Dear Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre Foundation

Dear Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre Foundation,

Years ago when I first encountered it your beautiful web site was a treasure trove of inspiring and interesting images, but today most of the links to see the art do not work.

Is there any way you could fix this computer glitch so that more people might be able to get a glimpse of Palestinian heritage, culture and experience.

My friend Sherri Muzher has been creating a fascinating online book "Palestinian Surprises" to help generate more positive images and information about Palestinians, in part to help counter many negative stereotypes. She has written a short essay on your centre and hopefully people curious about Palestine might find it a gateway to a better understanding of Palestinian dignity and decency- and art.

Thank you so much for your time and trouble.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American homemaker & poet

author of
The Fairy Garden Poems
& ANNIE'S NEW LETTERS

& Growing Gardens for Palestine

.::. PALESTINIAN SURPRISES.::.

The Embroidery and Identity

Sherri Muzher's ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF PALESTINIAN SURPRISES: Artist Steve Sabella

.::. PALESTINIAN SURPRISES.::.Artist Steve Sabella

(Credit: Sabella Photography)

Born in Jerusalem, Steve Sabella was named “An Artist to Watch,” by the ArtTactic Middle Eastern Report in 2010. The recipient of the Ellen Auerbach Award (2008) by the Akademie der Künste (Academy of the Arts) in Berlin, the gifted artist was commissioned for the inauguration of MATHAF: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha Qatar.

Now based between London and Berlin, Sabella’s artwork Till the End (2004 - photo emulsion on Jerusalem stone) entered the permanent British Museum collection in London. Sabella talks about this artwork: "So I ask myself today, whether the images on the stones were early visual prophecies about what was happening to Jerusalem and its transformation into an image (eventually disappearing) and how in many ways many of these images accompanied me from childhood."

To see this unique and creative artwork of stones, please visit: http://www.stevesabella.com/end.html
"At each place I visited, images started to emerge on surfaces of stones--it was as if they were revealing distant memories. I picked up a stone from every place, and at the same time I photographed an image of the place."

"I later on printed that image on the stone; in effect each place had its image on it I tried to preserve what was left, and if there was nothing left, I tried to imagine how the place looked in the past."

till the end, spirit of the place

Palestinian Christians

From Sherri Muzher's ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF PALESTINIAN SURPRISESPhoto Credit: Nayef Hashlamoun/Reuters

Palestinian Christians

Palestinian Christians are considered the “living stones” of Christianity because they are direct descendants of the Witnesses to Jesus Christ’s Resurrection.

Many fled the Holy Land or were forced into exile during the 1948 establishment of Israel. The Christian exodus continues today, in large part, due to the Occupation. On March 25, 2004, the late Republican Congressman Henry Hyde issued a letter to then-Secretary of State Powell stating that the Israeli security wall is "drastically undermining the mission of Christian institutions and the social fabric of their communities in the Holy Land.” He added that he was "concerned about the plight of the Christian narrative in the Holy Land" and the impact of the security wall and "growing illegal Israeli settlements and their infrastructure…on religious freedom."

There are two leading American organizations that have been dedicated to the plight of Palestinian Christians. They are Sabeel (http://sabeel.org/), which is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians. And there is the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (http://hcef.org/), which aims to preserve the Mother Church and her living stones, the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land.

As Anglican bishop of Jerusalem Riah Abu El-Assal has pointed out, Palestinian Christians “are part and parcel of the Arab Palestinian nation. We have the same history, the same culture, the same habits and the same hopes."

For this reason, Palestinian Christians have historically joined with their Palestinian Muslim brethren in the Palestinian struggle for freedom. From the late George Habash to the late Kamal Nasser to Hanan Ashrawi, countless numbers of Christians had or have dedicated their lives to Palestine.

The initial screen for “Escape to a World of Palestinian Surprises” features different aspects of Palestine. From the olive and cypress trees to the red poppies to the hills in the background, welcome to the land of my parents and ancestors. Taking a walk are curious children inviting you to take a fun journey with them -- a journey to discover “surprises” about their unique heritage and people.

As you go through the “surprises,” please note that there are so many more people, places, and things that could be included.

Palestinian Surprises on facebook

Twinning and Sister Cities .... PS #98

Sherri Muzher's ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF PALESTINIAN SURPRISESTwinning and Sister Cities

There are a number of world cities and towns that have “twinned” or established friendship links with Palestinian cities, towns, or refugee camps. This allows people around the world to get to know Palestinians and vice versa. For political activists, the information can also be used to lobby their respective governments about Palestine-related matters.

For example, Gaza has twinned or has a sister city relationship with Turin, Italy and Jericho is twinned with Lyon, France.

For an extensive list of “Sister Cities,” please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_the_Palestinian_territories

Sherri Muzher's ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF PALESTINIAN SURPRISES

Introduction

This was supposed to be a book but it made more sense to turn it into a "website book." After all, not everyone will go to the bookstore but nearly everyone has access to the Internet. And the sad reality is that too many people have formed their opinions of Palestinian people, places, and things by the words of others. Well, I’m an American-Palestinian and I’d like to tell you about my own people and heritage.

The initial screen for “Escape to a World of Palestinian Surprises” features different aspects of Palestine. From the olive and cypress trees to the red poppies to the hills in the background, welcome to the land of my parents and ancestors. Taking a walk are curious children inviting you to take a fun journey with them -- a journey to discover “surprises” about their unique heritage and people.

As you go through the “surprises,” please note that there are so many more people, places, and things that could be included. I stopped at 100, for now. This website is an on-going project with additions to be made as they come to my attention.

The “surprises” are brief synopses which should peak your interest to find out more. Wherever possible, I tried to include links to videos, pictures, and interviews to make the journey more enjoyable. A bibliography of my sources is included.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that there is no rhyme or reason to the order of the “surprises.” Well, except for two – the first, as well as #48. The first is St. George, considered a home-grown hero. He is much revered by both Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The number 48 is significant for Palestinians because 1948 was the year that the Palestinian narrative and history gave way to decades of misinformation about who the Palestinians are as a people. For #48, I purposefully chose the late Professor Edward Said.

Professor Said spoke and wrote often about how Palestinians were denied a voice to narrate their own history and talk about their lives in popular media and culture. Essentially, his words came to be known as “Permission to Narrate.” And the “permission to narrate” is what this website is about.

You will discover such gems as: the Palestinian women’s national movement began as far back 1920; Scottish bagpipes are used in religious celebrations; the Hollywood agent for actress Katherine Heigl and rock band Aerosmith is of Palestinian descent (Sam Gores); and so on.

This site will be translated into Arabic in the coming weeks for Palestinian youth in Palestine.

In the meantime, enjoy your escape to a world of Palestinian surprises!

All my Best, Sherri Muzher

Born in Michigan, Muzher’s parents left the Occupied West Bank in 1969 in hopes of brighter days for their future children. She is the daughter of Afaf (Musallam) Muzher of Birzeit and the late Ead Michael Muzher of Taybeh.

Copyright reserved for Palestinian Surprises, 2011