Yaffa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRvbW8RRu5Y

Happy New Hijri year from Jerusalem

An illustration from al-Biruni's astronomical works, explains the different phases of the moon

Serge Moati rencontre Kais Bakri et Huda Al Imam

Bayt-Lee, properties of West Jerusalem



i have a house in lower Baqa'a, its actually owned and built by Farid Jamal al Imam, my Father,  born in Bab-al Silsileh, the Chain Gate, leading to al Aqsa Mosque;

In his twenties, my Father decided to move out Old City. He bought a piece of land in the Greek Colony, Baqaa' al tahta or the lower Baqaa', today address is 18 Uzia Street, off Emek Refaim, parallel to the railway station.

Father's love to his mother, Ayshah Aweidah, made him buy the land next to the Aweidah Family houses,  where she lived together with her brothers and sister Zleikha (the grandmother of Ahmad).

Father, like many Palestinians was thrown out of his house in 1948 when the Yergun/Stern and other zionist movements were terrorizing and massacring the Palestinian inhabitants living in Lifta, Malha, Deir Yassin and neighbouring villages in the suburbs of the city.

Israel was created with the Absentee Law; which says that every Palestinian who is found in a country at war with Israel is considered abscent and looses the right to return.
My father and thousands of Palestinians were present; they
walked towards a safer neighbourhood at the time, the Old City home or Sheikh Jarrah, a few kilometers away! 

Ethnic cleansing continues with Libeman and Natanyahoo; Today, settlers are given green light by Israeli court to evacuate people 
in Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah and other neighbourhoods occupied in 1967.

What are we doing to prevent them?
We are watching them...steel our homes, selling them to private real estate agents like what Natanyahoo did with 'his privatization initiative' sold my Father's house to Udi Kaplan, who sold it then for 3.5 million dollars!

I would like to walk one day barefooted on the flower tiles which my father has chosen for each room of his home in Baqaa'! 

Bayt-Lee, "une maison a moi"," a house of mine" is a new page in town; Bayt-Lee is just launched on facebook aiming to share, to discuss and document our houses and stories of West Jerusalem;

the page seeks to develop exchange amongst people involved and interested, to tell our stories, to lobby, to claim and to win over our rights to our homes and properties confiscated in 1948.

If you have a home, a piece of land, a gravestone or a flower-tile,
please share....





from 'The Electronic Intifada' ....Uprooted Palestinians Blog

 

Jerusalem center promotes Palestinian heritage

Sarah Irving, The Electronic Intifada, 21 October 2010

Uprooted Palestinians:

promotehttp://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2010/10/jerusalem-center-promotes-palestinian.html-

A day in Yaffa, the Port of Palestine

its actually the city,
so stressful
i cant describe

and to be fair with the place
i would say
its perhaps the people ?
the Mix of People living nowadays in Jerusalem

i am not mentioning the quotidien
a military occupation which
loads you with bitterness !
and no water to refresh
like in Gaza or Yaffa
the city's pools are dried up
its hammams are without soap or steam!

i simply want to say
how relaxing it feels to be out of Jerusalem...
for a day
to walk in Jaffa,
to smell its port
and breathe the mediterranean sea!

Eid Adha Mubarak

Dear Firends,
Sunday 6 November marked the 1st day of Eid al Adha.

Moslems around the world celebrate the end of Hajj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command.

While Mecca and Medina continue to host worshipers from all over the world, Al Haram al Ibrahimi in Hebron and al Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem, a few metersfrom my working place, will only be able to welcome a limited number of people as long as Israel continues to occupy, annex and control. 

Would the recent membership at UNESCO change anything on the ground ? I wonder ?!

 I shall now extend on the text which i wrote to talk about the Centre's work and achievements, which said:

"On a positive note, the Jerusalem Studies Master’s degree programme hosts its students in the Old City, where over 70 International students are learning Arabic; Al Quds Tours will take a new path towards sites & themes which haven’t yet been visited and more.... For a change, Jerusalem’s cultural scene during the month of October was exceptionally vibrant! Let me apologize for those of you who were bombarded by ‘Jerusalem Studies’ mails. The Kaek festival organized by Palestinian independent youth celebrated outside the walls, while inside, in the Mamluk Caravan Saraye of Khan Tankaz, CJS hosted Eish al Balad in cooperation with the Afro-Palestinian Community, 'al Quds Underground' music with art works brought more than 1,000 participants for three consecutive nights and The ‘language’ Jerusalem Show 2011 theme  of al Mam’mal Foundation curated this year by Lara Khalidi and Jose A. Sanchez selected Hammam al Ayn for the works of Mona Hatoum “So much I want to say” , Rania Khalil and Sharif Waked’s “to be continued”.


