Photo: Annie Kierans, CMHR
Though there has been little said about it over the years, Palestinian displacement started decades ago. During the 1948 Nakba, around 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes as Zionist groups seized towns and villages, forcing families to rebuild their lives elsewhere. Some eventually settled in Canada, and today their stories are being shared at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR).
The new exhibition, titled Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present, features personal Palestinian Canadian stories told through artifacts and video testimonies. By drawing connections between the Nakba and the ongoing displacement of Palestinians, it helps visitors better understand the situation today in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the experiences of Palestinian refugees across the world.
Property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress tell the stories of Palestinian Canadians who were forced from their homes, while artworks give voice to those affected by grief, loss, and resilience. One artwork, titled Bound Together, created by Gazan artist Malak Mattar captures the struggles of her generation that grew up during times of conflict. Her painting references Guernica, Pablo Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Another work, Curfews and Closures by Rajie Cook, reflects on daily life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when widespread curfews and movement restrictions severely limited Palestinians’ everyday freedoms.
Another Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit, Fouad Sahyoun, says, “No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.”
Find out more about the Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present exhibition on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights website.
A new exhibition, titled Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present, at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights features personal Palestinian Canadian stories told through artifacts and art.
“Curfews and Closures,” an artwork created by Rajie Cook in 2002. Cook was born in New Jersey, but his parents were from Ramallah. Courtesy of the Arab American National Museum. Photo: Aaron Cohen, CMHR
Photo: Annie Kierans, CMHR
Photo: Malak Mattar
Photo: Annie Kierans, CMHR
