Focus on Palestine: A Community Event

The public is invited to an afternoon of history, poetry, music and theater focused on Palestine.  The event is free and open to the public.

Fateh Azzam, former Middle East Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will speak about the history of Palestinian citizenship. Also included will be readings of Contemporary Palestinian poetry, Middle Eastern Music performed by Maine musicians, and excerpts from the Gaza Monologues written by Gaza teenagers in 2010 after the Israeli war on Gaza in 2008-2009. The program will end with raucous Palestinian Dabkeh line dancing to the tunes of live Palestinian folklore music and singing.

Palestinian himself, Mr. Azzam will discuss the history of Palestinian citizenship and their quest for representation, from the Ottoman period through the British mandate, the creation of Israel and its occupation of Palestine to the present day. The presentation will be followed by a discussion.

Palestine being culturally part of the broader Arab World, Maine musicians will be presenting several compositions of Middle Eastern music based in the classical Maqam tradition.

Contemporary Palestinian poetry will be read throughout the afternoon.

A thirty-minute segment of the Gaza Monologues will be presented. The full production of the Gaza Monologues which comprises 33 pieces, opened in Portland on February 3 of this year.

The event is hosted and sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church Brunswick, Peaceworks Brunswick, Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights and Peace Action Maine. The Monologues are directed by Nat Warren-White and Fateh Azzam, and performed by students from Casco Bay High School in Portland, Bowdoin College and USM with accompanying live music.