fac4pal

"Solidarity"
by Xavier Puigmarti

This painting has been bought by the Faculty4Pal group of The American University in Cairo. Faculty4Pal is a group which was founded with eight faculty members in March 2002 to organize vocal and sustained opposition to Israel's violent occupation of Palestine. The Faculty4Pal group now contains nearly seventy members, drawn from staff, students, faculty, as well as friendsoutside AUC.

Having named the academic year 2002-03 the "Year of Palestine," theFaculty4Pal group has organized a full calendar of talks, film showings, exhibitions and street demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Palestine. This calendar has included lectures from renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, writer and cultural critic Edward Said, and will culminate, we hope soon, in the visit of 25 children and five adults from the Al-Rowwad Culture and Theatre Group, from Aida refugee camp, Bethlehem.

This painting, aptly named "Solidarity," was bought for AUC by the Faculty4Pal group and is to be dedicated to Tamim El-Barghouty, alumnus, and Ahmed Abu Laban, a currently enrolled student at AUC, both young men of Palestinian descent. At a time when populations around the world have taken to the street to voice their opposition to the illegal war on Iraq and the continuing atrocities in Palestine, Tamim and Ahmed were targeted in the sweeping repression of public voice in Cairo. On March 30 Tamim was deported to Jordan. Ahmed, at this time of writing, remains in detention. We stand with them against fear and aggression, here and everywhere.

This painting alone may save a life. By way of the kind generosity of the artist—Xavier Puigmarti—the proceeds from the purchase of this painting are to be redirected to five peace activists who will travel to Palestine in April and May to witness and document the atrocities of occupation, and engage, non-violently, in protesting Israeli colonialism.

We thank Xavier for his wonderful work, the Canadian Ambassador and The Canada Fund for their moral and financial support, and the AUC PVA Department for hosting this exhibition.

5 April 2003, Faculty4Pal

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