Palestinian Thoub - Rome Thoubs Exhibition 2026 The cross-point of Palestinian identities

 

Palestinian Mona Lisa. A well-preserved portrait of a woman, part of a mosaic floor found in a Roman villa in the city of Sepphoris near Nazareth. Her realistic expression, faint smile, and expressive eyes reminded viewers of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

Palestinian Mona Lisa. A well-preserved portrait of a woman, part of a mosaic floor found in a Roman villa in the city of Sepphoris near Nazareth. Her realistic expression, faint smile, and expressive eyes reminded viewers of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

 

Arabs in Pictures | مدنيات عربية

@ArabsinPictures

From Palestine, a couple on their wedding day, Ramallah in 1928: The Wedding of Shiblie Oudie Shiblie to Jalileh Saleh Shilbie (Samieh)

From Palestine, a couple in the studio on their wedding day, Ramallah in 1928. 

Wedding of Shiblie Oudie Shiblie to Jalileh Saleh Shilbie (Samieh)

تاريخ الدولة العثمانية 

Ottoman Empire

 https://afrppreservationproject.org/photos/wedding-of-shiblie-oudie-shiblie-to-jalileh-saleh-shilbie-samieh/

Under the title Voices of Resilience, the 4th edition of Ramallah Art Fair (RAF) highlights contributions from young Palestinian artists working across diverse mediums, narrating the resilience of the Palestinian people amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Shadow (2024) by Malik Abu Salameh.

 

Ramallah Art Fair 2024

Voices of Resilience

December 7, 2024 to January 18, 2025

Zawyeh Gallery, Ramallah

Under the title Voices of Resilience, the 4th edition of Ramallah Art Fair (RAF) highlights contributions from young Palestinian artists working across diverse mediums, narrating the resilience of the Palestinian people amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.  THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE   https://thisweekinpalestine.com/ramallah-art-fair-2024/

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

Christmas IS Palestine .... where it all began

Palestinian women wearing traditional dresses (thobe), each different design represent different Palestinian villages and cities.

Palestinian women wearing traditional dresses (thobe), each different design represent different Palestinian villages and cities. This photo was taken in 2007 and was selected as the winner of a photo competition - ALECSO

 

Palestine Remembered - Traditional Costumes Map

“From the River to the Sea.” A Poem by Samer Abu Hawwash, translated by Huda Fakhreddine "every whisper, every touch, every street, every house, every room..."

Literary Hub

“From the River to the Sea.” A Poem by Samer Abu Hawwash, translated by Huda Fakhreddine

"every whisper, every touch, every street, every house, every room"

April 1, 2024  By Samer Abu Hawwash and Huda Fakhreddine

 

From the River to the Sea

every street, every house, every room, every window, every balcony, every wall, every stone, every sorrow, every word, every letter, every whisper, every touch, every glance, every kiss, every tree, every spear of grass, every tear, every scream, every air, every hope, every supplication, every secret, every well, every prayer, every song, every ballad, every book, every paper, every color, every ray, every cloud, every rain, every drop of rain, every drip of sweat, every lisp, every stutter, every yamma, mother, every yaba, father, every shadow, every light, every little hand that drew in a little notebook a tree or house or heart or a family of a father, a mother, siblings, and pets, every longing, every possibility, every letter... READ MORE https://lithub.com/from-the-river-to-the-sea-a-poem-by-samer-abu-hawwash-translated-by-huda-fakhreddine/

 

Samer Abu Hawwash is a Palestinian writer and translator. He was born in Lebanon to a Palestinian refugee family. He has published ten volumes of poetry, starting with his debut collection Life is Printed in New York (1997). He is also a prolific translator of English-language fiction and non-fiction. Among his notable translations are works by Charles Bukowski, Langston Hughes, Jack Kerouac, Yann Martel, Hanif Kureishi, Denis Johnson and Marilynne Robinson.  

 

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

1839 Palestine: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem print by David Roberts

1839 Palestine: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem print by David Roberts

 

Al Nasra [Nazareth] PALESTINE, 1920

Al Nasra [Nazareth] PALESTINE, 1920

 

What Is Anti-Palestinian Racism?

 "Anti-Palestinian racism entails the dehumanization and erasure of the Palestinian people. Anti-Palestinian racism can be implicit, overt, systemic and structural. It is perpetrated across Canadian society, including by political, intellectual, social and economic elites. Anti-Palestinian racism includes: denying that Palestinians are a people who belong to historic Palestine, devaluing Palestinian life, denying or excusing violence against the Palestinian people, pressuring institutions to exclude Palestinian perspectives, and stereotyping Palestinians and those who defend Palestinian rights as un-Canadian, anti-Semitic or supportive of violence."  https://pcaan.org/?fbclid=IwAR0xK7xoVBjO-sJabxu4pkSqa-RoNxikmV7npmgJg8U5PLEOH_cfjuvutas

About

The Palestinian-Canadian Academics and Artists Network (PCAAN) is a growing national and interdisciplinary network of Palestinian-Canadian academics and artists concerned with Palestine and Palestinians, including in relation to Canada and Turtle Island.

