Susan Abulhawa | Palestinian-American Writer and Human Rights Activist.
She is the author of international bestselling novel Mornings in Jenin, and The Blue Between Sky and Water. Susan is also the 2019 ICMEP Gala speaker and Champion of Justice Award recipient.
Abulhawa was born in Kuwait to refugees of the Six Day War of 1967. Her father was expelled at gunpoint and her mother, who was studying in Germany at the time, was unable to return. The couple reunited in Jordan before moving to Kuwait, where Susan was born in 1970.
She moved to the United States as a teenager, where she lived with various family members. In the US she attended college, where she majored in Biology. She then attended USC School of Medicine as a graduate student in the Department of Biomedical Science, where she completed a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience.
Susan Abulhawa established a career in medical science until she began a career in writing and journalism. Her debut novel Mornings in Jenin was published in 2010. Mornings in Jenin went on to become an international best seller, and has since been translated into 30 languages.
In July 2001, Abulhawa founded Playgrounds for Palestine, a non-governmental children’s organization dedicated to upholding the Right to Play for Palestinian children. She is also co-chair of Palestine Writes, the first North American Palestinian literature festival. She lives in Pennsylvania.
Susan Abulhawa possesses the heart of a warrior; she looks into the darkest crevices of lives, conflicts, horrendous injustices, and dares to shine light that can illuminate hidden worlds for us, who are too often oblivious. A major writer of our time, to read Abulhawa is to begin to understand not simply the misinformation we have received for decades about what has gone on in Palestine and the Middle East, but to come to terms with our own resistance to feeling the terror of our own fear of Truth.
Alice Walker (Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart)
We Never Left, Palestine | Susan Abulhawa (2022)
Produced by Aya alZinati | Photography Sanad Abu Lateefa, Majdi Fathi, and Ahmed Deeb | Run time 5 mins
Susan Albulhawa’s beautiful poem, We Never Left, Palestine, is set to music in this short.
This poem was part of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival.
…We are the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims
we lived converted between religions
settled from pilgrims left and returned
mixed with our conquerors
died by their swords and
nourished her soil with our bodies.
But we never left.
But we never left.
But we never left…Susan Albulhawa
Math Proves That Israel’s Stated Goals are an Epic Lie
When you’re in Gaza and see the destruction firsthand, the clearest conclusion is that Israel’s stated goals are an epic lie, on a par with “a people without a land for a land without a people,” packaged and sold to the world.
The Israelis are not targeting Hamas, nor are they interested in returning their captives, who pose tremendous liability upon their release, as they often have good things to say about their captors.
Math is useful to prove what I’m saying. So here are some numbers to start….
Please read Math Proves That Israel’s Stated Goals are an Epic Lie here.
The folks at Gaza Freedom Flotilla (follow links on their website) posted a video compilation with Susan Abulhawa speaking about her findings which I will post below. If for any reason it is not loading, you may watch it on Instagram at this link: Susan Abulhawa speaking about her findings.
@llamaladykathryn From Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Palestinian writer Susan Abulhawa, based on statistics from scientific literature detailing morbidity and mortality data for various conditions in Gaza, uses math to estimate the staggering reality. While the official death toll stalled at 30,000 for months before climbing to 37,000, it grossly underestimates the true numbers. These figures only account for identified victims of ‘direct fire’. Hundreds of thousands more remain uncounted. The underreported death toll—ranging from 193,000 to over 500,000— demands urgent attention and action. Raise awareness and demand justice. Share and spread the word. @gazafreedomflotilla #freepalestine #neveragainisnow #susanabulhawa
WALA | Susan Abulhawa
Susan Abulhawa writes for Al Jazeera (her bio and author links at Al Jazeera are here)
Her website is here: Susan Abulhawa
Her socials are: Instagram | Facebook | LinkTree | Twitter
Go back to Resources and Mutual Aid for Palestine here, or Israel-Palestine Conflict Press here.