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The last day in Ramallah

I am pretty tired, i have received so many impressions being in shehada's workshop for the week. I've met so many people, i have been invited for breakfast lunch and dinner so many times.

Don't let anyone fool you about the palestinians. They are as kind as they come. The conflict with their colonizers has forged them together.

Of course i understand that they have to check their borders very good. If your peoples get threathened with extinction like the jewish have experienced. But one should not use this security machine to take away land illegally! Or surpress neighbours.

Yesterday i went to a palestinian wedding. Wow, what a feast! Unbelievable! Dancing in cirkles, singing and an incredible music! And i was the only foreigner, it was quite humbling to see such a nice people and culture coming together.

My plan to make a violin in one week has proven to be a little idealistic. As my experienced is limited, and time was limited as well because of the daily workshop hassle. There were less hours that could be used for building.

Also yesterday, after trying to still keep working, i made a big mistake and i cut of the crown of the back... So Shehada has invited me to come back and finish the work in the future.

I am looking forward now to go to Jerusalem and change the scene. And work together to make a nice Beethoven 9th symphony.

And oh yes, today is friday. So today we go to the mosque to friday prayer.

Also christians and even some jewish palestinians live together in harmony withf the majority of muslims.

On a holy day like today we go to the mosque, and one should not work. Also because the wedding was yesterday, there was a big meal for the whole community where the slaughtered 25 sheep to able to feed everyone!

And the wedding is not over, tonight it apparently continues!

Stay tuned

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  2. Hallo Simon,

    leuke en interessante benadering heb je in je blog. Fijn om te ontdekken dat er nog mensen op deze manier denken.

    Ik vond ons gesprek in het zonnetje van Rammalah dan ook heel inspirerend.

    Spread the word!

    We moeten blijven op allerhande manieren weerstand bieden. Wij buitenlanders hebben een bepaalde handelingsvrijheid die de Palestijnen niet hebben. We moeten tegen de stroom in te gaan en niet onverschillig of afzijdig te blijven. Engagement, burgerschap en democratische waarden zijn een tegengif voor de onverschilligheid. Alle inwoners van deze planeet zijn een cruciale schakel om een volgende genocide te voorkomen. Deze verantwoordelijkheid neem je op door je stem te laten horen. Want zwijgen kan leiden totdat iemand anders het zwijgen wordt opgelegd.

    Het woord is vrij, de daad is stom, de gehoorzaamheid is blind. - Friedrich von Schiller

    Groetjes
    Marijn Straetemans
    https://marijn57.wixsite.com/mijnsite

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