Today’s
Enlightening Entertainment
will be presented
in Arabic and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese, Korean,
Malay, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish
and Thai.
Peace, peace
to the people of God
everywhere
Peace, peace
to the people of God
everywhere
Greetings gracious viewers,
and welcome to
Enlightening Entertainment
on Supreme Master
Television.
While esteemed
statesmen and women
are making encouraging
progress in peace talks
between Israel and Palestine,
many civil organizations
and artists are also
contributing to the endeavor.
Today, please join us
as we listen to the voices
of Palestinian people
who present their culture
and wishes to the world
through the work they do.
Let’s meet Youssef,
a Palestinian taxi driver,
one of Supreme Master
Television’s
friends and guides who
kindly assisted us during
the filming on location.
Some Arabs people,
Muslims people,
they put their hat
when they come back
from Mecca –
why do I like this –
they cover the, the, the
whole head up to here.
That’s also traditional.
Not everybody uses
nowadays actually.
But Jewish people,
they use it, and even though
they use the kippah,
and they use another hat,
to cover also.
We asked Youssef how
he thought lasting peace
could be reached.
It depends on us,
people to people,
Jewish and Arabs.
According to the whole
situation nowadays,
the peace is needed
for both sides,
even for the people,
even for them,
keep their lives, and keep
their families, and society
and the whole thing,
to make it kind of peace,
at least something
like quiet, at least.
Each time
we visit the Holy Land,
the people we meet
express a shared wish.
To really live in peace
side by side with others.
This is my hope
as any Palestinian
or human being.
Living in the Holy Land
makes me somehow
feel special, because well,
three main religions
join in one place.
As I said
it makes me feel good.
It makes me
feel very special.
But on the other hand
it makes me feel sad of
what is actually going on.
So we hope
we live in harmony again.
Supreme Master Ching Hai
has expressed her
concern for the situation
for the Palestinian
and Israeli people.
Me too, I’m concerned
even though
I am not Jewish
and I’m not Palestinian.
But I love both
of these people, I’m sure
they can talk together and
understand each other.
So, it will also depend on
both the Palestinian and
the Israel governments.
We pray for them.
Because the people,
they want peace.
It is well known that
it is easier to befriend one
who is familiar
than a stranger.
As per Supreme Master
Ching Hai’s
loving instructions,
Supreme Master
Television has been
presenting introductions
to various aspects
of Palestinian culture.
Such as music…
Art…
Dance…
Crafts and costumes…
And visits to
Palestinian cities, such as
Bethlehem, Ramallah,
Nablus, and Hebron.
Hebron is a very old city.
It has a very famous mosque
Al-Haram Al-Ibrahime,
in which Abraham
is buried with his sons.
We have enjoyed both
famous and ordinary
locations, including
the warm home of Youssef,
who cordially invited us
to film a cooking show
with his family.
We all know that Palestine
has a long history
regarding food preparation.
In our traditions,
food is considered a way
to express our hospitality.
In weddings and
in all kinds of events
we prepare
specific kinds of foods.
There are foods
for wintertime,
and other foods
for summertime.
This vegetarian program
will be the first of its kind
in Palestine.
The Palestinian people
have been known
for their hospitality.
We’re very friendly,
this is our culture.
If you come to
the Palestinian people
they can welcome you
at their home
from the very beginning.
We are very simple
people who can share
our culture through
our communication,
through our welcoming,
though our inviting you
to our home.
Staying here
in this Arab region
on the Mount of Olives
is an amazing experience
for me.
The people here
are so hospitable.
Everyone wants to
reach out and help you,
and give you directions,
and welcome you.
People who walk past you,
they hold out their hand
and say,
“Welcome to our place.”
And we have these
beautiful children here
say “Halo!”
And yes, so I am really
looking forward to
meeting a lot more
Palestinian people.
Many people
may have heard of
Gaza or the West Bank,
but may not yet
be familiar with
the beautiful arts
that are unique
to these regions.
This is a thobe,
and it’s a dress
from the Gaza area.
It is called
the Majdal dress.
And it is all embroidered
with very nice colorful,
fuchsia colors, which
are typical of that area.
The material also is
weaved in Gaza, and it’s
also famous for its stripes
here and there, and here.
A Holy Land
that is also a cultured,
sophisticated land.
When I look, I look back
at the whole centuries.
I look at the Arabic and
the Muslim civilizations.
They were stunning.
They accomplished a lot.
In the general civilization,
in the fields of chemistry,
algebra, calligraphy,
architecture.
Palestine has always been
a land of exchange
and co-existence.
The sacred Old City
of Jerusalem, for instance,
has four main quarters:
Muslim, Jewish,
Christian, and Armenian.
It's the city of faith,
the city of all religions,
it's for the Muslims,
for the Christians,
and for the Jews.
Arabs and Jews
lived together
for many hundred years
in friendship.
Harmonious co-existence
is a way of life
in the collective
Palestinian memory.
When we are here
as kids, we really
meet a lot of friends,
through this life.
We never know about
color or Christianity
or Muslims or the Jews.
Today, there are
many Palestinians
who are working through
creative social endeavors
to rebuild the original
peaceful relationships
among the people
of the Holy Land.
For example, if we
practice non-violence,
we not only practice it
in theory, we give people
preliminary training.
