i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
i had the honor of performing standup at the first ever palestinian comedy festival. we played to some of the most amazing crowds i’ve ever experienced. they laughed a lot, then fed us a lot of food. most comedy festivals take place at one main venue, but we did shows in various spaces around the region because our audiences were under occupation, and unable to come to us. the show i remember most almost didn’t happen. we planned to perform in gaza, but at the last minute we were denied entry by the israeli defense force. but we’re arabs— so we figured out a way. we found an office in ramallah with a webcam, and performed comedy virtually for the gaza audience thirty minutes down the road. (i think making us the original zoom comedians) after the show we did a q&a, and one question that has always stuck with me was a young girl from gaza asking us about flint. she said, “I heard the water there is making everyone sick. america is beautiful, but detroit has been abandoned. Is there anything we can do to help the people in michigan?” the girl who asked this question is currently a citizen of nowhere. she’s not welcome where she is, yet there is no way for her to leave. still the first thing she wanted to ask a group of americans, was how she could help us. occupied people are occupied everywhere. those who are abandoned can feel each other from across the world. israel and palestine is not about jews vs. muslims. historically there have been very strong, beautiful, and yes sometimes complicated judeo-muslim relationships. but that’s not what this is about. this is about a group of people that is occupied. this is about holding the israeli government, and the united states government accountable— both in the region and in america. maybe for some americans the hardest part of this conversation is looking at how many rockets our own country has launched? is it easier to say this is spiritual, ancient, and unsolvable? maybe this is politically difficult, but it’s not morally difficult. we should be able to speak up for that young girl in that way that she hopes to speak up for us. and i wanna be able to get heckled in gaza.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
these are some of the most beautiful artists i know. i’m scared for them, and i always have been. we were in palestine together when Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered— an american journalist in a press vest, killed by a soldier. some of our crew had worked with her. i remember the panic in their faces. i remember how there was never any legal recourse for her murder. there never is. they have witnessed decades of human-rights violations and children killed. i am horrified at what has happened to palestinian lives. i am horrified at what has happened to israeli lives. i have spent so much of my adult life praying for everyone in the region. praying for my PTSD-filled muslim and jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as christians there and beyond. this past week has broken the heart of all in my life – muslim, jewish, christian, atheist. we fully condemn the death of civilians. we always have. and now we are witnessing the latest inhumane chapter of a story that desperately needs to end. it serves no one. here we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on instagram— because leaders have failed us. it is to the benefit of totalitarianism and capitalism above humanity, when we turn to hate speech and in-fighting. i refuse to be distracted. there are hostages and dead bodies and gaza is on the brink of being destroyed. entire generations of families. these are civilians with no recourse and nowhere to go. a million people are being asked to evacuate to nowhere. the people of gaza do not deserve to pay the price for our failings. if gaza is erased, history will see we stood by. that we failed to find our humanity. this is an incomplete post that will never encapsulate all that I hold in my heart or give anyone all they need. still i am posting these photos because I want you to see these faces. i thought what if your only images are of devastation? i share these photos because these artists have so much to share about the human condition. i want them to have a livelihood, to feel safe, to flourish, to have freedom. and i want the world to see their art.
