This Week in Palestine: Uniquely Palestinian..."... find your own edge, and your own way of being Palestinian, one that isn’t bound by a certain reality but celebrated with the most random and small details and loves."

October 2015, Issue 210

Uniquely Palestinian

Cover Photo: Elegant Palestinian embroidery.

Photo courtesy of: Purple Threads.

Editor Message

By: Tala Abu Rahmeh

What is uniquely Palestinian? Olive oil? Struggle? Stones? A map hung on every wall of historical importance and rights being constantly re-debated?

Perhaps that’s part of being Palestinian, but it can’t be all of it. We are all so uniquely different and special and terrible in our own little ways, and that is what makes us the most beautiful.

In this lovely new issue, we have so many stories about what makes a Palestinian Palestinian. We present to you “Embroidery as a Source of Palestinian Identity,” by Hanan Karaman Munayyer; “Jerusalem’s Palestinian Identity and Intangible Heritage,” by the ever-brilliant Ali Qleibo; “One border, Two Worlds” by Fida Jiryis, about the worlds on either side of an Israeli checkpoint; two lovely and difficult articles by Mariam Barghouti and Hasheema Afaneh; Al-Shajara al-Mubaraka by Nada Atrash and Sami Backleh; and many other pieces that bring to life the beauty and ordinariness of being Palestinian.

Our personality of the month is Albert Aghazarian, and our artist of the month is Osama Said, both special and inspiring, and a delight to read about

We hope that in these articles you find your own edge, and your own way of being Palestinian, one that isn’t bound by a certain reality but celebrated with the most random and small details and loves.

May you always be free, and may you always be you.

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 http://thisweekinpalestine.com/embroidery-as-a-source-of-palestinian-identity/

Embroidery as a Source of Palestinian Identity

By: Hanan Karaman Munayyer

 "...International museum exhibits of traditional Palestinian costumes are some of the best ambassadors to the world, communicating a wealth of positive cultural information to audiences whose only knowledge of Palestine is usually of war images and violence. More of such beautiful cultural images of Palestine are needed to counteract the negativity faced by Palestinians every day."

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine (& America)]

ATFP 6th Annual Gala, Hanan Karaman Munayyer awarded for Excellence in A...

The fabric of Palestinian identity

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=299083

The book “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution” reminds the reader of the rich cultural history of the Palestinian people. (Image via Amazon.com) Hussein Ibish, August 9, 2011

What can a book about traditional folkloric costumes tell us about contemporary politics? Quite a lot as it happens.

Hanan Karaman Munayyer’s beautiful new volume, “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution” (Interlink, 2011) combines superb photography of the renowned Munayyer collection of traditional Palestinian dress with an analysis of their origins, evolution and variations. Since the 1980s, Munayyer and her husband Farah have been assembling these costumes and other artifacts of Palestinian traditional life in their Palestinian Heritage Foundation.

Between the two of them and their foundation, they are among the most important documentarians and preservationists of this history and heritage, not just in the United States, but in the world. Their collection, which dates from the 1850s to the present, has been exhibited at the Kennedy Center in Washington and in museums and galleries across the globe....READ MORE