Our Mission

We help challenge anti-Palestinian racism in its various expressions. We provide Canadians a network through which they have access to Palestinian-Canadian academic and artistic voices, expertise, and opinions regarding past and current events related to Palestine.

Why We Do It

Palestinian Canadians are increasingly represented in the Canadian academic and  artistic landscape. At the same time, we are witnessing rising anti-Palestinian racism in Canadian academic and artistic circles. We believe it is our obligation to raise awareness of the realities of the Palestinian people.

PCAAN

Palestinian-Canadian Academics and Artists Network

“Oppressive pines: Uprooting Israeli green colonialism and implanting Palestinian A’wna” by Ghada Sasa

Articles, Research 

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive overview of Israeli green colonialism, denoting the apartheid state’s misappropriation of environmentalism to eliminate the Indigenous people of Palestine and usurp its resources. I focus on the violence of ‘protected areas’, encompassing national parks, forests, and nature reserves. This article argues that Israel primarily establishes them to (1) justify land grab; (2) prevent the return of Palestinian refugees; (3) dehistoricise, Judaise, and Europeanise Palestine, erasing Palestinian identity and suppressing resistance to Israeli oppression; and (4) greenwash its apartheid image. I situate Israeli green colonialism within the broader histories of Western environmentalism – particularly its perpetuation of the human–nature binary – and Zionism. Furthermore, I identify various means through which Palestinians and their land resist this phenomenon. I also explore Palestinian environmentalism, which is influenced by the concepts of a’wna (collaboration), sumud (steadfastness), and a’wda (return), in addition to the Islamic concept of tawhid (unity). I offer it as an alternative environmentalism, which is holistic, anti-racist, feminist, socialist, and nonlinear, while rejecting the trope of the ecological savage. Overall, the intrinsic link between all humans, and them and the environment must be recognised, to realise a just and sustainable society, in Palestine and beyond.

Sasa, Ghada. (2022). Oppressive pines: Uprooting Israeli green colonialism and implanting Palestinian A’wna. Politics, online first, 1-17

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02633957221122366

 

EXPLORE MORE

Visualizing Palestine....

 

Rising Tide/Apartheid

 https://visualizingpalestine.org/visuals/between-rising-tide-and-apartheid

Bethlehem, Palestine1890s Woman and child in oldest Bethlehem (Colorized picture)

Bethlehem, Palestine1890s Woman and child in oldest Bethlehem (Colorized picture)

Peace, mud on wood, 2007 when Palestinian Artists turned towards their environment and used materials such as wood, leather, mud, henna, natural dies.

Peace, mud on wood, 2007

"During the first Intifada, Palestinians boycotted Israeli goods as a form of resistance. Artists in their turn boycotted Israeli art supplies. Four Palestinian artists Vera Tamari, Nabil Anani, Tayseer Barakat and myself [Artist Sliman Mansour] formed the “new vision” group"

 "Artists turned towards their environment and used materials such as wood, leather, mud, henna, natural dies. This new approach helped to develop Palestinian art and formed a link between Palestinian art produced for several decades after Alnakbah and the contemporary art."  Palestinian Artist Sliman Mansour

In Growing Gardens for Palestine, inspired by Susan Muaddi Darraj, creator of the marvelous #TweetYourThrobe" pro-heritage campaign

Amman-based artist Nasser Jafari: #TweetYourThobe !

"Look at this beautiful image by Amman-based artist Nasser Jafari!!! I LOVE THIS!!! It says "Gharidi biThowbek," or TweetYourThobe in Arabic." Susan Muaddi Darraj , creator of the marvelous #TweetYourThrobe" pro-heritage campaign

Palestinian Artist ...Ahmad Yaseen

Palestinian Artist .... poignant photo found on social media, but I could not find a name or photo credit or title in English beyond "Palestinian Artist" and this:  القدس - alquds

UPDATE
from my friend

Mike Hanini Odetalla added 7 new photos

For Palestinian artist, spiny cactus makes perfect canvas...
Ahmad Yaseen makes stunning drawings on cactus pads. His colleagues from the art faculty at An-Najah University in the Palestinian city of Nablus relate that people are impressed not only by his great skills as a painter but also by his original way of expressing Palestinian suffering: using a raw material that no one had ever before contemplated.

