A Palestinian you should know: Ahmad Abuznaid

The following was originally published in Palestine in America’s 2021 Politics Edition. Order a print copy, download the digital version or subscribe today!

Executive Director, USCPR

Palestine in America (PiA): What balad(s) is your family from?
Ahmad Abuznaid (AA): Fathers family is from Dura and mothers is from Al Khalil
PiA; Was there a moment(s) that drove you to begin your career?
AA: Yes, in undergrad there was a killing of a young Black boy named Martin Lee Anderson. He was killed by the guards of a state-run juvenile boot-camp.
PiA: What is your earliest memory of participating in political work?
AA: My father has been involved in politics as far back as I can remember. Due to his involvement, I had met both Yasser Arafat and Jesse Jackson by the time I was 10. Jesse Jackson was visiting Al Khalil (Hebron) as a part of a visit with the PLO that my father helped to arrange, there was a luncheon, some words were shared and then I remember us being rushed onto a bus to escape Israeli tear gas that was being fired towards us.
PiA: How has/does Palestine play a role in your work?
AA: Palestine has always been a core part of my development as a human being, but also to Palestine I owe a great deal of my political awareness. When Martin Lee Anderson was killed it felt so close to home because of what I saw in Palestine. When Trayvon was killed and Dream Defenders launched our first march, 40 miles from Daytona Beach to Sanford FL, I wore a keffiyeh the whole time. Just 2 years later we were planning our first Dream Defenders delegation to Palestine. I think we played a central role in re-igniting the strong ties between the Black & Palestinian liberation movements. I am now honored to be able to lead the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights as we work with people all across the US in efforts to advance the Palestinian call for justice. 

PiA: What’s a Palestinian adverb/quote/person/poem/song that you often reflect on in this work?

AA: A couple of lines below from Mahmoud Darwishs piece “Diary of a Palestinian wound”, but it sounds even better in Arabic. 

“Oh my intractable wound

My homeland is not a suitcase

And I am not a traveler

I am the lover and the land is the beloved” 

PiA: What do you hope to achieve in your line of work?

AA: Helping to build a mass movement that ends US support for the state of Israel until it meets the demands of the Palestinian people. Fostering greater cultural and artistic collaboration between Palestine and the world. 

PiA: Many times, Palestinians endure marginalization on all sides of the aisle -- what obstacles do you face/have you faced, and how have you overcome it? 

AA: I have been attacked in right-wing outlets as being a part of the Islamo-communist axis of the US, a member of a “terrorist” organization, a “terrorist supporter”, an anti-semite, and more. I have profiles on zionist hate filled wesbites. This has surely had an impact on how certain institutions/actors relate to me, and had I pursued a more traditional career, I have no doubt that there could have been consequential professional repercussions. While at Dream Defenders we lost funding due to our advocacy on Palestine, and others within the M4BL did too. Still, the challenges I/we have faced have been minimal compared to so many others. 

PiA: What’s your advice to folks looking to deepen their political journeys?

AA: Find a political home (An organization, study group, etc.) 

Read. 

Engage in Debate. 

Put your theory into practice.  

PiA; How do you see the Palestinian diaspora intersect with issue based work amongst other communities?

AA: The diaspora in the US is a very small community. I tend to believe that we have had a pretty strong impact in spite of our relatively small #’s. What we have seen is that Palestinians in Chicago, Detroit and other US cities have had a profound impact on movement work. These have tended to be working class, anti-police brutality, anti-imperialist coalitions that have been the most powerful. 

PiA; How would you define solidarity?

AA: I define solidarity as folks understanding there is a shared objective in human beings fighting back against oppression, and sometimes liberation is in the struggle as well as the end-game. 

PiA: What do you want people to know about you/your experience as a Palestinian in this work?

AA: It’s not easy being Palestinian, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, and when we win, it will be a joy felt in the deepest depth of my soul. And it will shake the earth. 

PiA: What does a free world mean to you?

AA: It’s when your shadow is the only systemic weight hovering over you as a human being. Walls would fall & resources would flow. Societies would be built around principles of human dignity and appreciation for the land and its abundance. 

PiA; Was there a moment that made you consider leaving political work? What was it and what kept you working in politics?

AA: Some members of my family have advised me to seek out work that would put me at less risk of harm. Of course they want the best for me and they, just like other Palestinians, know the cost of doing this work. I believe too strongly in what we are building to step away anytime soon. Plus I hear the best retirement plans are in a liberated Palestine, so sign me up for that.