Stay tuned for more academia and culture in the next winter season! Don’t miss the Armenian Tour with George Hintlian and the Noble Sanctuary with Ali Qleibo who insisted to start at 8 am on Sunday 20 November, to appreciate the special early morning light on the Dome of the Rock.

Eid Adha Mubarak

Huda al Imam

Director, Centre for Jerusalem Studies of al Quds Univesity

5 Nov 2011

On a more personal view, Together with Mother and Son, our,'

the 1st day was relatively quiet.  And, when close friends invite us to join them for 'akel el Eid' Raabeh or fakhdeh' (mouton: coup or cuisse), Mother insists to  cook  and keep us at home; i must  say her 'Eid food' i sparticularly delicious 

served with minced meat rice decorated with fried pines and almonds 'ruz bi titbeeleh'!

Who is left of the few cousins in Jerusalem, bring their children over, early morning for the 'Eid' ritual round visit. They are offered coffee or tea with a 'kaek ou ma'moul', Eid's cookies with dates and nuts; I asked Fuad about the route he takes, (also a ritual for many Jerusalemites), on this day, as they accompany their 'boys' children, (who get the Eideyyeh,  money gift ) while daughters stay at home with their mothers: "i hope to see your sisters in the next Eid, i uttered to the boys, ok" ?

'bab il sahira cemetery'  is one of the main stops, to pay a visit to beloved dead ones, he said. Then  a 5 minute round visit to the family: 'women' members of the family, priority to the singles 'widowed', divorced or deserted !

We talked about the Wakfyaat, Imam's properties in the Old City, since Fuad took after his frandfther and became the 'mitwalli', the custodian of the family properties in the Old City, at the Wakf. \My great grandfather Yousef Eddine al Imam who generously priviedged the female in the family (as long as she is single); is burried at the Faisal Gate of al Aqsa Mosque; Today his house and tomb are occupied by squatters. "last year, depsite the fact that the Head of Wakf told me he would accompany me, but i didnt wait,  i attempted a visit with Hani, but we were not allowed in", i told Fuad, who noodded his head with amazement!
.

The evening of the Eid, walking around Musrara, Bab el Amoud, Bab el Sahera, Salah Eddine street we made a soft stop at the newly restored Nusseibeh's Building; a 60s 'vintage' architecture,  designed by Engineer Hisham Nusseibeh, today 'Addar Mall'. Munira and I, attempted to step at the entrance of the marbelled floor mall, when an elderly descent looking man, but holding a stick in his hand shouted  'wein ya banat'?   
"in addition to being stopped by the occupier, i feel our movements are also stopped from within"
i answered Munira when she asked me what was i thinking of.

Another sunny quiet Jerusalem day, its Monday marking the 2nd day of the Eid. We chose to take our mothers on a 'West-ern' Tour. Crossing the 47 armistice line, from East to West, the roads, unlike 'shabath' when the red lights are lit off, life is moving and normal. Tramway and busses run along the road 'MandleBaum' seperating Palestinian houses including those which ten years ago were destroyed,  to allow Giant unfriendly Novotel, Olive Tree and other hotels to be built instead.

On the other side of the road, a beautiful Arab house with a big 'kahnoouka' lies right opposite the hotels, to mark 'synaguoge school' "this is the house of  'Hikmat Sharif Nashashibi".  In teh car Saida, who lived in London for many years, know Muna & late Hikmat, and their children Sharif, Noura and Omar who used to go to Hill house with my niece Noura.


 A few meters to the north, also with othoman architecture 'Turjuman's' house where 'George Baramki' lived in 48', today the house hosts the 'israeli museum on the seam'; passed Mamilla with the three arches Naheel Aweidah told me about her father' Aref Aweidah', owned 'al Foundoq al 'Assri' where the famous Picadilly Cafe' is today one of the most expensive israeli hotels "Mamilla hotel'." This is where the elite jerusalem families such as the Arsenian family had their businesses: pharmacies,   Anwar Nusseibeh's law office and more ...The AStoria Hotel which is still in the making, kept the facade of the 'Palace hotel' where the Islamic Council operated from, opposite the pool and cemetery, where the Museum of Tolerance is planned to be constructed;  It is all sold by Natanyahou and the Israeli government, they keep the islamic architecture because it can be sold for bigger amounts of money ! "
along the corner of Kingn David and Jabotinsky, leading to 'Salameh square' where Salameh house, or the Belgian Consulate, lies the giant 'Daoud's building' which in the early 40s hosted 'Hunal Quds' the Palestinian broadcasting' PBC; unlike the 77% Palestinian properties on the West side of the city, this particular building has been Repossesed!
 WHY ?

simply because Daoud brothers happened to be in latin America, when the law of the absentee was drafted.

