Students for Justice in Palestine held the Palestinian Fest in the Student Center on Wednesday.
The smell of authentic Palestinian food and the sound of Palestinian pop music wafted out into the hallway, greeting the long line of students waiting for the doors to the Palestinian Fest to open.
“I came to support my country [Palestine] and the theme of diversity,” said freshman Shereen Hussein.
Students could watch two different videos on either a tablet or laptop.
“Israel and Palestine, an Animated Introduction,” a video by the Jewish Voice for Peace outlined the conflict in Palestine and Israel and what the viewer can do to help.
“Chris Hedges’s speech About Gaza” covers his beliefs about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He is a member of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times team of reporters who covered global terrorism.
“I wanted to see the connections between the experience of people of color in America and people in Palestine,” said graduate student Will Daniels, an activist and organizer with Students for an Ethical and Participatory Education.
Flyers about “Palestine’s All-Stars: Nuraden and Salahaden” were left next to the videos for students to take.
After they’d had their educational fill, students could take part in a cultural experience.
“I brought my friends who aren’t Palestinian so I could teach them about my culture,” said sophomore Amal Farah.
Students were able to mingle over Palestinian food.
“Being able to be in a comfortable environment with music and food and forming friendships instead of just feeding people information in a lecture is effective,” said Vice President Layali Alsadan, of the Middle Eastern Student Association. “We’re bridging gaps.”
Sophomore Loujain Kouider served as DJ and created a blend of Arabic music from Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Algeria.
“With what’s been happening in Palestine, it’s important to get the student body educated,” Kouider said. “If we all performed one action to help someone, we can make a big difference.”
Students could also get personalized body art done by Henna artist Karimah Almadhoun, a sophomore at Wayne State Univeristy. Almadhoun has been creating art with henna for three years.
“It’s important to get everyone engaged and to give everyone a well-rounded view of the world. Palestine is a place that everyone should know about,” said 2014 alum Ahmad Abuzoor, vice president of the Muslim Student Association.
