-American Heritage Month - 2024 - Rebekah Gienapp [nurturing antiracism]

 

17 children’s books for Arab-American Heritage Month

March 29, 2024  Posted by Rebekah Gienapp

April is Arab-American Heritage Month, so it’s the perfect time for your family or learners to read books starring Arab-American characters. (Though I’ll add the disclaimer I always do about heritage months. This is a time to amplify the learning we should be doing all year round!)

First, it’s important to clarify which groups of people are considered Arab-American. As the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee explains, Arabs are united by Arabic language, culture, and history, rather than by race or religion.

While most Arabs are Muslim, most Muslims are not Arab. (For example, Pakistan is a majority Muslim country, but it is not an Arab country. Yet, I still found many children’s book lists online for Arab-American Heritage Month that heavily featured books about Pakistani-Americans.) There are also significant numbers of Arab Jews and Christians. There are 22 Arab countries, though the majority of Arab-Americans are from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine.

Now that that’s clarified, let’s dive into these wonderful books!

READ MORE  https://www.rebekahgienapp.com/arab-american-books/#prettyPhoto

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Cover of Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Palestinian girl with dark brown hair holds a key, tree, mosque, and other symbols of Palestine above her head.

Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine by Rifk Ebeid. Illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari.

Purchase from Bookshop.org (supports independent bookstores and my business!)

When classmates ask Saamidah what her name means, she only knows that it’s an Arabic name. When she asks her father to tell her more about it, he tells her that her name means patient and persistent. Her parents chose this name because her Palestinian people must have these qualities as they fight for their rights.

With a special key and a dove of peace to guide her, Saamidah is whisked off to Palestine, where she visits many special places, from the Qubbet Al-Sakhra mosque and the Church of the Nativity, to her Papa’s childhood home from which he was dispossessed. There are many ancient sites, delicious foods, and carefully created items to learn about. Through all her journey, Saamidah is encouraged to believe that one day the Palestinian people will be free. (Recommended for ages 6 – 10. Palestinian-American author.)