'Kuwait', i learnt yesterday, was also not at war with Israel, then,

would the Israeli Courts consider this ?
Would people who own property and who were in Kuwait dare to claim their rights to reposses ?
LETS DIG INTO THIS...

Driving along the ancient railway station towards Ba'qaa, i tired to stay as far as i could from my father's house, (since i was 2 months ago threatened of deportation by the police, for having taken a photo); "Your father's next door neighbour was Olga Wahbeh", mother mentioned...
we continued driving along what was called the Katamon, the German Colony, the Greek Colony visiting houses with green shutters of the Nammari's, Khoury's, Asa''d Khader's with AK decorated on the 'fer forgee' door, the Ghusseins,
Aweidah's twin houses put now on sale, Mona Halaby's family, Nuweihed,  and many more...on both sides of the main road today called 'Emek Refaim';

Until when should we allow them to consider us abscent when we are all present ?

Happy Eid to All.

CINEMA AL QUDS

FLASHBACK
as soon as i entered this
big hall, like in a movie,
it felt strangeSince its re-opening, 
i avoided visiting the place. Until today when Lara called Jack to say its 5 oclock.

My plan this evening was actually to drive Khalil to Ramallah. We happened to be close to Salah Eddine Street, where people wrote graffity on a 'plastic fake wall layer': al Quds, Hurryah,
' ana ismi Bissan wa laysa Beit Shean....' part of  
the 'Jerusalem Show' of al Ma'mal exhibiting art works inside and outside the Old City. A Must is the art installation of Khalil Rabah at GALLERYANADIEL and that of Mona Hatoum, Sharif Waked and Rania Khalil in the 14th century
HAMMAM AL AYN . 

As we walked towards al Zahra Street my eyes looked straight at the Sign, a 100 Years Old Vertical Design which once upon a time carried the name
"Cinema al Quds"


Today, as you enter the cinema in renovation, you see a plan for a restaurant, kitchen, a cafeteria, lounge, a pop corn stand .... a digital portrait of ''Mahmoud Darwish' on the Wall next to where we Q'd to get our movie tickets.  On the concert hall floor, a higher level you see the name 'Faisal Husseini' printed on red wall. Instinctively,  one begins to look for 'Edward SAid'!


Next to 'what's projected to be the popcorn corner ... you see 'karateen'  many boxes with 'new chairs'
procured to hold coca cola and popcorn. The door opening we took led to a Huge Dark Space,with high ceiling, the walls left with greying concrete and at the bottom of the slope, a twin video screening to reflect  
a place, where many of us discovered the 'world of cinema' in our childhood and teenage evenings!


Breathtaking space!
The Walls and floors are completely undressed!
Emptied of the black brown leather benches.


 "yareit... i wish this space would stay as is with this dramatic concrete stone" i whispered to Khalil.


We stood exactly at the green line between the LOGE benches and the BOX where family and couples used to sit and watch SANGAM and Bruce Lee.


Before the start of any film,  the Jordanian national hymn would play  'aasha'l Maleek' Long Live the King', for people to stand still sing, or pretend!

The lower floor,  a concrete slope takes us to the most thrilling seating at the time. where  the agitating 'shabaab' would whistle and sifftle with every KISS in the movie, and as soon as the lights where put on, one could see the floors full of 'isher bizer'  (the fried watermelon seed-shell).


My father,  was one of the founders of 'Cinemal' Uds'
 i can remember that he went more often to the board of  meetings of the cinema than to watch films.
Like many Palestinians of his generation and lifestyle, he was probably still mourning.
his mother, Ayshah,
his lost house of Baqaa' in 48
his Educational Tours Office closed in 67;
Today, I think to myself, he was actually mourning Palestine... 
The few occasions of 'fun with Father'
allows me to remember these seldom special occasions,
like this one holiday trip to Beirut in Christmas 74,
which i shall never forget!


FLASHBACK to one summer evening when my father reserved
a few BOXES for family and friends to watch
'Khalli balak min ZuZu'
ZuZuu


a film by Hassan Imam.
the most stunning 'Suad Husni'
with her song  'ya wad ya ti'eeel'
This was back in the 70s

I cross al Zahra street from 'Yabous' new offices
towards 'al Hoash', also once upon a time
the founding place of 'Zaytounah', one of
the first trademarks of Palestnian tourism
foundations of Jerusalem.


We had three cinemas in Jerusalem,
al Quds, al Hamra and al Nuzha.
Cinema al  Hamra, where Omar Sharif played Dr Ziwago.
Today al Hambra Palace Hall with its kitchy ceilings celebrates weddings!  Occasionally, members of the 'civil society' of Jerusalem are invited to attend fundraising/charity dinners and a yearly UNDP Art Auction. Thanks to Raed, who will soon screen, "Jerusalem Calling" 'Huna'l Quds'.


