"Bustan Al-Ard" (Garden of the Earth) 2020 painting by Palestinian artist Fayez Elhasani.

"Bustan Al-Ard" (Garden of the Earth) 2020 by Palestinian artist Fayez Elhasani.

Zara Zhar

@Boudicca61AD

 

Beautiful painting, titled "Bustan Al-Ard" (Garden of the Earth) 2020 by Palestinian artist Fayez Elhasani. It utilizes a vibrant, symbolic style to depict themes of Palestinian history, suffering, & resilience. The imagery incorporates the Dome of the Rock and the "Mother of the Land"

 https://x.com/Boudicca61AD/status/2073929576393105874/photo/1

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Symbols of Palestine- Palestinian artist- Fedaa Boqaileh, 1948... "I dream of a gallery … one day , exact vision here… where people can smell the jasmine, hear the oud,share a coffee and sit to admire falasteen…"

Palestinian artist-  Fedaa Boqaileh, 1948

 juthur1948

I dream of a gallery … one day , exact vision here… where people can smell the jasmine, hear the oud,share a coffee and sit to admire falasteen…

And for a moment, they understand that home is more than a place, it is something carried, remembered, and lovingly recreated, somewhere dreamt…

Until that gallery exists, I’ll keep drawing it into being…-Fedaa

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbgwVFnizd4/ 

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"Homes can be demolished. Walls can be reduced to rubble. Entire families can be scattered across the world. But roots run deep... And sometimes, from beneath the wreckage, life emerges to remind us that memory, belonging, and hope refuse to die." Mike Hanini Odetalla

Mike Hanini Odetalla

ptonedsroS3 aguh96c1ia5t010t:619lh249ly 33uaM01273uMP 78 g6i  ·

All That Remains...Reflections on a rather sad day

 

5/31/26

 

After the death of my father-in-law (ay), his humble two-room home in the Kadoura Refugee Camp was torn down.

 

His family, like so many Palestinians, had been violently expelled from their homes and lands by Zionist forces in 1948 and forced into a life of exile and displacement.

 

Seven years later, in 2022, I took my grandson—his great-grandson—back to show him where his grandmother had grown up and to visit a place that I myself had always loved.

 

The house was gone.

 

The tiny garden that my father-in-law had tended with such tender loving care was buried beneath rubble. Yet among the destruction, something remarkable remained.

 

A magnificent grapevine once covered his patio, providing shade in the summer and producing the most exquisite grapes. As I stood there looking at the ruins, I noticed a small cluster of grapes protruding defiantly from the debris.

 

I took this photograph.

 

To some, it is merely a bunch of grapes growing from a collapsed structure.

 

To me, it is a symbol of Palestine itself.

 

Homes can be demolished. Walls can be reduced to rubble. Entire families can be scattered across the world. But roots run deep.

 

And sometimes, from beneath the wreckage, life emerges to remind us that memory, belonging, and hope refuse to die.

 

All that remains... and yet, somehow, it is enough to tell the whole story.

That image of grapes emerging from rubble carries a quiet symbolism that is difficult to ignore:

 

the house was destroyed, but the vine still remembered where it belonged. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10166091777606977&set=a.10150390714236977

 photo & essay copyright Mike Hanini Odetalla 2026

“The past two and a half years have been one of daily horror and fear as Palestinians have watched our families and friends massacred, starved and tortured,” she said, describing this period as the darkest chapter in Palestinian history since 1948: British Palestinians feel ‘gaslit’ and unable to speak out, says leading activist

Ahead of Nakba march, Sara Husseini says many feel they are being treated as suspects rather than victims of mass suffering

Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent

Sat 16 May 2026 01.00 EDT

 

‘We feel a great deal of solidarity from the British public.’ A Together for Palestine march in central London in March. Photograph: Maja Smiejkowska/PA

British Palestinians feel unable to speak openly about Israel’s war on Gaza, the director of the British Palestinian Committee has said, amid what campaigners believe is a growing climate of hostility around Palestinian identity and activism in the UK.

Some were afraid to wear Palestinian symbols at work or display Arabic jewellery and keffiyehs in public, Sara Husseini said.

“We have many documented reports of Palestinians and allies being silenced or punished for wearing Palestinian symbols, watermelon pins, or speaking about the genocide,” she said. “Many colleagues across all kinds of sectors feel they are being gaslit while friends and families are being massacred back home.”

Speaking before Saturday’s national march in London commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Nakba (“catastrophe”) – the displacement of at least 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948 – Husseini said many Palestinians felt they were being treated not as victims of mass suffering, but as suspects whose grief had become politicised.

“Cruelty is the word I would use, particularly for colleagues who are from Gaza or have family there, knowing these atrocities are being inflicted on their loved ones day in, day out,” Husseini said.

“And then being effectively told: not only are we not going to acknowledge that this is happening to you, we’re going to disbelieve you, interrogate you, stop you from speaking about it, and if you do speak, we’re going to paint you as the problem.”... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/16/british-palestinians-feel-unable-speak-out-sara-husseini

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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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Do not ‘co-opt’ the cross to divide: Bishops join church leaders in message after rally 21/09/2025: "As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds we stand together against the misuse of Christianity. The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other. Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable."

