DC's Palestinian museum eschews politics for humanism

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – The question asked of visitors after they make their way through the Museum of the Palestinian People’s diverse exhibits is simple: “What did you learn?”

The myriad answers left on the piece of plain white canvas, however, are complex if oftentimes succinct.

“I am not alone,” reads one answer, which like nearly all others, was left anonymously.

“The strength and beauty of the Palestinian people,” reads another.

It is all too easy to become hopelessly enmeshed in Palestine’s politics, the seemingly endless stop-start of peace talks, UN resolutions and the conflict’s never-ending casualty toll. People in that process are reduced to headlines. Their history, their culture, their hopes and aspirations are relegated to background.

That is part of the reason why the recently-opened Museum of the Palestinian People in the nation's capital has resonated with so many, including several of the Palestinians who have visited the site in a corner building in Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood.

"As far as the art, there's definitely a sense of pride. It's always great to see what your brothers and sisters are doing," remarked Tammer Ramini, a Palestinian-American whose family hails from the village of Ramin in the West Bank.

"As far as the history, you probably hear it from Palestinians and non-Palestinians alike; it's bittersweet. It's always sad to see what has happened and where Palestinians are, but there’s also a sense of pride in that we're kind of maintaining what it means to be Palestinian, carrying that forward in hopes of one day having something called Palestine in the region."

The museum does not seek to provide visitors with a quick and easy explanation of who Palestinians are. Rather, it provides them with a glimpse into the past, a representation of the present and visions of the future.

In so doing, it shows the diversity of Palestine, its people who continue to reside in their homeland, and those who remain in diaspora after having been forced out or fleeing conflict.

"Our intention is really to show Palestinians as human beings, as people who are artists, as entrepreneurs, as people who contribute to society as farmers, as people who really make large contributions in our society here in the U.S.," Bshara Nassar, the museum's founder and executive director, told Anadolu Agency.

That is highlighted most prominently in an exhibit titled simply "Making Their Mark."

Alongside the likes of Palestinian greats like poet Mahmoud Darwish are portraits of recently-elected Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, producer and musician DJ Khaled, and models Bella and Gigi Hadid. All are Palestinian, though few in the U.S. would quickly recognize them as such.

Nassar, the museum's founder, started putting on traveling exhibits beginning in 2015 that would become the basis for the museum, which opened its doors earlier this month.

He acknowledges that Palestine's history is "always mixed with politics," but the point of the museum, he says, is to move beyond that point to reach the human element of the Palestinian story.

Dalia Elcharbini is one of the artists featured in the museum's exhibits. She was born in Kuwait before her family moved to Canada in 2005.

Like so many other Palestinians, Elcharbini has never been to Palestine. That is why her use of its soil, stone and notably bark from the 8,000-year-old al-Badawi olive tree, intertwined in paintings bearing her hallmark gold leaf and silver gilding, holds so much poignancy for her.

"I wanted to share stories of hope, peace and resilience in the pieces and grant the viewer access to the essence and energy of Palestine through its soil, stone and olive tree bark," she said.

She received the earthy elements from a friend who travels to Palestine regularly. Providing access for the diaspora, however small, to the earth of Palestine was critical for Elcharbini.

"Some of whom, like myself, have never been to their homeland and have this constant yearning to visit, to feel close and connected to their Palestinian roots in any shape way or form," she said.

One of her paintings, "Unconditional Playdate," depicts two children playing on opposite sides of a reimagined version of Israel's separation wall. Around them swirls golden leaves and olives dancing in the breeze as they play with toy cars atop it.

The Old City of Jerusalem's skyline lays in the background with the Dome of the Rock shimmering over a foggy landscape.

After he finished touring the museum, Ramini, who like Elcharbini, lives in diaspora, hoped simply that it would continue to grow and in so doing "turn the tide on the Palestinian struggle".