Episodes
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Nada is a Palestinian-American author, teacher and mother. She was six years old when her mother kidnapped her from Kuwait, at the time when Iraq invaded Kuwait. They went to the United States where her uncle lived in Rhode Island. She did not yet realize that it was not a holiday but they were going to stay.
Her debut book All Water Has a Perfect Memory is a memoir that takes readers from the author’s ancestral origins- the coast of Yaffa, Palestine, to her birthplace of Kuwait, eventually landing on the shores of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
The narrative confronts generations of silence and, ultimately, revelation with an imaginative blend of folklore and history that explores the relationship between our bodies, ancestors, and the Earth. The work explores the way the author is intertwined with her maternal line while reuniting with her father after a 30-year separation.Voices once hidden in the waters of our bodies are amplified and released to forever alter the landscape, breaking cycles and seeding an audacious hope interconnected to lands past and present.
https://jadedibispress.com/product/all-water-has-perfect-memory-by-nada-samih-rotondo/Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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Recently the kids and I watched the film 'A house in Jerusalem' by filmmaker Muayad Elayyan who happens to be a far cousin and friend of my husband Tariq. Although he told me that he had a small role as an extra in this film, which he's had in all Muayad's films, I did NOT recognize him. Turns out the policeman in the scene when Rebecca wanders off from the summer school activity in Jerusalem and ends up with the Palestinian puppeteer, is MY husband!! We only realized at the end of the film when we saw his name in the end credits, that we had missed out on recognizing him. It was a hilarious moment when we played it again and then figured out the policeman was Tariq!
Muayad visits Singer Cafe regularly so it wasn't hard to catch him for a podcast interview. After his earlier films: 'The reports on Sarah and Saleem' and 'Love Theft and Other Entanglements' this film 'A House in Jerusalem' is the latest. It came out in January 2023 and it is still being shown at film festivals around the world.
In this film a British Jewish girl named Rebecca comes with her father to Jerusalem after her mother has died in a tragic car accident. Her grandfather has a house in West Jerusalem where they can live. They are both overwhelmed with the trauma of losing the mother, but the father is trying to make things work in their new environment. Rebecca explores the garden, finds an old well, manages to open it and finds a traditional rag doll in the well. This leads her to connect with the ghost of the young Palestinian girl Rasha. What follows is the story of what happened to this girl Rasha during the 1948 Nakba when the family was forcibly displaced from their home.
In the podcast interview with Muayad we touch on many aspects of the film and on Muayad's personal family history. His both grandparents were displaced from their homes. The theme of intergenerational trauma both on an individual level as well as on the collective level are very present in the film.
Muayad could never have imagined that his film would come out just months before the 7th of October and before the ethnic cleansing campaign in the Gaza strip. "There are many parallels to what happened in 1948 and what is happening in Gaza."
If you want to follow up with news of screenings of the film then this is the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ahouseinjerusalemConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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Episodes manquant?
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On a Friday evening in September I attended a beautiful concert of the Amwaj children's choir in Bethlehem. I had tears rolling down my eyes. Not only did the choir sound so beautiful, but also did I realize what Palestinian children in the Westbank are suffering through. And how their peers in Gaza are losing everything, their houses, their beloved ones, their schools, their chances, their future, their hope...
I decided to interview Michele Cantoni, an Italian musician (violinist) who established the Amwaj choir with his wife Mathilde Vittu, the Choir Director.
The Amwaj choir has two branches, one in Hebron and one in Bethlehem. Children who want to be part of the choir have to commit to all the rehearsals and the performances. There is no fee, the choir is for free, available to all children who want to make the commitment.
The repertoire consists of songs in many different languages. They have performed in different parts of Palestine as well as in France, Belgium and Italy.
This year they adapt the choice of the songs to the current reality with themes like solidarity and freedom.
In this episode you can hear some soundbites that I recorded during the concert and of course the interview I did with Michele a few days later.
