Susan Abulhawa says the Palestine Writes Literature Festival is a moment for Palestinian writers to demonstrate that “the power of culture is stronger than the culture of power.” Said Abulhawa, “As those with extraordinary political, economic and military force shrink the land beneath our feet, we will definitely expand our cultural and intellectual presence in the world.”
From Ramzy Baroud’s groundbreaking book on Palestinian prisoners: “I have nothing to apologize for,” Mohammed al-Deirawi told the Israeli judge who sentenced him. “I will never apologize for resisting the occupation, defending my people, fighting for my stolen rights. But you need to apologize, and those who demolish homes while their owners are still inside are the ones who must apologize.”
Four years after she was arrested by Israeli police over a poem she had written and published on social media, Dareen Tatour’s legal battles are finally over.
Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour is appealing to her supporters to sign a petition in support of her freedom of expression after she received a letter from the Israeli Supreme Court that the public prosecution was seeking to reopen the case against her. Despite already serving her time in prison, and a court partially acquitting her of the charges against her, Tatour fears that Israeli authorities are attempting again to silence her voice.
Rasmea Odeh dramatically had her visa revoked in Germany after pressure from the Israeli government grew to cancel her participation in a Berlin event on International Women’s Day. Her would be co-panelist, Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour explains how the events unfolded,”I was also supposed to read some of my poems. When I arrived at the event hall, I was surprised by something else. The venue was vandalized with graffiti.”
Refaat Alareer writes a poem to Dareen Tatour –
I am at the stake
I am being burnt
For being here
For writing poetry
I am in prison.
Dareen Tatour will spend the next five months in an Israeli prison after being convicted of incitement over posting a poem online. Her close friend, Israeli artist Danielle Alma Ravitzki, writes about the “worst day of her life,” the ride to the prison last Wednesday where she dropped off Dareen.
Kim Jensen writes, “Everything about the trial of Dareen Tatour was like fiction. Everything required the willing suspension of disbelief. From the opening pages, it was impossible to digest the premise that an unknown young poet from a small town in the Galilee would be hauled off by Israeli police and border guards for a smattering of posts on the internet. To get the truth, sometimes you have to quit and start from scratch. Everything about the story of Dareen Tatour is the story of Falasteen.”