Posted on December 5, 2020 by Nahida Exiled Palestinian
Only in Palestine
Two Palestinian prisoners, one has been sentenced for 21 years and his friend has been sentenced for 7 years.
The friend who has the lowest sentence and after the approval of his mother, put a request to carry an extra 7 years on behalf of his friend, and to reduce the sentence of his friend.
His request was approved and they both were released together yesterday, after 14 years in prison.
They celebrated together, along with their mothers, families and friends.
Posted on August 15, 2019 by Nahida Exiled Palestinian
Author Issa Issa Qawasmi, translation Nahida Izzat
Seventy years on, the heart is still loaded with the same question, memory or amnesia?
Every Jerusalemite is born deeply involved in belonging,
A forbidden love that turns pulse into shrapnel,
A love carrying its identity from the wound of the place,
A love transparent, as a woman’s body, does not need much of beauty frills,
A love suffice for the universe and life without a question,
A love that relinquishes its thirst from the essence of a mirage,
A love which has no need for the wisdom of distant far away sister-cities, captured in the trap of humiliation and disgrace,
A love that passionately safeguards holiness, history, geography and reasons for survival,
A love overflowing between two wars, such as a bird nesting between Earth and the Sky,
A love, free, outside coincidence, like astonishment before the door of the Resurrection,
A love of which facts, evidence and the patience of enemies got exhausted,
A love that does not tire of interpreting love,
A love against treason or amnesia,
A love that resembles Jerusalem.
On the fringes of my heart, I chose to love you,
Everything about you is lovable
Forgive me if the age of my pulse is short,
I love you when a cloud injures me,
and when the road does not lead me to you,
I love you if a moon rises in your palm and if your intimacy becomes hell,
I love you as I ran out of me to you, as the narcissus of your eyes brought me as a stranger,
I love you when I am alone, the heart left with nothing but prayer and nostalgia,
I forget you, to get closer to you,
I forget you, for in you I recover everything I ever lost.
بقلم الاديب المقدسي عيسى القواسمي وترجمة ناهدة عزت
سبعون عاما والقلب لا زال محملا بذات السؤال ، الذاكرة أم النسيان ؟كل مقدسي يولد متورطآ بالإنتماء ، حب محرم يحول النبض الى شظايا ، حب يحمل هويته من جرح المكان ، حب شفاف كجسد إمرأة لا يحتاج الى الكثير من رتوش الجمال ، حب يكفي الكون والعمر دون سؤال ، حب يروي عطشه من جوهر السراب ، حب لا يحتاج الى حكمة المدن الشقيقة البعيدة النائية الواقعة في فخ الذل والهوان ، حب ينتصر للقداسة والتاريخ والجغرافيا وأسباب البقاء ، حب فاض بين حربين مثل طير صنع أيكه بين الأرض والسماء ، حب حر خارج الصدفة كالدهشة أمام باب القيامة ، حب ضجرت منه الحقائق والبراهين وصبر الأعداء ، حب لا يتعب من تفسير الحب ، حب يشبه القدس ، حب ضد الخيانة أو النسيان
على هامش قلبي ، إخترت أن أحبك ، فكل ما فيك يحب … وأغفري لي إن كان عمر النبض قصير ، أحبك حين تجرحني غيمة ولا تصوبني إليك الطريق ، أحبك إن إرتفع قمر في كفك وصار وصالك جحيم ، أحبك إذ خرجت مني إليك وأعادني نرجس عينيك كالغريب ، أحبك حين أترك وحيدآ ولا يمتلك القلب سوى صلاة وحنين . وأنساك لأقترب منك ، أنساك فبك كل ما أضعت أستعيد .
Posted on June 30, 2015 by Nahida Exiled Palestinian
I cannot help but notice the striking commonalities between two politically active groups who perceive themselves as uniquely “oppressed”, perpetually “persecuted”, “hated” and “marginalized” :
A small part of their perception of the self has become their entire identity
They display symptoms of victim-hood syndrome and excessive sense of persecution
They exhibit intense craving for, and demanding of world-love, by hook or by crook
They use slander and ad hominem attacks as means to win the debate, against those who stand by in bewilderment, and against those who don’t celebrate with them their self-obsession and self-adoration
They criminalize those who ask questions, show signs of concern or express different opinions, share some doubts or dissent
In recent years, the entire Western political paradigm has been encapsulated in two main campaigns: the first being the right of LGBT to proselytise their lifestyle (specially amongst children) and to publicly celebrate their sexual orientations, and the second being “israel’s right” to defend itself.
