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Manama: Palestinian culture minister Tahani Abu Dakka is urging Arabs to visit Occupied Jerusalem next year as the city under Israeli occupation celebrates its status of the Capital of Arab Culture in 2009.
Racing against time to ensure the success of the event likely to be shunned by intellectuals, artists and tourists from all Arab countries to protest the treatment of Palestinians by Israel, which now controls the city, Abu Dakka said that "Arabs should not consider their visit to [Occupied] Jerusalem or to any area in Palestine as a form of normalisation with the Israeli enemy."
"The truth is totally the opposite, in fact. We in Palestine feel that any attempt or plan to visit us is a form of support to our cause. The cultural events marking [Occupied] Jerusalem as the capital of culture will be successful when celebrated with our Arab brothers," she said in Manama yesterday during a two-day visit.
The Arab Capital of Culture is an initiative undertaken by UNESCO under the Cultural Capitals Programme to promote and celebrate Arab culture.
The capital selected by the 22-nation Arab League uses the occasion to showcase its deep roots in Arab culture and robust commitment to promoting it. Cultural events feature lectures, stage dramas, folkloric dances, poem recitation, music performances and tourism activities.
In 2006, the Arab League pegged Jerusalem as the Arab Cultural Capital in 2009, a distinction that annually rotates among Arab countries. Damascus, the Syrian capital, currently holds the honour.
The League initially selected Jerusalem [Al Quds, for the Arabs] for 2011, but after the Iraqi government pulled Baghdad from the 2009 slot for security problems, the Palestinian government suggested Jerus-alem.
"The celebration of Jerusalem as the Arab cultural capital is special because it is the first time that a city under occupation has such an honour. The Israelis have long tried to conceal and erase the features of the Arab identity in Jerusalem, and the cultural celebrations will focus on the Israeli plans and threats," said Abu Dakka.
For the minister, the celebration of culture in Jerusalem could also be used to promote communal Arab work. "I urge Arab intellectuals to genuinely support the Palestinians and use the cultural celebrations to produce common work. I have always dreamt of pan-Arab cultural activities, and we should all use Jerusalem and Palestine as gateways towards robust Arab cohesion," said Abu Dakka.
However, the Palestinian minister cautioned against allowing political positions to influence culture.
"Even if we do not agree with the current political tendencies, we must not distance ourselves from Jerusalem and its cultural mission. Political issues emerge and disappear, but the Palestinian culture should remain," she said.
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