Cairo: “Palestinian Stories” is a digital archive initiative dedicated to safeguarding the rich cultural legacy of Palestinian families.
Spearheaded by Samar Dewidar — a renowned oral historian and seasoned professional in development and cultural endeavours — this project enabled her to get acquainted with countless stories of Palestinian women that inspired this idea.
Alongside the platform’s pilot launch, a photographic exhibition titled “To My Beloved Homeland” was organised in Cairo on 20 May 2023. During the event, Dewidar showcased selected excerpts from the historical documents of her grandfather, Ali Rashid Shaath.
During her three-year tenure as a manager of developmental projects, Dewidar met with numerous Palestinian women who are married to non-Palestinian men. Dewidar reflected on her experience: “This was more of a social research endeavour to explore the meaning of belonging and affiliation.”
“It investigates how the identity of children with Palestinian mothers and non-Palestinian fathers is shaped when they grow up outside of Palestine, particularly those who identify with their fathers’ heritage and develop their sense of self in a different country than that of their mothers.”
“The question that intrigued me was whether Palestine would remain an integral part of their identity, or if it would gradually fade into oblivion as a result of their daily experiences in a different environment that differs from their mothers’ nostalgic past?”
Dewidar goes on to say: “I embarked on my research with the belief that Palestine would continue to hold significant importance to these children, given that mothers usually impart a range of emotions and concepts to their children.”
“However, I soon discovered that this was a flawed assumption, as the development of emotions and concepts during formative years is a much more intricate process. It is influenced by numerous societal, cultural, political, psychological, and personal factors, in addition to the maternal influence.”
Inspiration behind the project
Dewidar was inspired by the tales relayed to her by those Palestinian women and she decided to write a novel.
She says: “It was a turning point in my life when I felt compelled to share the stories recounted by these women. They opened up to me and allowed me access to the intricate details of their lives. These details hold tremendous value and deserve to be shared beyond mere research papers.”
As I was searching for a way to disseminate the lives of these women, I stumbled upon letters exchanged between my grandfather, Ali Rashid Shaath, and his sons, relatives, and wife, Samiha Ahmad al-Tanneer.”
While researching the historical background of the novel, Dewidar received the valuable collection of historical documents from her mother, which the latter had carefully preserved for over two decades.
Dewidar’s grandmother, Samiha Ahmad al-Tanneer, inherited these documents and held onto them after the passing of her husband, Ali Rashid Shaath in 1967, overwhelmed by a sense of defeat and sorrow following Egypt’s loss in the war and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Read more: The 1967 Naksa relived through the memoirs of Abdel Nasser’s top generals
“In late 2019, my mother handed me a collection of documents that would shape my novel. Among them lay an archive of letter exchanges between my grandfather and his family and friends, a treasure brimming with the rich memories of his homeland,” she explained.
“At that moment, I felt as if the gates of history swung wide open and transported me to the past, to unfamiliar streets and uncharted cities, where the fragrant aroma of jasmine floated from doorsteps, and the voice of my grandfather resonated, narrating his enthralling tales.”
