Palestinians have been written out of history before—by Zionist narratives, by Western framing, by Arab collusion, by those who claimed to represent us. Our story survives anyway.
Reading this text brings to life the feeling of confronting an old yet living wound; a wound that is not just about a place or a historical moment, but about the human experience of being erased, ignored, and trying to maintain a voice. Beyond all the arguments and frameworks, what stands out in this narrative is the effort to keep humanity alive in the midst of difficult circumstances, an effort that flows through Mahmoud Darwish’s letters, in the archives, and in the memory that insists on not being lost. This text is a reminder that when memory is under pressure, writing becomes a form of survival; a way to preserve dignity, identity, and meaning. It is difficult to come across descriptions like the deprivation of writing, the cold of detention, or the sleeplessness and not feel how fragile “being” can become, and how much one struggles to preserve the smallest signs of self-being. Alongside the analytical and historical layers that the text alludes to, what strikes one most is the human voice, a human being who does not want to become a label, a stereotype, or an “other,” a human being who wants to be heard not as a reflection of a grand narrative, but as a person with experience, with pain, with memory. Ultimately, this writing is more than anything a reminder that behind every grand narrative, behind every conflict, and every complex history, there are human beings who are trying to hold on to what is left of them: their language, their story, their memory. And to see this human dimension is itself a form of respect.
It appears they’re “speed running” the North American settler-colonialism framework.
This history is fantastic! The details, “… Within this framework, the Palestinian question was stripped of its political and territorial nature…”
Your meta-analysis expands, illuminates, and destroys the dominant narrative.
This is the language, and conversation anyone who claims solidarity with the Palestinian people, Palestine with Jerusalem as her capital, and the resistance, must prioritize as the dominant narrative for the true history of the Palestinian people.
Thank you so much for this rigorous, and accessible entry to a world, and a history we’ve been denied.
Brilliant analysis of the machinations and processes that Europe and then the US have used to reduce the “Middle East” to a two dimensional binary.
It is worth remembering that France in particular applied the same techniques to the ancient Jewish communities in North Africa to erase their historical identities in the pre-Islamic and Muslim worlds.
colonialism does not only seize land; it tries to silence our language and erase our memory. Yet every letter, every word, every surviving voice—like Darwish’s—proves that memory can be wounded but never destroyed. Returning to our own language and history is an act of resistance itself; a stand against the force that tried to estrange us from who we are.
The image of Darwish denied the ability to write shows how colonising erases a people, not just through violence, but by attacking memory. What struck me most was the weight of repetition—the same systems and betrayals resurfacing under new names. Yet the writing remains, the insistence on telling the story despite it all. That line, 'how large the revolution, how narrow the journey, feels painfully present, but the survival of the narrative itself is a quiet act of resistance
Your words carry a truth that is heavy, painful, and necessary. Thank you for articulating what so many feel but cannot always express. The way you trace the layers of erasure, resistance, memory, and abandonment is profoundly powerful. Voices like yours are essential—not only to preserve our history, but to remind the world that Palestinians are not an idea or a symbol, but a people with a living story.
Reading this text brings to life the feeling of confronting an old yet living wound; a wound that is not just about a place or a historical moment, but about the human experience of being erased, ignored, and trying to maintain a voice. Beyond all the arguments and frameworks, what stands out in this narrative is the effort to keep humanity alive in the midst of difficult circumstances, an effort that flows through Mahmoud Darwish’s letters, in the archives, and in the memory that insists on not being lost. This text is a reminder that when memory is under pressure, writing becomes a form of survival; a way to preserve dignity, identity, and meaning. It is difficult to come across descriptions like the deprivation of writing, the cold of detention, or the sleeplessness and not feel how fragile “being” can become, and how much one struggles to preserve the smallest signs of self-being. Alongside the analytical and historical layers that the text alludes to, what strikes one most is the human voice, a human being who does not want to become a label, a stereotype, or an “other,” a human being who wants to be heard not as a reflection of a grand narrative, but as a person with experience, with pain, with memory. Ultimately, this writing is more than anything a reminder that behind every grand narrative, behind every conflict, and every complex history, there are human beings who are trying to hold on to what is left of them: their language, their story, their memory. And to see this human dimension is itself a form of respect.
Beautifully perceptive thoughts. Quite astute, and accessible.
Thank you for sharing.
It appears they’re “speed running” the North American settler-colonialism framework.
This history is fantastic! The details, “… Within this framework, the Palestinian question was stripped of its political and territorial nature…”
Your meta-analysis expands, illuminates, and destroys the dominant narrative.
This is the language, and conversation anyone who claims solidarity with the Palestinian people, Palestine with Jerusalem as her capital, and the resistance, must prioritize as the dominant narrative for the true history of the Palestinian people.
Thank you so much for this rigorous, and accessible entry to a world, and a history we’ve been denied.
Beautiful perspective
Brilliant analysis of the machinations and processes that Europe and then the US have used to reduce the “Middle East” to a two dimensional binary.
It is worth remembering that France in particular applied the same techniques to the ancient Jewish communities in North Africa to erase their historical identities in the pre-Islamic and Muslim worlds.
Palestinians’ rights must be recognized and justice must prevail. No one should be displaced from their home and land. ✊🇵🇸
colonialism does not only seize land; it tries to silence our language and erase our memory. Yet every letter, every word, every surviving voice—like Darwish’s—proves that memory can be wounded but never destroyed. Returning to our own language and history is an act of resistance itself; a stand against the force that tried to estrange us from who we are.
For a people who remember,
for a people who write,
can never disappear.
🩵🪽
So powerful. Being forbidden to write must have been heartbreaking for a poet like Darwish. ✍️💔
The image of Darwish denied the ability to write shows how colonising erases a people, not just through violence, but by attacking memory. What struck me most was the weight of repetition—the same systems and betrayals resurfacing under new names. Yet the writing remains, the insistence on telling the story despite it all. That line, 'how large the revolution, how narrow the journey, feels painfully present, but the survival of the narrative itself is a quiet act of resistance
❤️🖤
Did you mute me? 😓
Well said 🌹
Your words carry a truth that is heavy, painful, and necessary. Thank you for articulating what so many feel but cannot always express. The way you trace the layers of erasure, resistance, memory, and abandonment is profoundly powerful. Voices like yours are essential—not only to preserve our history, but to remind the world that Palestinians are not an idea or a symbol, but a people with a living story.
I appreciate your insight deeply.
Well said 💎