“I do not paint martyrs, nor do I paint scenes occurring in the current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. I draw elements that provide also a glimmer of hope and not just despair....

His favorite set of drawings is of two newborns. One is resting in his mother’s arms while the other is breastfeeding. From above, the arms of the mother of the second baby look like a keyless lock. Generally speaking, keys are a recurring motif in Yaseen’s drawings. “This is the key of return,” he explained, adding that it also represents hope.

“I have mumbled the words 'sumud' [perseverance] and 'sabr' [patience], and sabr sounds like 'sabra' [cactus],” he said. “Sabra is a plant symbolizing the land of Palestine, expressing the rugged nature of the people. It grows everywhere, under all weather conditions. Tenacious and strong, it is hard to stamp out. What better way than to use this plant through which to relate the Palestinian narrative?”

Because We Know How to Make Dreams Come True! This Week in Palestine

September 2014, Issue 197 An Eye on Science

  [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]

http://thisweekinpalestine.com/because-we-know-how-to-make-dreams-come-true/ 

Because We Know How to Make Dreams Come True!

By: Aref F. Husseini

Abandon your fears, listen to your passion, explore
the depths of science.

Reach the sky with innovation.

One day I asked my mother the question I ask every year: “What do you want for Mother’s Day?” 

And she gave her usual answer: “I only want you to be happy.” This answer meant that I had to make an effort to think about what gift to give her. After a few moments of silence following the ritual answer, however, and in a timid, kind, and humble voice, she spoke. Aha! She started to talk about computers, software, Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, and free-of-charge long-distance communication; I realised that she wanted a smartphone!

My mother, in her seventies, has never wanted to have anything to do with science and technology, but somehow she has now discovered that she needs a smartphone. So when I asked whether she wanted an iPhone or an Android, she inquired about the difference between the two but ultimately left the choice up to me.

Young researchers. courtesy of Al Nayzak.

This change in my mother’s attitude toward technology reminded me of her astonishment when I made a major shift in my career to establish Al Nayzak Organization for Scientific Innovation. Back then she wondered: “Why?” My answer: “To build a generation that produces rather than consumes science and technology.” Ten years ago, when this project took its first steps in Jerusalem before spreading all over Palestine, my mother only laughed. But now, she asked for a smartphone and made a conscious effort to passionately investigate the different types and specifications in an attempt to understand the various technical details. I reminded her of that funny incident ten years ago when I had said – with complete optimism – “Let’s hope that ten years from now you will have a new smartphone whose label says ‘Made in Palestine’!”

This anecdote made me extremely happy and proud to have established Al Nayzak, which is a unique initiative that looks for young talents in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and plants an ambitious vision in the hearts of our community: “To develop, root, and reinforce a new culture that embraces science, and to announce this culture among Palestinian youth so that their competence in productive applied sciences would provide them with better economic opportunities that would lead to their future prosperity.”

♦ Al Nayzak is a non-profit, non-partisan Palestinian organisation that was established in 2003 by a group of Palestinian scientific innovators. It specialises in supportive education, entrepreneurship, scientific innovation, and research and development. Al Nayzak’s five branches are located in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and Gaza, in addition to its Science and Technology House (museum) in Birzeit’s old city.

Al Nayzak’s approach is to make scientific-thinking skills become an inherent part of the lives of Palestinian people. In order to do this, it applies empirical tools to help individuals acquire thinking skills and relate them to genuine savoir-faire and technology. In this way they become capable not only of facing challenges in their journey to achieve excellence but also of helping to develop their environment and build a modern Palestinian society.

A scientific exhibition. courtesy of Al Nayzak.

We have adopted a number of annual programmes that target various age groups, including Talented Students Incubators for kids and adolescents from 10 to 14; Young Researchers for those from 14 to 17; Scientific and Technological Entrepreneurship (STEP) for school students from 14 to 17; Made in Palestine (MIP) for those who are 18 and above; and Tafkeer, thinking technology for schoolteachers. There are also a number of complementary projects to convey a message of science and knowledge to all segments of the society.

Our science home is managed by a team of specialists who possess unique scientific experiences in applied sciences and engineering, in addition to a group of psychosocial and pedagogic counselling experts. It serves all Palestinian areas through its offices in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza, and Nablus, as well as in the House of Science and Technology in the Old City of Birzeit. It benefits from a widespread network of coordinators all over the country. Al Nayzak has opted for an approach of annual programmes rather than projects of limited duration and embraces the scientific talents of people 10 years old or above. Its core programmes include the following:

1. Talented Students Incubators

The Incubator is an interactive annual programme designed to host talented students and others with exceptional intellectual abilities. At the beginning of the programme students in the third grade are assessed through specialised psychological and technical exams. Successful students then become eligible to embark on a four-year journey to develop their talents and acquire leadership skills to become pioneers within their society. The tools are tailored to the specific abilities and needs of the students.

