I spoke on the first night in Oslo at the Palestinian House. I was hosted by a most principled Palestinian struggler that I have admired from afar. Typically, Palestinians that I met were immediately curious to know what village of Palestine I came from. I often am--to my pride--mistaken for a Palestinian (perhaps because of my passion for Palestinian struggle for liberation) but I tell Palestinians that I consider myself an honorary Palestinian. Many of the audience members came from refugee camps that I knew in Lebanon. They were as opposed to Oslo as I am (the agreement and not the city although the food in the city sucks big time): and we joked about the rumor spread by some person in DC that this academic conference (dealing with various aspects of the Middle East including literary aspects) is a political conference for normalization. I joked that if somebody wants to push for normalization with Israel they would not invite Joseph Massad and I--of all people--to encourage normalization (Electronic Ali could not make it due an emergency). In fact, in the opening speech by a Norwegian diplomat who spoke about Oslo, both Joseph and I fiercely attacked Oslo. The conference is open and some Palestinian comrades are attending. I will speak this morning and Joseph (who can serve as a tourist guide to a city hours after his arrival for the first time to that city) is speaking this afternoon.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Speaking in (and of) Oslo
I spoke on the first night in Oslo at the Palestinian House. I was hosted by a most principled Palestinian struggler that I have admired from afar. Typically, Palestinians that I met were immediately curious to know what village of Palestine I came from. I often am--to my pride--mistaken for a Palestinian (perhaps because of my passion for Palestinian struggle for liberation) but I tell Palestinians that I consider myself an honorary Palestinian. Many of the audience members came from refugee camps that I knew in Lebanon. They were as opposed to Oslo as I am (the agreement and not the city although the food in the city sucks big time): and we joked about the rumor spread by some person in DC that this academic conference (dealing with various aspects of the Middle East including literary aspects) is a political conference for normalization. I joked that if somebody wants to push for normalization with Israel they would not invite Joseph Massad and I--of all people--to encourage normalization (Electronic Ali could not make it due an emergency). In fact, in the opening speech by a Norwegian diplomat who spoke about Oslo, both Joseph and I fiercely attacked Oslo. The conference is open and some Palestinian comrades are attending. I will speak this morning and Joseph (who can serve as a tourist guide to a city hours after his arrival for the first time to that city) is speaking this afternoon.
