Posts
What's a blog without at least a few photos? Here are some taken during my trip in 2009. I shall soon be going back for a longer period of time, and I can only imagine the ridiculous amount of pictures I'll be taking then... Just the thought gets me all excited and is making me hunt down a deed-appropriate camera...
I'll let the visuals do the talking. +
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Blood Brothers - Elias Chacour
I recently read Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour. At first it surprised me that this book didn’t seem to pop up immediately on search engines when I’d browse this subject matter. I’d already created a list of books I’m dying to read, but this one I hadn’t really heard of. It was by chance that I found this copy at a new & used bookstore for $3 (gotta love it when that happens!)
After reading, perhaps now I understand why I hadn’t heard much of it. In comparison to a myriad of more recent books, this one may seem "dated," although of course it’s still a worthy read. The issue is still as relevant as ever, and Chacour’s story is truly a touching and unique Christian Palestinian experience. We can never have enough of those. It is also non-evangelical, which I enjoy.
His story covers the time span from 1947 to 1982, starting with the arrival of European Jews to Palestine--including Chacour’s very own town of Biram-- and concluding with the events of the Lebanese refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. There is no mention of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution or of its influence throughout the Middle Eastern world, possibly because this influence took many years to manifest itself...
Chacour seems like a very honorable man who has done much to spread his wish for peace between Jews and Palestinians and who seems unmoved by personal or political gain. He studied in Paris and made connections throughout Europe, and was the first Palestinian to study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has encountered different lifestyles and people and has accepted in his heart what matters most to him, culminating in his return to the land of his birth.
He continues his work in the Galilee region of Israel and if there was any way I could, I would truly love to meet him in person (but I’m sure he’s the rather busy man…).
As always, I have other books lined up which I hope to read and deliberate on very soon.
Among them:
Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity by Gerd Theissen
Palestine at the time of Christ by Henri Daniel-Rops
But these will come as soon as I conclude Orhan Pamuk’s “Snow,” in which I am completely engulfed and finding very hard to put down…
Truly I’d be lost without books! +
After reading, perhaps now I understand why I hadn’t heard much of it. In comparison to a myriad of more recent books, this one may seem "dated," although of course it’s still a worthy read. The issue is still as relevant as ever, and Chacour’s story is truly a touching and unique Christian Palestinian experience. We can never have enough of those. It is also non-evangelical, which I enjoy.
His story covers the time span from 1947 to 1982, starting with the arrival of European Jews to Palestine--including Chacour’s very own town of Biram-- and concluding with the events of the Lebanese refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. There is no mention of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution or of its influence throughout the Middle Eastern world, possibly because this influence took many years to manifest itself...
Chacour seems like a very honorable man who has done much to spread his wish for peace between Jews and Palestinians and who seems unmoved by personal or political gain. He studied in Paris and made connections throughout Europe, and was the first Palestinian to study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has encountered different lifestyles and people and has accepted in his heart what matters most to him, culminating in his return to the land of his birth.
He continues his work in the Galilee region of Israel and if there was any way I could, I would truly love to meet him in person (but I’m sure he’s the rather busy man…).
As always, I have other books lined up which I hope to read and deliberate on very soon.
Among them:
Sociology of Early Palestinian Christianity by Gerd Theissen
Palestine at the time of Christ by Henri Daniel-Rops
But these will come as soon as I conclude Orhan Pamuk’s “Snow,” in which I am completely engulfed and finding very hard to put down…
Truly I’d be lost without books! +
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
The Crusades… Source of debate for most people of the Middle East.
For the purpose of this blog, my aim is to reflect upon the Christian experience of given events. True, it may be ironic that most of the accounts of the Crusades come to us through the Western Christian perspective already, but what about those “other” Christians? Oh yea, the ones in the Middle East, where the religion originated perhaps…?
There is a book on the subject which I deem highly informative and unique in its approach, for it describes the Crusades through the Saracens’ (Arabs’) perspective. The book does not concentrate on the religious differences between Middle Easterners of that time, but rather on their cultural similarities and shared views regarding the arriving Franks (Crusaders mostly from France) into their territories.
