Local Arabs commemorate 40th anniversary of 'Land Day'

YOUNGSTOWN

“Write down! I am an Arab”

So goes the refrain of the poem “Identity Card,” which Palestinian activist Mahmoud Darwish wrote in 1964 about an interaction with Israeli security guards at a check-point.

A group of girls dramatized the poem at the Arab-American Cultural and Educational Center in Youngstown Saturday evening. The skit was one of several presentations to commemorate Palestinian Land Day, the day in 1976 when the Israeli government announced a plan take possession of land for the establishment of military bases and Jewish settlements.

Wednesday will marks the 40th anniversary of that day, when the Israeli announcement was met with protests and unrest. During the ensuing confrontations, six Palestinians were killed and hundreds were injured or arrested.

Ashraf Salman, president of Youngstown’s AACC, said the primary purpose of Saturday’s event was remembrance.

“This is not a celebration,” Salman said. “Being thousands of miles away, there’s little we can do. But it’s important that we don’t forget.”

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.