Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Saturday, August 7, 2021
Ismail Shammout- The Exodus and the Odyssey
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| Ismail Shammout Self Portrait 1985 |
Ismail Shammout (1931- 2006 )was a Palestinian artist and art historian. Born in Lydda,
he and his family were expelled from the city on July 12, 1948 by Israeli
forces. His family settled in a refugee camp in Gaza. Shammout enrolled in the
College of Fine Arts Cairo in 1950, returning to Gaza in 1953. That year
Shammout held, with his brother Jamil, the first exhibition by a contemporary
Palestinian artist in Palestine.
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| Ismail Shammout's 1953 'Where to?" |
The exhibition included Where to? (1953), a sobering oil-on-canvas depiction of a family in exodus. A year later, Shammout was part of the Palestine Exhibition of 1954 in Cairo, inaugurated by president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Shammout incorporated Palestinian traditions in his realist painting, which commented on the plight of Palestinians since 1948. In 1954, he enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome.
Shammout moved to Beirut in 1956, where he married fellow artist Tamam al-Alkal. Shammout became the Director of Arts and National Culture for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1965. In 1983, following the Israeli attack against the PLO in Lebanon, Shammout moved from Beirut to Kuwait, then Germany, and finally to Jordan.
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| The Land and Love by Ismail Shammout |
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
The Palestinian obi was made by a group of refugees- Kimono Project Olympics 2020/2021
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| Palestine kimono and obi on a model. Kimono Project |
"The majority of the pieces were made by Japanese designers using traditional methods, except for two. The Palestinian obi was made by a group of refugees, and the Indonesian kimono was decorated with batik, the country’s traditional method of wax-resistant dyeing.
“It was one of the interesting parts of our project," Shimizu says of Palestine’s obi, which was designed by Maki Yamamoto. "There are various techniques, locality or design patterns of dyeing and weaving in Japan. [Lead designer] Takakura thought deeply to fit the image of the country with the creator's art style when he assigned who was in charge.
“Regarding the Palestinian kimono, we knew Maki Yamamoto had a long experience of working with Palestinian embroiderers to make obis, so we assigned her as a designer.”
In a Facebook post, Yamamoto explained that the Palestinian obi took two years to make and she visited the country six times during the process, at her own expense. She collaborated with the Society of Inash al Usra, a higher education foundation that offers scholarships to university students in Palestine.
Yamamoto says she participated in the project because, although it would be a “challenge”, it would be a “great opportunity to showcase Palestinian embroidery to people all over the world”.
Kimono Project: 213 kimonos created to represent countries competing in Tokyo Olympics
Each custom-made garment represents ‘harmony and unity’ and took six years to complete, costing almost $20,000 per piece
more from different countries can be found here https://soranews24.com/2021/07/30/country-kimono-project-completes-set-of-over-200-designs-for-every-nation-at-tokyo-olympics%e3%80%90pics%e3%80%91/
Country kimono! Project completes set of over 200 designs for every nation at Tokyo Olympics
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
5.6 million refugees continue to be cruelly denied their inalienable right to return to their ancestral villages, towns and cities cities in historic Palestine
1948: The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 194 (III), resolving that “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.”
UNWRA
Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950.
In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2023.
Palestine refugees
UNRWA is unique in terms of its long-standing commitment to one group of refugees. It has contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees, defined as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.” The descendants of Palestine refugee males, including legally adopted children, are also eligible for registration.
UNRWA services are available to all those living in its areas of operations who meet this definition, who are registered with the Agency and who need assistance. When the Agency began operations in 1950, it was responding to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees. Today, some 5.6 million Palestine refugees are eligible for UNRWA services.
Read more about Palestine Refugees
Thursday, June 17, 2021
British backing for Israel helps to sustain the unbearable status quo by Rafeef Ziadah
"The endless lip service to the two-state solution rings hollow as the US, UK and EU assist Israel in creating facts on the ground that have made it functionally impossible – including ongoing illegal settlement construction, land confiscation, displacement, restrictions on Palestinian movement and the incarceration of thousands of Palestinians. Hiding behind the smokescreen of “quiet diplomacy”, these states continuously undermine Palestinian attempts to hold Israel to account; Boris Johnson, for example, has opposed the international criminal court inquiry into atrocities committed in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem."
