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As an American born Palestinian businesswoman, writer and artist, born and raised in the US, Wafa Ghanaim’s family has known suffering. Her father came from Yaffa, and her mother from Safad in Palestine. They were twice displaced – first, to Damascus, Syria and then to Amman, Jordan.

A Work of Art is a Scream of Freedom 

In 1979, Wafa’s parents married and moved to America.

When my parents moved to the US, my mother really struggled to adapt and became depressed. Her embroidery was a kind of therapy for her and kept her connected to her roots.

Wafa’s mother, Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim, had 12 brothers and sisters and her grandmother kept everyone busy with embroidery crafts. When she was only 8 years old, she created her first piece. She later went on to study Art at the Damascus University and mastered the art, mentoring others in embroidery.

The tradition was passed on and Wafa and her two sisters began learning Palestinian embroidery from their mother when they were each about 2 years old, using tweezers whilst pulling waste canvas.

Weaving the magnificent Tapestry of Love and Loss…

Throughout her life Wafa has traveled alongside her mother for various exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations around the US. From folklore festivals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to elementary schools in southeast Portland, Oregon, Wafa has assisted her mother by preparing materials for the lectures, demonstrating the craft of embroidery to audiences, and curating the exhibits.

Preserving our cultural roots was very important to my parents and my mother was adamant in wanting to continue her ancestral traditions even faraway from Palestine. In high school I wanted to fit in with American culture, but always returned to my roots.

Onwards & Upwards

Wafa was awarded a two-year apprenticeship through the Oregon Folklife Network and the University of Oregon in 1993 through to 1995 with her older sister, Fida. Throughout the apprenticeship, they assisted their mother in the completion of a Palestinian dress titled The Gardens, which was displayed in the Oregon State Capitol as “the dress of a million stitches“. Wafa also completed her own embroidered mural of the design “The Story of Cleopatra.“

Her mother earned a lifetime award from the National Endowment for the Arts as a Heritage Fellow, the highest honor you can receive in the US for your artistry and she received the medal in 2018.

Arabian Travels

Wafa has never visited her ancestral homeland but hope to one day. She has been to Syria and Jordan many times for personal, professional and academic pursuits, witnessing major events that have rippled throughout the region. From the 2003 invasion of Iraq to various Israeli invasions and wars against Palestinians in the occupied territories, to the Arab Uprisings. The last time she visited Damascus was February 11, 2011, the day that former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, resigned amidst popular unrest. That day was arguably the first day of the Syrian revolution and subsequent war. These experiences were influential in her life, sparking her aspirations to preserve the oral history, storytelling and folk art of Palestine.

The Book

The book brings traditional Palestinian embroidery to life. Wafa revives its roots through this provocative and profound storytelling tool used by Palestinian women for generations to document their stories, observations and experiences – including those from her mother.

With funding from the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition, Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Brooklyn Arts Council, the first edition of the book was digitally published on Amazon, Nook and Books in November 2016. The expanded, second edition was funded by the Brooklyn Arts Council as well as numerous donors who believed in the project from its inception.

Future Plans

Wafa has 11,000 photographs of embroidery from her mother’s collection and would like to continue to photograph and write about embroidery. She also would like to research Palestinian families in the diaspora and collect their stories about embroidery.

I am planning on applying for a doctorate in art history in the coming years, to assert Palestinian textiles in the art history books. My purpose is to keep tatreez alive, in the history books, in our minds, in our closets and most especially with our hands.

Married to an African American, Wafa explains that her and her husband have similar stories of pain and hopes that their son will grow to find himself and preserve his roots.

I hope he continues to grow into a loving and compassionate man that knows his cultural and ethnic roots. I hope he travels the world, and especially Jordan, Syria and Palestine. I want him to know that I love and accept him always, and that while life is full of surprises, he should always know that his mother is by his side.

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This dish by Chef Fadi, delivers beautifully twisted flavours of Palestine’s heavenly spring with that of the intensely sharp jameed yoghurt which brings out the ultimate explosion of taste. A contemporary comfort food that re-ignites Palestinian childhood memories

Suitable as a light starter or a main vegetarian course, this recipe provides an undeniable sentimental value for the lovers of Palestine.

Each one of us has this memory of picking a pea pod and eating those first peas of the year. Sweet, delicious and soft. That first taste of spring.

INFORMATION

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

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Leaving Great Footprints On A Land That Embraced Them

There isn’t a place around the world where Palestinians aren’t making a difference and inspiring people every day, but today I would like to highlight my favorite Canadian Palestinians, who we should all be proud of – they have gone beyond the ordinary to reach where they are today and are doing great things for their community and for Canada overall.

Nasri Tony Atweh 

Success is all about adopting an intense attention to detail ethic.

Better known by his stage name Nasri, this Canadian-Palestinian is a Grammy Award winner, singer, songwriter and record producer. Nasri is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the famed reggae fusion band, Magic!. Some of their most popular songs include Let Your Hair Down, Rude, and No Way No.

Born and raised in Toronto, to Palestinian immigrants from Nazareth, Nasri began singing at the age of six in church and joined the school choir in High School. He graduated in 1999. His yearbook ambition was to be “where the music lives.” 

Ruba Nadda – Directing A Way To Excellence

Ruba Nadda is an internationally and critically acclaimed writer, director and producer from Montreal. She has written and directed 17 films which include Lost Woman Story, Interstate Love Story, So Far Gone and Damascus Nights before writing and directing features I Always Come to You, Unsettled and Sabah. Her movie Cairo Time won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and was Best Reviewed Romance on Rotten Tomatoes for 2010.

Nadda was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to a Syrian father and a Palestinian mother. She studied Literature at York University in Toronto and continued to study Film Production at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts.

Khaled Mouammar – The Unshakable Voice against Israeli Apartheid Regime

Khaled Mouammar is one of Canada’s leading voices for Arab relations. In 1965, Khaled immigrated to Canada for a better life and became a leading representative for the Arab community there. He served as a board member for The Immigration and Refugee Board from 1994 to 2005 adjudicating on refugee claims and served three terms as the National President of the Canadian Arab Federation.

Born in Africa, he returned to his ancestral homeland of Palestine in 1947 to attend school before the 1948 Palestinian exodus when he was forced him to flee with his grandmother to Lebanon, riding a donkey through the mountains to reach safety. With no hope of returning to his homeland, he eventually became a Lebanese citizen, serving in the Army. Khaled holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Toronto; a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in mathematics, and a Diploma in Education form the American University in Beirut. 

Khaled has received several awards and recognitions, including a Volunteer Service Award from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Award from the Governor General of Canada and a Certificate of Recognition from the Citizen’s Forum on Canada’s Future.

 He has over thirty years of volunteer experience with organizations including the Arab Palestine Association, The Arab Community Centre of Toronto, The Urban Alliance of Race Relations, Canadian Ethnocultural Council, the Ontario Committee for Fairness and Policing and The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid. 

Today Khaled continues his mission as a consultant with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Ahmad Balshe – Rapping-Out Unheard Immigrants’ Voices

Better known by his stage name Belly, Ahmed Ahmad Balshe is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was born in the Palestinian West Bank town of Jenin and his family left for Ottawa, Ontario for a better life. When Belly was 19, he began exploring his love for music. He started out playing drums in various Ottawa punk bands and 21 years old started to focus on hip-hop, with the release of his debut mixtape, Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1.

Active since the early 2000s, Belly broke through in 2007, the year he released The Revolution, which in Canada hit the Top 30 and won several awards. Several mixtapes followed and subsequent joint deals with Roc Nation and XO. This has led to wider distribution and greater commercial success in the U.S., beginning with the platinum 2015 single Might Not, among his numerous collaborations with The Weeknd, and continuing through the 2018 release of his second proper album, the pointed and outspoken IMMIGRANT.

Noora Sharrab – Empowering Refugees through Preserving Culture

Noora is a Palestinian Canadian from Toronto, where she coordinates and manages projects to support Palestinian refugees in Jordan. A multilayered activist, entrepreneur and mother of two, her love for her Palestinian brothers and sisters, and passion to empower them, have had a profound impact, fostering economic independence.

She is the co-founder of Sitti Soap, a social enterprise, ensuring fair wage employment to refugees through handmade natural olive oil soap produced in the cold-pressed method. Inspired by the tradition of soap making, Sitti restores hope and dignity to refugee women through this timeless craft. Using the profits from the soap bars, Sitti funds hard skills development and educational programs for refugee women and girls. 

The Sitti product line, which began with a signature square bar of handmade, cold-pressed olive oil soap, has since expanded to a line of 10+ popular skincare and home items; including curated products through partnerships with ethical brands worldwide. Sitti has evolved into a niche, yet globalized brand that is retailed and distributed across the Middle East and North America. 