2.Young Researchers – Badir (Initiate)

Adolescents: Agents of Positive Change

The Young Researcher programme enables adolescents to discover knowledge and explore social phenomena using a number of scientific applications that are of interest to them. They are encouraged to think outside the box and have their own vision of their community’s issues.

The programme is structured to combine scientific research and practical application. Results of the research are published to help implement initiatives in the community and respond to certain topics.

Adolescents are first oriented to the basics of scientific research and critical observation for the purpose of problem solving in their communities. They learn to apply logical analysis and subjective criticism in choosing their research topics using scientific methods until they can formulate their conclusions/recommendations. They then use their research results to raise public awareness through the “Advocacy through Innovation” campaign. They share their observations through social media, workshops, and field visits. Some of the proposed solutions have been broadcast on video spots and local TV channels. Afterwards, the adolescents start to lead community-based initiatives and volunteer work to help solve the problems which they discussed in their research and which affect their daily lives as adolescents. As such, they use their acquired skills to work for positive change.

Upon their graduation from the programme, the young researchers become members of Al Nayzak Volunteer Unit, which represents a “national taskforce” that provides a role model for other projects in the community.

3. Palestinian Science and Technology
Program – STEP

Launched in 2013, STEP supports Palestinian students with innovative projects and research ideas in various fields of applied science, engineering, and technology. The programme disseminates a culture of science and technology research and innovation by empowering the students with the necessary capacities to implement unique and original projects to help their communities to develop in order to keep up with the latest advancements in science and technology.

Applicants to STEP receive an intensive, specialised training in various topics, including scientific research methodologies and professional scientific writing. Furthermore, applicants receive technical and professional support and specialised counselling by Al Nayzak professionals. The first and second round marked a milestone with the submission of over 950 projects by 1,780 students from various schools in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Eighty-two projects prepared by 167 students were shortlisted and made it to the nation-wide closing exhibition and ceremony that were attended by 5,000 visitors. The 15 winning projects provided implementers with the opportunity to participate in a scientific trip to the United States to enrol in an intensive training programme at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and NASA in the areas of engineering, sciences, and physics. Furthermore, the winning projects were displayed at the Air and Space Museum to be seen by thousands of visitors.

4. MIP- Made in Palestine incubator for
entrepreneurismand scientific innovation

Made in Palestine/Made in Jerusalem is one of Al Nayzak’s annual programmes. It aims to support innovative ideas in science, engineering, and technology; and it links the academic experience gained at university level with the technical skills needed to enter into the world of business, in an effort to provide solutions to the technological, scientific, and industrial problems encountered by the local community.

The core focus of the programme is to afford Palestinian innovators both inside and outside universities with genuine opportunities to achieve their hopes and aspirations. They would be able to use their capacities to develop new products or solve technical problems using creative methods and mechanisms. The programme has been a phenomenal success in preparing the ground for a culture of innovation and celebrating creativity in Palestine. Moreover, the participants have achieved the highest scores in local and international competitions such as “Made in the Arab World” and “Stars of Science.”

5. “Tafkeer” Thinking Technology – integrating
technologyin education

At the Science House, Birzeit. courtesy of Al Nayzak.

Thinking Technology is a distinguished educational technology programme that aims to develop an effective Palestinian model for the integration and use of technology in the educational process in schools. It targets dozens of schools of various governmental, private, and UNRWA systems, focusing on four main areas: advancing the teaching-learning physical environment at schools; developing students’ skills in critical thinking and technological production; on-the-job teacher training, and creating Arabic innovative e-content that is made available in the Apple store and the Google play store.

6. House of Science – Pilot National Science and
TechnologyMuseum (NaSM

Crowning its series of achievements and a 10-year journey of innovation, the organisation inaugurated in 2013 the first Science and Technology House in Palestine, where visitors enjoy hands-on activities, all dedicated to creating a culture of scientific thinking. This constitutes a pilot project prior to the establishment of the National Science and Technology Museum in Palestine. For this purpose, Al Nayzak has invested all of its efforts in its first ten years of operation to building local Palestinian technical capacities, with the vision of designing and building high-quality, scientific hands-on exhibitions and exhibits, and developing interactive activities for visitors around each exhibit.

The Science House received approximately ten thousand visitors during its first year of operation.

