Literary writing is considered one of the forms of resistance in the modern era, because its function goes beyond the artistic and aesthetic dimensions that it relies on and usually characterizes its productions, as it is a means of expression for the self in its relationship with the world. Therefore, modern and contemporary Arabic literature has been given a high and prominent status in people’s consciences and their daily lives.
This symbolic status led him to develop his capabilities at the level of expression and open new outlets for humanity in its relationship with the occupation and its oppression.
Throughout its history, literature has played an effective role in resisting the colonialists and exposing their delusions. Because literature has always been influential in society by urging it to revolution and leading it to regain its stolen dignity and its right to express fluently and freely its positions toward colonialism and its oppression, the political authorities always play the role of censor over this style of writing that liberates the self, society, and memory.
Modern Palestinian literature is considered the largest model of the relationship between literature and the resistance, as many Palestinian writers such as Ghassan Kanafani, Mahmoud Darwish, Zakaria Ahmed, Samih Al-Qasim and others have contributed to the resistance through writing and imagining it. Indeed, these writings were a beacon for many Arab writers who wrote critical, literary and intellectual works such as Elias Khoury and Amjad. Nasser and Abdul Latif Al-Laabi contribute indirectly to highlighting the Palestinian wound and its resistance to the brutal Israeli occupation.
The Moroccan writer and poet Abdel Latif Laabi says in his book “The Cultural Bet” that Palestine is “a living heritage that grows and shines daily before our eyes and our consciences. Returning to it, or rather dialogue with it, is not an escape backwards or out of the stubborn reality that may be dictated by the inability to accomplish tasks that have faltered here and there.” “It is an engagement in an open school for comprehensive creativity, for daring to think, speak and act, a school in which theory and practice are united and speak in the language of hope.”
Literature and exposing the reality of the occupation
Regarding the essence of this relationship between literature and resistance in Gaza, Tunisian novelist Hind Al-Ziyadi says in an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net that “the Al-Aqsa flood has dimensions on the cultural and intellectual level, not because it demonstrated the resistance’s ability to defeat the enemy and humiliate it militarily, but because it also revealed many masks and revealed the lies of many.” From the narratives of freedom and human values advocated by others, it was thus an ideal that everyone aspires to achieve.”
From here comes the role of literature – in the view of the author of the book “The Nightmare” – in “dismantling that thought that starts from a place of deficiency and trying to find its roots, displaying the manifestations of its danger, and presenting possible alternatives.” Al-Ziyadi says that “Arab thought and culture have not yet recovered from the literature of what was called the setback.” In doing so, they contributed to producing a complete cultural state based on defeat, resounding fall, and complete impotence, and many regimes contributed to promoting that spirit in service of their own agenda and the agenda of their allies.”
Therefore, in her view, we must “not ignore the counter-state that was based on partisan propaganda that sometimes depicted imaginary victories or exaggerated the size of the gains for the same reasons, which created an adverse reaction among the people. Between the two extremes, Arab thought continued to oscillate without being able to reach a state of A balanced environment that makes us aware of the reality of our position and working to change it, while at the same time being proud of our differences, our humanity, and the importance of our existence to all of humanity. Therefore, there is nothing better, healthier, or more balanced than literature to treat this condition.”
Al-Zayadi adds, “I have always believed that the novel is a book of modern history, so there is nothing better than it to talk about the Palestinian issue in a new, realistic spirit that avoids all the mistakes of the past by giving people there their human status and telling their stories and details in all their human dimensions, without exaggerating in removing the aura of heroism and holiness from them.” Likewise, without diminishing the value of their sacrifices and their great steadfastness, the more literature remains true to its human spirit and its bias towards man and his issues, the more it can serve the truth and serve the Palestinian cause.”
In her view, this means “riding him of the ideology that diverted him from his humanitarian goals, placed him at the service of a very few people, and distorted the truth.”
Al-Ziyadi starts from a concept of her own, seeing “writing in itself as a form of resistance,” so she says: “Novels must flourish and multiply, and the voices of writers, writers, and creators must be loud, without falling into triviality and cheap propaganda for field resistance, which requires literature as high as its loftiness.” Sublime artistic literature, not just a frivolous simulation of reality in all its manifestations. We need literature that questions the new identity, establishes it, draws it, asks all questions, and deepens constructive civilized dialogue between us. We do not need cheap propaganda literature that harms the cause more than it serves it, and whose effect ends as soon as the field battle ends.”
Literature and resistance
For her part, the Palestinian writer and poet Taghreed Abdel-Al says that “Literature is not only an artistic excursion, but rather it is the capture of meaning and depth, and its relationship with Palestinian resistance is its relationship with the meaning of right against injustice and occupation.”
She explained in an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “The narratives of the world have shown us that the victory of narrative is the victory of truth. Therefore, literature is a humanitarian document to go deep into the meaning of being in this world and aware of yourself and your right. The Palestinian narrative has been able to go deep to dismantle the narrative of Palestinian human freedom historically and humanely.” Existentially, prison literature, exile and diaspora literature appeared there, and whatever the names, these literatures attempt to tell the Palestinian story and liberate it from the clutches of colonialism.
In her view, “The relationship between Palestinian literature and resistance is the relationship between the idea of place and freedom, it is the relationship between the meaning of existence and identity. Palestinian literature cannot be separated from resistance, no matter how different or renewed the methods are; humanitarian literature in general is also not separated from the essence of humanity, which is linked to the meaning of your existence in the world.” And it is in itself a political idea. Does Saramago’s novel Blindness, for example, not raise the problem of human existence? It of course discusses the meanings of political corruption, and there are other examples, of course.
Then the poet considers that “if literature is not a human heritage that raises questions related to just existence in this world, it will not leave a sincere impact. And so also Palestinian literature, which continues to look at Palestinian existence in general, which is a humanitarian and political issue, and the philosophy of its existence is primarily resistance.” Poetry, which has begun to diversify and take shape, is also inseparable from its essence, which is stability, truth, and existence.