Perhaps it can be easy in the West to assume that the Crusaders were welcomed to the Holy Land and seen as “Christian brothers,” but the truth is that they were seen as barbarian invaders, plain and simple. And it seems that a lot of that had to do with cultural differences rather than religious affiliation. Some could say that the Christians, if not also the Jews, of the time had become “Arabized,” thus creating the gap between Eastern and Western Christians, but I think that the isolation of those worlds can be just as good a potential explanation. Communities were much more segregated and isolated in the Middle Ages which limited travel and encounters with those of far-off lands. It would make perfect sense for the Christians of the Middle East to feel more connected to their neighbors, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim, than to these European foreigners even if they were “Christian” by definition.
No matter the chosen explanation, Amin Maalouf’s The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is a highly recommended read that is sure to both enlighten and entertain. As a lover of history, I personally would have read this book no matter its length or writing style, but I can pleasantly say for those who are not particularly history-inclined that this book is rather concise (293 pages) and written in such easily-absorbed language that you may find this very hard to put down. Plenty of action, alliances and betrayals on all sides…
men killing men as history has repeatedly shown.
The least I want to do is examine at least 2 sides of the story. +
Amazon.com link to purchase, read reviews, etc.:
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes - Amin Maalouf
For the purpose of this blog, my aim is to reflect upon the Christian experience of given events. True, it may be ironic that most of the accounts of the Crusades come to us through the Western Christian perspective already, but what about those “other” Christians? Oh yea, the ones in the Middle East, where the religion originated perhaps…?
There is a book on the subject which I deem highly informative and unique in its approach, for it describes the Crusades through the Saracens’ (Arabs’) perspective. The book does not concentrate on the religious differences between Middle Easterners of that time, but rather on their cultural similarities and shared views regarding the arriving Franks (Crusaders mostly from France) into their territories.
Perhaps it can be easy in the West to assume that the Crusaders were welcomed to the Holy Land and seen as “Christian brothers,” but the truth is that they were seen as barbarian invaders, plain and simple. And it seems that a lot of that had to do with cultural differences rather than religious affiliation. Some could say that the Christians, if not also the Jews, of the time had become “Arabized,” thus creating the gap between Eastern and Western Christians, but I think that the isolation of those worlds can be just as good a potential explanation. Communities were much more segregated and isolated in the Middle Ages which limited travel and encounters with those of far-off lands. It would make perfect sense for the Christians of the Middle East to feel more connected to their neighbors, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim, than to these European foreigners even if they were “Christian” by definition.
No matter the chosen explanation, Amin Maalouf’s The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is a highly recommended read that is sure to both enlighten and entertain. As a lover of history, I personally would have read this book no matter its length or writing style, but I can pleasantly say for those who are not particularly history-inclined that this book is rather concise (293 pages) and written in such easily-absorbed language that you may find this very hard to put down. Plenty of action, alliances and betrayals on all sides…
men killing men as history has repeatedly shown.
The least I want to do is examine at least 2 sides of the story. +
Amazon.com link to purchase, read reviews, etc.:
The Crusades Through Arab Eyes - Amin Maalouf
Saturday, June 26, 2010
I feel a purchase coming on...
OMG.
So I have this habit of saving funny/random/interesting/etc. things I find whenever I browse around the net, either for later viewing and/or to share them with friends. Most of the time I forget I even 'saved' these things, and when I go back to them it's like I am seeing them for the first time again. And most of the time, they make me LAUGH.
This concerns one such item.
I know there is no shortage of places where you can get custom-made items (ie: cafepress.com, calligraphize.com) or find shirts with pretty much anything on it (bustedtees.com) but this one, I just happen to randomly find on Amazon.com... And I know I've tried looking for similar items for years. (Isn't it great how that always seems to happen?!) Now being the huge bookworm I am, I usually spend hours on Amazon adding tons and tons of books and CDs to my wishlist. So when I found this, I knew it had to be instantly added to my ever-growing list.
Is it 'funny' that I want to buy this? Maybe so, but not in a bad way. I think it's funny because of the barcode, not because of the caption. I don't even think one has to be either Christian or Arab to want to wear it (and even then, defining the term "Arab" may prove a challenge on its own and reveal a variety of answers).
