A few weeks ago (Sunday the 24th of March 2024) I was fortunate enough to attend the Comrie Gathering for Gaza in St.Kessogs Square, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. The first of its kind in this area of Scotland. Organised by Comrie Conversation’s local, Alan Caldwell.
At 3pm we gathered near a makeshift outdoor stage on the gravel of the square to listen to Speakers with a Palestinian connection.
Reverend Craig Dobney opened the gathering with one minute of silence. Inviting all and no faiths to silently meditate or pray for those who are affected by war. He then introduced the first talk.
Our first speaker was Palestinian-British Writer Diline Abushaban who kindly shared stories and photographs of her family in Gaza. Diline spoke about her Sister Huda and Huda’s Husband. Her Niece and Nephews, and her Cousins. She told us about their beautiful personalities and the bonds they had with her. She spoke about how she found out that she first lost her Sister Huda, her Niece Sara (10), and two of her Nephews Abdullah (12) and Mohammed (1). Her Brother-in-law and Nephew Isma (8) survived this bombing, only to move to a “safer area” to then be killed. Then she lost her Cousins and the land & the home she grew up in was gone.
Photos of her family were passed from gatherer to gatherer as she shared with us.
I watched as Diline told all of this with grace and acceptance, while I tried not to fold into my own emotions.
Despite all of this her remaining family stays positive and hopeful.
Some in denial that the family home still stands and they will one day return.
Our second speaker was Activist and Co-Founder of ECHO for Refugees Gabi Kacha, who brought to the microphone a global perspective on how we respond to war and famine. How those responses speak volumes. How this war will end, but until then we are responsible for HOW it ends. She spoke about the upcoming Falastin (not a typo I promise) Film Festival that will be traveling across Scotland to showcase the lives, and to challenge the mainstream media's portrayal of Palestinians.
Gabi also introduced us to the newly founded Sumud Edinburgh group (who we'd later speak to at the Panel gathering) and what the word 'Sumud' meant as it has no translation to English. To Palestinians, it was a word for strength and perseverance during the hardest of times, the non violent response to oppression. The determination to live as normally as possible despite aggravation from the oppressor.
I listened as her voice broke over the sounds of a parked lorry rumbling its engine while she continued to describe the meaning of the word. A word the West could not name, for it had not needed to make such a word.
When Gabi finished, Rev. Craig directed those who wished to join the second part of the gathering to the Comrie Parish Church. I hung around to watch as people gathered by the Sumud stall to purchase Art stills from the upcoming Falastin Film Festival and other items to help raise money for Palastinians. My eyes finding a print that read
'DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM IMAGES OF WAR THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT HELPED CREATE. each one contains an entire world no less real than your own. EACH ONE SHOULD HURT LIKE HELL. let your body be filled with a hunger for justice, for continued life on earth and DEMAND it of those who claim to represent YOU'
Next an image of a Palastinian press photojournalist, Abdul Hakem Abu Riash, who is currently documenting the genocide in Gaza. Under the illustration, he is quoted in saying
'for my birthday I wished to be well, for my family to be well, for me home to be well, for Gaza to be well ...'
Nearby, a book called 'Feel. Heal. Love' by the first speaker we heard, Diline Abushaban.
These things end up coming home with me.
We headed over to the church hall peacefully near the river. The sun shining in through the water-facing windows. The daffodils gently swaying in the breeze. All was quiet. I began to think that 'while we stood here, safe and content, other people in the world were standing in the complete opposite'. A thought I’ve had often over the last few years.
Tea, Coffee and biscuits were being served as people found their seats and the previous speakers joined a panel of others at one end of the hall. I found a seat and watched as people chatted among themselves.
To the right of me on the table was a homemade sign with a quote by Pastor Martin Niemöller that I had not heard in years. It said,
'First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me'
I let myself re-absorb it after all this time. How the words I once learned as a school girl while studying the holocaust now repeated themselves. Over and over again. Nothing truly changed.
Before long our panel was introduced, once again by Rev. Craig., who handed us over to Palestinian-Italian Sumud founder and Filmographer Nastassia Layla Isawi. She began to tell us how, despite never organising any event or group in her life, she brought together Sumud of Edinburgh when she realised there was not enough being done in her area to help those suffering in Palestine.
After this the panel opened for discussion and the public were allowed to ask the speakers questions.
At first everyone seemed too shy to start off the Q&A until an American sounding gentleman stood up to ask the first question.
He asked something along the lines of "Do you condemn the abductions that took place in Israel?” a valid question, but one that seems to make the audience uncomfortable, and some offended. Among the shaking of heads the panel compose themselves and begin to answer. Diline Abushaban answers with thought and composure. Describing that she herself does not support the abductions of anyone, but to answer that question properly, you cannot start on the 7th of October 2023, you would have to look back further. Another gentleman in the crowd put up his hand and asked to add to Diline’s answer, directing himself to the first gentleman who originally asked the question. He tried to compose himself, starting with a “forgive me young man” as he, and most of the crowd, knew he was about to get quite passionate in his answer. He described how it was an unfair question to ask as there were many other abductions that took place in Palestine before October 7th, that never made it to international news and did not trigger a war. He listed a few as he started to go red in the face and his voice began to tremble. Noting his wavering composure he quickly closed his speech, possibly hoping not to cause too much of a stir within the gatherers? This scene helped the discussion take off. From this point on people felt more confident about standing up and asking their questions to the panel, or adding their thoughts to the answers.
I was impressed with the panel’s reactions to questions. All responses came from a gentle composure with much thought to all those involved, despite having many reasons to respond from a place of hate.
The end of the discussion closed with more information on Sumud & Gabi’s Falastin Film Festival taking place across Scotland, with Comrie possibly being added to the venue list.
For more information about the Speakers of the Comrie Gathering for Gaza and upcoming Sumud events such as the ‘Falastin Film Festival’ please see the links below:
SPEAKERS:
Diline Abushaban - Diline (@dilinehealing)
Gabi Kacha
Nastassia Isawi
ORGANISERS
Comrie Conversations - https://www.facebook.com/ComrieConversations
ECHO mobile library
Falastin Film Festival - https://www.instagram.com/FalastinFilmFest
SUMUD Edinburgh - https://www.instagram.com/sumudedinburgh/
Edinburgh Action for Palestine - https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghAction4Palestine
PHOTOS
By me - Holly Campbell-Smith
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