Back in June, I posted about the opening of the first “Palestinian museum” in the US, in Connecticut.
Now it seems as though another one is opening: the Museum of the Palestinian People, in Washington DC.
Immigrants to the United States yearn for a space to tell their stories, yet for Palestinians there has been no such space. In fact, who we are has been told by others; until now. The Museum of the Palestinian People is here to tell our stories; stories that encompass the rich history, vibrant arts and culture, and spirit of a people who thrive even in the face of adversity.
Like the ancient olive trees of Palestine, we are rooted in the heritage of our land and culture. It nurtures and sustains us. Just as the olive tree produces new fruit from one season to the next, we too flourish into new expressions of what it means to be Palestinian.
Ours is a story of resilience and renewal.
While we bear a responsibility to the past, we also want to bring to life those stories that have not been told. And we will not stop there. Wherever there are borders, whether political, religious, or racial, we will invite our visitors to transcend them. We will collaborate to co-author a new story. For who we are lies beyond category.
We bring Palestine home.
The museum creates a space where people are not marginalized because of the artificial distinctions we use to create borders between us. In fact, we dissolve those distinctions so that people feel safe and open their hearts to truly see the Palestinian people and discover what unites all of us. This is what we want to share with the world: the possibilities that emerge when, together, we create a world without borders.
Museum of the Palestinian People
Our stories are many, our hearts are one
Although their stories are apparently many, they seem to need help with their first exhibit.
Of course there is an obvious joke here, but I will resist making it.
I wonder if when they do eventually have their first exhibit, it will be as symbolic as the one in the palestinian museum in Birzeit.