Bottom line, I find this to be unique and worthy of adding to my pile of statement-making garments. Perhaps it could be a conversation starter too, but that wouldn't be my purpose for wearing it. =)
Link to amazon.com:
Arab Christian hoodie
Image from amazon.com:
So I have this habit of saving funny/random/interesting/etc. things I find whenever I browse around the net, either for later viewing and/or to share them with friends. Most of the time I forget I even 'saved' these things, and when I go back to them it's like I am seeing them for the first time again. And most of the time, they make me LAUGH.
This concerns one such item.
I know there is no shortage of places where you can get custom-made items (ie: cafepress.com, calligraphize.com) or find shirts with pretty much anything on it (bustedtees.com) but this one, I just happen to randomly find on Amazon.com... And I know I've tried looking for similar items for years. (Isn't it great how that always seems to happen?!) Now being the huge bookworm I am, I usually spend hours on Amazon adding tons and tons of books and CDs to my wishlist. So when I found this, I knew it had to be instantly added to my ever-growing list.
Is it 'funny' that I want to buy this? Maybe so, but not in a bad way. I think it's funny because of the barcode, not because of the caption. I don't even think one has to be either Christian or Arab to want to wear it (and even then, defining the term "Arab" may prove a challenge on its own and reveal a variety of answers).
Bottom line, I find this to be unique and worthy of adding to my pile of statement-making garments. Perhaps it could be a conversation starter too, but that wouldn't be my purpose for wearing it. =)
Link to amazon.com:
Arab Christian hoodie
Image from amazon.com:
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Ajami film review
Oh, Ajami.
First I was upset that you were only playing in the East Coast, and I living in the Bay Area, felt rather deprived. Then I was delighted to try to catch you during my visit to NYC and thus make it even more special of a viewing experience.
But of course, I soon discovered--during my NYC stay of course-- that you would be showing up to Bay Area screens after all. Oh, the irony! But one which I actually welcomed...
So I finally was able to see this movie, and I must say I was rather pleasantly surprised.
I have seen many movies surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and I must say Ajami provides a very convincing narrative. The setting of Ajami, a neighborhood of the Jaffa - Tel Aviv metropolis, ensures that a variety of people and situations-- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim-- will be encountered. An Arab - Jewish creation (Palestinian Scandar Copti and Jewish Israeli Yaron Shani), with a virtually unknown cast and a natural, unrehearsed feel, this film will not disappoint.
Expect twists and turns, expect issues you’ve probably never thought of as part of this conflict, expect a surprise ending.
It is not a “happy” movie, but few worth seeing ever are.
First I was upset that you were only playing in the East Coast, and I living in the Bay Area, felt rather deprived. Then I was delighted to try to catch you during my visit to NYC and thus make it even more special of a viewing experience.
But of course, I soon discovered--during my NYC stay of course-- that you would be showing up to Bay Area screens after all. Oh, the irony! But one which I actually welcomed...
So I finally was able to see this movie, and I must say I was rather pleasantly surprised.
I have seen many movies surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and I must say Ajami provides a very convincing narrative. The setting of Ajami, a neighborhood of the Jaffa - Tel Aviv metropolis, ensures that a variety of people and situations-- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim-- will be encountered. An Arab - Jewish creation (Palestinian Scandar Copti and Jewish Israeli Yaron Shani), with a virtually unknown cast and a natural, unrehearsed feel, this film will not disappoint.
Expect twists and turns, expect issues you’ve probably never thought of as part of this conflict, expect a surprise ending.
It is not a “happy” movie, but few worth seeing ever are.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Christians in Palestine - Jean Rolin
Last night, I read Jean Rolin's book called Christians in Palestine (Chrétiens en Français) in... about 2 hours. I'm not sure if I absorbed it so quickly because I wanted to know what was going to happen next or because on so many levels I felt I, or close family members, could relate to it so much... Probably a mix of the two. It's basically his account of his encounters with Christian families and church leaders while in Palestine/Israel, as well as Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations there. I felt like I was right there with him, in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Ramallah visiting those places and families... It definitely made it more personal now that I've actually been there and could visualize the areas in question. The geography there is so complicated that reading the names of the locations without having visited first would have probably left me majorly confused...
I'm so glad I read it, and now own the book (which for some reason was pretty hard for me to find in the first place), but it definitely felt bittersweet. Bittersweet because it's such a complex situation, and because this book highlights another layer of complexity within that very complex situation...