7. The first Innovation Park and STEM
School … in Jerusalem

Al Nayzak has implemented an initiative to establish the first Innovation Park and Talented Students School in Palestine to be located in Jerusalem. This school aims to educate students who believe in excellence. We desperately need a national Jerusalemite educational system that is not based on rote learning but rather aims to motivate creative and critical thinking and analysis. As a result of communication technology, all the information we search for has become available online. However, the important question is: How should we deal with this mass of information? And how can we use this accumulated information to promote analytical capacities that enable us to use our understanding to innovate and create and build knowledge-based capital?

The Innovation Park comprises an elementary and secondary school that specialise in science, technology, engineering, and math. It provides diversified facilities, including a gym, a swimming pool, playgrounds, traditional and digital libraries, and indoor and outdoor theatres. It also hosts a scientific garden that is open to the public round the clock.

8. Art of Science – Art in Science

At the Science House, Birzeit. courtesy of Al Nayzak.

Science is an essential art that impacts our daily activities and constitutes a vital component of human culture. We have therefore worked on several programmes that merge art and drama with science to explain concepts that would be hard to clarify using traditional methods.

The Scientific Theatre is a live interactive stage performance that presents scientific methodology, igniting the audience’s imagination regarding research and facilitating the discovery of real answers to serious problems that they encounter in their lives.

“Why can’t we connect the refrigerator to lightning if lightning is electricity? Why does hair stand when it is charged with electricity?”

This is what the Scientific Theater play character (main actor) asks on stage.

There you have a summary of Al Nayzak, ten years after its establishment. A simple idea; tons of patience, passion, and daily effort have brought about remarkable success. Over the next ten years we will continue our programmes and transform them into national programmes that are accessible to all Palestinians who are interested in science, engineering, and technology. Together with our partners, we look forward to inaugurating the National Science and Technology Museum. And we will set up the Innovation Park’s network to start in Jerusalem, connecting other governorates nationwide; it will reflect Al Nayzak’s path with a first step in Jerusalem and steady steps to every other town in Palestine.

And we hope that, ten years from now, this Jerusalem-based national institution will be able to offer my mother a smartphone that is “made in Palestine”!

---

Alnayzak

Birzeit, Old City

+97022819523

+97022819522

Jerusalem office:

9 Ali Ben Abi Taleb St.

+9726285387

+97226263086

Gaza office:

Al Rimal,Omar Muhkhtar St.

Al Rashiden Bldg., 4 Floor

+97082825282

Hebron office:

Al Manara Square

Al Rashiden Bldg.,4 floor

+97022223752

Homepage: www.alnayzak.org

The Science and Technology House
Birzeit-Old Town…Palestine
Note: The House’s activities are for Children ages 6-100 years.

In 2013, Al Nayzak Organization celebrates its ten year anniversary with the opening of the Saadeh Science and Technology House. The organization hopes for it to be the destination for all those seeking knowledge in an interactive and nontraditional manner, as well as it hopes for it to bring out the ties between science and technology and our everyday life.

"So let us put the narrative of injustice away and find the joy, if it’s the last thing we ever do. " Tala Abu Rahmeh, Palestinian poet and writer

Wadi Qelt, Jericho. Photo by Ramzi Hazboun.

 [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]

http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=4116&ed=223&edid=223

Contemporary Palestinian Literature In Search of Joy
By Tala Abu Rahmeh
 
“…there is no rain
anywhere, soft
enough for you.” Michael S. Harper

I used to have this recurring dream that I was wearing a red dress and walking down the steps to a jazz parlour in Harlem. It would take me a second to see through the smoke but then I would see him, John Coltrane, holding the saxophone and taunting gods with Naima. He would sway and I would wake up to the realisation that he’s been dead a while, and I no longer knew what my story was.

I always thought I knew what I would write about. My life has been cluttered with images of bombs and the small details of debris. I knew how to construct the perfect phrase about the exact sound of a shell escaping the tank and landing in the middle of my heart. The geography of my first book had the thick lines of the Apartheid Wall and the graves of all my grandparents, dead on the way and in exile.

Then, as destiny willed it, my mother died from cancer. As I tried to hold myself through grief it hit me, what if Palestine is no longer my story? What if this loud whimper matters more than all the other big bangs? I was slowly losing footing into my poems that suddenly became all about morphine and infested limbs.

Through my exploratory journey into modern Palestinian literature, I found myself to be an ever-found alien. The Pessoptimist by Emile Habibi defined my loneliness, Men in the Sun by Ghassan Kanafani unravelled a multi-faceted anger, and Madih Adh-Dhill Al-‘Ali by Mahmoud Darwish dusted the pieces of all that was broken in me and forced me to look at them, one by one. Nevertheless, I was still an alien. My pain over the loss of my mother had never transformed into a metaphor for a lost country. As much as I tried to reshape it, it still nudged me awake in one simple statement, “Your mother is dead.”