Sometimes, I wonder ...

When 'CHRISTIES'  thrive to collect find capture vintage objects to auction, and when the TATE of London or MOMA create around such historic objects a Special 'HAPPENING'

What do WE do

with our stories, vintage signs and benches  ??? ?

No More Visits to my Father's House!



                                                               

THE CHIEF ISRAELI POLICE MAN with (Iraqi origins) was nice enough to release me on condition that i dont visit my father's house anymore.

Saturday is usually quite a dynamic working day. Visitors in Khan Tankaz caravan saraye and Hammam al Ayn, my working place in the Old City start early morning. Some visitors are there to join the Library tour with Khader Salemeh, Jack and Lara visited from Al Ma'mal with artisits who will perform in the Jerusalem Show of October, others come to apply for Arabic, other friends and foriegners ...passers by...usually make a stop, and

as i was acting with all these, i see a woman with blue greenish eyes, silver  hair who tells me she is

Naheel.

Naheel who is a cousin but i have only seen her perhaps twice in my life. The second and last time was only a few weeks ago during Ramadan when i went to Amman to give a a presentation to the 'Muntada al Quds'.

Naheel sits down in my office and while i continue to work not giving her my full attention to sign a letter her, to finish a mial to Wendy, to asnwer Omar on the concert ....she tells me about their houses in the German Colony " They are put on Sale now Huda".....she continues telling me about new books she is writing..."You must buy it" Naheel, Find the money and buy Your Houses"'; dont do the mistake i did, when my father's house was put on Sale, i approached the guys who work with the PNA....to buy it and make of it a Gallery or a cultural centre....hhhhh nothing came out of them. We should all buy our houses, even if it sounds schezophrenic!

At 5 oclock we go out of the Old City. "do you have time to show me your houses Naheel?" Because,   Every time i drive along the German/Greek Colony now called 'Emek Refaim' my mother tells me ....ahh here is the house of "Im Sari Aweidah" "shou kanat hilwehh" ! How pretty!

We walked out of Damascus Gate towards Salah Eddine Street, then drove towards Sheikh Jarrah, to say hello to my mother and crossed the invisible green line to the western streets of the Prophets and Musrara, where beautiful houses of Hikmat Sharif Nashashibi, Tourjman house in which Geroge Baramki lived, today the Museum on the Seam. Driving down towards Mamilla on the left, Naheel tells me" they kept our arches" all this building curving the entrance of Mamilla Mall that you see, is my father's".  Before 48 he rented a few stores, the ground floor was the Picadilly Cafe and on the upper floor 'al Fundok al 'Assri'.

I drive along the 'Jerusalem railway station line' where the train runs between 'Baq'aa al Fo'a' the Upper Baq'aa and the lower Baq'aa, today the street name is Emek Refaiim. "The house, actually two twin houses which the brothers shared are today put on sale. In 48 they were registered under the absentee law of Israel. Naheel's father and uncle were not absent; they were taken hostages. Today, a huge yellow caterpillar stands on the side of the house. It is put on sale. "if my father's house was sold in 98 by Udi Kaplan through Natanyahoo, for 3 million dollars, this must be worth 6 millions, being triple the size of
land and house".

Naheel's house lies across the street from my fathers. Since my father had a great love to his Mum, 'Aysheh Aweidah, he sold a piece of land off Salah Eddine Street in the Eastern side of the city to buy a piece of land from a Greek family to build a house for his mother, so that she could live in the same neighbourhood of her father and family. Naheel described the trees and flowers in the garden, the green 'abajours'; friends in teh neighbourhood, Muna, 'Ajaj Nweihed, al Hout....dar Muna 'the Christian Muna' not the moslem...there was no need to explain Christians, Moslem families, its clear from the architecture and the stories i hear and i read that its the elite who lived in these neighbourhoods, Palestinians and one or two Lebanese names she mentioned 'the Samaha family", all on the right and left of Baq'aa. She told me about their adventures with the train wheels every time it crossed in the back side of their garden. "If the driver saw us, he would flush us with hot steamed water". Taking the steps where the flowery oriental ceramic still lies, she says "This is were we received the mother of Farid al Atrash the singer'..."Asmahan her daughter had passed away and that evening she sang, with sadness."  "Your aunti Ni'maty was very excited to receive her" in our big salon"! 
Naheel and I were chilling....walking along to her bedroom she shared with her sisters, which were then then transfornmed to school class rooms. It was a lovely feeling, i follwed her completely in with her souvenirs of those beautiful days.

The misfortune had to happen it seems, instead of walking across to my father's house, we opted to take the car "hay bayt "iben 'amti Fareed"  and his brother Fouad's house" next to it. I stopped the car for a minute simply for Naheel to take a photo with her before she leaves the country early morning. I didnt even allow myself to pick the pink pomme grenate from the tree, we were outside the garden, when 'Yo'av' i think his name is, and his mother came out of the house shouting at us and agressing me, saying all sorts of words, "Go to the PA who send you here" !!  Go to the Court don't come here."..
.not allowing me neither to move nor to move out with the car.  Yoa'av to show his muscles calls the police ! (i explained to Naheel that when Yo'av saw me the very first time around the street, his father who recognized me yelled at him for not calling the police), so now every time he sees me, he instantly calls the Police!  he parked his car in the width of the narrow street of Uzya 17 in front of my father's house, where he lives today to forbid me from going.  I could have left the car and walked out with Naheel, but i dont have anything to fear, on the contrary. I asked Naheel if she wants to leae, and she said, "i am fine", lets see what's next!

I dialed 100 and called the police to come and free me. Obviously, and there is no need to explain, the Israeli police will not come to my rescue, but to arrest me. Two of them approached us, ordered us to get into the police car, when i said Why ? he took out the handcuffs....and drove us to  'Moriaya' police station which i found out its also a prison. While there, i saw a few Palestinian teenagers with handcuffs in their feet, walking like slaves' with the police escorting them holding green IDs 9which means they were 'infiltrators" as the Israeli law calls them when they come from the West Bank.

I am personally accustomed to this 'police calling' by Yo'av and the 'Blunberg family who live today in the house. i am also accustomed to arrests, but this does not make me feel 'good'! This time,  i was worried about Naheel because she is on a visiting visa. I was also worried because despite her energy and young fighter's spirit, she is 76 years old. So i decided to cool down in order to avoid staying in prison that night. Also there was the birthday party of Franz my neighbour, which i didnt want to miss.

The chief police man who interrogated me was less agressive with me than the others who arrested me.
"Do you think i go to the houses of my father in Shufat, or Baghdad" like you do ? he shouted repeating this sentence several times. "Yes, you are going to Sheikh Jarrah claiming you have properties which date a few hundreds of years....yes, you are evacuating teh Ghawi's al Kurd, Hannoun and many others from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah".....Yes, Jews are claiming their rigts to compensation in Egypt."
I then closed my mouth, thinking of Naheel down in the street at night, my son, my mother.....

"It used to be your father's house. Today it is not".  "So Stop going there, leave these people alone to live at peace".  Listen to me very well Huda, Are You listening ??? do you want to listen ? "Next time, they will call me to tell me you are in the street or you are around your father's house, i will put you in prison and take you to court and until you are deported.' il marrah il jay Huda" he said in Arabic "Iba';aaad"!

Voila, my weekend starts well., I am released, merci Hani, merci Francois,

i shall try to refresh in the sea of Jaffa tomorrow!
 

 

Arches...building of Adel Aref Aweidah

                                                                                           

Naheel, posing as they used to do .....once upon a time when they lived in their house



OUT OF Jerusalem

This afternoon, while kneeling under the Dome of the Rock  a woman came towards Hanya's knees to cover her feet.

While chilling with Nada watching Hanya's body movements on the new red carpets of al Aqsa, another woman walked to her instructing her to cover her hair properly.

Walking out the 'esplanade'  a third woman asked
whether we came from Turkey ? i smiled because
we have just actually come back from Istanbul,
so I said Yes!
"ihna minil Ouds" we come from Jerusalem'
Nada said.
when i asked her what makes her think we are not minil balad 'locals'
she said because you dont look so, and "why werent you praying'?
she asked me ?

"'I do it my way" i replied.

in this 'unique' city
that we are so proud of
it seems the closer you get to the holies
the less you feel the spirituality.
Let me think its the people and not the place.

despite the sharp clear light of the city
being 'closer to the skies'
u find yourself diving underground !

What a pitty, to carry this feeling of discomfort when
you are still carrying your blue ID and not yet in exile!

Jerusalem TramWay

full of veils and kipas....Boycott? No Comment

Turtle

this is your Lucky Day !

the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem

29 days of Ramadan

i dread Ramadan in Jerusalem !

my words may sound horribly disrespectful to religion or to the city, i am not sure, perhaps to both,

or neither.  Trying to give a pretext, a reason why is it so?

Why is this feeling, increasingly becoming a common one, amongst friends ?

I'd therefore say, its probably the conditions we live in today in Jerusalem which are indeed depressing.

Dalya was talking about how in the past year, in Ramadan, some of the neighbours were calling them kafreen (non believers), because they were Christians, she said,  "these are zu'ran il harah",  (neighbourhood gangs), you find them everywhere, i explained, from Napoli to Jaddeh!
its nevertheless a new disturbing phenomena.

Jerusalem has never been a racist city, except when the Israelis came with their jewishness, attempting to delete everything non jewish.

At the wake of Ramadan, the 1st dawn of the blooming crescent to mark the new Holy month. People who intend to fast, wake up to drink their milk and sip a spoon of honey, to be able to maintain their thirst and hunger during the day; they wake up to pray al fajr at the sound of the muathen,  the Israeli police finds nothing to do except to shoot and kill two young boys, walking around the refugee camp of Qalandai, to

call on people in the camp to wake up for the souhour.

Muatassem Issa Oudwan, a media 3rd year student at al Quds University is one of the boys assassinated at the wake of Ramadan.

no comment!

will keep you posted.....on Ramadan in Jerusalem.

the Farhan Family in Sheikh Jarrah wins their case to stay home, a Success Story!

walking in Sheikh Jarrah Quarter

Sheikh Jarrah Tour July 30, 2011

CJS G. Director Huda Al Imam led a diverse group on a focused tour of the Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood.  The walking tour started at Hind Al Husseini College.   Major sites visited during the tour were “Dar Al Tifl al-Arabi, The Orient House, Al Zawyieh Al Jarrahieh, Em-Kamel Kurd’s house, Issaf Nashashibi Culture Centre and the Shepherd Hotel demolished site”.   G. Director Huda Al Imam managed to get the group inside of The Orient House, were she also covered the fact that it was considered the Center for peace & briefed the group on Faisal Al Hussein’s’ life & accomplishments.  The tour also visited Mr. Ahmad Farhan’s house, the most recent success story in winning the case against the Sheikh Jarrah eviction activities.  The group was welcomed by Issaf Nashashibi Culture Centre’s staff & enjoyed the Contemporary Art workshop made possible by Contemporary Artists Club – Jerusalem.  After which the tour continued to its last destination being the Shepherd Hotel demolished site, covering its history & future settlement plans.

Hammam al Ayn challenges to restore....

HI talking to EU Parliementarians

Google Palestine

On Campus...

al Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh meets 'Learn Arabic in Jerusalem, summer students on campus

vue de ' Bab al Malek Faisal, al Aqsa Mosque'

Visiting my great grandfather's tomb, Yousef al Saddeeq al Imam

1st attempt failed

from Jaffa Gate to Damascus Gate

le quotidien, from and to Jerusalem

مأمن الله

مأمن الله

Palestine Monitor on Mamilla


AFP on Mamilla Israel approves work on controversial museum
Agence France Presse.   [News Story].      13/07/2011.            
JERUSALEM, July 13, 2011 (AFP) - Israel has approved the start of work on a controversial Museum of Tolerance that will be built on the site of an old Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The project, organised by the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre, was the subject of a lengthy legal battle, with Palestinians and some Israeli supporters arguing the museum would desecrate the burial site.
Israel's courts rejected the argument, saying the site was deconsecrated decades ago, and the project has received planning approval from local authorities despite the protests.
On Tuesday, the interior ministry's district planning committee gave the final go-ahead for work to begin on digging the foundations for the museum, interior ministry spokeswoman Efrat Orbach told AFP.
"The permit was officially approved long ago, yesterday what was approved was only the first step towards the building itself," she said.
"Yesterday it was the first step towards building, which means that they have the permission to start digging. From yesterday they can start digging for that project. But the project itself was already approved about 10 years ago."
Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, including some whose ancestors were buried at the Mamun Allah cemetery in Jerusalem, have expressed outrage at plans to build a museum dedicated to tolerance on a former burial site.
But Israel's Supreme Court in 2008 ruled that the site was no longer a burial ground, pointing out no objections were lodged in 1960 when the municipality put a parking lot over part of the graveyard.
Lawyers for the project's promoters, backed by Jerusalem city authorities, have offered to transfer any graves to a section of the graveyard that will not be affected by the construction, but Muslim leaders rejected the suggestion.

Huda al-Imam, director of the Centre for Jerusalem Studies and a leading campaigner against the museum's construction, said activists would continue to push for the project's cancellation.
"We are trying as much as possible to do this with efforts not only on the United Nations level but also on the Israeli court level, on the international court level," she told AFP.
"We're trying also to put some pressure on certain Arab leaders, such as Jordan King Abdullah to try to intervene and see whether it is possible to put some pressure on the Israeli side."
Imam said the cemetery represents "Palestinian cultural heritage and it is supposed to be a protected place or site."
"They should respect human heritage and human dignity and not build this museum of tolerance on a Palestinian cultural site and try to delete our identity."
It was not clear when ground would be broken on the project. Plans unveiled in 2010 call for a six-storey structure with three floors above ground and three below, at an estimated cost of $100 million.