The spectrum of political debate has shriveled to two pivotal topics, spinning in the orbits of “same-sex love” on the Left and “israel adoration” on the Right.
The candidate/ party who are most able to exhibit more love and support to both are the most likely to climb up the political ladder resuming leadership.
The more dedication a candidate/ party shows to both LGBT and the Jewish State the more chances of scoring high on the scale of “civility”
Too much time, energy and money has been invested in expressing “pride” of sexual orientation, and in publicly celebration sexual behaviour, all with the blessing and support of the political “elite”, world leaders and dubious institutions.
What a devious way to divert attention from scrutinizing the REAL issues of PERSECUTION, OPPRESSION and INJUSTICE !
The global and annual LGBT exhibitionist celebrations -under the banner of fighting for human rights against “persecution”, is coupled with persistent attempts to insert this “fight” in every other liberation and/or human right movement.
Juxtaposing the six colours ( hijacked rainbow bright colours which are for CHILDREN, which lures and attracts the little ones) over every other flag, became the litmus test for measuring the “progressiveness”, “civility” and “worthiness” of support of any particular organization, country and movement.
Does this not cause people to THINK, that maybe something is not quite right here?
Why on earth should “progressiveness” be defined by how much one takes pride in the sexual behaviour of a small group of people?
Why on earth should mankind be classified and divided according to their sexual preferences?
Why on earth should anyone be called “hater” and “intolerant” if one says they do not like their children, nor themselves to be exposed to live-porn?
Why on earth should anyone be labeled as “homophobic” If they kindly request from their brothers in humanity to keep bedroom acts where it belongs, in the bedroom, and spare our children the obscenity of premature exposure to unwanted sexuality or nudity?
How can such a request be considered “persecution” and “oppression”?
Logic of the absurd
If you are a Palestinian fighting for the freedom of your people and the liberation of your homeland, you have to give up your alienable rights to the land, and flatly aplogise for not liking very much the idea of sharing your home with your rapists, otherwise you would be called “racist antisemite” who wants to “ethnically cleanse” Jews, “persecute” them and deprive them from their “human rights”.
If you are a Palestinian who cherishes his history and traditional values, you have to give up your ethics and culture, start competing with “israel’s Pride Parade”.
You need to understand that your support for the “gay pride” public celebration of the particular sexuality of a very small segment of the population, is the first and conditional step toward the liberation of your homeland.
In order to succeed in defeating your oppressors, you have to make their sexuality your number one priority; compete with “israel”, organise PPP “Palestinian Pride Parades” which are bigger, more radical and louder than that of “israel”, otherwise you would be seen as a “backward Arab” and you would be called “intolerant homophobe”.
For whose agenda?
We began to feel the pressure demanding to insert sexual orientation as an”integral” part for our movement, which is extremely insensitive and divisive move at this stage of our struggle.
We began to feel the heat of abuse because we express concern for our children and ask for some sensitivity towards our culture
Having the view that sexuality is a private matter does NOT mean one is hateful or homophobic.
Muslim societies are concerned for the welfare of the whole society, and not just the pleasure of a few.
Exhibitionism and public display of sexual activity is deemed harmful for society, specially the most vulnerable and most worthy of protection, namely the children.
Children are not designed or ready to cope with sexual activity as much as babies are not ready to digest heavy meals.
It is not rocket science to know that such early exposure is harmful to children.
When I expressed my concern for children, I was attacked, ridiculed, accused of being “racist”, “Homophobic”, insulted and threatened of being blocked by one prominent activist for Palestine.
Finally,
It is obscene that a self-profiled “supporter” of Palestinians, would completely ignore, reject and campaign to change fundamental aspects of Palestinian culture, ethics, model of society etc.
The Palestinian model of society has been successful in peacefulness, harmony, tolerance and family cohesiveness, since centuries and more, contrary to the imposed “Western” model, which arguably has failed in these respects.
What sort of support are we seeing, when in essence it asks us to abandon our cultural identity?
Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms.. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.
Poetry for Palestine 