If you want to read more about the Amwaj choir or if you want to contact Michele and Mathilde please go to : https://amwajchoir.orgConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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The Makhrour valley is situated between Beit Jala and Battir and the larger part of this valley has been designated as part of a world heritage site registered by UNESCO as 'Palestine, land of olives and vines'
The slopes of hills on either side of the Makhrour valley have terraces that date back to at least the Roman era. These agricultural terraces are farmed by Palestinian farmers from Beit Jala and Battir.
On a hot September morning I walked with my friend Dee down the valley to visit Shadi who started farming two years ago on the renovated land of his family. He is selling his produce at our Singer Cafe every Wednesday morning. This year the summer heat came very early in June and most of his crops burnt. I wanted to check on him and see what remained of his hard work.
After our visit we passed by the solidarity tent of the Kisiya family as they were just holding a press conference and preparing for a solidarity march with representatives of different faith communities. The family is struggling against a group of settlers and the Jewish National Fund trying to take over the land. The family was leasing this land from the original owner who left the country and passed away abroad. According to the local law the Kisiya family now has the right to remain on the land until a descendant of the owner would claim the land, but as far as they know, the owner did not have any offspring.
The settlers have not been able to prove they have bought the land. But the military issued a new military order preventing the Kisiya family from entering the Makhrour valley.
An international solidarity vigil is planned for 29 September. You can organize your own activity or join an event in your country.
Go to https://linktr.ee/savealmakhrour to connect and follow the efforts to save al Makhrour on Instagram. If you want to join the WhatsApp community you can contact them on the contact form.Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
This is interview with Yousef Khoury, a Christian Palestinian theologian originally from Gaza, currently living in Bethlehem, was conducted in April 2024. The content of this interview was used for the book: "Daybreak in Gaza, stories of Palestinian lives and culture". In this interview Yousef shares with us his memories of Gaza before the destruction that happened since 7 October 2023.
The book was edited by Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller, with Juliette Touma and Jayyab Abusafia. Published by Saqi Books (London). Profits from sales are being donated to the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The book includes writing and images from almost 100 contributors, bringing together stories, essays, war diaries, memoirs, poems and artworks by all sorts of people from Gaza or connected to Gaza - writers and artists, but also shopkeepers, farmers, teachers, medics, office workers, and more.You can order “Daybreak in Gaza” at your local bookshop in any country, or from Amazon and other online bookstores - but there are two extra-special ways to order:
1- Direct from the publisher at https://saqibooks.com/ - they will ship worldwide, and buying from the publisher maximizes the amount going to charity. (Also, Saqi have been publishing books about Palestine and the wider Middle East for decades, and have a fantastic list of fiction and non-fiction titles that is well worth exploring).
2- Or you can choose to support the Palestinian economy directly by ordering from EducationalBookshop.com - This is a Palestinian-owned and Palestinian-run bookshop in the eastern part of Jerusalem run by the co-author of DAYBREAK IN GAZA, Mahmoud Muna and his family for many years. They will ship worldwide.
This October and November, the book’s editors Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller will be speaking about Gaza, and Palestine, in London and cities around the UK, with events planned in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and elsewhere. Keep an eye on SaqiBooks.com and Matthew’s website matthewteller.com, where tour updates will be posted.
The launch event is scheduled for Thursday 3rd October, at the famous Stanfords bookshop in London.Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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After almost a year of radio silence, I am back to producing new episodes! Last year was very intense for everyone and I was unable to continue the podcast. In this first introduction to the new season, I am trying to explain what happened. I can not go into the details but hopefully you will accept my apologies for disappearing just like that.
