Episode 036 - RIFQA & Memories That Could Have Been

This week Lara and Michael discuss RIFQA, Mohammed El Kurd’s newly released book of poetry. We reflect on some of the book’s messages like “anger is a luxury we cannot afford.” Indeed, Palestinians are expected to be calm and composed while being ethnically cleansed. We discuss mental health and the toll Palestinian liberation takes on the lives of those who engage in the work. Lara talks about the passages of the book that resonated the most with her, including “I cried not for the house but for the memories I could have made” inside. We imagine what could have been if not for the gangs of Zionist militias who stole Palestine, and expelled and murdered much of the native population. Mohammed El Kurd writes it’s been over “70 years and we have not yet lived a day.” Life and time stand still for Palestinians who are waiting to return to Palestine, waiting for rights, waiting for justice. Finally, we discuss a recent B’Tselem report that connects settler violence to the state policy of stealing Palestinian land. Michael makes the parallel between the extracurricular terrorist activities of the settlers in Palestine and the KKK in the US.