DOHA: Qatar National Library celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on November 29 every year, by organizing a cultural evening entitled 'The Story of Palestine: Solidarity Evening on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People'.
The evening discussed the role of social media in conveying the truth about the Palestinian cause and its impact on society, and highlighted holdings from the Heritage Library’s collection, including maps, manuscripts and photos related to the history of Palestine.
The collection dates back to the pre-Nakba period, and includes photographs documenting community life in Bethlehem in the West Bank, bread sellers and stonecutters in Jerusalem, a woman in traditional dress from Ramallah, a Palestinian woman in traditional dress, Muslims praying, and several Palestinian figures. Other photographs document the Jewish immigration that marked a turning point in the history of Palestine.
The event, which was held last night, included a dialogue session with Palestinian journalist Ahmed Hijazi, entitled 'How to be the voice of truth from your platform and the role of social media in conveying the truth'.
The session reviewed the role of digital platforms in spreading the truth, and the importance of the role of social media in raising awareness, especially about the Palestinian cause, stressing that social media in Palestine has succeeded in raising the Palestinian voice to refute the narrative of the occupation that committed the most heinous crimes against people and stones in a war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The cultural evening also included discussions on the importance of Palestine in Islam and humanity, in addition to reciting the poem 'I am Palestinian'translated into sign language, a Palestinian embroidery workshop, and tours of the 'Feather'and 'Men in the Sun'exhibitions at the Qatar National Library.
On this occasion, Maram Abdulaziz Al Mahmoud, Director of the Children’s and Young Adults Library at Qatar National Library, stressed that this event is consistent with the library’s commitment to documenting, publishing, and raising awareness of the history of Palestine before the occupation.
“Through these ongoing events about Palestine, we seek to document the story and history of Palestine and shed light on our shared Arab and Islamic heritage, with the aim of countering narratives that distort historical facts,” she said, noting that since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, the library has organized many events that emphasize the authentic Arab identity of Palestine.
The 'Story of Palestine'evening is one of a series of events aimed at raising awareness of the Palestinian cause among youth and families. The library’s events about Palestine also included a symposium titled 'Raising for Palestine'held in cooperation with the Teach for QatarFoundation.
