Hanan Zarla, a master of Palestinian tatoriz embroidery, runs a workshop in Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, where women create traditional embroidery while simultaneously watching updates of the violence in Gaza. These seamstresses are mostly second- and third-generation refugees, part of the 5.9 million registered with the UN due to displacement following Israel’s founding in 1948. They face significant restrictions in Lebanon, barred from property ownership and limited in employment opportunities.
The workshop, supported by the NGO Beit Atfal Assmoud, originally aimed to provide income to widows and impoverished women and has gained global attention as a symbol of Palestinian identity. In 2021, UNESCO recognized tatoriz as part of the “cultural heritage of humanity.” Hanan Zarullah, who experienced significant personal loss and trauma, uses embroidery as both a source of income and a form of therapy, teaching the craft to other women.
Zarullah’s history is steeped in the ongoing legacy of displacement and violence against Palestinians, yet she maintains hope for future connections to her homeland, emphasizing the shared histories of coexistence between Jews and Arabs before 1948. Despite the challenges, she dreams of returning to the Palestinian territories, reflecting on the enduring impact of trauma across generations and the desire for a home.
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