Palestinian women come in all shapes,
colors and sizes, with different beliefs,
different religions and different ways of
life. This isn’t a well known fact, yet. In
this article I’d like to look at the beauty
from within as well as from without.
I can’t ignore the fact that I’m Israeli and
pro-Palestinian and the reactions this
article may bring my way (or just this
sentence). Nevertheless, it’s
important to me to create a bridge, where
walls are being biult- around Palestinians
and Arabs and Muslims in general. Most
important to me, is to show off, to people of
the West, the beauty and individuality of
each woman I feature. You can’t group
Palestinians into crude stereotypes, as you
can’t group any other group of people. If you
do it, you miss out on the beautiful
diversity of the world.
Vintage Palestine - Evidence of
Beauty
One of the most
controversial facts in the whole
discourse about Palestine is the fact
that there were people in Palestine,
before 1948. And that they just happened
to have a fully developed society and an
eclectic culture. It is, however, a
fact, and there’s just too much proof of
that online (and on the ground), to deny
it. My favorite pieces of proof are, of
course, images of beautiful women, which
show off the fashions of the time and
the region.
Suheir Hammad - Palestinian
Heart
Suheir Hammad (which you got a taste of in
the opening video of this article) is a
Palestinian American poet. Just those three
words hold within them such a weight, that it
would take pages upon pages to explain the
significance and ramifications of that. Her
poems are political, no matter how you look
at them. Hammad captures you with her
stunning beauty, but you stay for her soft
heart.
Political Pinups - Dissenting Art
Palestinian pinups, come from within a
culture of dissent. The women are usually
depicted as beautiful rather than sexy, but
they are definitely an idealized depiction of
femininity. The Palestinian pinup is regal,
wears traditional embroidery and most
typically a head scarf. The art isn’t just
decorative, it has symbolic meaning within
every element of the composition.
Mira Awad - Artist in Conflict
Mira Awad is in the very tough position of
being an “Israeli Palestinian” (it’s the more
liberal term for Palestinians that are
Israeli citizens). She’s a singer-song writer
and chooses the way of collaboration with
Israeli artists, which has put her under fire
and criticism many times. On the other hand,
Awad sings in Arabic and for that she’s
already at fault with many Jewish Israelis.
To me, she’s a beautiful, talented woman,
that embodies diversity. Whether it’s through
her mixed Bulgarian-Arab heritage, the fact
that she’s a voluptuous plus size woman, or
her artistic choices, which will be under
siege for a long time to come, unless things
drastically change in the region.
Fashionable Protest - Palestinian Looks
Good on Everyone
It’s quite astonishing how much is being said
about Palestine, through fashion. Proving to
me that fashion is just a misused art, that
could say so much more than it does. From the
Kūfiyyah- a subtle but effective protesting
tool, popularized during the Second Intifada,
to fashion shows boasting the reinvention of
traditional Palestinian garb, to full-on
protest haute couture.
Suzanne Al-Houby - Woman on
Top
Suzanne Al-Houby is
literally on top of the world. She is
the first Palestinian woman to climb and
summit Kilimanjaro - the highest point
in Africa:
"When I climb, I send a message to the world
that we the Palestinians have the will to
live in peace, we look for a beautiful life,
and we reject killing and destruction..."
She’s beautiful and fit, a Palestinian, a
feminist (like many of the women I’ve covered
in this article), a mother and a career woman
(she’s the vice president of the Dubai Bone
& Joint Center):
“I am Palestinian Arab woman, residing
in Dubai, who believes in that our Arab
womanhood should not stop us from pursuing
our dreams and exploring new horizons.”
Najla Said - Palestinian
Legacy
The beautiful,
doe-eyed Najla Said, is not only the
daughter of Palestinian-American scholar
and human rights advocate Edward W.
Said, but a proud and vocal activist
herself. A wizard of words Said the
playwright tells the Palestinian story
through her father and through her
childhood with arresting sweetness and a
chilling awareness. Not just a pretty
face, but a talented actress with
sensibilities that won’t leave a dry eye
in the house:
In solidarity with my Palestinian sisters,
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