Khaled Al Sabawi – World Class Entrepreneurship In Green Energy

Khaled Al Sabawi is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur of Palestinian decent and Founder and President of MENA Geothermal and TABO Palestine. The son of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, he received his degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada in 2006 and later became the first certified Geothermal Engineer in the Arab Middle East. Khaled was named “One of the World’s Top Energy Entrepreneurs” by Global Post in 2010 and was ranked the 195th Most Influential Arab by Arabian Business Magazines in their Top 500 Most Influential Arabs ranking for 2012. 

In 2013, Khaled received the prestigious Takreem Award for Young Entrepreneur at their highly publicized awards ceremony in Paris, France and was also featured on the cover of Forbes Middle `East in October 2014, with the caption beside his picture reading “Industry of the Impossible” in Arabic along with the a feature article titled “The Good Deed” in English. 

Khaled’s vision to bring sustainable development to Palestine and the MENA region is best explained in his highly watched TEDxRamallah talk. In addition to speaking at TEDxRamallah, Khaled is constantly invited to share his vision on university campuses around the world.

He has spoken at McGill University in Canada, at Harvard University and MIT in the US, and other universities and major green energy conferences around the world.

Dalia Elcharbini – Depicting Cultural Heritage Through Art

Dalia Elcharbini is a contemporary artist and a proud Palestinian Canadian. Her work is often inspired by nature and her heritage. Dalia has been exhibiting her work throughout Canada and the US. Recently, her work has been chosen to be displayed at the first Palestinian museum in Washington D.C, which opened its doors on June 15th 2019, displaying priceless collections of art and documents gathered from around the world for visitors.

Her passion for art came to her as a child when she first learned how to hold a pencil. Dalia has always loved to tell stories through art and initially studied film at McMasters University in Hamilton Ontario, wanting to direct documentaries. Her father is from Acre and mother from Safad in Palestine and heritage and nature are often inspired in her work.  

I have this intrinsic need and eagerness to tell our story through art and share the beauty of our culture with the world. One of my main objectives as an artist is to be able to leave a legacy of pride as the Palestinian artist who glorified her homeland, shed light on our culture, our right of return and resilience.

Her most popular piece Jerusalem Birth is a painting meant to scream and symbolize the true ethnicity of Jerusalem. The visual of the birth of Jerusalem to a Palestinian mother took over my mind. Symbolizing the historic and ethnic identity of the land’s capital.

Dalia plans to exhibit her work throughout Europe and Asia and grow her platform globally to be able to support some humanitarian initiatives that are close to her heart – one of which is raising money to start an art club in Gaza to combat the mental health issue that’s in crisis in Gaza.

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Nancy is a Compassionate Inquiry Therapist as per the psycho-therapeutic approach founded by renowned Canadian physician, Dr. Gabor Maté. She is also part of the Healthy Breast Foundations Program, designed to educate women about breast health and helps to facilitate community classes in Beyond Addiction, an internationally recognized recovery program for addiction. This year, she has plans to run wellness retreats in both Asia and Africa as well as teach in the less privileged communities of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. In addition, Nancy develops mindfulness initiatives for both public and private sector institutions as well as schools. 

Educated at both McGill University and the London School of Economics with an MA in International Relations, Nancy began her career in public affairs, then as a corporate banker, progressing into the world of communications and later becoming a mentor in the realm of emotional intelligence. A Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (ABNLP), Timeline Therapy and Hypnotherapy, Nancy is a motivational speaker who has headlined at numerous region-wide events and been featured in both Arabic and English language media outlets across the Arab world.

How It All Started

The second of three children, Nancy grew up in Toronto with her grade school at one end of the street and high school at the other.

My friends came from a myriad of different cultures, and I had a huge, extended family, many of whom were a central part of my life in Canada. My parents were together, and I had a close relationship with both my brother and my sister. Outwardly, I had the makings of a very comfortable childhood.

The questioning around her identity began in the early 1980s, before her 7th birthday.

I remember overhearing late night conversations about my grandparents being trapped in Lebanon during the Israeli invasion of 1982 and watching the war there unravel on the evening news. I recall being terrified at the prospect of something happening to my grandparents. It was around this time that I would learn that they would once again be forced to flee their home. The first time they fled was from Palestine in 1948.

Taking In The Trauma

Nancy’s father traces his roots back to Ramleh, Palestine, about 20 kilometres inland from the coastal town of Jaffa. He was 11 years-old in 1948, during the Nakba, or Catastrophe, as it is known in Arabic. This was the year that he and his loved-ones became refugees and his family lost nearly every material possession they owned. Nancy’s mother on the other hand was just three-years-old when she and her parents escaped Haifa in 1948 to Jounieh in Lebanon. Originally from the town of Nazareth, Nancy’s maternal grandfather fled with his wife and two very small children, leaving behind his new Haifa home, his dental practice and several siblings, some of whom he would go for decades without seeing again.