So we go to the field,
we give the
non-violence training
as well as we do have
follow-up campaigns.
We focus on non-violence
to let people believe
about these things.
Here in Palestine,
all of the people
receive their news
from the TV or
the internet or the radios.
And we try every time
to say the truth
about everything.
And it really
touched people.
When you touch people
by their personal things
and by their reality,
it will be so effective.
The Peace it Together
program, founded by
Adri Hamael and
Reena Lazar, brings youth
from Palestine, Israel,
and Canada together
for constructive activities
on the topic of
intercultural peace.
I was motivated to create
this group because
there is a tragic conflict
going on
in the Middle East.
The majority of them,
Palestinians living in the
West Bank or Gaza never
have the opportunity
to meet Israelis,
and vice versa, of course.
So this project
was inspired by projects
around the world, where
Israelis and Palestinians
come together.
We are going
to make films together.
That means you’re going
to have to put skills
with each other,
and practice the filming
and practice everything
together, talking.
So each one of us knows
the other really good and
that makes us really close
to each other.
Palestinian artists
use their talents to share
the message of peace.
Music is really
a very powerful technique.
They say music is
the language of the world.
We are exposing
more internationally
through music,
in a positive way,
that we talk about peace.
Here is my voice,
from the brown land,
it's coming… coming…
coming
My voice from
the mountain of spirits
is coming…
from my field…
from my sun,
from my field…
from my sun
Usually people
who do Debka either, like
for example our dances,
we have dances
that celebrate a wedding,
dances that kind of
portray the struggle
of the Palestinians and
we also have fun dances
that are just for fun.
I think
that one portrays a lot of
the Palestinian pride,
the feelings of
being back in Palestine and
the beauty of the dance.
Hebron is well-known for
many traditional industries
such as pottery, faience,
glass blowing,
and many others.
Thanks to Allah,
I'm number 1 in Palestine
in this field, and
I represent it outside.
I went to France
about 20 times, and to
Italy, Syria, and Dubai.
I will take you
to the story of Christ.
Here are some products.
This is how Palestinians
used to wear (clothes)
when Jesus was born.
This is the story of Jesus.
And that’s also made of
olivewood, which
Palestine is known for.
This is also
made of olivewood.
We have many, many
products in our houses
that are made of olivewood.
This is one kind
from about one hundred
of kinds of sweets.
This factory is maybe
about 175 years [old]
nearly, since my father
and grandfather.
We send for all people
in West Bank,
here in West Bank,
Hebron, Ramallah,
Bethlehem, and everyone.
Now some of people
from Palestine in Qatar
live in Jidda
in Saudi Arabia,
[they] say to their family,
“Send to us from this kind.”
Because everything
is natural in it. Okay.
Tel Aviv took it from us
many, many, million
from this kind.
Some women,
you see this,
they’re carrying hope.
When I’m in trouble,
I remember my mother,
then I gain the strength,
that I don’t want
to let her down.
As a Palestinian,
this is the way I see
the Palestinian woman.
And all of it, it comes
from the affection
to my mother, always.
They are
very, very powerful;
they are strong.
When you carry the hope,
you’re always strong.
So if we look here
on this right side,
you will see
a Palestinian woman
who is carrying a basket
on her head.
It could be
filled with olives.
It could be
filled with grapes.
It could be filled with
oranges or apples or figs.
You never know,
it doesn’t matter
what she is carrying.
And then her features
are Palestinian.
This is the bride's dress.
The fish is also a symbol
of Christ and the good.
This crescent and star
are Islamic symbols.
Part of the Palestinian
is traditional clothes.
Part of the Palestinian
traditional clothes is
the Palestinian kaffiyeh
and the kaffiyeh is
usually worn on the head.
All the world knew
the Palestinian kaffiyeh
through the kaffiyeh
that used to be
dressed by Yasser Arafat.
Now, the Palestinians
are doing the traditional
kaffiyeh, which is
the black and white.
There is another kaffiyeh
that is red and white.
This book,
it’s written between me
and a friend of mine.
He is Jewish
and I'm Palestinian.
We became
really good friends.
Each short story tells
a lot about this friendship
and the harmony
between the two people.
I know from the beginning,
this book will have a voice.
And this book will
have lots of feedback
from people,
admiring this courage
from me and from him.
“If they can
make peace there,
we could make it here.”
Indeed, the peace message
from Palestine,
as brought by the
past prophets and saints
who walked here,
has prevailed.
Upon getting to know
more about the people,
all else fall away and only
beauty and love remain.
My wish, everybody’s wish,
that I work with,
they want peace and love
to be on Earth.
Not just here,
everywhere in the world.
It’s such a beautiful dance
and it’s beautiful because
it shows our culture.
And I think that’s
the most important thing
that we perform,
to preserve and show
our culture to the world.
I believe in one God.
I believe
the request from God
to be good for each other,
not to kill each other.
And this is so important
that everybody’s got to
love each other.
Our appreciation
for all the wonderful
Palestinian people
who dedicate themselves
to promoting mutual
reconciliation and respect
through their magnificent
crafts, projects,
and daily examples
of tolerance.
May our combined efforts
ensure a bright future
of peace and prosperity
for all humankind,
with God’s blessings.
Thank you for joining us
on today’s
Enlightening Entertainment.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News,
here on
Supreme Master Television.
Blessed be your
noble and kind hearts.