I definitely can't and won't pretend that I know what Jean Rolin felt during or even after his experience that led to the writing of his book. But I just got the impression that his conclusion was a sort of "this was a rather pointless effort on my part"-kind of closure. I felt like maybe he went into his project with so much hope and enthusiasm only to end up feeling a bit let down by the shocking and unexpected reality of things... of course that's my own interpretation of it.
But regardless of how he felt, if I could, I would honestly thank him for going through all that and for caring enough to write a book about it because it really moved me. Thanks to the personal writing style, I was so absorbed that I sometimes felt like he was writing it specifically for me, like I was witnessing something that so few others care about...
Just as Edward Said's biography moved me, this did as well (although of course, in an entirely different manner). Jean Rolin, a French journalist and self-proclaimed non-believer (at least at the time?) didn't have to care and to decide to take on a project all by himself concerning Christians in the Holy Land. But he did. And for that, I truly respect and praise him. And I'm sure others more familiar with his work (like the whole country of France perhaps? since that's where his work is well-known) do as well.
(*book purchase courtesy of amazon.com* :) )
I'm so glad I read it, and now own the book (which for some reason was pretty hard for me to find in the first place), but it definitely felt bittersweet. Bittersweet because it's such a complex situation, and because this book highlights another layer of complexity within that very complex situation...
I definitely can't and won't pretend that I know what Jean Rolin felt during or even after his experience that led to the writing of his book. But I just got the impression that his conclusion was a sort of "this was a rather pointless effort on my part"-kind of closure. I felt like maybe he went into his project with so much hope and enthusiasm only to end up feeling a bit let down by the shocking and unexpected reality of things... of course that's my own interpretation of it.
But regardless of how he felt, if I could, I would honestly thank him for going through all that and for caring enough to write a book about it because it really moved me. Thanks to the personal writing style, I was so absorbed that I sometimes felt like he was writing it specifically for me, like I was witnessing something that so few others care about...
Just as Edward Said's biography moved me, this did as well (although of course, in an entirely different manner). Jean Rolin, a French journalist and self-proclaimed non-believer (at least at the time?) didn't have to care and to decide to take on a project all by himself concerning Christians in the Holy Land. But he did. And for that, I truly respect and praise him. And I'm sure others more familiar with his work (like the whole country of France perhaps? since that's where his work is well-known) do as well.
(*book purchase courtesy of amazon.com* :) )
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Jerusalem 2009
September 2009. An important date that I’d been looking forward to since I could remember... Not that I had had that specific month and year planned or anything. This just happened to be the month and year in which I finally took my first trip ever to Jerusalem. And it almost started to look like a dream that would never materialize… plans and talks made each year to go visit ‘this time’ and never actually going through with it for a variety of reasons. But at last it came.
Two weeks filled with experiences I sometimes anticipated and others not at all. Writing it all down would fill a 500 page book all on its own. Or maybe twice that amount?
But it seems it all boils down to a few particular things for me.
Politics.
Israel.
Israelis.
Jews.
Israeli Palestinians.
Palestinians.
Muslims.
Jesus.
Christians.
Christian Palestinians. Mixed Palestinians… Non-Palestinians or Jews gravitating towards the Holy Land. Story of part of my ancestors…
Palestinians.
Muslims.
Jesus.
Christians.
Christian Palestinians. Mixed Palestinians… Non-Palestinians or Jews gravitating towards the Holy Land. Story of part of my ancestors…
For me, this experience underlined the importance of a Christian presence in that land but also the heartbreaking feeling and realization that this community is smaller than I could have imagined.
I would like this space to bring forth exposure to Christian Palestinian narratives, or just to Christian narratives of all kinds set in that land. I’m also very interested in any kind of folk tales that may have been passed on orally within Christian communities. I’ve done enough research by now to know that most, if not all, communities throughout the world seem to have a corpus of oral stories and so I presume there may be such stories of Christian Palestinian origin. Despite my unfruitful attempts thus far (besides a few stories that may have been told in my own family), I believe it’s worth further looking into. Who knows what else this could lead to? Eventually I'd also like to write this blog in French, but as I like to say, let's do one thing at a time (even though being a woman, I have mastered the art of multi-tasking! :) ).
I hope you will join me and contribute in this experience. Blessings +
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