No justice, no peace.
Genocide, double standards, war crimes, accountability, starvation, complicity, apartheid, misinformation, occupation, violence, silence, truth, boycott, anger.
These are some of the words that fill my mind while attempting to write this year’s word. Writing about anything feels like a betrayal to our brothers and sisters in Palestine.
The question is, where do D-CAF and the Arab Arts Focus, or any other festival or artistic and cultural event fit into this bleak reality?
The answer is both simple and extremely complex. As unfathomable as it may seem, arts and culture are our way to show solidarity; to grieve, to survive, and to resist. As Arab cultural workers, giving up is not an option, failing is not an option, letting the horror erase the light from our lives is not an option.
The only option we have is resisting.
D-CAF, the Arab Arts Focus, and all the other festivals and cultural and artistic events are our voice, and our tool to resist what oppresses us, holds us down and tries to annihilate our history, identity, existence, and future. It is our way to say that we are still here and we will never be erased.
It is our collective duty to stand with our brothers and sisters in Palestine in solidarity, and to make our voices heard for them.
We count on you, our loyal audiences, to make all of our voices heard loud and clear, and to send the message to the generations to come that we will always be here no matter what.
Enjoy D-CAF.
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