I am also back on social media and you can find me and the Ko-fi page for donations towards producing the podcast through this link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
This is the third and last part of a trilogy that I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this last episode Anwaar, who works for MEND and is the media and outreach coordinator for this project and journalist Hayat Hamdan tell us more about an important part of the Civil Society for Dignity project: the media training. This training helps young Palestinians to brainstorm about and to vocalize what they would like to change in their societies and it teaches them the skills and tools to create media content that can be used to communicate their wishes for change. This is an important skill that can be used in civil society participation on the political level.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism
and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
MEND: https://www.mend-online.org/
PCR: https://www.pcr.ps
PCPD: https://pcpd.psConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
This is the second part of a trilogy I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this episode you will learn more about the project 'Civil Society for Dignity' itself. Muna Rishmawi, the project manager, talks about the aims of the project, the cooperation between the different organizations that are involved and how the project is being implemented. One of the young female participants, Aseel, tells us about her personal experiences and what her participation meant to her personal development. We conclude with Yara, who carried out a research and shares her findings with us.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism
and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
MEND: https://www.mend-online.org/
PCR: https://www.pcr.ps
PCPD: https://pcpd.psConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
This is the first part of a trilogy that I made for Pax Palestine Podcast about the 'Civil Society for Dignity' project, a project by MEND, PCR, PCPD and PAX for Peace, supported by the European Union. This project aims to bridge the gap between the Palestinian civil society and the local governments.
In this first episode you will learn more about the political reality for Palestinians under military rule and the civil society landscape of Palestine, in an interview with George Rishmawi, Director of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement of people.
Partners in this joined project are:
MEND stands for Middle East Non Violence and Democracy. MEND promotes active nonviolence and encourages alternatives to violence among youth and adults throughout Palestine. MEND employs innovative methods, especially with the media, and is widely respected for working with authenticity, professionalism
and courage.
PCR is the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between people. PCR works to bridge the gap between Palestinians and peoples from all around the world, informing the public about the reality in Palestine, and empowering the community through nonviolent direct action.
PCPD is the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy. They were established to promote a just peace based on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and relevant United Nations Resolutions towards a two state solution, in which democracy and social justice are guaranteed.
PAX for Peace is based in the Netherlands and works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine PAX supports local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
If you want to know more about the work of Pax for Peace you can visit their website https://paxforpeace.nl
MEND: https://www.mend-online.org/
PCR: https://www.pcr.ps
PCPD: https://pcpd.psConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
Beit Shean or Beisan as it is called by Palestinians because before 1948 it was called Beisan and it had a population of 6000 people, is mainly known for the excavation of the ancient city and it is sometimes compared to Pompeii that was preserved so well because of the volcanic eruption, in this case the remains of Roman and Byzantine Beit Shean were preserved after a major earthquake. The ruins remained undisturbed and are now part of an archaeological park.
The history of Beit Shean goes back to the Canaanite period, about 4000 years ago!
It became an important Egyptian administrative center and it is mentioned in the Bible.
It grew into a really big Roman city with a lot of typical Roman features and it was the capital of the Decapolis. It flourished in Byzantine time. But then it was hit very hard by the major earthquake of 749 and since then the ruins have been left untouched.
Today it is a national park that requires an entrance fee. It is located on the north side of the modern city of Beit Shean, it is South of the Lake of Galilee and it is east (north east) of Jenin.
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, find out more about trips to Palestine, sign up for the e-mail list and support the podcast, all through this one link:
https://linktr.ee/StoriesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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In a previous episode with Apo Sahagian, we talked about the Armenian community in Jerusalem. This episode is a deeper dive into the history of the Armenians and their presence in the holy land in general and in Jerusalem in particular.
The newly renovated Edward and Helen Mardigian Armenian Museum of Jerusalem offers a wealth of stories about the Armenians of Jerusalem.
A key attraction is the sixth century mosaic floor that was found in the Musrara neighborhood while a Palestinian family was putting the pillar of a house in 1894. The mosaic had been part of an ancient Armenian convent, Saint Polyeuctus, one of the 72 Armenian convents that the holy land used to have.
The Armenian inscription on the mosaic says: in memory and salvation of all Armenian martyrs whose names only God knows.
The museum is divided into two floors, the ground floor tells the history of the Armenians from the first century BC to present day. The second floor tells the history of the Armenian genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century.
The building in which the museum is housed, sheltered hundreds of children who became orphans due to the genocide.
You can find the museum on Facebook: Helen and Edward Mardigian Armenian Museum of Jerusalem
Phone: 00 972 2 6328807
E-mail: [email protected]
Opening hours: from 9.00 til 16.00
Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Address: Armenian Patriarchate Road, across the Armenian parking lotConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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The Palestinians call it Akka, in English they say Acre, which goes back to how the Crusaders called the city, today we hear people referring to it as Akko and the root letters AK go back to the Egyptian execration texts in hieroglyphic script that mention AK already in the 19th century BC.
