British Palestinians renew their dedication to the right of return
British Palestinians renew their dedication to the right of return (London – October 24)
British Palestinians renewed their dedication to the right of return, the support for the Palestinian people and their commitment to their land, the preservation of national identity and the affirmation of the Palestinian right to their homeland and its holy sites.
All of this and more was prominent during a Palestinian social gathering in the British capital, London, where hundreds of Palestinians – along with Arab and Islamic public figures from Britain – participated in an organised event by the Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB). The forum hosts such event regularly, but this one was long-anticipated after Covid-19 forced a hiatus in such activities for over a year and a half.
The participants heartily expressed their support for Palestine and displayed pride in their culture and heritage. The gathering was palpating with the distinctive Palestinian celebratory traditions such as, Palestinian dabke, beautiful cultural songs, and impressive cultural costumes.
All done to deepen and strengthen the Palestinian identity among the new generations away from their homeland, amid a great turnout from the Palestinian and Arab communities
Back Together Again
Adnan Hmidan, deputy head of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, affirmed that “this social gathering of the Palestinian Forum in Britain comes after a hiatus of more than a year and a half due to the pandemic.”
The health restrictions prevented the Forum from hosting any large meetings in the past 18 months, “except for the protest against the aggression on Jerusalem and Gaza, where half a million demonstrators took to the streets of London,” Hmidan explained. “In the protest organised by the Palestinian Forum in Britain and its partners, we voiced and demonstrated our loyalty and solidarity with the political prisoners in general; especially Miqdad Al-Qawasmi and other prisoners on a hunger strike.”
Speaking of the gathering itself, the forum prides itself on presenting a full-fledged Palestinian atmosphere.
“The gathering is complete with the flavour of Musakhan, and the aroma of sage, and the atmosphere of the Palestinian heritage in all its details,” he said. “From folk dances to national songs, embroideries, and national traditional clothes, this is a history and a past that we cherish. A community that neglects its past does not deserve a future.”
Adding: “Here, the young and old, generation after generation, meet to inherit the cause, and to swear an oath of loyalty to Palestine.”
Alongside public members of the Arab and Palestinian communities, the event was attended by many notable names involved in the Palestine cause in Britain. These included chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Dr Kamel Hawwash, Former head of the Palestinian Forum in Britain Dr Hafez Al-Karmi, One of the founding members of PFB Muhammad Sawalha since the 90s. As well as the CEO and Founder of The Cordoba Foundation Anas Altikriti, President of Muslim Association of Britain Raghad Al Tikriti.
Palestine at Each Corner
Stalls lined the walls of the Nadi Park Royal where the gathering was held, selling a variety of cultural items, including Palestinian clothing, homemade traditional foods and sweets prepared by Palestinian and Arab families.
There was also a heritage exhibition, in which many traditional Palestinian paintings and handicrafts were displayed. In addition to all that, delicious Palestinian Kunafa awaited all attendees.
The evening came to a close with a beautiful Palestinian artistic performance, where the Palestinian artist from the refugee camps in Syria, Rabih Rezek, performed cultural songs speaking of the right of return and maintaining the Palestinian lands and identity.
The songs were accompanied by a performance by Al Fursan Dabke Group. They are a group of Palestinian and Arab young men who were born and raised in Britain, but never forgotten their allegiance to Palestine and their cultural identity.
Ammar Al-Zeer, the supervisor of the group, stressed the dabke band’s keenness to express the Palestinian heritage from the heart of Britain, emphasizing that Palestinian rights will not be forgotten, and that preserving art and heritage is an integral part of preserving the Palestinian identity.
Children were not exempt from the festivities. The gathering had educational games and activities prepared for the younger audience to enjoy, and get them in touch with their cultural identities.
It should be noted that this type of gathering is held regularly by the Palestinian Forum in Britain in London. This is part of the Forum’s effort to engage with the emerging issues of the Palestinian cause and to strengthen ties between the members of the community. You can keep track of their events through the PFB Facebook page.
Upcoming events targeted towards Palestinian and Arabs in the UK include:
The Palestine Festival in the UK on December 12th 2021 (Byron Hall – Harrow).
Symposium on the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Wednesday November 3rd 2021.
ShortURL ⬇