Tag: Palestinian Heritage Center

The brightly colored, embroidered woman’s dress is known as a “thobe,” notes the Associated Press. Thobe designs also expressed women’s different social positions: red was the color for women about to be married, while blue was for women whose husbands had died. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were expelled from their homes during the war that led to Israel’s creation. Over years of fighting, Palestinian nationalism has taken on many forms. In the early days of Israel’s establishment, nationalism was linked with calls for Israel’s destruction and deadly attacks. Armed struggle later gave way to calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Now, Palestinian women of all social classes wear thobes to show support for an independent nation at special events. Younger Palestinians, especially those spread far from their homeland, are changing the traditional dresses to modern tastes. Rashida Tlaib said her Palestinian thobe brought back memories of her mother’s West Bank village. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth pocket(s) – n. a usually small cloth bag that is connected to a piece of clothing that is open at the top or side so that you can put things into it catastrophe – n. a terrible disaster nationalism – n. a desire by a large group of people, such as people who share the same culture, history or language, to form a separate and independent nation of their own autonomy – n. the power or right of a country or group to govern itself

Last month, Rashida Tlaib proudly wore her mother’s thobe to her historic swearing-in as the first female Palestinian American member of Congress, inspiring masses of women around the world, especially in the Palestinian territories, to tweet photos of themselves in their ancestral robes. That’s what makes it a brilliant symbol.” The Palestinian thobe traces its history to the early 19th century, when embroidery was confined to the villages. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were expelled from their homes during the war surrounding Israel’s creation. “The dress was taken up and politicized.” Over decades of conflict that has claimed thousands of lives on both sides, Palestinian nationalism has taken on many forms. Armed struggle later gave way to calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — lands captured by Israel in 1967. When Israeli soldiers confiscated Palestinian flags at protests, women wove forbidden national maps and colors into their dresses, according to the Palestinian museum exhibit. Now, Palestinian women of all social classes wear thobes to assert national pride at weddings and special occasions. “Embroidery evokes the timeless connection of Palestinians to the land,” Dedman said. Natalie Tahhan, a designer based in east Jerusalem, produces capes from digital prints that replicate traditional embroidery stitches, “connecting tradition with what is new and stylish.” Tlaib’s now-viral Palestinian thobe, which the Michigan Democrat called “an unapologetic display of the fabric of the people in this country” and said it evoked memories of her mother’s West Bank village, rekindled enthusiasm worldwide about the dress. “These dresses are our link between the past and future,” Saca said.