This is Not a Border Encompasses the Truth of Palestinian Life
By: Leila Diab/Contributing Writer
A quintessential mélange of thoughts and artistic phrasing, This is Not a Border is a publication sealed with the reality of historical truth.
This Is Not a Border shares the contributions of literary artists and their life experiences and struggles that were void of any possibilities of freedom, hope, and the dream of belonging.
Pal-Fest will be celebrating the tenth annual Palestine Festival of Literature with its publication This Is Not A Border, a book of essays which went on sale July 18, 2017.
The book is edited by co-founders Adhaf Soueif and Omar Robert Hamilton and written by several of the world’s most distinguished literary artists. They converge and share their literary, artistic, and theatrical talents with readers and writers in a harmonious realm of literature.
It is their powerful stories, yet tense journey through time and space with their own life of injustice, that was also unveiled in occupied Palestine. They witnessed many confrontations in the arena of an unabated Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
PalFest is attended by diverse writers from all over the world who are dedicated to building and promoting global joint relationships, solidarity, and hope via the transparent power of literature. The culture of literature and one’s cultural identity are the true enlightening forces of the conjoined human spirit shared by all these writers in This is Not a Border.
For example, Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian writer and lawyer shares his thoughts and concerns about Palestinian life and the desires of the Palestinian people. Sadly, he writes, “What is a world where you cannot go for a walk, cannot assemble to read and discuss literature in public, cannot be certain of visiting your grandmother in the neighboring city?”
According to PalFest, their mission statement is taken from a quote by legendary writer and professor, Dr. Edward Said, who said, “the power of culture over the culture of power.”This Is Not A Border features explicit and revealing personal experiences of these writers which are juxtaposed with what Palestinian life is like while living under more than five decades of an Israeli military occupation of their denied homeland in Palestine.
Other distinguished world literary artists, including Alice Walker, Michael Ondaatje, and Claire Messud, have also put into words their own experiences of hate crimes, apartheid, discrimination and unjust human rights violations in their lifetime. They all came to convene and share their own stories. However, in their most revealing essays in This Is Not a Border, they were not totally prepared to witness the reality of the inhumane subjugation of Palestinians.
For example, these writers witnessed the long lines of Palestinians waiting to get permission to cross borders in Jordan or Egypt to reconnect with their families. Also experienced the long lines while trying to get a visa and a flight out of Palestine to visit family or friends, or just to enjoy travel. They are usually denied or detained for no other reason than being Palestinian.
These astonishing writers, poets, and photographers are the gatekeepers of truth and the truthful voices of the reality of life, trying to make a difference in worldly peace exchanges. In PalFest, any artist would tell you with open thought and mind that reality and truth are in the written words of experiences and in the center stage of world history.
After reading This Is Not a Border, it will be a challenge for all readers to understand and discuss the human and world desires of the oppressed or of any ordinary person of color who is behind a divided border of injustice without parity of universal human rights.
This is Not a Border is a literary pendulum that speaks to justice, freedom, universal human rights and equality that stretches beyond any border of human desirability. In essence, everyone needs to come together and challenge all the lines in the sand without borders of mistrust for the saving grace of Palestinian humanity and justice.
It is highly recommended for world readers and writers to read and discuss This is Not a Border. We can all make this world a better and safer place when we stand united together to save humanity.
Everyone has a story to tell, and PalFest is the platform to strengthen the written words of truthful experiences.