What is it about this country that made us feel guilty for being our particular selves? Why is it that in the past 60 years we have only accepted literature that held together the collective narrative, but never our own? Our modern history is built on singular stories of lost children and destroyed villages, so why do we matter less today? In the past 15 years, authors have tried to drag their details into the bigger picture, but even those novels were mostly written in English, with the Westerner being the target audience. Even this article is written in English (obviously).

Is it the Palestinian literary scene or the reader that needs an overhaul? I’m thinking both. You might wonder who I am to think that I can gather years of Palestinian literature and relay a statement, and you might be right to ask if it weren’t for the simple fact that I have not read one Palestinian book written during the past period that ignited the fire of my soul. Well, maybe I’m expecting too many particularities, but why is it that it’s easier for me to relate to a writer in Kansas that it is to one in the West Bank?

The stark reality is that we are hungry for personal stories, but not when they are written as part of our wider notion of representation. When the story is printed for the public to read, we always need it to look, feel, and sound a certain way, even if that obliterates it. Palestinian writers are always daunted by the potential of straying from their national identity, whatever that may mean. Every time I read a new Palestinian book, I feel the struggle to try to prove a commitment to the “cause” in the veins of the pages.

The individual, especially in the complex layers of literature, does not erase the collective, nor does it threaten the struggle for freedom. Moreover, it is not a selfish concept, simply because our entire existence is an individual endeavour. At the end of each day we are alone, and if that story is not worth telling, nothing is.

Maybe my contemporary argument is that we have lost our capacity for joy. The first time I had this epiphany was when I looked at a portrait taken of all the major jazz and blues artists in Harlem in 1958. During that time, Harlem was barely pulling through under the weight of oppression and brutality, and yet, those beautiful men and women stood around and took a picture that contained one thing more than any other, pure joy. Maybe it was because it was a good day, or maybe because each one of them played their instruments with such individuality that it helped them wade through that water.

Joy in Palestine is a modernist idea that we do not buy. Dancing at weddings or right through a checkpoint might make us happy, but happiness is fleeting, whereas joy is there to stay. Joy is not communal, but incredibly specific. It is the feeling of wonderment over what we are able to create with pens, hands, vocal chords, fingers, and minds. It is the quiet corner in our spirit that, when found, can never be lost or taken away. So let us put the narrative of injustice away and find the joy, if it’s the last thing we ever do.  

Tala Abu Rahmeh is a Ramallah-based young writer and professor of literature and creative writing. She holds an MFA in poetry from American University in Washington, DC. She is a regular contributor to Mashallah News Magazine, and her poems have been published in a number of magazines and books. She is also the cofounder of the blog The Big Olive: the Tales of Two Professors in Palestine, http://thebigolive.tumblr.com/. Tala can be reached at tala.ar@gmail.com.

See PDF www.thisweekinpalestine.com/i186/pdfs/article/contemporary_palestinian_literature.pdf

***

Tala Abu Rahmeh | Facebook

 Palestinian poet and writer

Originally from Yaffa, she was born in Amman in 1984.  

After moving to Ramallah, living through the second intifada,

 and graduating from Birzeit University, Tala moved to Washington
DC to study for a Masters of Fine Arts at American University.

Tala's work has earned recognition from Palestine to the US and she
has received the Eliav-Sirtawi Middle East Journalism Award and the 

Expressions of Nakba Competition 2008 Best Written Work Award. 

She will also be featured in the upcoming anthology 25 under 25, which is edited by 
Naomi Shihab Nye, and published by HarperCollins.

She has been a featured performer at the American Poetry Museum, Black Church Maraca, the Peace 
Mural, Katzen Arts Center at American University, and readings ranging from Mahmoud Darwish 
commemorations to Gaza events.

She is currently working on her first book poetry

A quest to preserve Palestinian heritage in the digital stacks: Sami Batrawi's struggle to open an online Palestinian Library of Congress is part of a broader effort to recover lost Palestinian intellectual heritage.

[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]

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/Olive-Press/2013/1004/A-quest-to-preserve-Palestinian-heritage-in-the-digital-stacks?cmpid=addthis_twitter#.Uk7UTj77q3k.twitter

Sami Batrawi, whose late father (illustrated on the left) acquired a personal library of 15,000 books, says he still prefers the feel of a real book in his hands but is turning to digital innovation out of necessity. Christa Case Bryant/TCSM 

• In Pictures The Olive Press: Finding humanity in the Middle East

"Before the 1948 nakba, or catastrophe, in which at least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their homes amid fighting over Israel’s declaration of independence, many Palestinians read widely and had private book collections as well as community libraries. But many of those books were lost in the nakba; to this day, some 30,000 volumes labeled “abandoned property” are collecting dust in the basement of Israel’s National Library. "

 

Christa Case Bryant

Jerusalem bureau chief

Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.

