Palestinian poetry as a form of struggle

JVL Introduction

Al-Andalus was the Muslim-ruled area of Europe that included most of the Iberian peninsula. It became a centre of learning and a space for cultural and scientific exchange between the Islamic and Christian worlds from its conquest in the C8th.

Steadily eroded as Christian rulers expanded their reach from the North until the final fall of Granada in 1492, it remains a beacon of hope, tolerance and possibility – and a powerful spur for the Palestinian imagination.

Bianca Carrera writes that: “Cities like Toledo or Granada were considered an example of peaceful coexistence of three important religions and cultural communities: Muslims, Christians, and Jews. The parallels with Palestine before Zionism are stark: a land of prosperity and richness marked by its diversity.”

In this essay she looks at use of poetic imagery about Al-Andalus to express feelings of loss and grief in modern-day Palestinian writings. And to keep hope alive.

This article was originally published by Mondoweiss on Sun 6 Aug 2023. Read the original here.