Mahmoud Darwish & Naji Al-Ali Audio-Visual Collection

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:35:00 GMT

This is a video I put together that represents a collection of Naji Al-Ali's work accompanied by Mahmoud Darwish's voice as he cites some of his poetry. The original was onger and of a better quality but I had to compress it and cut some parts for uploading purposes.

كم مرة ستسافرون؟

وإلى متى ستسافرون؟

ولأي حلم؟

وإذا رجعتم يوماً فلأي منفى ترجعون؟

عرب أطاعوا رومهم

عرب وباعوا روحهم

عرب وضاعوا

سقط القناع

Happy Birthday Israel

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:40:00 GMT

Tomorrow, Israel will be celebrating the 60^th anniversary of establishing the "state" of Israel. Soon to-be-ex-president Bush is flying all the way from the U.S to share in the celebration. Hearing this news, I thought the world is way too screwed up. Yet, if you come to think about it, Israel should celebrate this date. Yes, because Israel hasn't only established a state, but also achieved much more than that, they did what no country in modern history did and they feel like they have the right to celebrate it.

The fact is, Israel is the only "state" that was established at the cost of dispossessing and displacing 800,000 people from their homes, which was then two thirds of the Palestinian population, who would later earn the title of "refugees". Some of those fled the Israeli atrocities, others were forced out, and many of those refugees now and their offspring still suffer in the dire circumstances they live under in refugee camps. Those Palestinians, who once had homes and lands full of olive and orange trees, are now living in tents with polluted water and no sanitation. That's how Israel came to life.

Moreover, Israel could neglect all the human rights by forcing around 800,000 people out of their lands based on their religion. Not that they posed any threat or did anything that undermine the peace of the country, but they only weren't Jewish, that's it. It's like saying: "If you don't have the same beliefs as I do, you have no right to have a home or to own any land where I live, or want to live" Or worse, "If you don't share my beliefs, I can kick you out anytime and take your place because, apparently, I'm superior to you."

Israel also is the only country in the world that gives itself the right to neglect and overlook the UN resolutions, International human rights and anything that has to do with humanity or common sense. Over those 60 years and way before that they managed to acquire immunity against any criticism, and no matter how brutal their acts against Palestinians and Arabs were, they've always managed to rationalize it and legitimize it in the name of self-defense.

Israel is the only country that kills a 10 year-old boy and shows no regret, even blaming him for being in the line of fire. Israel is the only state that counter-strikes stones thrown by children with heavey artillery fire. And, Israel is the only state who managed to fool the world, or some people, by making them believe that the Palestinians are the persecutors. It doesn't take much to believe that, only a little dose of delusion and ignorance.

So, this is what Israel and Bush are celebrating tomorrow. Bon annivairsaire. And to the Palestinians who are at the same time celebrating 60 years of tyranny, brutality and homelessness, these poetic verses by Nizar Qabbani…

Ah, generation of betrayal,
of surrogate and indecent men,
generations of leftovers,
we'll be swept away--
never mind the slow pace of history--
by the children bearing rocks

Cinnamon Zone: Nakba

Mahmoud Darwish & Naji Al-Ali Audio-Visual Collection

Happy Birthday Israel