When Daniel Barenboim said that “The time has come to move forward, and this is what Edward and I were working on together”, and then continued “The time has come, first of all, to accept all that has happened, and secondly, not to distribute guilt… either to the Palestinian side in 1948 or to the Israeli government after that” I felt that he disregarded the fact that the conflict he was speaking about was just a party of history that ended and we should flip the page to the next chapter. I personally feel that the idea of moving forward and going beyond the history should come after the conflict is resolved and after each person feels that they got their rights back.
Also, when Edward Said said “When I went back, for example, to Jerusalem in 1992 with my family I found it a completely different place” “I didn’t grow in the West Bank… is really not home to me” I started to think more about the Palestinian refugees. Over 5 million refugees have not been able to return to Palestine or see it since 63 years. Most of them where even born in refugee camps and never even lived in Palestine. Will these people feel the same as Edward Said did? Will they still find what attaches them to this land even if they return after 100 years of being refugees?
I think that it differs from one person to another. Edward Said for instance, had the opportunity to come to America and went to Cairo before that and his family was able to manage and adapt with the new situation after becoming refugees. While if you look at those living in refugee camps in Lebanon or Syria or Jordan or Iraq you will notice the difference. Most of them have been living under miserable situations for years but still didn’t give up and still insisting that they will return to their homes.
The friendship between Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim was built on their shared interests in music and arts away from politics. But I felt that this friendship had a message to the world which is that in the end we are all humans and can live with each other and build good relations with each other no matter what our backgrounds or believes are. But to do this, everyone has to acknowledge first the rights of the others to live freely and to have all their other rights respected and protected.
But when you have one group oppressed and denied all their rights as humans, then it is impossible for anyone else to start building bridges and trying to achieve peace. Peace and friendship should be based on justice and respect.
I am glad that you brought the idea of both of them living away from the land and the conflict. Both have been raised in other more peaceful parts of the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd i do agree, that friendship is possible, but putting a whole big chapter of history, beliefs and ideas behind, and focusing on a thin line to unite people from both sides is not a realistic thing to do.
Mr.Mazen,
ReplyDeleteI was born in Kuwait,lived in Jordan, and was raised in America. I am 22 turning 23 and I am a refugee.Never in my 22 years have I ever laid a foot on the soil of the holy land.I might not be living under miserable conditions thanks to god but I feel like the ones that have had the ability to adapt( which is not easy by the way) to new situations are the ones that are representing the Palestinians on foreign soil. Does this mean that just because I do not live in a camp on a border of a country that I have given up and that I don't insist on returning to the home of my great grandfather?
to be quite frank I have not met a refugee that thought otherwise...
Also another thing that I would like to point out is that yes, it is nice to think that friendship is a possibility but in my eyes you don't just respect someone just because he is your friend. I believe that people should be able to respect anyone you interact with whether friend or not... ;)
Malak that was not what I meant in what I was saying about living in America or outside Palestine and not in the refugee camps. In my post, I was commenting on Edward Said's words specifically. He didn’t find the Jerusalem he was forced to leave when he went back to it in 1992 and did not feel that Ramallah or the West Bank were considered home for him. I was trying to find a reason for that and I don’t know what he meant by it, did he mean that he lost the connection or tie between him and the land or Jerusalem because it changed? The only difference between Edward as well as others in similar situations and the refugees in refugee camps is that he was able to adapt somewhere else and so may have been able to find a new place to identify as home as well, while the other were not able or allowed to adapt anywhere else as if time stopped in 1948 and since then they are still waiting to go home and not able to work or live their daily lives as all other people around the world.
ReplyDeleteRepresentation does not have anything to do with my point about home and a person’s ties to the land. As you know, although Edward lived in America and in other places he was one of the most popular and respected and educated Palestinians that was able to represent Palestine and the Palestinian struggle everywhere he went.
Mazen, sorry if my post sounded like I was attacking what you were saying! That was not my intention... I know that you were criticizing Edward's specific words but at the same time I was also trying to give you my input from a refugee's perspective. I guess from the point that I feel like I have adapted to a certain life style that I probably can't live without. I guess in a way I was also criticizing what he (Edward) was saying as well.. just on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI know you are not the type, but there are a lot of people who tend to think that the Palestinians who live on foreign soil do not equate to the people who dwell in the occupied land. You can see how this can cause an Identity crisis/issue to an individual.
Mazen, I have worked with you on small projects and I know for a fact that you are not the type to think less of others, that's what will make you a good leader one day :) .
I understand what you meant, but still I was not criticizing anyone or anyones words. I was and am still trying to understand the relationship between us (the Palestinians all around the world) and our land. I still believe that the Zionist plane which was based on the believe that with time new Palestinian generation will forget all about what happened in 1948 and will eventually adapt and learn how to live where ever they are. The (Israelization) plane which is to change the features and history and even culture of Palestine and Jerusalem and make them appear as Israeli sites and culture aims to get us loose our connections with the land and culture. Even the Palestinian traditional dresses are being re-designed to look like an Israeli traditional dresses. The Palestinians wherever they are will not forget what happened to their parents and will always insist in their right to return.
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