Palestine, Our Homeland Issue #5

We begin by giving thanks to God for the blessing of this moment, to tell the story of Palestine as we know it, and to share our perspective of the world as we live it. We speak for our people whose story has so often been silenced, distorted and stolen. From the roots of the olive groves of our ancestral homeland to the exile of the diaspora, Palestinians carry with them the essence of humanity, beauty, and grace. Palestinians rise with an unwavering spirit, patient in sorrow, defiant in hope. It is our deep sense of duty, born of love, memory, and truth, that kindles a light within us, guiding us to stand against injustice and to speak with clarity and courage in the face of silence.

Why do we write? Is it for the amusement of sharing thoughts and experiences? Recounting stories? Crying about the past and healing our trauma? For us, history is a process of understanding who we are, and determining how to act in the future. Writing is not a passive exercise nor is it a blame game or a healing circle. The reason we write is to help draw a path towards return, liberation, and freedom. We write to do our part. To use our skills to reach a day where we can see a free Palestine.

This vision may be blurred today, by smoke and dust from Israeli bombs and shots fired in our Holy Land, but we, as Palestinians know all too well that the almond blossom always blooms in winter. It is a representation of our collective spirit; what pushes us to wake up every day and be just as stubborn about our freedom as we were the day before.

At the heart of that spirit is the land blessed by God, Palestine, and the source of that blessing, Jerusalem. This issue of Palestine: Our Homeland dives into the significance of Jerusalem for Palestinians and the community at large.

As we watch the events unfolding in Palestine on our phone screens, we recognize the importance of actively thinking about our duty toward our people and holy sites. This Duty of Guardianship (Amanah) belongs to every Muslim, regardless of their heritage or ethnicity. Our duty is not tied to ownership, but rather to a responsibility of care.