No words or paintings can convey the images of the massacres perpetrated against Palestinians and the destruction that is done to their homes, hospitals, schools, and religious sites with complete impunity by what is called the civilized world.

Sliman Mansour: No words or paintings can convey the images of the massacres perpetrated against Palestinians and the destruction that is done to their homes, hospitals, schools, and religious sites with complete impunity by what is called the civilized world.

 

President Biden, Please help all Jewish people and all Palestinians who want to escape the rampant racist hate and religious extremism created by Israel's war on Palestine.

Our words have a way of echoing out into either war or peace....

Dear President Biden,

I see clearly from your aggressive support of Israel that you scorn Arabs and Muslims, and you also scorn good advice.  I am writing again anyway.  Obviously pleading for compassion for impoverished and persecuted Palestinian men, women, & children falls on deaf ears in the White House & in our Congress, & even among most State governors, as well as far too many Christian and Jewish leaders & organizations worldwide.

So how about some basic logic:  Israel has been arming its Zionist zealots with subsidies, lethal weaponry, and the motivation to harass and kill "others" since 1948.  Right now those "others" are mainly the native non-Jewish people of historic Palestine, but "others" extends to all nations that harbor Arabs and Muslims. That includes US. 

So here we are in 2023 with Jews-preferred Israel getting richly rewarded & applauded by Western leaders like you and our clueless media for arming Zionist zealots with excuses... plus guns and bombs. This is insane- and wrong!  

Islamist Militants, including those horrible terrorists who attacked us on 9-11, are following Israel's lead by usurping religion in order to raise funds and rage, arming racist hate & despicable acts of terror against other human beings.  Stop inspiring them!

Please help all Jewish people and all Palestinians who want to escape the rampant racist hate and religious extremism created by Israel's war on Palestine.  Send ships & help Israelis and Palestinians come here to America to live in peace and security with full freedom, equal rights, real justice and job opportunities- with the one firm caveat that America's public funds will not be used to support religion or racist hate here or there.

If you can't do that, PLEASE at least firmly insist that Israel fully respects, honors and implements The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including but not limited to the Palestinian refugees' inalienable legal, moral, and natural right to return to original homes and lands. 

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

American Homemaker & Poet

 

Peace Day is the opportunity for "strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples."

Heba Zagout, artist, killed by Israeli bombs in Gaza, Palestine, October 2023

honoring her life and work...

Yaffa- Heba Zagout

Art by Heba Zagout of Palestine

Jerusalem- Heba Zagout

We live our lives like the rhythm of music. Sometimes it is loud music and other times it is like quiet music. This is life

Music- Heba Zagout

Jerusalem is my city- Heba Zagout

We are always looking for safety in our lives. We may find it in love or security, but we will keep looking for it- Heba Zagout

Alienation makes our hearts as thin as an old fabric that easily leaks water. There is no immunity to our feelings of alienation. Delusion defeats us, and the homelands mix with the people we meet from our homelands. We may love the homeland in them and think that we loved them. - ⚘ This painting is a gift for everyone far from home- Heba Zagout

Jerusalem- Heba Zagout

Looking for happy dreams, clinging to life, love and hope- Heba Zagout

 

 

When I was young, the olive harvest season was very special to me. Family members used to gather with me and pick olives. My mother then stores them with lemon slices and peppers to keep them all year round.

Thank you mom

My new artwork

Olive Tree- Heba Zagout

 

 

I was born carrying the word refugee with me, I did not see my hometown asdoud, but my aunt Alia gathered us and told us about my grandfather's land and the orange trees, about the harvest season and a house full of love and life, I saw longing in my aunt's eyes as she tells us stories about the days of the country and wishes of a soon return...

Palestinian visual artist 'Heba Zagout' & her children 

killed by Israel bombing Gaza

HATE, it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet- Maya Angelou

 

RESPECT for basic HUMAN RIGHTS CONTINUED

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law... READ MORE

When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?

 

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood... READ MORE

We need facts and the preservation of press freedom.

We need facts and the preservation of press freedom.

 Attacks on journalists are attacks on the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

We need facts and the preservation of press freedom. 

 

Journalists are #NotATarget . via

@UNESCO

STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE... & State Sponsored Terrorism

Violence is NEVER the answer

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Our hearts are broken, but our Hope springs eternal! #Jerusalem

Our hearts are broken, but our Hope springs eternal!

 

Ibrahim's Estate... The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Dear President Biden- Please stop forcing American taxpayers to fund and arm Jews-preferred Israel

Lady Justice

 

Dear President Biden,

A foreign country claiming to be our friend has calmly invaded these United States of America and is actively undermining every ideal we are supposed to uphold.

These are terrifying times: Democracy is supposed to support the rule of fair and just laws- and the truth.  But when it comes to Israel our politicians and news media do all they can to promote and distribute Zionist propaganda and anti-Arab spin.  

