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AEI-Open Windows
Sumud Peace House
The Arab Educational
Institute holds the
SUMUD CULTURAL
FESTIVAL
nearby the Separation
Wall in the Rachel's Tomb area, Bethlehem
Click here to see photo gallery
Bethlehem: A report by George
Zeineh in Al-Quds Newspaper, Friday 1st of
May 2009.
The AEI in Bethlehem (member
organization of Pax Christi International) held the "Sumud Cultural
Festival" near the Separation Wall in the Rachel's Tomb area in
front of AEI’s Sumud Peace House. This festival aims at highlighting
the Palestinian people's sumud or resilience in challenging the present
pressures of occupation as a result of closures, checkpoints, and wall
and settlement building.
The festival was attended by
the Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr.Victor Batarseh, and the director of the
office of the Ministry of Education in Bethlehem, Mr. 'Abdallah Shakarneh,
as well as Dr.Ghazi Abu Sharkh, the General Secretary of the Council
of Higher Education, and Dr. Barakat Fawzi from the Ministry of Education
in Ramallah. The Deputy Head and Director of Development Cooperation
of the Dutch Representative Office in Ramallah; NGO directors and representatives
of churches, educational, national, and social groups, in addition to
members of AEI’s women’s and parents’ groups attended the celebrations.
 At the beginning of the festival,
the General Director of AEI, Mr. Fuad Giacaman, delivered a welcoming
speech in which he said: "We come here together in the Sumud Cultural
Festival to emphasize our sumud and perseverance in preserving our national
identity, especially the cultural one, under the present difficult times
that our people are facing. This dark situation is all the more apparent
in the wake of the catastrophic and bloody events in Gaza; the Judaization
of Jerusalem, the present capital of Arab culture; the Judaization
of Hebron, and the continuing policies of isolation, siege, wall and
settlement building, house demolitions, assassinations and arrests.
Mr.Giacaman extended his gratitude
and thanks to all participants as well as to funders and the international
and Palestinian musicians and artists who performed at this festival.
Dr.Victor Batarseh, mayor of
Bethlehem, welcomed the international guests and especially the volunteers
on behalf of the Bethlehem municipality and council. The mayor highlighted
the importance of holding such a cultural festival nearby the separation
wall. Dr. Batarseh briefed up the audience about the disastrous effects
of the wall in the Rachel's Tomb srea which is now like a prison. He
continued to say that our people do not want to build walls but bridges.
Bethlehem’s message is that of love and peace. He also appealed to
the international community to put pressure on Israel so as to accept
the UN international resolutions to end occupation and establish a Palestinian
independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The Director of the Ministry
of Education, Bethlehem office, Mr. Abdallah Shakarneh, spoke in his
word about the significance of this festival by translating the message
of national unity and Christian-Muslim living together in the unified
Palestinian nation. Mr.Abdallah Shakarneh congratulated the student
winners of the interfaith contest of the school project “Living in
the Holy Land: Respecting Differences.”
Miss Raneen Al-Arja, the AEI
Public Relations Officer of its Cultural Tourism Project, was the presentator
of the festival programme. The festival included singing, dancing, and
playing on musical instruments. The Belgian singer Evi de Jean, the
Palestinian singer Jessica Morcus, and the Jerusalem singer and pianist
Nubar Vosgueritschian held performances.
During the festival all participants
formed a human key - symbol of freedom - while holding lighted torches
and candles. On the wall was a powerpoint presentation of wishes and
prayers sent by members of churches, schools and organizations from
Palestine and abroad through the World Council of Churches and Pax Christi
International.
Peace and religious songs were
sung calling for peace, justice and reconciliation.
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