Today we can talk about three parts of Akka: the old city inside the Ottoman walls on a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea, the ancient city that dates back to early and middle bronze age on the Tel east of the old city and modern Akko that has developed in the last decades and now incorporates the ancient Tel, known in Arabic as Tel el Fukhar.
When you visit Akka today, you will mainly see the remains of the Crusader period and the Ottoman period. The biggest tourist attractions are: the Crusader Knights' halls, the Crusader tunnel, the old city with its 'khans', the Al Jazzar mosque, the sea port with its fish restaurants, the suq and the Ottoman city walls.
In this episode you can learn more about the ancient history of Akko.
If you want to connect on social media, subscribe for the newsletter, learn more about the ten days travel program or make a donation to the podcast, use this linktree:
https://linktr.ee/StoriesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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On the Mediterranean coast you can find the ruins of a city that first became a large sized city during the Canaanite period. Of this period the oldest brick wall and arched gate have been excavated and can now be visited. You can even pass through the gate! The National Park in which the ruins of Asqalan can be visited has some very interesting sites: the biggest Roman basilica found in the area, a Phoenician dog cemetery, an antilia (water wheel) that brought fresh water up from above the salt water table, a large sycamore tree, the remains of a Byzantine church, the remains of city walls from several time periods and of course you can enjoy the nature in the park and the Mediterranean Sea and beach!
Asqalan was one of the five Philistine cities that formed the Pentapolis: Gaza, Ashdod, Asqalan, Gath and Ekron. It is mentioned several times in the Bible.
To learn more about the history of Asqalan, listen to this episode!
Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media! Sign up for the newsletter. And if you want to make a donation to sustain the podcast, you can do so on the Ko-fi platform. All the links you need can be found on this Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/StoriesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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I have not been able to record new episodes recently because I am so busy with the Israeli tour guide course. Many people have asked me how that is going so I decided to record an episode about my experience in the first four months of this course.
In the meantime I got my tour guide license by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and I have taken the first small group into the Church of Nativity as a licensed tour guide. That was an amazing moment, especially because it took me almost 4 years to get that license!
And now I am also taking the course in Jerusalem so that I can be a licensed guide in all of the country. It is very interesting, challenging at times, a different narrative and a very diverse group of people. In this episode you can hear more about that!
If you want to get access to unique video content that I am taking during the tours then you can become a Ko-fi member and support the podcast and in return you get access to short videos with explanation. Use this link to find the Ko-fi page AND to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media:
https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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In the previous episode you could learn more about the history of the Church of Nativity, built over the birth cave of Jesus. In this episode I am taking you on a tour inside the Church to explain you some of its most interesting features. You can use this audio guide when you visit the church in Bethlehem but you can also listen to it from the comfort of your home or while you are walking, cleaning or commuting.
If you want to visit the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem with a real tour guide then you can reach out to me, I am a licensed tour guide by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism.
You can also read the transcript of this podcast on the website:
https://storiesfrompalestine.info/2023/03/04/nativity-church-audio-tour/
For more information on the podcast and to connect on social media or if you want to do a donation to help me to continue producing new episodes you can use this link tree:
https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
The most visited site in Bethlehem is the Church of Nativity on Manger Square. It is the oldest church in the world that is still in use by the local community and that is visited by over two million pilgrims every year.
The Church of Nativity is on the UNESCO world heritage list together with the pilgrimage route that passes through today's Star Street. This is the road that Mary and Joseph would have taken to reach Bethlehem where they had to go because of the Roman census organized by Quirinius. When they did not find a place to sleep in a 'kataluma' which is often translated as inn, but in Bethlehem it is interpreted as a guestroom, they were offered to stay in one of the many caves that are so common in the landscape.
Most people in the West grow up with the image of Jesus in a wooden manger in a wooden stable. But the Church of Nativity is built over the cave that has a very early tradition of veneration for being the birthplace of Jesus.
