solidarity in the face of fascism

courtesy the Democratic Socialists of America. a protest sign for our times. 

(in hyper-secular France, would any left organization propose such a sign?)

Kufiya solidarity: Bolivia at the UN

Yes, I know, a little late in the game...

In July, the Bolivian representative to the UN, Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz, showed up wearing a kufiya, in solidarity with Gaza, which was being pummeled by the Israeli "Defense" Forces. This was all over social media.

And it went further: Bolivian president Evo Morales on July 30 declared Israel a "terrorist state" and revoked Bolivia's visa agreement with Israel.

Kesang Marstrand sings Najat Al-Saghira's "Ana Ba'ashiq al-Bahr" or "I Love the Sea" (أنا بعشق البحر)

This is kinda amazing, that a US folksinger would essay a song in Arabic. And I think she does a creditable job. Here's the original, by Egyptian singer Najat al-Saghira. My guess is the song dates from the fifties or sixties. 

Kesang Marstrand, who is of Danish-Tibetan background, uploaded the song in August 2009, shortly before she moved to Tunisia in December. Where, amazingly, she lived until recently. She's now back in the US.

Marstrand was reportedly active in the cultural life of Tunisia during the revolution, and while there she recorded a version of the Tunisian national anthem, "Humat al-Hima." Below is a video clip of Marstrand being interviewed on Tunisian television about her time in Tunisia and her experiences during the revolution. As you can see, she is quite fluent in French, and she understands some Tunisian Arabic. Apparently she performed her version of the anthem publicly in Tunisia, and the gesture of solidarity was much appreciated.

Finally, a clip of her doing a musical preview on Tunisian t.v., singing in English, before concerts she did in Djerba, Tunisia, on October 12-13, 2012.

According to her website, Marstrand's fourth album is about to drop soon.

Kufiyas galore, courtesy The Palestine Poster Project Archives

Dan Walsh, who runs the amazing Palestine Poster Project Archive, has very helpfully put together all the kufiya posters in the collection, available for viewing online here. As of this writing here are 803(!) images, but more to come for sure, in future.

I especially liked this one, but you may fancy others.

To see it full-sized, and with more details on the artist, etc., go here.

Kufiya'd protester in Lebanon: Down with Bashar

Via The Middle East Channel, August 16, 2011, this photo:

with this caption: A woman wearing a mask and an Arab Keffiyeh head dress uses her mobile photo to record a protest in the Lebanese capital Beirut in support of the five month uprising in neighboring Syria, on August 15, 2011, as Syrian troops clamp down on flash point towns and cities (ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images).

I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be an Arafat mask. My guess is that the woman is wearing a mask not so much to identify with Arafat as to disguise herself, since demonstrators in Lebanon who have come out in support of the democracy movement have, on occasion, been attacked by local agents of Syrian intelligence, to wit, the local branch of the Ba'ath Party that is affiliated with Syria and by members of the SSNP (Syrian Social Nationalist Party, ex-PPS).

BUY PALESTINIAN KUFIYAS!!

This is terribly exciting. A group called The Kufiyeh Project has been set up to promote the kufiya as a Palestinian symbol and, more important to my mind, to promote the sale of Palestinian kufiyas (now made only at the Hirbawi factory, Hebron).

This is how the project describes itself. Please check out the group's website, order kufiyas ($12, a dozen for $120), sell kufiyas, involve yourselves in the project.

The Kufiyeh Project was conceived by concerned activists from New Orleans Palestine Solidarity and the Austin Coalition for Palestine, in coordination with Palestine Online Store. The project is not-for-profit, and its objectives are:

1. To proactively promote the kufiyeh as a symbol of Palestinian identity, resistance, struggle for justice, and solidarity with it.

2. To support Palestinian industry and make sure that kufiyehs continue to be produced in Palestine.

Our strategies and tactics will include asking progressive celebrities to wear it and to speak up for justice in Palestine. We also intend to promote the Palestinian-made kufiyeh as much as possible using all forms of publicity. And, last but not least, we will support the Hirbawi factory to the best of our ability and also encourage better quality production.

The Kufiyeh Project is currently being coordinated by Mai Bader and Haithem El-Zabri, and an advisory board is being formed. Income generated from sales and contributions will be rechanneled into the project (under supervision of the board) to pursue the above-mentioned objectives.

Contact the group at info@thekufiyehproject.org.

(I'd really like to get hold of the kufiya shopping bag--where can I find one of those?!)