They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Nour Jarrar, a Palestinian woman living in Dubai, has proven this with the creation and publication of her captivating coffee-table picture book, THE STATE OF MIND PALESTINE.
In this book, Nour has featured photographs of Palestine and Palestinian families going back more than 75 years. In other words, THE STATE OF MIND PALESTINE allows the audience to embark on a journey through time, immersing them in Palestine’s history and cultural heritage.
In an interview, Nour has now shared the idea behind her picture book, why she claims that “Palestine is no longer just a state” and how you can stay connected to your culture when living abroad.
Hi Nour, please introduce yourself and your new book, THE STATE OF MIND PALESTINE.
Hello! I am a Palestinian based in Dubai. I am the Creator and Publisher of THE STATE OF MIND PALESTINE.
THE STATE OF MIND PALESTINE is a captivating coffee-table picture book. Within the pages of this book, one is transported through time via vintage photographs of Palestine and Palestinian families, predominantly captured prior to the year of 1948.
In your book, you argue that ‘Palestine is no longer just a state’ but rather ‘a state of mind’. What do you mean by this?
I truly believe that today, Palestine soars far beyond the limits of a defined land; it defies the constraints of a state’s physicality. Today, Palestine resides within millions of hearts around the world. They diminish the physical Palestine, but in doing so, they unknowingly enlarge its presence in our hearts and minds to magnitudes that span across the entire globe.
The majority of the pictures in the book date back to before 1948. Could you please highlight the significance of this year?
The significance of 1948 for Palestinians is deeply rooted in the traumatic experience of the Nakba. It is the year hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either lost their lives or their homes and possessions. Villages and towns were depopulated or destroyed, and 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes and country.
Also, there are claims that prior to this year, Palestine was a land with no people. The significance of the pictures dating back to before 1948 is to confront this enduring truth: this was never a land with no people.
With these photos, we show the land, and we show the people who were born in this land, raised in this land, and will forever be a part of this land.
How do you – and the millions of Palestinians residing outside their home country – stay connected to your roots?
By listening to the beautiful stories of Palestine narrated by our parents and grandparents. By cooking and enjoying the delicious Palestinian cuisine. By preserving our Palestinian family traditions. And, by engaging in advocacy for Palestinian rights and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
If you could summarise the message behind this book with one sentence, what would that be?
“There was never a country called Palestine,” you say?
THIS is Palestine…THEY are Palestine!
To purchase the book, visit www.thestateofmindpalestine.com.
Proceeds will be donated to the children of Palestine.
Sip of Culture 