There is a word in Arabic for a quiet kind of resistance, it’s called Sumud (صمود), meaning “steadfast perseverance” or “steadfastness.” In Palestinian culture, Sumud is the act of everyday resistance that the people of Palestine enact in the face of oppression — from the act of a grandmother meticulously preserving a traditional embroidery pattern (known as tatreez) against cultural erasure, to the global movement supporting Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) that leverages economic power instead of bullets.
For those who do not live in Gaza, resistance takes on many different forms: some organise protests, occupy university buildings to call for divestment, stage walkouts at graduation or block airports in order to stop convoys of weapons being delivered to Israel. But what of the quieter, more subtle acts of resistance that we can do every day?
Other forms of resistance can mean buying Palestinian products, watching Palestinian films, writing (whether that’s poetry, prose, or music), going to a museum, educating yourself, reading books, donating, and more. Quiet resistance seems especially important to talk about when an Al Haq report from 2022 revealed the Israeli army’s numerous attempts to erase Palestinian culture, heritage and traditions by, for example, methodically bombing some of the Gaza Strip’s most significant archaeological sites.
Luckily, Edinburgh is not short of opportunities for people — and students — to show interest in the Palestinian people and their history and culture.
Scotland’s first Palestinian museum dedicated entirely to Palestinian culture, art, stories, and heritage opened its doors in Edinburgh on 17 May this year. It is entirely not-for-profit, independent and run by local volunteers in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. I visited the museum, and one of the more striking pieces displayed is four drawings drawn by the children of Gaza between 2008 and 2009 as part of a therapy program during which the children were asked to draw what they witnessed during an Israeli attack on their homeland. Most of the children are not identified, but the four drawings all bear the same features: Israeli warplanes, bombs being dropped, soldiers opening fire, homes in ruin and on fire. And yet, all of them show that form of quiet resistance, whether it’s by drawing Palestinian children waving their flag beneath the clouds, a boy flying a kite amidst the destruction, or neighbours holding hands, helping firefighters and first responders extinguish the flames and put the wounded on stretchers.
Beyond these four drawings, the exhibition features paintings, photography, sculpture, and even traditional Palestinian clothing (tatreez) designed by Jordanian fashion designer Hama Hinnawi. Every object seemed to say: we were here, and we are still here. And that is exactly what the museum intends to do: Faisah Saleh, the director and curator of the new Scottish museum’s sister branch in the USA, in Woodbridge, Connecticut (the Palestine Museum US), told the New Arab: “By opening this museum, we assert our presence and history, despite all efforts to silence us. It’s not just about art — it’s about showing the world who we are. Come take a look for yourself.” While opening this museum is, albeit, quieter than a protest, there is still resistance.
I also attended another demonstration of quiet resistance — though the event was far from quiet — at Saint Vincent’s Chapel in New Town: a fundraising concert evening for Gaza Soup Kitchen and Medical Aid Palestine. Organised by Iona Hassan, “Music Against the Silence” featured performances by musicians from the classical and folk music scenes in Edinburgh. The programme also included some beautiful Palestinian songs and folk melodies for the audience to sing along to at the end of the evening. At the intermission, Hadeel — a non-profit Fairtrade shop run by the UK charity, Palcrafts, which sells Palestinian produce and crafts produced by farmers and artists in Palestine — was selling Palestinian products and handicrafts while a quiet auction for ceramics featuring Palestinian artwork was going on.
These acts may not make headlines like street protests or political speeches, but their quietness is precisely their strength, and by engaging with quiet forms of resistance as well as more traditional forms, it can help create a long-lasting impact over time.
Image by Albane Mbow for The Student.