Everything my parents and grandparents had ever known disappeared overnight. Family was dispersed, means were restricted and the challenges of life took on a new dimension. On many fronts, life became a struggle for survival.

Nancy’s parents understood that the situation in the Arab region was unlikely to improve and left to Canada for a better life. Their aim was to bring their children into the world free from the heavy baggage they carried and far from the trauma of loss. Little did they realize the degree to which the legacy of Palestine would linger.

Having understood how quickly material attachments could disappear, my parents put a heavy premium on education. I became a top student who attended some of the world’s best universities. I wanted to change the world and believed that a career in government and diplomacy could open the doors of truth and justice. The Canadian Foreign Service and the United Nations beckoned. I knew there was work to be done. I was determined to do something.

The Teachings of Kundalini Yoga

Nancy met her husband Cherif James Cordahi in 1998, a British-Lebanese journalist who had worked in some of the world’s toughest regions. He had covered countless conflicts globally and had lived through some of the worst years of the Lebanese civil war.

We came together in love, but it took us years to realize that through our incredibe union, we would be mirroring the other’s pain, whilst consistently shedding the light on our shadows and unfinished business. Marriage is a partnership of deep healing on the road to self-realization.

While in the Gulf, her career had taken her into the world of public affairs, finance, communications and emotional intelligence but it was the practice of Kundalini Yoga that truly transformed her life. She came across the teachings of Kundalini Yoga nearly a decade ago and began practicing it when hardly anyone had ever heard of the teachings in the Gulf Arab region.

As taught by Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini Yoga is an exquisite technology which offers tools to develop the grace and the endurance necessary to navigate the pressures of our time. It is a toolkit for awakening our latent potential, for self-crystallization and for self-actualization. The technology works deeply on the glands and the nervous system in such a way that we become more capable of inviting trajectory, sensitivity and productivity into our lives, all the while recognizing our interconnectedness on both micro and macro levels.

The teachings have taught me that my lifelong quest to make a difference in the world should no longer be focused on healing the pain of the other. The real work is in first consistently making my own heart a place of peace and integrity. I believe that surrendering to spirit and maintaining an unobstructed flow to one’s true nature is the only true vehicle for change.

Healing The Wounds Of The Region

My prayer is for the teachings to continue to serve through me and others that we may realize the one heartbeat we all share; that Spirit take away our swords, remove the walls that separate us and help us to forgive; that we resist the temptation to hold onto yesterday or to an obscured vision of tomorrow. Living a conscious life is about seeing the humanity in all, that mistakes and suffering are universal, and that forgiveness is the only true path to peace; peace of mind, peace of self, peace.

At the moment, Nancy is coordinating the third-ever Kundalini Yoga teacher-training in the Gulf Arab region with the support of her teacher, Shiv Charan Singh, founder of Karam Kriya school.

I have lived in this unique part of the world for nearly two decades and believe that the combination of my Palestinian roots and my Western education and upbringing allows me to navigate this region with a certain sensitivity and discernment. I am now part of the KRI Aquarian Teacher Academy and aspire to share the teachings with as many people from the region as possible. This year, I plan to return to my roots in Palestine, as a trainer in the first-ever Kundalini Yoga teacher-training in Bethlehem and to the refugee camps.

It is Nancy’s mission to continue to share her journey, her experience and the teachings to a much broader community in the Arab world and beyond.

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Inaash is a Lebanese registered charity dedicated to preserving Palestinian heritage through embroidery, and to providing work opportunities for women embroiderers. Currently over 350 women are engaged in embroidering its superb products, which include jackets, shawls, abayas, clutch bags and other items designed for a global customer base.

MOR talked with Inaash General Manager, Mohammed Hassan (MH) about the mission to preserve Palestinian heritage through the finest quality embroidery, while empowering women in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. It’s a stark reality. There are half a million Palestinians living in refugee camps throughout Lebanon that do not enjoy full civil rights, with limited access to social services, public health and educational facilities. They depend largely on organizations such as the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for services. This makes them economically and socially vulnerable. The income the Inaash women generate through their embroidery helps to sustain their families.

The living conditions in the camps are very harsh with shortages of basics such as water, electricity, food and schooling for children. The incomes our women receive for their embroidery helps them support their families and their kids’ schooling.

