Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif left us a final message in the event of his killing.
He began: "Should these word find their way to you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice."
But then he urged us: "Do not let the chains silence you."
May Anas's courage and dedication—and that of all Palestinian journalists—inspire us to keep speaking out. Even when silence seems easier.
I became a mother this year.
I wake up every few hours to feed my baby, hold her, rock her back to sleep.
I worry if she’s warm enough, if she’s full enough, if she’s loved enough.
But being a Palestinian mother means my motherhood is never just about lullabies and first smiles.
My motherhood is pierced by headlines, haunted by the sound of other Palestinian mothers wailing.
We just started solids with my daughter.
She’s been tasting avocado, playing with bits of banana, squishing rice between her fingers.
It’s messy and delightful.
Her face lights up with every new flavor, every little discovery.
And yet—every bite is tangled with grief.
Because at the same time,
babies just like her—Palestinian babies—are being starved to death.
Their mothers—
whose milk dried up,
whose arms are now empty,
are trying to feed their babies anything that won’t kill them today, even as they know it might not save them tomorrow.
No milk.
No food.
No water.
And I sit here, watching my daughter explore her little spoon,
while another mother watches her baby fade—
not because she didn’t try,
but because the world looked away.
This is not just about politics.
This is not about borders or talking points.
This is about babies—our babies—being starved to death on purpose.
If that doesn’t shatter you,
you are not paying attention.
Or maybe— you've chosen not to.
We’re so excited to welcome Linah Mohammad to moderate our next discussion on Granada by Radwa Ashour 😍
Interested in helping Adabiyat moderate discussions? Reach out! ✨
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Check out Linah’s bio below:
“I’m a Palestinian-Jordanian audio producer for NPR. I reads quite a bit for my job (yay free books and author interviews!)
I can read Arabic and English, so at any given time, you'll find me reading two books, one in Arabic and one in English; this is my way of not getting bored with one book or topic.
I also LOVE audiobooks -- sometimes, I will get the physical book and the audiobook so I can read and listen simultaneously. Getting to experience the book in multiple mediums is a game-changer.
My favorite novel is Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. It's set in an unnamed civil-war-torn country, and it examines immigration, the decision to leave, and how leaving changes you and those who stay behind -- things I think about constantly.”
after doing some research 🤓🤓 into life in palestine before the british colonized it, i found that (SURPRISE!) brides wore thobes with embroidery designs and motifs from the region they’re from as opposed to your traditional europeanesque white dress.
so we combined elements of jordanian, palestinian, and syrian embroidery techniques and motifs and came up with this thobe that i wore as a second outfit at our wedding 🤍🤍
thanks to @ayat.alzouby for bringing my vision to life 💕
📷: @sarahsilbiger and @nourbphotography
