Opening Eyes and Hearts: The Palestinian Story

(Walker, 2025) News & Notes

The Big Questions, Big Ideas (BQBI) series hosted Hanan Qasrawi, Assistant Teaching Professor of Urban Planning, on January 22nd, 2025, to share her experience of living in Palestine during the armed conflict with Israel. Qasrawi began her talk by providing a historical and political background of the conflict, highlighting how Palestine has been both shrunken and fragmented as Israel has expanded. Qasrawi also applied her expertise in urban design to the presentation, pointing out the stark contrast between “organically grown Palestinian cities” and the pre-planned, cookie-cutter houses built by Israel as it settled Palestinian land. The settlement of Palestinian land by Israel was declared illegal by the 1993 Oslo Accords. She also testified to the stigma raised against Palestinian culture, explaining that wearing a Kufiyyeh, a longstanding symbol of the Palestinian values including “resilience and steadfastness,” is considered an act of terrorism by the Israeli government.   

Qasrawi also shared her family’s and her own personal experiences with living in the West Bank during the Israeli occupation. In addition to recounting family members’ close calls with Israeli violence, she gave an account of her drive to her grandmother’s house which turned from only twenty minutes to over an hour as she was required to stop at multiple Israeli military checkpoints where she was strip-searched without cause.

Through sharing her stories of Palestine, Qasrawi opened the eyes and hearts of the audience to a perspective in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is not often shared in the United States. As an Honors Community, we strive to be well-rounded, open-minded, and inclusive. Talks facilitated by the BQBI series are one way we can broaden our horizons and strengthen our community.

To get involved, check the campus events calendar or call Kennedy Library for more information.

Link to Calendar
Kennedy Library Phone: (765) 741-9727