Sunday, March 27, 2016
By Sarah Lehr
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 checkpoint.
A group of girls dramatized the poem at the Arab-American Cultural and Educational Center in Youngstown on 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 to take possession of land for the establishment of military bases and Jewish settlements.
Wednesday will mark 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.”
The local remembrance also included refreshments, speakers and a performance from the Ohio State University-based dance group Art of Freedom.
Saedah Hadi, a teacher for Youngstown City Schools, helped direct the performance of Darwish’s poem, which starred girls who take classes at the AACC.
Hadi, a Youngstown native and a second-generation Palestinian, said she hoped the skit would encourage the girls to take pride in their heritage.
“Most of them have never had the opportunity to go to Palestine, and they may never get to,” Hadi said. “It’s easy for traditions and culture to be lost over the generations.”
In the face of current political rhetoric, Hadi said she struggles to instill positive self-identity in her own daughter.
“We were watching one of the presidential debates, and I actually had to ask my daughter to leave the room,” Hadi said. “It was just so negative. I want her to see the beauty of her culture.”
Janan Niser, executive secretary for the AAAC, said the center is intended to provide a gathering place for Youngtown’s Arab-American community, which is not limited to one religion or nation of origin, as well as to educate the wider public.
“We are part of this community, and this center has been around for generations to contribute to it,” Niser said. “Our door is open. Do come. Do want to learn.”