Nakba day - information for Alexandrians
Jonathan Krall
Today, May 15, is the anniversary of the Nakba ("catastrophe" in English), the day that is commemorated to mark the time in 1948 when approximately 800,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes in the cities and towns that now lie within Israel. Unlike many other historical events, the Nakba has never been widely commemorated in many American communities, including Alexandria. This is true despite the fact that we live in a nation of immigrants that includes many Palestinians.
1. For those who wish to speak up, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights has a toolkit:
https://bit.ly/Nakba76toolkit
2. On May 17, our own Poet Laureate, Zeina Azzam, will be will be sharing her poetry on this topic at the United Nations. Here is the information:
Zeina Azzam, a volunteer with Grassroots Alexandria and Poet Laureate of the City of Alexandria for 2022–2025, has been invited to the United Nations to read her poetry on Friday, May 17, 2024 during the U.N. commemoration of the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, or Catastrophe. The Nakba refers to the 1948 Palestine war during which over 800,000 Palestinians were forced by Israeli militias from their homes and lands in Palestine and barred from returning.
The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) is convening the program, "1948-2024: The Ongoing Palestinian Nakba," at U.N. Headquarters in New York City. Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Representative of CIERPP and Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations, and Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, will inaugurate the program.
Ms. Azzam, a Palestinian American whose parents, brother, and most of her extended family were forced to flee from Palestine during the Nakba, will introduce and read a selection of her poems. A panel of academics and experts will then discuss the history and current situation of Palestinians in occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel, and the global Palestinian refugee diaspora.
The "1948-2024: The Ongoing Palestinian Nakba" program will take place on Friday, May 17 at U.N. Headquarters in New York City from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed in person, with registration, or via livestream.
For more information, please consult the program. You may contact Ms. Azzam at zeinaaz...@gmail.com or visit her website: www.zeinaazzam.com.