SuadAmiry Suad buttrueAfter a poitzt, yott can't sugarcoat lmrsh realities, s ay s tlrc Palestinian turitev ',Si, joking One of the most effective ways of Amiry, who will launch her fourth and incidents was bv about being scared, newest book, Ms nop aus al Pale stine, in the city she explained. "It's a way of getting your d rawi ng attention to the atrocities this fortnight, agreed that it was perhaps the human values back." she said. perpetrated in Palestine is laughing elements of gossip and a tenacious sense of "People are sick and tired of the Palestinian about it, says JaideepSen. hun-rour that have made her work a success. and Israeli conflict," declared Amiry. "It has InMurad Murad (her third book, afterNo Ser been going on now for the last 100 years (60 Speaking over the phone from Ramallah, in The Cibt),where she narrates a personal years, forn.raily)." The writer spoke of her own Suad Amiry had a hearty laugh to offer when into Israel disguised as a experiences, of having to identify herself, only inforn.red that at least one critic had described account of slipping "You to risk her 1ife. "I say I'm Palestinian, and her firstbook, Sharon attd My Motlrcr-in-Laru, male labourer, she wrote, cannot tragedy. people just shoot, they don't want to hear," she asaPalestinianversion of the Bold and tlrc describe a tragedy lvith another said. "l found that the only way of telling a Beatiifitl.Based on her diary entries through People stop listening. But hun.rour "It's almost tragedy for people to listen to you was to touch a 42-day curfew, the book became a bestseller humanises." The writer explained, them on the most human aspect, which is in 2004, and was translated into 17 languages. impossible to lead a normal life under a 42- is laughter." In Menop aus al Pale stine, Amiry "I became a writer by pure accident," year-o1d Israeli] occupation. Being funny a begins by justifyingall the "privacy tactics" recounted Amiry, "thanks to [former Israeli way for me to cope lvith reality. Many times, in her of Prime Minister, Ariel] Sharon and my n.rother- the situation is extremely humiliating- being that she had to employ writing- places, and in-law, who both drove me crazy during the searched, our houses bombarded, you can't changing identities, names of was Israeli invasion of our city in 2002-03. My leave the country, and so on.. And the only times. The one predicament, she admits, "of mother-in-law ended up staying with me for way you can tell a story is by being ironic and to do with sexuality in an Arab world no homosexuals, no 40 days, which was more like 40 years. So making fun - of yourself, the country, and also fantasy and denial: no I started writing as a way of therapy. And the of the occupiers." For instance, when a fer,v lesbians, no incest, no rape and child- soap opera about my neighbourhood was all young men in her offices were confronted by abuse". Faced with the choice offictionalising really true." soldiers, the only way they could report the such stories, and "lacking the right 12 www,timeoutben€laluru.net January 22-February 4 2O7O SuadAmiry # m i+r! + 'ff$mr:*p&us& €l , ,}l.^ M )i.) xVrffihsli$*s r{ ',' #*"*ffirtffie.... Tlrat is s ,ii;$r trux* $f ,.1kd ffi t- []niegtaxre.' forgotten about ourselves as reality," she said. "The Israeli occupation is individuals. After the Hamas more about uprooting one million and a half election, when I talked to people, olive trees," added Amirr-, u'ho is known to I realised that it was the personal have made startling remarks in the past. In \ histories that came across, rather 2003, for instance, on the CBS "This than the political clich6s that we show 60 Minufas, she stated, stupid grew up with." Thestereotlping wall has nothing to do rvith Isr ael's security.. also brought with it attempts to This is the biggest land and \rater grab in the idealise things, added Amiry. history of Israel." rea1ly "lt's similar to the lsraeli Zionism It's the humour, however , that carries much of Amirr-explained that an Movement," she said. "When they herwriting. point for her to note rvas that the wanted to occupy historic important feature in her book are not Palestine, they wanted to women who all Palestinian women. "The)'are l'omen for romanticise the land. Everybody Palestine," she clarified. "There is an Arab, an rvas idealisingand inventing, if you Armenian, an American, an Italian, and a half- like, Palestinian art and foiklore - Syrian. .. What brought us together \tr-ere the from the [folk dance)dabkeltto values of human rights and the unfairness in en.rbroidery - which had nothing to the world in a time when nationalitl'and do rn ith reality. I think this has been religion have become so blind." As for her own the nature of many leftist .'. r.r.. r.:S . the rvriter says that she finally reality, Amiry spoke about the fact that she movements all over the world." -: - . -: - ::-.::ead to "assume there was no sex hadactually obtained aJerusalem passport for In the preface, Amir},215o *.n,ions "the ll il: --l-". her terrier Nura, while she herself ri'as . secondbirth of Christ:September 11, [where] .', l. .' : :, -, ai Palestine relates Amiry's confined with a West Bank ID. we - Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims i:r: r--:. s:. ck. utter disappointmentand - Amiry said that she expected the book " successfully played our 'ro1e"' by living up to a :,-. :,... : : s in - -- : alter the Hamas victory the Menop aus al Pale s t i n e to r esonate equally . .: certain western politically manufactured r:- r. : - :a:liamentaryelections.Butit among people who are concet ned about -.,. stereotype. "[Former US President, George W] r:: -,.- -.-:. ..: trservationof her"intensely general. Bush, more than any other person, has Palestine and among rvomert in ::.::. ::: ::-..:d. \'arda" thatmadeher -:.,: contributed to fundamentalism in the worid," "Menopause sl.mboiises change, Iosing ::::.::: i: : relationShip betWeen the : - --.,::e said Amiry. "By saying that the West has power, becoming less beautiful, butatthe .: .r :-.::idthe"no-longerfriendly -i-:- :: played an incredible role under the cover of same time, it has its orvn positive aspects of ?:.-.s:.:-..". ',.-:.:.: in the book's preface. -\rirl fighting terrorism, they have ignited a feeling reflecting on l-hat is it that one wants to I .i: ::-- hUnf OUr, Amiry dOeS : !l l:.: i::-,':ng of fundamentalism all over the world, and they change, and er-aluating the life that one has :...-..: : ":.'. : :.:::',lseflatiOnS,SUChaSthe continue to do so. But at the same time,I would lived for fiftl-1'ears. That is also true of ,?.e -'r,l:l-.i: .l-. ll ::;i al-OundherWhO "didn't say that we have played into the stereotyping Palestine. It's a r.noment of reflection for the :-tt.I : .'.: - thecollective Palestine Liberation Organisation .- -.'.:..,'rt by becoming cornered and much more - [to sl-,:- -.: . : =, :,: : -, :he'70s, rve are a1l mostly fundamentalist. We find ourselves victim to a consider] s,hat they have 1ost, why they have ::: ..:i,.s'.'.i. i.-.:.a:d.'\\'egrervupasa kindof stupidity." lost it, and how to regain power and charm." .- .-. -: .- -:-. ..--...'-inlernationalissues - --. Amiry spoke at length about her concerns of Menopausal Palestine by Suad Amiry, Women -\-iema::r. S ::: -\l-:ca. India-Pakistan, natural destruction and explained that she Unlunited, Rs 250. The book's laundh, this Crpms. Tre -r:e:ati,.,n of Palestine was one would keenly fol1ow journalistic reports fortnigltt, will also nLark twenty-fiae yars of of mani'. \\'e s'ere :tt,,,st1]' interested in public "because, unfortunately, in my case, and in feminist publishing by the grouf Women issues and poiicles then. -\nd in a sense, we had al1 other cases, the papers and TV distort Unlimited. See Poetry &readings. )anuary 22 - February 4 2OLO www.timeoutbengaluru.net 13.