Preserving the Art of Stitching

Prior to 1948, village women used embroidery as an expression of their identity and their environment.  Across the generations women would sit together embroidering their thobes and other items, each piece particular to the area in which they lived. Simply by looking at a woman’s embroidered dress, others could tell which village or region she came from, her socio-economic status, and in some cases, whether she was single, married or widowed.  

Girls would start learning the tradition of embroidery at a young age learning from their grandmothers and other relatives, refining their skills throughout their lives. When the Palestinians became refugees, this beautiful tradition became at risk of eradication because of displacement in the Diaspora.

Embroidery is a big part of Palestinian identity, and a form of cultural resistance, it’s important that we preserve it. We want our heritage to stay and we need to teach embroidery to the younger generation.

Palestinian Identity and Embroidery

After 1948, when over 700,000 Palestinians became refugees, both the quality and quantity of embroidery emerging from the camps were inferior since people couldn’t afford the means to continue embroidering.  This is where NGOs like Inaash stepped in both in terms of providing materials and generating an income.

With time, embroidery emerged a symbol of identity, revolution, and resistance in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Palestinian Woman in an embroidered thobe became the image of the nation in paintings and poster art, depicting power and resilience.

During the first Intifada, women embroidered Palestinian flags, doves and rifles on their thobes as acts of resistance. The motifs were no longer regional and were adapted to represent a new identity for Palestinians.

Reviving and Empowering

Inaash was founded in 1969, by Huguette Caland, daughter of Lebanon’s first president Bechara El-Khoury to provide employment for women with no other means of supporting their family.

Since then Inaash (meaning ‘revival’ in English) has done a fantastic job safeguarding this long-standing Palestinian tradition. The organization has worked with thousands of women in the last 50 years producing embroidered products retailed to customers worldwide.

As well as opportunities to earn an income for their families our women take great pride in preserving this important tradition. When they are embroidering, they feel the strength of their Palestinian roots and their connection to their homeland.

Future Plans

As well as producing its own designs, the Inaash team works with established designers like Rabih Kayrouz, May Daouk, Nada Debs, and Raya Morcos.  New collaborations, designed to catch the attention of the younger generation, include a capsule collection with Creative Space Beirut/Second Street Shirts, and pieces by Mira Hayek, as well as Ecru Online and Nafissa.

Historically embroidery was for traditional pieces, but Inaash uses embroidery on contemporary items with cutting edge designs and color combinations.  This way we hope to expand our market beyond the Middle East for a global reach. We have many clients in the region as well as collectors from Europe and North America. Our trajectory is focused upwards. Our mission is always to preserve the heritage and empower our embroiderers.

Currently Inaash sells its products through its Beirut Hamra showroom and in exhibitions in the region and abroad.  Later there are plans for an e-commerce website.

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Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.  I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.
— John Lennon 

Peace remains elusive since the establishment of Israel and the conflict continues, seemingly unstoppable. This ‘intentional community’ was jointly established by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel to foster awareness, finding ways for Arabs and Jews to live together, while maintaining their identity and uniqueness. It’s committed to bilingual, multicultural equality and a genuine and durable peace.

Wahat Al Salam(Arabic: واحة السلام‎) or Neve Shalom (Hebrew: נְוֵה שָׁלוֹם) means ‘Oasis of Peace’. It was established in 1969 by groups working together to create a home where the two communities could live in harmony, whilst recognizing and respecting each other’s culture, language religion and political views.

Located midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, it is the only community where Jews and Palestinian Arabs live together by choice. Children who grow up here respect each other and are equals in this community. A beautiful vision which 

Wahat al-Salam Neve Shalom is a ray of hope demonstrating that a strong peace between Arabs and Jews, Palestinians and Israelis is possible by strengthening connection and justice.

You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.
— Indira Gandhi 

Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom could not conduct its educational work or continue to develop, without the moral and financial support of foundations and individuals. For more information get in touch with them.

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Samia Nasir Khoury

East Jerusalem

Author

The Nakba has been my endless nightmare as a Palestinian.  The loss of a country, land and home.  The loss of family and friends who ended up dispersed worldwide. A grave injustice never acknowledged nor redressed, that’s still ongoing.  The sight of the people of Ramle and Lydda walking all the way to Birzeit in July 1948 is still etched in my memory.

Zaki Boulos

London

Researcher & Academic Editor

As a child, my father spent a year at an empty school in Jordan’s Sult region with his siblings, fleeing the pogroms. His father, Jiddo Zaki, was glued to the radio for morsels of news from Palestine, looking to return home to his ancestral land, looking for a return to normalcy. Jiddo Zaki was deluded.
Jiddo Zaki passed away in the early sixties in Beirut, never to set eyes on Palestine again.



My mother was born in Nazareth 1947, after partition. Her father, Jiddo Elias, was affluent and was able to whisk his family out of Palestine. Jiddo Elias passed away in the seventies in Beirut. Jiddo Elias too never set eyes on Palestine again.



The right of return was denied to them, to my parents and their siblings, and now it’s our turn. We still yearn for home as millions of Palestinians still do, either living as refugees across the Arab world or among the Palestinian diaspora.

This pogram.

The Nakba, is ongoing. It is not isolated to the events of 1948, but is still an organic part of what it means to be Palestinian. And so it goes, this Nakba passes on it’s insidious code, infecting each generation, blighting those embroiled in its wrath, till Palestinians, once again, emerge from the ashes to reclaim this land lost between the cracks of history.

Samar Sakakini

Jerusalem – Canton Michigan

Teacher – Social Studies 

When my Father was alive he always spoke to us about the agony that the Nakba forced on him and his family in 1948. This event distorted lives and shook all Palestinians, 70 years later the Palestinians are still suffering.  I was born in Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine and although I don’t live there anymore, Palestine will always live in my children and me. We must keep the memories thriving for generations to come, I promised my father.

Randa Mouammer

Toronto

Lawyer

The Nakba is a day to remember the catastrophe that Palestinians endured decades ago with loss of land and autonomy. It’s also an anniversary, seemingly unending, that reminds me to persevere and to persist and always be strong. It also reminds me that we are never done giving to people, helping others and that we must always ensure that we don’t do to others the things that we would never want done to us.

Mary Mouammer

Nazareth -Toronto -Tehran

Resettlement Expert and Consultant on Refugee Affairs
(UNHCR Iran Operation)

For years we have heard about the Palestinian refugees living abroad and in camps, but little is known about the tens of thousands of Palestinians who became Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). My family was one of those IDPs who left home in Haifa, with all their belongings, to seek temporary refuge in Nazareth on the assumption that when the attacks on civilian Arab population in Haifa subsided they would return to the house, after all, they had the key with them! However, when the war ended and Israel occupied Palestine, neither my family nor the tens of thousands who had done the same thing, were able to get their homes back because Jewish families who refused to leave occupied them. To date these IDPs have not been able to get their homes back nor have they received any compensation for their losses. This at a time when Jews, who were displaced from Europe, were demanding, and still are receiving, compensation from Europe for everything they lost, including things like paintings. The double standard in the plight of Palestinians is glaring in all aspects of their dispossession.

Mai Kakish

Jerusalem – Chicago

Almond & Fig – Food Blog

Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe, perfectly reflects the tragedy of the numerous villages erased in 1948 and the hundreds of thousands of refugees who lost their homes and land, becoming separated from their families. As a Palestinian today the Nakba for us hasn’t ended. Palestinians continue to suffer the Nakba daily. The wall that forces separation, the confiscation of land and water, the expansion of settlements, roadblocks and checkpoints; the scourge continues and actually intensifies. The Nakba also divided the Palestinians between Palestine and the diaspora, between the ones that have yellow, green or blue license plates between East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, between those with a refugee identification card and those who don’t; between the Palestinians who live in Israel and those that live in the West Bank. 

To me, the Nakba is alive in the excruciating history of my grandfather losing his home in Jerusalem, as well as a lived daily, with my parents still fighting for their IDs, health insurance, battling road closures, checkpoints and even more poignantly, the wall that my grandmother stares out at from her veranda.

Edgar T. Zarifeh

Yafa  – Toronto

Retired Auditor

In Arabic, there is no word that is more effective than ‘Nakba’ to describe a disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tragedy or misfortune.  Falastin has always been the pathway to conquerors and colonists. The latest were the fierce Ottomans who ended their rule by the hanging of our heroes on May 6, 1916.

Then came the British with their Mandate to fulfill their dream of a Jewish colony, initiating persecutions, leading to the Nakba. What a shameful ending of the Mandate that was meant to give a self-rule to the Mandate, ‘A’ which was Falastin!

Our people were forced to abandon their homes to escape death by bombs, bullets or bayonets. Some were drowned from sinking crafts and boats. Many were separated from their loved ones. A real holocaust was being perpetrated by so-called `holocaust `survivors, seeking to avenge the Nazi horrors by eliminating a whole nation, under orders of the leaders of the World Jewish Agency, Haim Weizman and David Ben Gurion.