Ramallah, West Bank

As the son of a man who had a personal library of some 15,000 volumes, Sami Batrawi loves the feel of turning the pages of a book rich in history.

But after years of trying and failing to establish a Palestinian version of the Library of Congress, he would now content himself with swiping a finger across an iPad if it meant being able to access the wealth of literature about Palestinian national heritage.

“We didn’t succeed to have our traditional national library but I think now we can do something else,” says Mr. Batrawi, the director-general of the intellectual property unit at the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Culture and one of less than a dozen Palestinians with a graduate degree in library science.

So now Batrawi is trying to get the PA to approve an online Palestinian national library, which would provide digitized access not only to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza but also to Palestinian refugees and expats spread out across the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and the US... READ MORE

Grape festival begins in Hebron area

[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]

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=634082
Published Sunday 29/09/2013

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Interim Palestinian Authority prime minister Rami Hamdallah will participate Sunday in the opening of the 2013 Palestinian Grape festival in Halhoul, a town just north of Hebron.

The Festival committee announced that it had finished preparations for the festival which will last three days, beginning Sunday.

Many different types of grapes will be displayed during the festival as well as the products of women's collective organizations such as embroideries, handicrafts and food.

The Festival will also include popular and folkloric dances as well as other kinds of cultural performances.

Hebron is famous for its grapes, and each year following the August harvest a large Grape Festival takes place in the area.

Anthony Bourdain, Will You Marry Me?

By Amer Zahr

Posted on September 16, 2013

http://www.civilarab.com/anthony-bourdain-will-you-marry-me/

 [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]

[Season 2, Episode 1 Jerusalem

Airdate: Sunday September 15, 2013

In the season premiere of "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," the host and crew make their first trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. While the political situation is often tense between the people living in these areas, Bourdain concentrates on their rich history, food and culture, and spends time with local chefs, home cooks, writers and amateur foodies.]

Something amazing happened on CNN last night. Palestinians were portrayed as human beings.
In his show “Parts Unknown,” Anthony Bourdain travels to exotic and controversial locales to examine the intersection of food, politics, and everyday life. Last night, he visited Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.

He was immediately mesmerized by Palestine, which is a common phenomenon. It is an amazing place, where the gravity of the history and spirituality is heavy in the air. It feels majestic. But something is a little off. Bourdain felt the splendor, but, as he said, “Then you see the young draftees (teenage Israeli soldiers holding machine guns) in the streets, and you start to get the idea.”

He began his journey with an Israeli chef and author, Yotam. They started by tasting some falafel in Jerusalem’s Old City. Yotam told the audience, in a stunning admission, “Israelis made falafel their own, and everybody in the world thinks falafel is Israeli, but in actual fact, it is as much Palestinian, even more so, because it’s been done for generations here… The question of food appropriation is massive here.”

Now if they could only say the same thing about the land, the houses, and the air, we might be able to get somewhere.

Bourdain then made his way into the West Bank. And on his way to visit a settlement, he said something that Americans never hear on TV:

In 2003, Israel began construction on a wall along the green line representing the Israeli-Palestinian border. The wall now stretches 450 miles. When completed, it will span 700 miles, 85% of it in Palestinian territory… Since 1967, 500,000 Israeli settlers have moved into the West Bank, all in contravention of international law, many in contravention of Israeli law, though in effect it seems to make little difference, they’re here and in ever larger numbers.

Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

Before he got to the settlement, he noticed some Hebrew graffiti on a Palestinian house in a neighboring village. His driver translated it for him: “Death to Arabs.”

Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

Bourdain finally made it to the settlement of Eli. Eli is located north of Ramallah and in the heart of the West Bank. It is nowhere near the 1967 borders. He asked its chief executive, Amiad, what Palestinians might think of its existence. He told Bourdain, “Actually they are happy we are here. We gave them prosperity for the past 45 years.” I was worried the show might go in a bad direction, but then Bourdain said, “I’m guessing a lot of people would disagree with that statement.” Wow, I think he’s getting it. Then Bourdain said, “So, from the high ground, you can see anyone walking at night, you can see pretty far out.” Wow, he is getting it!

Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

As Bourdain prepared to leave Eli, he brought up the disturbing graffiti he saw with Amiad. “Why not paint it over?” he asked innocently. The response? “Good question. Maybe we should. You’re right.” I’m sure Anthony knows he’s not the first person to suggest such a thing. Now, Anthony, I am a bit more experienced with Israeli talk than you are, so let me translate that. “Good question. Maybe we should. You’re right,” really means, “Silly question, we definitely won’t, get out of my face.”

