Arabs are forced to question our place in the world
Is there life before death?
I thought of this line by poet Mourid Barghouti as the Palestinian flags billowed above my head. This was the first pro-Palestinian rally in Pittsburgh since the massacres in Gaza began this October, and protesters shook their signs in solidarity: End the Occupation! Cease-fire Now!
The day also marked my first rally since my arrest 10 years ago in Cairo at a protest against Egypt’s 2013 military coup. The organizers of the Pittsburgh event, who were of Arab origin, began their speeches by denouncing attacks they had not yet faced but anticipated. I clenched my jaw listening to the long preface: We Arabs are decent, civilized, peaceful.… Seguir leyendo »