British backing for Israel helps to sustain the unbearable status quo
Diplomatic and military support – and a thriving arms trade – make the UK complicit in the oppression of Palestinians
I often tell my first-year politics students that the study of politics is the study of power. And what we saw last month, above all, was the glaring disparity in power between Israel and the Palestinians.
When Palestinians in Gaza and around the world celebrated the news of a ceasefire, breathing a sigh of relief, many commentators hailed it as a return to calm. For Palestinians, however, “calm” means a status quo of occupation, blockade, and repression.
In fact, one can say the true nature of this conflict is what happens between the periodic escalations – the constant grind of life under apartheid. Israeli power over the Palestinians is not simply military, and it is not only maintained by force; it is sustained by international support. The significance of this support becomes obvious during Israeli military offensives – last month, the US wilfully obstructed a UN security council statement on Gaza to buy more time for Israel’s bombing campaign – but the key elements of this international support are consistent.... READ MORE
AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ THE ARTICLE IN FULL
Thursday, June 10, 2021
Friday, June 4, 2021
June 4 is officially observed as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
June 4 is officially observed as the
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, each year
by the United Nations (UN). The purpose of this day is to remember,
acknowledge and address the violence committed against children
worldwide through war, terrorism, abduction, sexual abuse, killing,
assault on schools and denial of humanitarian aids. Below, we take a
look at the history and significance of the event.
History
On June 6, 1982, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invaded southern Lebanon and initiated the Lebanon War against the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Syrians and Muslim forces in the region. Many Palestinian and Lebanese children were killed or injured in the war.
On August 19
of that year, the UN General Assembly held an emergency meeting and
criticised the Israeli government for such acts of violence against
Palestinians, which it termed “massacre.” The Assembly decided to
henceforth observe June 4 as the International Day of Innocent Children
Victims of Aggression, on an annual basis. " https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/international-day-of-innocent-children-victims-of-aggression-2021-history-and-significance-3808295.html
UNITED NATIONS:
Stop attacks on children
It is a sad reality that in situations where armed conflict breaks out, it is the most vulnerable members of societies – namely children, who are most affected by the consequences of war. The six most common violations are recruitment and use of children in war, killing, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.
On 19 August 1982, at its emergency special session on the question of Palestine, the General Assembly, “appalled at the great number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israel’s acts of aggression”, decided to commemorate 4 June of each year as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children
throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and
emotional abuse. This day affirms the UN's commitment to protect the
rights of children. Its work is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history." https://www.un.org/en/observances/child-victim-day
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Israel: Violence, hate speech, discrimination against Palestinian minority must stop – UN expert
GENEVA (1 June 2021) – A UN human rights expert condemned attacks on Israel's Palestinian minority by extreme right-wing and vigilante groups, including settlers – at times with the reported backing of security forces - and urged Israel to fully and equally protect all of its citizens without discrimination.
Palestinians citizens of Israel, including the Bedouin, constitute an Arab minority representing about 1.5 million people or 20 percent of the population of Israel and face discrimination in many areas.
"Reports of extreme right-wing violence and disproportional use of force by law enforcement officials during protests in recent weeks, including in Sheikh Jarrah, Damascus Gate and the Al-Aqsa mosque, have led to some of the worst cases of violence against Palestinian citizens of Israel," said Fernand de Varennes, the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues.
"These attacks have been shared on social media and such platforms appear to have been used by extreme right wing groups to advocate hatred that constitutes incitement to violence with impunity to gather people to bring their weapons and attack Palestinians."
The UN expert said the decades-long exclusion and discrimination, including of segregation between Arab and Jewish citizens and lack of equal treatment in terms of rights and privileges, has taken a heavy toll on the Palestinian minority. The absence of protection and bomb shelters in the Bedouin villages in the Naqab has also increased insecurity of the Bedouin minority, he added.
"Given the urgency of the situation, I call on the Government of Israel to firmly condemn all acts of violence, hatred and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel," said de Varennes.
"The authorities must ensure its citizens immediately stop these attacks and that everyone is fully and equally protected without any form of discrimination. Police accused of failing to protect all residents and citizens of Israel without discrimination must be investigated."
The expert's call has been endorsed by: Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and associationand Mr. S. Michael Lynk , Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
ENDS
* Mr. Fernand de Varennes was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues by the Human Rights Council in June 2017. He is tasked by the UN Human Rights Council, to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, among other things. He is Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria in South Africa; Cheng Yu Tung Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong; and Visiting Professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland-Galway. He is one of the world's leading experts on minority rights in international law, with more than 200 publications in some 30 languages.
Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
For inquiries and media requests , please contact: Marina Narvaez (+41-22 917 9286 / mnarvaez@ohchr.org) or Hee-Kyong Yoo (+41- 22 917 9723/ hyoo@ohchr.org)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 22 917 9445 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
Follow news related to the UN's independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts.
Concerned about the world we live in?
Then STAND UP for someone's rights today.
#Standup4humanrights
and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Palestinian supporters march in Harrisburg: ‘We’ve been begging to be heard’ May 2021
"... Elisa Thabateh, who was raised in Harrisburg but spends two months in Palestine every year visiting family, said she is thankful for those who are voicing their criticism of Israel.
Thabateh spoke during Sunday’s rally, calling on others to educate themselves and try to educate others. She, along with other advocates and community leaders prayed together and marched while chanting “Free Palestine” as they marched from the Capitol down State Street toward the river.
“For years and years, we’ve been begging to be heard and finally [there are] protests all over the country- No one has ever talked about Palestine this much,” Thabateh said.
She said it is a relief to see a different kind of acknowledgment of what is happening in her family’s country.
“Because this genocide, this ethnic cleansing, it’s been going on for so long,” she said. The violence is not something that has been going on for just weeks but is a continuation of decades of conflict.
Thabateh blames the American education system and worldwide media for not telling the truth about the situation in Israel...."
"...Another speaker at the event, Omar Mussa, said while he was working on
his masters in Palestine he saw the violence first-hand. He also sees
the greatest misconception from the states as the fight being “equal.”
“We don’t understand that the Israeli government, which is one of the most sophisticated armies in the world, that’s funded by the largest imperial army in the world, is fighting against civilians,” Mussa said.
So what can Americans do? Some have considered boycotting international companies that support Israel, but Mussa says it’s more important to persuade the U.S. government to withdraw funding from Israel.
Mussa said he believes it is time to vote people into office who will stand up and align themselves with the justice that he and advocates like him are standing up for.
“This is one of the worst atrocities that has happened in the history of humanity,” Mussa said. “You don’t have to be a Muslim, you don’t have to be a Christian, you don’t have to be Hindu or any other religion to know that this is a human issue.”...."
"...“We have the privilege of being able to actually speak,” Thabateh said. “They’ve been silenced. They’ve been silenced for 73 years.”..."
Palestinian supporters march in Harrisburg: ‘We’ve been begging to be heard’
As Always PLEASE go to the original link to read the article in full- and help support your local newspaper
BRAVE & BEAUTIFUL letter in my local newspaper: "Palestinians are being terrorized in their ancestral homeland" by Nabila Taha
Dear Patriot News.
Thank you so much for publishing the brave letter by Nabila Taha
"Palestinians terrorized in their ancestral homeland" (Thursday,
May 27th 2021)... For American readers who bother to read foreign
newspapers, and those for who have lived in the Arab world, and
those who are well informed and compassionate, this is not new
news, but for many Americans it is new and quite shocking. So much
so that some of your readers might find it easier to deny or
angrily dismiss this perspective. But thank heavens you published
it as people need to know, even if it hurts to know, even if it
breaks our hearts to find out the truth behind this tragic
situation.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
Palestinians are being terrorized in their ancestral homeland | PennLive letters
- This is not a conflict; it is a brutal occupation that has been ongoing for over 73 years by the Israelis over a defenseless Palestinian population.
- This recent vicious bombing by the Israelis of Gaza is not as “retaliation” for Hamas’s rocket attacks, rather the rocket attacks are retaliation for the Israeli soldiers’ and settlers’ trampling of Al Aqsa mosque since the beginning of Ramadan (more than a month ago) and of the far-right settlers terrorizing Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and taking over their homes. Whether Hamas is a terror group or national liberation movement is immaterial. They did not start it.
- The terror Palestinians experience at the hands of the settlers is not a “land dispute.” A far-right Israeli settler, with help from Israeli police confiscating your ancestral home is state sponsored terrorism.
What would you do if someone came to your home/ farm/factory with machine guns and forced you off? Would you RESIST with all means available to you?
Nabila Taha
Pennsylvania
As Always PLEASE go to the original link to read it in full, thoughtfully.
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