Bourdain then made a quick visit with a now famous group of Palestinian female drivers called “The Speed Sisters.” Now this visit had nothing to do with food, but he was able to be in a car alone with Betty Saadeh, a hot Palestinian woman. And you don’t turn down an opportunity like that. He even looked like he caught a little case of Palestinian fever. I can relate.

After visiting Jerusalem, Bourdain took the short but interesting drive into Bethlehem, through a checkpoint, and past the infamous wall:

It’s right there for all to see. And it feels like something out of a science fiction film. This is the wall. From the other side, from inside this place, it doesn't feel like anything other than what it is. A prison.
Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

Bourdain visited Aida refugee camp, just north of Bethlehem. There he met Abdelfattah Abusrour, my friend, and the founder of Ruwwad, a group that uses theatre for young people to express their desires and feelings. Abusrour sees Ruwwad as nonviolent resistance, a way for young people to express themselves, creating what he calls “a peace from within.”

The honest portrayal of the residents of the camp, from their squalor to their own struggle to find productive channels of resistance, was something I had never seen on American TV. Bourdain noted that these Palestinian children do not have the luxury of idolizing pop stars and athletes. They turn to politics early, sometimes idolizing martyrs and politicians. And he’s right, there’s something wrong with that. We Palestinians are normal in so many ways. And we’re so not normal in so many others.
Then Bourdain went to Gaza:

Getting in and out of Gaza from Israel is truly one of the most surreal travel experiences you could have on Earth. Over 1.5 million people live in Gaza, most of them considered refugees, meaning they are not from the place they are compelled to live now. In most cases, they are either prohibited from or unable to leave. Israel decides who comes and goes, what gets in and what stays out.

Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

In Gaza, he met Laila Haddad, a well-known Palestinian author and activist who has written books about Gaza life and cuisine. As she explained that Gaza’s cuisine should include a lot of seafood, she noted that fishermen can rarely get prize catches as the Israeli military limits how far out they can sail. If they go too far, the Israeli navy shoots at their boats and cuts their nets.

Bourdain and Haddad then visited the Sultan family, where they were served a Palestinian staple, maqloobeh. That dish happens to be one of my specialties (Yes, ladies, I can cook.) As they were eating, the man of the house was worried about being rude. Why? The cameramen were not eating. His wife asked Bourdain to open a restaurant for her. We Palestinians are always looking for a hook-up. We need it. Her husband continued to yell, but Leila assured Anthony. “This is a normal tone of voice. He's not upset, by the way. This is how we talk. We yell.” I can relate.

Before Bourdain left Gaza, he met and dined with one more group of men. These men, like 75% of Gaza’s population, were refugees. As he sat, laughing and eating, he told us:

Many of these guys are not too sympathetic to my country, or my ethnicity I’m guessing. But, there’s that hospitality thing. Anywhere you go in the Muslim world, it seems, no matter what, you feed your guests, you do your best to make them feel at home.

It’s true. We Palestinians are overly hospitable when people visit our homeland. Sometimes too much.
The episode ended with Natan, the owner of a restaurant right outside of Gaza in Israel. Natan’s daughter was killed by a mortar bomb in the constant struggle between groups in Gaza and Israel. Since 2008, over 1,600 Palestinians in Gaza have also been killed in this conflict.

Natan spoke of the senseless deaths on both sides. He clearly disliked settlements, and he believed it was possible for like-minded people from both sides to get together and make peace. I would agree, if just more people like Natan existed. But the people who are pointing the guns at me aren’t named Natan… They’re named Netanyahu.

By the end, Bourdain did not seem too optimistic about the prospects of peace. “One doesn’t even have to speak metaphorically because there is an actual wall... or a fence, depending on who you’re talking to.” Natan told him, “No. It is a big wall. It is ugly. It is really ugly. You can see it, it’s not far away from here.” Unfortunately, it’s not far away from anywhere.

Anthony, you will be hearing from certain individuals and organizations in the coming days. They will be upset. They’ve been trying to keep this stuff a secret.

Part of being Palestinian in America is getting really excited whenever someone tells the truth about us on American TV. Kind of depressing, right?

Anthony, in the beginning of this episode, you gave the following announcement:

By the end of this hour, I'll be seen by many as a terrorist sympathizer, a Zionist tool, a self-hating Jew, an apologist for American imperialism, an Orientalist, socialist, a fascist, CIA agent, and worse.

I didn’t see any of that. I just saw what happens to anyone who actually interacts with Palestinians. You fell in love with us, and we fell in love with you.