Palestinian Art Show Comes to R-N
by Lev D. Zilbermints
The Observer - December 2, 2003

On November 25, Samia A. Halaby, a noted Palestinian activist, presented a lecture and a slide-show about the evolution of Palestinian art. The slides showed various pieces of artwork, painting, sculptures, embroidery.

Halaby was born in 1936 in what was then British-mandated Palestine. In 1948, after the formation of Israel, she became a refugee. Her family emigrated to the US in 1951. According to Halaby, she "studied art at mid-western universities and taught art at American universities for 17 years (1965-1982)."

While talking about art, Halaby said, "Palestinian painting has been subject to vandalism by Israel." She then described how Fathi Ghoban, a Palestinian artist, spent six months in jail and had his paintings confiscated. It took an international movement to liberate him. One of his paintings, "Identity," became widely popular with the Palestinian people because it featured Palestinian colors.

Halaby described how until 1980 Palestinians were not allowed to display their red, black, white and green flag. Any display of the flag was punished.

"However," said Halaby, "when Israel banned the Palestinian flag, the women dared the authorities by embroidering the flag on their dresses. Embroidering dresses is a form of art."

Much of the Palestinian art showed deep symbolism. Abed Tanam, a Palestinian artist living in Kafr Quasem, is one such artist.

"His paintings," said Halaby, "are about the 1956 Kafr Qasem massacre where Israeli border guards executed 50 civilians in cold blood."

Another form of Palestinian art is stone-carving. Mona Saudi, a Palestinian stone-carver, carved the bust of Al-Lat, an ancient Arabic goddess.

Poetry is another form of art. According to Halaby, there are two types of poetry: poetry by the educated and poetry by the villagers.

"The main difference," said Halaby,"was that the educated poets wrote in the formal Arabic language building on traditional forms and incorporating modern methods. The village poets used the popular spoken language and rhymed their verse in the traditions of the mawwal - a type of traditional rap in which epic stoies are told."

However, art was not the only focus. Halaby also talked about politics with which Palestinian art was intertwined.

Aref Assaf, Director of media relations at the New Jersey Chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, attended and said that he was pleased by the exhibition.

The event was sponsored by New Jersey Solidarity.