There are dead who light up the night
of butterflies,
and the dead who come at dawn
to drink your tea
as peaceful as on the day your
guns mowed them down.
O you who are guests in this place,
leave a few chairs empty
for your hosts to read out
the conditions for peace
in a treaty with the dead.
-Mahmoud Darwish, from Speech of the Red Indian
http://www.thecornerreport.com/index.php?title=speech_of_the_red_indian&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
______________________________________________
* Palestine Aid Society Invites you to a Celebration of the Life and Works
of Palestinian Poet and Hero Mahmoud Darwish
1941 – 2008
*
*Saturday, August 30, 2:00 p.m.
*
*Glendale Public Library Auditorium
222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA — 2nd Floor*
*Violin Performance Dr. Nabil Azzam will premier his new composition*
* “Elegy for Mahmoud Darwish”
Comments by:*
* Historian Dr. Mahmood Ibrahim, Cal Poly Pomona*
*Professor Gabriel Piterberg, UCLA*
*Professor Hamoud Salhi, CSUD*
*Professor Bice Harris, Occidental College*
*Rev. Darrel Meyers*
*Donald Bustany of KPFK’s “Middle East In Focus”*
*and many more*
*Poetry Readings by:*
*Egyptian-American actor/activist Nasser Faris*
* Hip-Hop stars Nizar (“Ragtop”) Wattad*
* and Omar (“Offendum”) Chakaki*
**Program in English
*Admission Free*
_______________________________________
The Arab Community in Southern Californi invites you to a community-wide event;
commemorating Mahmoud Darwish as a poetic
treasure to Palestine and the Arab World.
His award winning poetry exemplifies perfectly
his unique ability to not only articulate the
people’s struggle for justice and liberation,
but also contribute to it through his
powerful words.
Mahmoud Darwish published his first book of
poetry at the age of 19. Although he was
widely recognized as Palestine’s national
poet, his work masterfully covers other topics such as love and romance. His work was internationally recognized and celebrated with translations in over 20 languages.
His life, work and legacy stand as a shining example to poets and scholars everywhere of how to contribute, while reflecting on a people, a nation, a culture, a society and it’s struggle for justice and liberation.
“Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging….”
Program includes: Comments from family and friends of Mahmoud Darwish from El Birweh, recitals of Darwish’ poetry; and a eulogy to be delivered by renowned Iraqi poet and friend of Mahmoud Darwish, Lamee’a Abbas Amara
When: Sunday, August 31, 2008 – 4 PM
Place: HOLIDAY INN SELECT
14299 Firestone Boulevard
La Mirada, CA 90638
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