Focus on the Nakba (email edition)
April Updates from Sawa: Newton-Area Alliance for Peace and Justice
Index
This email version contains only ONE of the articles in this month’s newsletter. For the complete, online version, open THIS LINK, or you can link to individual stories, below.
Tracking anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and related experiences in Newton
Sawa Events - Book Group this Sunday! “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama”
Outside Press/Sawa Members In The Press (Antisemitism Commission, and Harvard & Palestine Scholasticide.
Al-Nakba, a Continuing Trauma for Palestinians
This coming May marks the 77th memorial of one of the most traumatic and tragic events in the Palestinian history: the 1948 Nakba or "The Catastrophe" . This word, “Nakba”, refers to the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians in 1948, the destruction of more than 500 villages, and the establishment of the state of Israel on Palestinian land.
This May also marks a year since our Sawa community, in Newton, was traumatised during an event commemorating Al-Nakba at Newton Public Library in May 2024.
The Al-Nakba commemoration event at Newton Public Library was planned as a reception to honor an artist who was exhibiting photos he took in his travels to Palestine. The photos depicted the faces of Palestinians, old and young, most of whom lived in the occupied West Bank; some landscape photos were also included. At the event, three Palestinian Newtonian speakers were slated to speak, to share some of their experiences as Palestinian Newtonians, and to reflect on their reactions to some of the photos. Great deal of preparations took place, including conversations with the Library staff, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
As the event opened, some well-organized disruptors barged in, and occupied the front rows seats, tearing away the “reserved signs” that were placed on those seats which were reserved for the speakers, the artist, his friends and the set up crew. Not one minute past after the moderator convened the event, the disruptors started booing in a very loud noise, screaming over the moderator's voice and trying to prevent them from speaking. They refused to allow any of the speakers to speak and tried to silence the artist, refusing to let him make any comments. One of them called us “terrorists” while we were sitting quietly on stage and hadn’t uttered a word, or even introduced ourselves. They never gave us a chance to share our message of peace. They were aggressive and hurtful and their behavior was repulsive. At this point we realised that they were in fact succeeding in shutting down the event sponsored by the Library. Several Newton police officers, including the chief, were present, but they refused to intervene. They watched silently and ignored our plea to do something to protect our rights to freedom of speech and our rights to be safe and protected in public space.
Many of our community were traumatized by the disruptors’ actions, enabled by the inaction of the Newton police. To this day, I know that many in our community feel uneasy about going to the library, some avoid going there, and some even stopped driving the street where the library is located.
The Palestinian people have faced adversity and trauma throughout our modern history. We have a rich culture and proud history. We strongly believe that we should be afforded the space to share that with those who want to listen, in accordance with our right to freedom of speech, without being silenced or erased by those who refuse to hear.
To me, every Nakba commemoration is an opportunity to honor the resilience of the Palestinian people and an invitation to others to join us in solidarity as we fight for freedom and equality for all who call the Holy and home. I am saddened that some in our Newton community chose to shut down the exhibit’s reception with shameful hate speech calling us “terrorists,” “rapists,” and shouting “cages for Gaza.” We were denied the opportunity to share our message of peace and our vision for living together in harmony, freedom, equality and security with those who came in good faith to learn about our experience. I know the disrupters don’t represent the majority, in Newton or in the USA, but I worry that the majority may remain silent and let the haters ruin Newton’s potential to be a community where we all belong and are respected.
In closing it might be fitting to recite Mahmoud Darwish’s poem,‘Think of Others,’. The message is that in spite of our pain and misfortune. The poem acts as a powerful plea to ‘be the candle in the dark’ .
As you prepare your breakfast, think of others (do not forget the pigeon’s food). As you conduct your wars, think of others (do not forget those who seek peace). As you pay your water bill, think of others (those who are nursed by clouds). As you return home, to your home, think of others (do not forget the people of the camps). As you sleep and count the stars, think of others (those who have nowhere to sleep). As you liberate yourself in metaphor, think of others (those who have lost the right to speak). As you think of others far away, think of yourself (say: “If only I were a candle in the dark”).
Upcoming Sawa Events
Sawa Book Discussion on May 4 register now!
Join members of Sawa: Newton Area Alliance for Peace and Justice on Sunday, May 4, for a discussion of Nathan Thrall’s A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction.
More details HERE.
The discussion will take place at a private home in Newton. Registration is required, using this form.
For the complete, online version of this newsletter, open THIS LINK,
“Sawa” Means Together…
Driven by a vision of collective liberation, our diverse peace alliance advocates for equality and justice for Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and inclusion for all.