Latest posts by Ayesha Saldanha from March, 2009
Palestine: Commemorating Land Day
March 30 is Land Day, on which Palestinians everywhere, but especially those within Israel, commemorate the day in 1976 when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by the Israeli army and police during protests against land expropriation. The day has become a way to mark the struggle of the Palestinians to hold onto their land, when demonstrations take place as well as other events. Palestinian and pro-Palestinian bloggers around the world have observed the occasion.
Palestine: Traditional Dress
Sameh Abo Wadih writes about the traditional Palestinian thobe [Ar].
Palestine: The Changing Face of Jerusalem
Ned, who lives in Ramallah, writes about the changes he has seen taking place in Jerusalem: “Israel is clearly trying to change the whole face of Jerusalem, making it more Jewish than it has ever been. In the process, thousands of Arabs are losing their right to live in the...
Israel: A Letter to Bernard Kouchner
Dr Hatim Kanaaneh has written an open letter to Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister: “The news that you have preemptively spoken against any official objection to the expected appointment of Avigdor Lieberman to the post of Foreign Minister of Israel distresses me. … (As) a Palestinian citizen of Israel…Mr. Lieberman...
Palestine: The Purpose of Checkpoints
Marcy Newman, who lives in Nablus in the West Bank, describes driving home late at night, and the difficulties she had getting into the city through the numerous Israeli checkpoints that surround it: “these checkpoints are not to keep people in and out – it is to make people think...
Palestine: Experiencing Contempt in Egypt
Gull from the Gaza Beach is angry with Egypt: “The overwhelming majority of Palestinians who passed through Cairo International Airport have a stock of stories about the humiliation to which they are exposed … The Egyptian government contributes to the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
Qatar: Lost in the Carpark
Christian San Juan, a Filipino based in Qatar, reminds us how easy it is to forget where your car is in a large carpark.
Palestine: Dancing Defiantly in Gaza
At Tales to Tell Sharyn Lock has posted photos of cultural groups dancing and playing music in the ruins of the Red Crescent complex in Gaza.
Palestine: Remember The War
Young Gazan blogger Lina AlSharif has made two videos to mark three months since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began.
Palestine: Testimonies Regarding Israeli War Crimes in Gaza
Bloggers in Gaza have not been surprised by the testimonies of Israeli soldiers documenting war crimes they committed or witnessed during the recent attacks on Gaza - or by any of the other stories now being reported regarding the Israeli military's conduct.
Global Voices Book Challenge – Read Your Way Around the World!
April 23 is UNESCO World Book Day – and just because the Global Voices team loves blogs, doesn’t mean we have forgotten other forms of the written word! In fact, because we think reading literature is such an enjoyable way to learn about another culture, we have a fun challenge for all Global Voices contributors and readers, and bloggers everywhere.
Palestine: A Mother's Pain
In Gaza, Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra tells the story of a mother who took part in a protest for the release of her son, a political prisoner in the Nafha top security prison in Israel, whom she hadn't seen for 25 years; on her way home from the protest...
Israel: The Language of Taxis
Rasha Helwa, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel living in Acre (and describes herself as living in Palestine), has written a series of short posts at her blog Zaghroda about her thoughts when taking shared taxis, and on the significance of the language - Arabic or Hebrew - that the driver chooses to use.
Palestine: Resistance – Not Charity
Marcy Newman writes at Body On The Line about the importance of resistance by Palestinians, not charity from foreigners: “the use of this word ‘humanitarian,’ to me implies that palestinians are some sort of charity case who are not capable of taking care of themselves, of fighting this battle themselves…the...
Palestine: The Politics of Food
Anne at Mapping The Margins describes her attempts to only buy food that is produced locally by Palestinians, rather than Israeli products.
Palestine: Art as Resistance
Abdelfattah Abusrour, director of Al-Rowwad Culture and Theatre Center in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, crossposts an article he has written about the use of art as a means of resistance: “I was born Palestinian and I don’t want to do anything to change this. I was born in...
Qatar: Cooking for Purim
Jocelyn is an American living in Qatar, who loves cooking: “There's just something about living in a Muslim country that means the Jewish holidays seem to sneak up on me… so of course, I just realized today that tonight was Purim. A trip to the grocery store and a hurried...
Israel: The Pomegranate
Hatam Kanaaneh, who blogs at A Doctor in Galilee, writes about the pomegranate: “Rumman – Arabic for pomegranate, originally the Pharonic name for the Iranian native fruit – has a special romantic ring to it in my heart.”
Palestine: Remembering Rachel Corrie
Gazan blogger Fida Qishta commemorates the death of American activist Rachel Corrie six years ago: “Every year we remember 16th March. We remember a kind, insightful, talented person committed to the plight of the Palestinian people. Her name was Rachel Corrie. … We should remember Rachel and all that she...
Palestine: Robbed of a Childhood
Gazan blogger Ayman Quader describes the plight of children who are forced to work because of the desperate economic situation in the Gaza Strip: “It is true that Palestinians have honed a collective resilience in the face of historic hardships. But this strength should not be sentimentalized. Children, who remain...
Palestine: “Welcome to the Gaza Zoo!”
At the New Internationalist Gaza Blog, Louisa Waugh describes seeing hordes of foreigners arriving in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks – and calls it the Gaza solidarity circus.