Laila Dajani

Muscat

Teacher – Yoga and Mindfulness 

It is unbearable to imagine what my people have undergone and continue to suffer daily. I feel connected to a land that I do not really know, I also feel disconnected from any sense of belonging. I often feel misunderstood and unworthy, demonstrating how the impact of the diaspora endures from generation to generation, since 1948. I feel rage and underneath that is a layer of shame because my rage towards the occupying party instigates me to lose compassion where I disconnect from my heart. 

What is the Nakba to me? It is pain, horror, a wound of psychological displacement, confusion and anger towards the apathy of the international community. Yet I feel grateful that I lead a privileged life and can provide my daughter with a safe home and her basic human rights.

Theodore Herzl

We shall have to spirit the penniless population across the border … while denying it any employment in our country.

David Ben Gurion

We must do everything to insure they [the Palestinians] never do return … The old will die and the young will forget.

Ariel Sharon

Everybody has to move; run and grab as many hilltops as they can to enlarge the settlements, because everything we take now will stay ours. Everything we don’t grab will go to them.

BDS Movement

Their Independence is our Nakba. The ethnic cleansing of 750,000 to one million indigenous Palestinians 70 years ago and turning them into refugees to establish a Jewish-majority state in Palestine is no cause for celebration.

Jeremy Corbyn

I have been campaigning for the human rights of the Palestinian people and will continue to do so for as long as their rights are being denied to them.

Al Pacino

Take a look at Israel’s terrorist and you would know who the terrorist is.

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Filmmaker, screenwriter, author and journalist Alia Yunis is a versatile woman with olive oil in her heart. With her writing appearing in the Los Angeles Times, Aramco World and Sauveur among others, she has also been published in numerous anthologies, featuring both fiction and non-fiction. A PEN Emerging Voices fellow, The Night Counter (Random House), is her first novel and her most recent work is a documentary feature film called The Golden Harvest, in which she tries to understand the profound, often troubled relationship between the people of Mediterranean and their olive trees. 

Born in Chicago, to Palestinian parents Shafiq and Abla, Alia’s father immigrated to the US on a Math’s scholarship and eventually became a respected environmental engineer and her mother an adjunct sociology professor at the American University of Beirut. Growing up in the States, both parents were academically driven and encouraged Alia and her younger brother Isam to achieve their fullest potential. But they became worried when they only saw her reading and not being more gregarious.

My parents were very strict about education-like all Palestinians. There just aren’t enough degrees we can get. But I was so shy, so when I was 15-years old, my parents actually forbid me from reading anymore books unless I went to some parties and was more social.

Preserving their culture was fundamental to her parents as it was a struggle to achieve and sustain.

Expressing our heritage was intrinsic to life in the far flung Arab American community in Minnesota in the 1970s and 80s, where we lived when I was a child. It was a very small community, spread out randomly through the state, not like today, and we would gather for picnics in the summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas, eating turkey with hummus and lubya bi zeit; a kind of Sweden meets the Middle East spread, as the kids were always pushing for the more traditional Minnesota foods, so we could feel normal. This was mostly about pushing Scandinavian Christmas cookies and Jello desserts.

Our parents were pretty determined to make us speak Arabic. They joined forces with the other Arab parents, until they found the place: They drove us an hour every week to attend Arabic language school in a room that a Lutheran church gave us. Of all the mixed religions that we could have been, I’m pretty sure none of us were Lutheran.

From a young age, Alia always new she wanted to work in film but her parents wanted her to be a doctor or engineer, so she found a compromise with them and studied political science and journalism at the University of Minnesota.

I had some idea that with journalism I could save Palestine. Academically, Palestine was my driver. I wanted to help some way. I’m not sure I have ever figured how to help.

After graduating, Alia worked for the Al Jazeera news agency but found news production did not stimulate her anf was unhappy. She then decided to return to school, receiving her masters in Film at the American University in Washington, DC.

Alia then left for Hollywood, after winning a comedy award from Warner Brothers, writing a spec script for the hit TV series for Murphy Brown, also interning on Full House.

It’s a tough industry and I was so lost as everyone around me was so confident, and I was the only Arab in room.

If the Olive could recall who planted it, its oil would run as Tears.

When her father died in 2008, Alia wanted to connect to learn more about her his past and met with his family in what is now Israel for the first time.

I had never met his immediate family and it was very emotional for me. But it was not like the West Bank, I I knew before. Nothing had prepared me for the inhumane science fiction experiment of the Israeli occupation, but at the same time I was taken by the incredible physical beauty of the place.

The Golden Harvest

Remembering her dad’s love for olive oil, Alia was inspired to understand his adoration for the olive tree further.

