The Palestinian people practice resistance through “sumud” and steadfastness in every aspect of their lives, including in music. After October 7, Palestinian music can serve as the moral compass pointing toward decolonization.

On December 31, 2019, attorneys for Rima Najjar, a retired professor of English literature at Al-Quds University, filed a suit against the question-answer website Quora in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, arguing the site had unlawfully banned her from posting and moderating a forum. The case centers around the use of the word “Palestine” and “Zionist,” the latter of which Quora said constituted “hate speech.” 

Dr. Benay Blend, who is Jewish, was banned from the question/answer social media platform Quora at the same time as her Palestinian colleague Dr. Rima Najjar, but their cases have been treated very differently by the website. “So, I have to wonder – Why did Quora treat my writing differently than Dr. Najjar’s,” Blend asks, “Even after we were both permanently banned, my answers remain on my profile in Quora; while her hundreds of well-researched answers have been completely erased.”