PLEASE, I beg you to think more clearly, do not trust Israel.  Start exploring the real facts beyond the pervasive Zionist spin!!   

Please stop forcing American taxpayers to fund and arm Jews-preferred Israel. 

People should not be divided up by religion (or race or gender) and only given respect, good jobs, and security when they are the "right" religion (or race or gender)...  All people regardless of supposed religion, or lack thereof, should be free and equal. Every one's human rights must fully respected! 

In this age of cell phones and the internet, I do not want vulnerable human beings anywhere on planet earth watching and learning that arming religion with lethal weaponry and racist hate is the best way for people to grab power and money and support- because that is exactly what Zionists have been doing in historic Palestine.  HAMAS is merely following Israel's lead.

We are not and should not be like Israel: The Indigenous people of historic Palestine are trapped by racist Israeli laws and policies- trapped and tormented and demonized because the indigenous Palestinians dare read, comprehend and respect The United Nations 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and they want to be free and equal- and respected.

Justice and peace go hand in hand, you can not have one with out the other.  Please send the right message to all the world. We stand with Justice and Peace- and Secular Democracy.  Religion must be a personal private choice, not a state sponsored endeavor or a reason to wage war.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognized as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles). https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Dear President Biden - Israel is constantly looking for excuses to harass, demonize & destroy Palestinians.

Dear President Biden, 

As President you have declared our "Columbus Day" to now be "Indigenous Peoples Day" while at the same time you are clueless & cruel towards the indigenous people of historic Palestine.

I do not support Hamas, I think they have done a huge amount of harm to the Palestinians' quest for freedom & justice, but I do, sadly, see why so many native non-Jewish people of Palestine trapped in the open air prison camp called Gaza believe they have no choice but to use violence to fight for their freedom from Zionist Israel's extensive state sponsored terrorism.

I also know that our elected leaders here in America pander to Israel and AIPAC, and that our mainstream news does not fairly cover the story in context so that most American's have no clue about what is really going on... and has been for decades.

Many of the Palestinians in Gaza are refugees ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland by Zionists who want the land but not the native people of that land.

Every day, day after day, year after year, Israel's Zionist settlers, armed Jewish settlers protected by the IDF, steal land & peace from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank territories. Zionists needle, needle, poke & prod, destroying Palestinian homes, schools, farms, orchards, and jobs.

Israel is constantly looking for excuses to harass & demonize Palestinians.  Israel's IDF intentionally maims instead of kills- as of Sept 19th, 227 Palestinians have been killed and 1600 Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli troops and settlers this year alone according to the U.N.    And what does America do- we give Israel the green light to continue harshly oppressing & persecuting Palestinians by now allowing Israelis to travel to the US with no Visa- while Israel keeps the Palestinians trapped, harassed, & demonized at every turn, even if they hold American passports!

Clearly Hamas did not start the violence- they are responding to Israel's extensive ongoing violence and injustice.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

In 1948, after the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Right States: "Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law"  https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

How can Americans be so concerned about Russia invading Ukraine, and yet so oblivious and clueless about the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinian men, women, and children persecuted, impoverished and displaced by Zionist Israel. Full Stop. 

 

Palestine Writes [in America] 2023!

 "Palestinians are an ancient indigenous people from a fabled and tortured land. No matter who holds the guns and power over our homeland, our nation is deeply rooted in its soil, which cradles our collective memory, as it does the bones of our ancestors. All of our traditions, our stories, folklore, poetry, culinary forms, superstitions, traditional clothing, architecture, art, and cultural habits were born in that singular patch of earth over the span of millennia. Palestine Writes exists as an artistic and literary space to hold dear and celebrate and share the magnificence of Palestine’s indigenous heritage, particularly as powerful forces work tirelessly to erase us."    https://palestinewrites.org/

Palestine Writes: On circles, keys, and joy as resistance

As a former political prisoner in Egypt, and dissident writer in exile, Palestinian culture and literature have inspired and shaped my work. When I attended the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, my heart came full circle.... READ MORE  

 

Worldmaking in action at Palestine Writes festival

Despite the incessant efforts of the pro-Israel lobby to censor Palestinians and their allies, the festival was a testament to the strength of transnational solidarity between those fighting for liberation around the world, writes Randa Abdel-Fattah... READ MORE

 

 

PRESS RELEASE:

Palestine Writes Was An Immense Moment of Indigenous Agency and Togetherness

 

The 2023 Palestine Writes Literature Festival wrapped up on Sunday, September 24 following five joyful days of Palestinian heritage, stories, art, music, dance, crafts, books, scholarship, food, photography, 123 speakers,  sessions, and a sold out crowd of over 1500 registered in-person attendees, as well as 4890 virtual attendees on Friday....  READ MORE

 

International Day of Democracy

Right to choose. 

 

Right to speak up. 

 

Right to build together the world we want. 

 

This is what democracy is about. 

 

15 September is #DemocracyDay #UNESCO