Ibtisam Mahameed is a Palestinian peaceworker living in a small Arab-Palestinian community in Fureidis, northern Israel. Her family was originally from the Palestinian village of Tantura on the Mediterranean coast, which was destroyed during the 1948 War of Independence. Mahameed has worked for many years counseling Arab and Jewish women regarding the status of females in Middle Eastern society. As a religious Muslim woman, she promotes inter-faith respect and understanding by encouraging Palestinian, Jewish, Druze, and Christian women to learn about each other's religions and cultures. Mahameed, a member of Jerusalem Peacemakers, is also on the board of Middleway, an NGO for the promotion of compassion and non-violence, and helped found the Women's Interfaith Encounter, a program of the Interfaith Encounter Association.
Palestinian peaceworker Ibtisam Mahameed speaks about the role of mercy and compassion in her work with Palestinians and Israelis. She explains that mercy is a universal principle found at the heart of every religion.
Palestinian peaceworker Ibtisam Mahameed explains why women need to be at the heart of peace negotiations. Ultimately, says Mahameed, men and women must work together if peace is to be fully realized.
Palestinian peaceworker Ibtisam Mahameed conveys the difficulty of finding unity during times of war. She further explains that when we speak of unity, we must speak about unity of people rather than religions.
Palestinian peaceworker Ibtisam Mahameed describes the difficulty of planning for a future without economic means. So much money is spent on making war, but Mahameed asks, how much is spent on making peace?
Palestinian peaceworker Ibtisam Mahameed speaks about her role as an Arab Muslim woman working towards peace in the holy land. Mahameed speaks about her role as an Arab Muslim woman working towards peace in the holy land. She describes the need to listen with an open heart and the importance of learning about other cultures. Most of all, says Mahameed, we must raise future generations with a vision based on mutual understanding and respect.
(18 min 52 sec)
"After 200 years I won't be here, but I will have planted a tree of peace in this holy land."