My dad was born in Palestine and so was olive oil. He was an expert on tasting oil and people respected his decree. Playing backgammon and testing a new batch of olive oil was how I pictured my father genuinely happy.

And it wasn’t just her father:

Almost every time I talked to people with Mediterranean roots about olive oil, they would jump in with an olive oil story that was also tied to family, politics, science, history or health. Olive trees can also represent loss and frustration, as demonstrated in the scenes of Palestinian farmers who can see their trees on land that has been seized and divided, but can’t cultivate them.

During the making of her documentary The Golden Harvest, Alia travelled to five different locations; Italy, Greece, Spain, Israel and Palestine, where olive trees not only dominate the landscape, they are a symbol of identity and family, as well as industry.

Trees ground us in our roots and the nature that surrounds all of us in the Mediterranean is the olive tree. It gives us a sense of home, even if we are living away. It is special to all three religions in the region. Throughout the world, there is no other tree like the olive tree, that can produce so much, physically and emotionally.

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PORTFOLIO

Born in 1977 in Beirut, Tala Atrouni found her love for art at a young age. She grew up admiring her father’s skill in calligraphy, poetry and drawings, and would keep herself busy colouring with crayons every chance she got. Despite the lack of formal art training in high school, she’s flourished as a natural talent whose life experiences have driven her to rise above the challenges, and pursue her passion for art. She is now on her way to becoming one of the most treasured artists in the Middle East.

Tala’s family fled Palestine to Lebanon in 1948 and they were fortunate enough not to live in the camps. Her grandfather, a carpenter, set up a successful family business, designing high-end interior décor. But when the Lebanese civil war began, they found themselves embroiled in yet another catastrophe.

1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon

The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted conflict lasting from 1975 to 1990. In 1982, Israel invaded South Lebanon supposedly in retaliation for the attempted assassination of the Israeli Ambassador to England. [ADD VIDEO]

Tala remembers the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

It’s difficult to talk about. Being a Palestinian during the civil war was terrifying. We heard stories of Palestinians being kidnapped and killed, including my mother’s cousin who was murdered and thrown in the garbage.

When the bombs were hammering, Tala and her family took refuge at the German Embassy. There Tala remembers keeping busy with arts and crafts.

I was young and didn’t fully understand what was happening but I remember enjoying passing time immersed in art.

When the situation subsided, they returned home to find it had been bombed and completely destroyed.

Our balcony was all over the street. When we entered the house, we were devastated to see what had happened. My father was heartbroken, there was very little we could take with us and unfortunately all my childhood photos were also destroyed.

Like many who grew up during the Lebanese civil war, the trauma is embedded in Tala’s mind.

I would never want my children to experience war. I am grateful to my parents for being so positive, despite the sadness around us. They tried their best to remain cheerful and make us laugh. My parents always told us to accept the past and not live the drama, that we should transcend from our pain and do better.

As the war continued, her parents had the opportunity to move to Sweden for a better life, but Tala’s mom insisted they stay in the Arab world, to preserve their roots. Despite all the hardship she witnessed, Tala found refuge in her paintings.

Art is my Life and my Life is Art

Tala enrolled in the school of fine arts at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Her father was concerned about her choice and encouraged her to enrolled in advertising so that she would earn a minor degree in the field and improve her chances of finding a job. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1998 with an award of excellence in the art of painting and sculpture.

After she met her husband, they moved to San Francisco, California. There, she worked in the high-tech industry for three years as a publishing team leader, when she decided to continue her graduate studies and pursue a future in art. She attended the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. In August 2005, she graduated with an MFA degree in illustration.

I’ve travelled the World to find myself coming Home

Tala and her husband made the conscious decision to move back to the Middle East and settle in the Gulf for their children.

We didn’t want our children to be confused about who they are. Staying connected to the Arab world was important for us. We wanted to be in an environment where they are more accepted and are proud of who they are as Arabs

Hardship hit home again when Tala lost her mother in a tragic car accident. Her father heartbroken from the tragedy and passed away only few months later.

It was a wakeup call for me. I had to accept what had happened and painting helped me with my grief and gave me peace.

To be an Artist is to believe in Life

Tala had her first successful solo exhibition in Muscat and was honored by the French and Lebanese Ambassador who inaugurated the event. Today, Tala is based in Abu Dhabi and continues to express herself through her beautiful paintings.

I gain inspiration from different artists. I love to paint abstract but at the moment I’m turning towards a more minimalist style, perhaps because we live in such a hectic time, where we are so busy, and we need a break. In the painting you can find peace and serenity. I love how colours interact with each other, I find it totally exhilarating.

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