The new design was created by an Israeli architecture firm after famed architect Frank Gehry pulled out of the project last year.

14 Juillet a Jerusalem, Liberte Egalite Fraternite pour les Palestiniens

Apaisant et sublime Mass, the starting festivity at St Anne's church at the entrance of Lions Gate leading to the VIA DOLOROSA...this year the time, towards sun set, seemed more approriate than precedent years; the food 'tres moyen' pour la France; Warm acceuill by Dalal, meaningful speech and excellent 3 minute video to watch.

Arabic Language and Culture

 

A diverse young group of 75 students booked their flights some months ago,  from Australia, Africa, Europe, Canada, Korea, UK, US, Latin America and other continents to arrive and to be present on Monday 11th of July in the Old City to learn Arabic in Jerusalem.

The Centre for Jerusalem Studies of al Quds University launched
its Arabic Language School for the 2011 Summer season.. Six classes of spoken Arabic and modern standard (fussha,) are open for beginners, intermediates and advanced levels. several are students preparing dissertations and thesis in the topic of Palestine and Jerusalem.

  'its hot summer day, but a refreshing one with all of you here, having chosen to come to Jerusalem to learn Arabic".

i expressed in my welcome note and orientation.

I introduced the Centre:  where Academia meets Culture;
the place: Khan Tankaz, Hammam al Ayn 14thC Mamluk site; the working team:  Amira, Samira, Ayman and Mohammad;

CJS team, with speical thanks to Lana who's been working along the clock processing applications, placement, accommodation"...


The neighbourhood: in Tareeq al Wad, at the entrance of Souq
al Qattanine leading to al Aqsa Mosque. Today a marginalized tough spot of the Moslem Quarter. Surrounded with Jewish colonizers on the top roofs and deep underneath;

"The city today is ironically one of the safest in the region, actually in the world, the spirit is that of a police city loaded with pointed machine guns and cameras zooming-in the youth and their movements...

A typical Palestinian breakfast: ka'ek, falafel, zaatar, hoummos, foul with olives and tea with mint

made a quite fulfilling interval, between morning and afternoon classes. 

The Schedule is set for Arabic quite intensive classes, seminars and tours to religious and historic monuments, souqs, bazars, the Old City wall ramparts, the mosaic of communities in the different neighbourhoods, witnessing human violations, a contemporary quotidien practice on inhabitants;
the Annexation Wall will be visited along our way to al Quds University campus. There we will learn about stories of prisoners at Abu Jihad Museum, the Math museum, faculties, students, cafes
and gardens with mural of callligraphy and poetry and more: 
'a success story where a culture of education is being built against all odds"

On campus, we shall hopefully meet with the author of  'Once upon a country' and 'What's a Palestinian State worth ?', the President of al Quds University Prof Sari Nusseibeh,
stay tuned......

7 minutes from Ramallah to Jerusalem

Voila, dear Petra,
i am writing the story, as you suggested, last night.

Petra and I spontaniously decided we should go Suad Massi concert in Ramallah. 
The concert was sold out,  we knew it was almost impossible to get tickets since we made a few calls, in vein. But we thought we should give it a try. Yallah!
On the way along Sheikh Jarrah, Shu'fat, Beit Hanina, al Ram. We were quite curious whether we would find last minute tickets. We did not think of the other possibility for example,
to miss the concert because of  'the checkpoint'.

Despite the fact that we left Jerusalem at 7, it was already 7.30
and we were in the middle of a long  Q of cars along the Walllllllllllll of al Ram.
Israel, yesterday decided to close the checkpoint.

The Iron Gate in the WALL was open for a few cars to pass, very very slowy, under control.

"I remembered Fouad telling me, the other day that the checkpoint is becoming
absolutely terrible to pass through, and every day, not only thursdays, as it used to
be the case.

Qalandia, before Israel occupied the rest of Palestine in 67, used to be the Jerusalem airport
and i remember that my father used fly Middle East Airlines to Beirut.
The Gate of the military terminal was open for cars to take a D-tour to reach Qalandia
from the other side of the checkpoint.
This 'trajet' took one hour, and we are talking about 20 meters distance.

its 8 oclock, still in the car,  1st, neutral, 2nd gear, 1st, stop, yellow ford transits passing us
right, left and centre, the sun sets on this disastrous Qalandia checpoint. 

