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Naseej: Life-Weavings of Palestine
Naseej, meaning 'tapestry' in Arabic, is a book about diverse forms of life, communities, histories and continuities in Palestine. It compiles essays, short stories, poetry, interviews, and visual art to tell an aspect of the Palestinian story that has not been the severing of Palestinians from vast and ancient regional histories.
Palestine has always been a precious patchwork of languages, ethnicities, cultures, religions and practices, weaved into the fabric of an Arab and Islamic civilization that was itself a culmination of centuries of interchange and experimentation.
Arriving at a moment of utter devastation - one of the most difficult in Palestinian history - this vibrant collection celebrates the diversity of life in Palestine. From the trajectories of Romani groups to the formations of religious communities like Ahmadiyya Muslims in Haifa, to the political experience of Black Palestinians and much more, Naseej asks what kind of threads remain of this tapestry after some 150 years of modernity and colonialism.
Palestine has always been a precious patchwork of languages, ethnicities, cultures, religions and practices, weaved into the fabric of an Arab and Islamic civilization that was itself a culmination of centuries of interchange and experimentation.
Arriving at a moment of utter devastation - one of the most difficult in Palestinian history - this vibrant collection celebrates the diversity of life in Palestine. From the trajectories of Romani groups to the formations of religious communities like Ahmadiyya Muslims in Haifa, to the political experience of Black Palestinians and much more, Naseej asks what kind of threads remain of this tapestry after some 150 years of modernity and colonialism.
- GenresNonfiction
216 pages, Paperback
Published March 20, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 25, 2026
4.5
A tapestry indeed of the varied lives and histories of Palestine. Wonderfully curated into four sections (Itineraries, Directions of Prayer, Topographies, and Familiar Places), this collection traverses language that is academic in some chapters and simpler story-telling in others. Chapters talk of Armenians in Palestine, the history of people in Golan Heights and how they arrived, Indians who visited Jerusalem on their way to/from Mecca, the Ahmaddiya, the Herzegovina Muslims, the role of theater and religion, the memories of the elderly, and strength of the young.
It is wholly insightful and a must-read for anyone with interest in sociology, history, the individual and the collective, the multitudinous origins of all people shaped by land, war, culture, and journeys.
A tapestry indeed of the varied lives and histories of Palestine. Wonderfully curated into four sections (Itineraries, Directions of Prayer, Topographies, and Familiar Places), this collection traverses language that is academic in some chapters and simpler story-telling in others. Chapters talk of Armenians in Palestine, the history of people in Golan Heights and how they arrived, Indians who visited Jerusalem on their way to/from Mecca, the Ahmaddiya, the Herzegovina Muslims, the role of theater and religion, the memories of the elderly, and strength of the young.
It is wholly insightful and a must-read for anyone with interest in sociology, history, the individual and the collective, the multitudinous origins of all people shaped by land, war, culture, and journeys.
October 31, 2025
A unique read on Palestine. Each chapter is a unique angle on Palestinian culture, architecture, landscape, history etc.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews