In a Land called Palestine
by Sandra Olewine
Tragic stories of people’s difficulties in leaving or entering
Palestine/Israel are common among Palestinians. But such a story touched a
particularly personal note with the staff at the International Center of
Bethlehem this week when internationally-recognized musician Marwan Abado, an
Austrian national of Palestinian origin, was denied entry upon his arrival on
Sunday, 20 July and subsequently deported on Monday.
Abado and his musical colleagues were scheduled to perform “Misk Wa Anbar”
at the Songs of Freedom Festival being held in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Abado was invited by both the Austrian Embassy and the TOKTEN program of the
UNDP and had obtained a visa through the Israeli Foreign Ministry. ICB certainly
looked forward to welcoming Abado and his group on July 26th, but there was more
than the normal excitement about an upcoming performance connected with Abado’s
appearance.
On June 29, 2002, Abado wed Viola Raheb, who was then the director of Lutheran
Schools for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and Palestine and a staff
member at Dar Annadwa. Raheb, a life-long member of the Evangelical Lutheran
Christmas Church in Bethlehem, is also the sister of the general director of
ICB, the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb.
Due to the intense conflict in the Bethlehem area last summer, concerns that
Abado would not be allowed entry into the West Bank and the inability of Abado’s
family in Lebanon to travel here at all, the wedding took place at the Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church in Amman, Jordan. While Viola’s close family and a few
friends were able to attend, most of the Bethlehem community was unable to
travel to the wedding festivities.
The upcoming concert meant that extended family and friends would be able to
finally meet Marwan and celebrate with him and Viola. Viola arrived a few days
early and on Sunday was looking forward to Marwan’s arrival. Tragically, as
Marwan exited the plane, Israeli authorities detained him at the airport prison.
Despite having a valid working visa granted by the Israeli Foreign Ministry,
Israeli security refused to allow him to leave the airport. Several diplomatic
bodies tried to intervene in the matter, including a representative from the
Austrian Embassy who was at the airport to welcome Marwan when he arrived.
However, the Israeli Security canceled Abado’s visa and put him on the first
plane to Vienna after 24 hours of detention. No explanation or reasoning was
offered for the cancellation and the refusal of entry except for the ambiguous
term of ‘security.’
In a press release, ICB stated, “As one of the organizers of Songs of Freedom
Festival, an international cultural event, the International Center of Bethlehem
finds it extremely difficult to comprehend the reasons behind denying Abado’s
entry, particularly as the Israeli government itself had granted Abado a visa
prior to his arrival. We see such an unjustified action creating another
unnecessary obstacle on the road to peace.”
After arriving back in Vienna, Marwan wrote, “When I first opened my eyes in
this world, my family was already collecting money to replace the bells for the
church in Kafr Birem, the village from which they were expelled before becoming
refugees in Lebanon. Our home town in Galilee has been deserted for decades but
the church bell has rung again since the 70s, witnessing to what we have
experienced. The sound of the strains of my oud are not only a mere witness but
rather a mission and a commitment to my emotional belonging to this country. The
smile never left my face during my detention, not even when I was deported;
because this smile lies in my belonging to this country, because it is
impossible to detain a smile. Hoping to meet with you.”
On a personal note, it is one more story to add to the countless other stories
of Palestinians denied the right to enjoy even the basics of human
relationships. Our support goes out to Viola and Marwan in the midst of this
on-going unjust reality.
“Every day there is news, every day there are image from a
land called Palestine;
Every day there is a struggle; every day there is farewell in a land called
Palestine;
I wish for a day without victories, without murders, without injuries;
just a normal, boring day.
And this normal, boring day will be a feast for a land called Palestine.”
“Palestine”
lyrics by Marwan Abado
2002
for more on Marwan Abado visit his web site www.abado.net