Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Raya Al-Jadir
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‘My days just feel wasted in Gaza, living in fear, screaming from the sounds of rockets and bombs’
Like all Palestinians in Gaza, 30-year-old Abeer Harkali has lost everything over the past 12 months, she has been displaced from her home, and again from so-called ‘safe shelters’ numerous times. Her father has been killed, and she lives in constant fear as a result of Israel’s endless bombing...
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‘In Gaza, we are soulless bodies, living in constant fear, aware that we may die at any second’
The worst choice you have to make in life is the decision to save your loved ones by asking them to leave you behind to face death alone. That was the choice that Abeer Harkali made in order to save her youngest brother, Nidhal, from being shot by the...
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The Shroud Maker: Making money from Palestinian misery
Ahmed Masoud’s play “The Shroud Maker” kicked off its tour in a premiere at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art studio (RADA) as part of “@70: Celebration of Contemporary Palestinian Culture” programme marking 70 years since the Nakba which saw nearly a million Palestinians forced from their homes. It...
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Dramatising Daesh: MBC’s latest production
“Gharabeb Soud” a drama series that has intrigued many by its name alone, has been airing since the start of Ramadan, and it’s causing a stir online. The controversy surrounding the series, which revolves around the rise of Daesh in the Middle East, began even before the first episode...
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A Palestinian gem
A celebration of identity and a mixture of Palestinian heritage with modern day fashion is how Nadya Hazboun describes her line of fashion and jewellery accessories. “It is intended to act like a medium delivering a message, telling a story about Palestine.” Hazboun is a local fashion and accessories...
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The art of living with a disability in Gaza
Living with a disability can mean coming face to face with numerous challenges during your everyday life, in addition to society’s attitudes which can stifle and limit you, but what happens when you’re also fighting a military occupation? This is precisely the battle that Mohamed Dalo, 21, from the...
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‘Dinner With Saddam’ – A play that offers food for thought through comedy
Upon seeing the world première of Anthony Horowitz’s new play “Dinner with Saddam” at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, one can’t help but feel awkward and uncomfortable at a play that tries to highlight Iraq’s modern history, with all its conflicts and suffering, in a farcical way where...
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A Syrian Love Story: Humanising the revolution
Last week, London’s British Film Institute hosted the preview of “A Syrian Love Story” a documentary by Independent newspaper journalist Sean McAllister who, over a period of five years, followed the lives of Amer and Raghda in an attempt to humanise the Syrian conflict and make it accessible to...
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Weaving the way into the Palestinian fashion industry
Celebrating the resilience, patience and perseverance of every woman that has fought and struggled to succeed and survive in or out of Palestine, Untha is an upcoming fashion collection which was showcased in Jerusalem in June. Untha, which means female in Arabic, is a tribute to Palestinian women who have...
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Sewing together Palestinian history
For some, when you mention Palestine, images of war, bombings and destruction come to mind, most forget that Palestine has a rich and beautiful history and a colourful culture. Taita Leila is a project that challenges these ideas and brings together Palestinian history through a different language: the language...
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Eating yourself: Reclaiming Palestinian identity through food
“Palestine on a Plate” is a cookery application that offers food lovers the chance to taste the beauty of Palestine through its famous dishes. The person behind the application is Joudie Kalla, a professional chef born to Palestinian parents who has lived most of her life in London. Kalla...