Being Palestinian: Personal Reflections on Palestinian Identity in the Diaspora - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0748634029 ISBN 13: 9780748634026

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2016

Synopsis

Is being Palestinian a 'pain in the neck', or a 'sentence to suffer gladly'? Does Palestinian identity reside in cross-stitch embroidery, sweet knafeh and the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, or defending the rights of oppressed communities around the world? How does it feel when you cannot find Palestine under 'P' in the encyclopedia? Why grow fig and orange trees in the Arizona desert? What does it mean to know every inch of a village that no longer exists?

In this ground-breaking volume, 102 contributors now living in the UK and North America reflect in their own words on what it means to be Palestinian in the diaspora - exploring how Palestine is both lost and found, bereaved and celebrated, and taking the reader on an intimate journey through the tangled ties between 'home' and 'homeland'. Men and women, young and old, Christians and Muslims, Palestinians from different generations and a variety of professional backgrounds (business people, lawyers, judges, fiction writers, poets, journalists, film-makers, diplomats and academics) offer contributions.

Touching, often troubling, but full of character and wit, the reflections in Being Palestinian offer a radically fresh look at the modern Palestinian experience in the West. And the time-honoured issues of identity, exile and diaspora give acute sense to these very personal reflections.

About this title

About the Author:

Professor Yasir Suleiman is the first holder of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa'id Chair of Modern Arabic Studies and a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. His many published works include A War of Words: Language and Conflict in the Middle East (2004), The Arabic Language and National Identity: A Study in Ideology (2003), The Arabic Grammatical Tradition: A Study in Tal'liil (1999), Literature and Nation in the Middle East (edited with Ibrahim Muhawi, 2006), Language and Society in the Middle East and North Africa (editor, 1999), Arabic Grammar and Linguistics (editor, 1998), Language and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa (editor, 1996) and Arabic Sociolinguistics: Issues and Perspectives (editor, 1994).

Review:

"Editor Suleiman, himself a Palestinian, is to be congratulated on this volume of personal reflections collected from Palestinians in the shatat (the diaspora), for the use of all those who may be curious and interested to learn more about his people who, in the West especially, are unfairly maligned by their enemies." -- Issa J. Boullata, World Literature in Review

"A remarkable collection of poignant reflections on identity, Diaspora, and personal history."-- Roberto Bonazzi, Express-News

"The book's breadth of scope, lucidity of narrative, and mixture of literary registers make it stand out within the rich literature on the subject as a unique multiauthor Palestinian book of genesis/exodus." -- Ahman Diab, Journal of Palestine Studies

"Many of the authors describe their relationship with Palestine as complicated and ever-evolving, changing as the author transitions from childhood into adulthood. Yet, in spite of, or possibly because of, the associated hardships, each essay expresses pride in the author's Palestinian identity. Readers will walk away with a better understanding of the fascinating shades of identity issues facing members of the diaspora, as the feeling of not belonging is a universal experience, perhaps an identity in itself." -- Ravenel Godbold, This Week in Palestine

"This book will reward any reader who decides to choose a chapter at random, or read every single account. These are the kind of illuminating personal histories for which daily journalism only rarely has the space, and yet they are engaging and a vital aid to understanding the complexities of the conflict." -- James Rodgers, reportingconflict

About this edition

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0748634029
• ISBN 13: 9780748634026
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384
• Editor: Suleiman Yasir