A group of Church of England bishops and senior clergy have joined leaders from across denominations in speaking out against any “co-opting or corrupting” of the Christian faith and symbols to exclude others.

The bishops of Winchester, Manchester, Southwark, Croydon, Bradford, Woolwich and Kingston were among the signatories to a joint letter from church leaders voicing concern at the use of Christian symbols, particularly the cross, at last week’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally.

They joined with senior leaders in the Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal churches; the Church of Scotland; the Salvation Army; the Catholic social action network Caritas and leaders of major cross-denominational groups such as the Evangelical Alliance and Churches Together in England in the letter which appears in the media today. Other signatories include the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams, leaders of Christian charities such as the Bible Society, CARE and the Oasis trust, as well as prominent clergy and theologians.

The letter acknowledges that many of those involved in the rally felt a “deep sense of frustration at feeling unheard and forgotten in the democratic process” but that it also included “racist, anti-Muslim and far right elements”.

“As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds, we stand together against the misuse of Christianity,” they write.

“The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other.

“Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger.

“Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable.”

https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/do-not-co-opt-cross-divide-bishops-join-church-leaders-message-after-rally 

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Full text of the letter

We are deeply concerned about the co-opting of Christian symbols, particularly the cross, during Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally. Many individuals and communities felt anxious, unsettled and even threatened by aspects of the march.

There were undoubtedly diverse motivations for those engaged in the event. We respect the right to free speech, to hold different views on issues such as immigration, the importance of healthy debate between religious communities and the need to disagree well when consensus is difficult.

We also understand that for many of those involved in the rally there is a deep sense of frustration at feeling unheard and forgotten in the democratic process. We know that we cannot heal this wound unless the Church, and society as a whole rises to do more to address the issues of poverty, inequality and exclusion.

However, this rally included racist, anti-Muslim and far right elements. As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds we stand together against the misuse of Christianity. The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other. Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable.

As Christian leaders we are proud of our country and commit ourselves to work with others building a more United Kingdom where the values of love, humility and compassion shine through in every community; and we do so unapologetically in the name of Jesus Christ.

• Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester
• Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance
• Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England
• Revd Richard Andrew, President, Methodist Conference 2025/26
• Jude Levermore, Head of Mission, Methodist Church
• Matt Forsyth, Vice-President, Methodist Conference 2025/26
• Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main, Territorial Leaders, The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland
• Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain
• Bishop Tedroy M. Powell, National Presiding Bishop, Church of God of Prophecy Trust. (U.K.)
• Rev Fiona Smith, Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• Rt Revd Dr Rowan Williams, Honorary Assistant Bishop, Llandaff
• Rt Revd Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
• Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark
• Rt Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford
• Chine McDonald, Director, Theos
• Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector, St James’s Piccadilly
• Dr Christopher Baker, Professor of Religion and Public Life, Goldsmiths, University of London,
• Debra Green OBE, Executive Director, Redeeming Our Communities
• Revd Canon Dr Jennifer Smith, Wesley's Chapel and Leysian Mission.
• Rt Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon
• Dr Anthony Reddie, Professor of Black Theology, University of Oxford
• Dr Robert Beckford, Professor of Black Theology, Queen's Foundation.
• Kat Osborn, Co-CEO, Safe Families and Home for Good
• Dr Krish Kandiah OBE, Director, Sanctuary Foundation
• Tania Bright, Co-CEO, Safe Families and Home for Good
• Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark
• Paul S Williams, Chief Executive, Bible Society
• Ven. Dr Rachel Mann, Archdeacon of Salford and Bolton
• Raymond Friel OBE, CEO, Caritas, the Catholic Social Action Network
• Lord Rees of Easton
• Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Group CEO, Church Urban Fund
• Rt Revd Alastair Cutting, Bishop of Woolwich
• Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE (Christian Action Research and Education)
• Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar, St Martin-in-the-Fields
• Rt Revd Dr Martin Gainsborough, Bishop of Kingston
• Revd Canon Steve Chalke MBE, Founder of Oasis Charitable Trust
  

"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.

Artist Frans Al-Salmi was murdered 30 June 2025 by Israel when the IDF bombed a beautiful seaside cafe in Gaza

Artist Frans Al-Salmi was murdered this morning by Israel when the IDF bombed a beautiful seaside cafe in Gaza

 

Art by Palestinian Frans Al-Salmi : Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American journalist (1971–2022)

Shireen Abu Akleh was a prominent Palestinian-American journalist who worked as a reporter for 25 years for Al Jazeera, before she was killed by Israeli forces while wearing a blue press vest and covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Abu Akleh was one of the most prominent names across the Middle East for her decades of reporting in the Palestinian territories, and seen as a role model for many Arab and Palestinian women.

Art by Palestinian Frans Al-Salmi

 

Art by Palestinian Frans Al-Salmi

Art by Palestinian Frans Al-Salmi

"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)