"When Joel and i first met, dear Petra, we spent many hours talking on the phone; Joel lived in Ramallah;
all of a sudden he would say, ok, bye, 'j' arrive", i am coming. He would take his car and within
7 minutes be in front of my home in Sheikh Jarrah."

Still on Qalandia checkpoint,  "c'est bon, jai trois tickets pour Suad Massi'; i got texto by Amelie!
yes ! wonderful....but ? are we going to make it ?

by the time we arrived having taken all short cuts of Ramallah's new streets and extended new neighbourhoods, the lights of Ramallah Cultural Palace with the lights on top of the hill where
the tomb of Mahmoud Darwish lies, "ya Rawi ihkee hkayaat" Suad singing, her voice of 'haneen'
nostalgia and words for freedom.
We made it!
and were seated on the very second row, in front of all those who told us, sorry, its sold out,
Patrick, Philip .....and other sponsors of the concert.  we laughed !

its true that Suad Massi with her blue jeans on, carrying her guitar, pure and beautiful, created a night of magic energy in the skies of Palestine and the hearts of Palestinians.

but, every time i come and go to Ramallah and spend horrible hours of stress on the checkpoint
 i tell myself,  "never again"!
you go for fun and end up exhausted, frustrated and with no energy left to enjoy;
especially no patience to recross.
Yes because its two way control !

 Zyad who heard me say this, said "this is exactly what they want'!
"You should keep coming.
At least you can, but we cannot come to Jerusalem".

more on Ma'manillah

the visit which took place this morning on the cemetery brought over 30 people together. The group made up of Palestinian and International members of Jerusalem inhabitants today. Quite a few media correspondents representing al Quds newspaper, AFP, Spanish, Dutch and French radio and papers.

Asem Khalidi talked about the history of the place, when he visited the cemetery with his father back in the 40s. He talked about martyrs burried since the time of Salah Eddine, the Sahabeh and nobilities. The group walked along the grounds of the cemetery around the demolished tombs: some of the names are still on

broken gravestones, like the Kaloti; Jerusalem families Aweidah, Budeiri, Jaouni, al Khalidi, Nashashibi, Husseini, Nusseibeh al Khazraji related to the Kabakyeh tomb, at the entrance of the

cemetery.

Majdi Husseini, IT Administrator of the Centre for Jerusalem Studies found his great grandfather's grave. The Grave stone is beautifully desined with arabic islamic calligraphy. i asked him to post photo. Again, seeing him happy to find the tomb and that its still untouched amongst the few left. i thought perhaps its still possibel to find the tomb of my great grandfather Jamal Eddine

al Imam, in vein. its probably destroyed amongst the first series to build the Independence Park or the parking on Agron Street. The foundations of the Museum of Tolerance, planned to be built were hidden by silver barriers. Basem, a member mentioned that Israel has done a similar act building on 'maqbaret al istiqlal' the independence cemetery in Haifa.

Despite the denial by Peres, i think the Peres Peace Centre in Jaffa was constructed on part of the cemetery overlooking the mediterranean sea of al Ajami. "All of Israel is built on Palestinian

heritage" a member of the group, stated.  Saari, an Israeli member of the group suggested that we negotiate with Israel Jerusalem Municipality to change the content of the Museum; the reactions

were that its the principle which counts, not the content. How can a Museum in the name of Tolerance and Human Dignity be built on a cemetery ? How inhuman and intolerant  ? Tom mentioned that some members of the Wiesentahl family who are partners with the municipality in the building of the museum, are not very happy with the construction taking place on the cemetery. How much 

more can one take ? Israel is erasing a whole entity of heritage and identity, that of the Palestinians; its not a matter of deporting people, but deleting any scars, roots, culture and belonging.

Its hectic, and really exhausting for me to do this. I find myself wanting to revive the death!?

I dont usually visit my father's tomb which lies in al Sahira Gate Cemetery on Salah Eddine Street.

Today i find myself paying frequent visits to Ma'manillah Cemetery. Like my visits to Bakaa' where my father's beautiful house still lies with its lemon and askidenya trees in the garden, on the west side of the city in the Greek Colony. 

There is too much injustice !  

and we force this pressure on ourselves, a kind of passive resistance.

Tab wil hal ?  what's the solution ?

perhaps ba'eed al manal as we say in Arabic, meaning farfetched. Some of the group thought i was too optimistic when i said "i still believe that Palestinians most strategic allies are the Israeli people"
(that's what Sari Nusseibeh taught us in HASHD)
I would like to hope for Israelis to say "its time".

Let them grasp the 'Arab Spring' wind blowing in this part of the mediterranean. Let them stand for their rights and dignity and revolt against their apartheid jewish state, and finish with all  this.....shit.