A special ceremony in honor of the Palestinian writer Salman Natour served to launch his new book, a 174-page novel summarizing the author's journey through more than thirty years. In “Memoria” Natour tackles Palestinian national memory and identity in the midst of displacement and alienation through the stories told by the “Sheikh with the cracked and wrinkled face." The event organized by BADIL at the Feniq Cultural Center, Deheisha refugee camp, Bethlehem, was attended by some 150 selected participants.

Muheisen: In “Memoria” there is more than defeat

Ahmed Muheisen, head of the BADIL Board, characterized the novel as a work which contains ideas that preserve the culture of return and Palestinian national memory. He stressed that this book was “an invitation to join the collective effort for Palestinian memory in general, and the right of return in particular. In “Memoria” Natour removes the dust of history and uncovers the memory of a whole generation of Palestinians. He shows that memory does not have the face of defeat and Nakba, but of identity and resilience”. Muheisen also explained that BADIL would continue to encourage Palestinian literature and oral history production.

Qaraqe': The memory of the life

Palestinian writer and Legislative Council member Issa Qaraqe' said that the novel “stands for the Palestinian memory of life in confrontation with the Israeli memory of death. While Israel colonized this country based on the mystification of the Holocaust, Palestinians, who are facing extermination and expulsion from this land of fruitful civilization, history, culture and humanity, are not in need of myths in order to justify their heritage and presence.” Qaraqe' also said that the novel “conveys a clear message: no people will gain freedom and independence if they abandon their memory and identity”. He emphasized that the novel was more than an emotional narrative of Palestinian suffering caused by the Nakba of 1948 and closed by summarizing its major political messages.

Natour: Betraying our memory?

Author Salman Natour's presentation from “Memoria” was the highlight of the event. “The hyenas will eat us if we remain without memory,” he reminded the audience and asked: “Are we a generation without memory? I always wonder, and the question bothers me, because we are always so busy with our painful present”.

Musician and composer Amin Natour accompanied the oral presentations on his “Oud, and the songs of Sundus Saleh and Kulthoum Aziza, two young girls from the Balata refugee camp, inspired the audience with the strength of the young generation. Complementary copies of the novel, signed by the author, were distributed to the interested audience at the end of the event.

“Zakira” (Memoria) is available in Arabic only.

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