Dalia

"The First Joy" by the Palestinian artist, Ismail Shammout
I'm a PALESTINIAN Muslim, a proud one too, but I have no problem with other cultures and other religions..
After all, we are ALL humans
I have never been able to go to Palestine, not even for a visit so it is my wish to touch the soil of my homeland one day..
I strongly believe that my wish will come true soon, I'm positive about that! =)
Dispossessed, deprived of their birthright and denied basic human rights and freedoms, millions of Palestinians daily endure a rare fate. Just the simple act of surviving through the day under occupation requires enormous resilience in the face of a superior war machine, supported by the world's single superpower. Yet Palestinians have never lost hope that one day they will be able to live in freedom, peace and prosperity in their own independent homeland..
((I didn't write that, I'm not that good with words.. I took it from Aljazeera.net))
I COME FROM THERE
I come from there and I have memories
Born as mortals are, I have a mother
And a house with many windows,
I have brothers, friends,
And a prison cell with a cold window.
Mine is the wave, snatched by sea-gulls,
I have my own view,
And an extra blade of grass.
Mine is the moon at the far edge of the words,
And the bounty of birds,
And the immortal olive tree.
I walked this land before the swords
Turned its living body into a laden table.
I come from there. I render the sky unto her mother
When the sky weeps for her mother.
And I weep to make myself known
To a returning cloud.
I learnt all the words worthy of the court of blood
So that I could break the rule.
I learnt all the words and broke them up
To make a single word: Homeland.....
- Mahmoud Darwish
THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL HERITAGE
Israel has been stealing the Palestinian National Heritage and claiming it as it's own. It has stolen uniforms, folklore, dishes and, believe it or not, the kufiye! They made up one that is blue & white instead of the famous black & white scarf that has been a symbol for Palestinian resistance since 1936, the one that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat used to wear in a form that is similar to the historical map of Palestine.
Israel is portraying Palestinians as a bunch of 'terrorists with no culture'. This is just another form of the ethnic cleansing to erase the existence of the Palestinians.
Because of that, I am trying to put up as much information about our heritage as I can.
"The Palestnian National Dress, Thobe"
The slideshow below shows some pictures of the Palestinian national dress. These designs and many more, originally used by the Canaanites - the Palestinian ancestors, have existed for over 4000 years on the land of Palestine.
Click HERE for detailed information.
"The Palestinian Wedding"
The picture below depicts a typical Palestinian country wedding with its rituals, the dabkeh folk dance, the bride on a horse, and the traditional "mansaf dish"..
from Palestinian Embroidery
Click on the pic for details
"The Olive Tree"
Don't be surprised, the olive tree is part of the Paletinian heritage. It is our identity that Israel has been trying to destroy. Many trees are thousands of years old, planted by the Canaanites.
An olive tree to me is like a Palestinian mother, both loving and strong =)
Read more below:
The Olive Tree as a Symbol of Palestine
&
A Brief Study of Olives and Olive Oil in Palestine
If you want to know how much the olive tree is precious and dear to Palestinians, take a look at this picture.. It speaks for itself!