In this episode we explore the history of the church and the biblical account. In the following episode you can go on an audio tour inside the Church!
If you want to read along you can find the full transcript of this episode on the website.
Use the linktree to find the website, social media and to make a donation!
https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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Mohamad Saleh grew up as a city boy. He never worked in a garden or grew his own food until he had an opportunity to travel to Turkey to be close to his partner and live for some time in a WWOOF project where he learned all about Permaculture.
When he came back to Palestine he decided to start working on bringing the concepts of permaculture closer to the community and he established 'Mostadam'
He emphasizes the importance of healing of individuals in general in order to be able to feel more compassion towards each other and towards nature. He talks about how he is trying to work within the context of the political reality in Palestine as well as the natural environment, in areas with little rainfall and in refugee camps with little soil.
If you want to follow Mohamad on Instagram click here
About Mohamed 's Wwoof experience:
https://wwoofturkey.org/
Tips to read:
Book: The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/
Watch:
The Wanted 18
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3946020/
Follow Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, check out the YouTube channel, sign up for the mailinglist and do a very appreciated donation on the Ko-fi platform, all through this one link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
In this episode you can hear Bassam, the host of the podcast: "PreOccupation: A not so brief history of Palestine."
Bassam emphasizes the importance of telling the Palestinian story and the futility of trying to counter hasbara (a term in Hebrew that refers to the advocacy for Israel, a form of propaganda).
He explains that we should distinguish between the shaping of the Palestinian identity, the collective consciousness, and the Palestinian national project. When and where did these emerge and who can be considered the first Palestinian?
We also talk about how the Palestinian identity, despite insurmountable obstacles, has been so successful in surviving.
If you want to listen to his podcast then you can visit this link:
https://linktr.ee/preoccupationpod
If you want to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, if you want to visit the website, explore the YouTube channel, sign up for the newsletter or do a donation on the Ko-fi page then please use this link:
https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestineConnect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine -
In this episode I speak with Yousef Khoury, which translates to Joseph the priest, a Christian Palestinian originally from Gaza, who now lives in Bethlehem. He is the 43rd generation in his family of which 36 generations were priests in the Orthodox priesthood. He studied biblical studies at the Bethlehem Bible College, he has a masters of divinity in theology and mission from the US and is currently working on his doctorate at the University of Amsterdam.
We talk about the history of Christianity in Palestine and the decreasing number of Palestinians who still live in Palestine. We discuss their challenges living under Israeli military and colonial rule and their efforts to counter the Christian Zionist narrative.
As we are approaching Christmas and this episode was recorded in Bethlehem, we end the episode with a Christmas wish and message for everyone around the world.
If you want to learn more about Palestinian theology of liberation these are some sources to check out:
Books:
Munther Isaac, The Other Side of the Wall
Mitri Raheb, Faith in the Face of Empire
Websites:
https://www.kairospalestine.ps
https://www.cryforhope.org
https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/
https://youtube.com/@ChristatTheCheckpoint
https://www.palestineportal.org/resource-directory/by-medium/books-and-films/books-about-by-palestinian-christians/Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the newsletter, read more about traveling to Palestine and if you can, please support the podcast on Ko-fi. All the links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine
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Where did the name Palestine come from and for how long has it been in use?
After reading the book "Palestine a four thousand year history" by Nur Masalha, a Palestinian historian and academic, it became clear that the name Palestine has been used since the 13th century BC until today. Only in the last decades did the use of the name Palestine become estranged, with the establishment of the State of Israel and the vilification of the Palestinian people. Many people doubt whether they can speak about Palestine and Palestinians. Using the name Palestine feels uncomfortable to many people.
In his book, Nur Masalha shows with proof of many documents and quotes that the name Palestine has been the most common name that was used to describe the region between Egypt and today's Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, since it replaced the names Djahi, Retenu and Canaan.
The first mention of the people living in the southern part of the Levant, the Peleset, gives the root letters for the name Philistia and Palaistine, that is used by the Assyrians and later the Greeks and Romans.
The Arabic name Falastin derives directly from the name Palaistine, but in Arabic there is no letter P in the alphabet so they replaced it with the letter F.
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