PNN - Palestine News Network

Op Ed: Multicultural Impressions from the Village

By Dr. Maria C. Khoury

Trying to create a German tradition of Oktoberfest in Palestine during the last seven years has not been an easy task, especially when you are not even of German descent. Trying to make a good impression as a foreign daughter-in-law has been the greatest challenge of my life. No matter how many hours you spend in the kitchen, you simply can never measure up to the nice Palestinian girls from Ramallah! All of this modern stuff that might include rap music does not sit very well with long-established, old-fashioned ways in a closed community. This energy is bundled up in a liberal package of trying to make a good impression on the international community when you are the mayor's wife in a tiny village. I must admit that no matter what impression the Taybeh Oktoberfest has made on people, it has surely enriched my life with talented musicians, generous sponsors, and good friends who are always offering advice. It's difficult to implement new ideas in a little village that has a rich history and ancient roots in Palestine going back more than five thousand years, even before the birth of Christ.

First impressions are always deceiving, so when visitors come to Taybeh and see the great success behind a hard-working family business they literally miss out on all the screaming and yelling that goes on behind closed doors. Well, the doors are actually open, twenty-four hours a day, because the mayor's house is the first stop when someone has a crisis. People always get the wrong impression when you tell them at seven in the morning and at midnight that the mayor is not available. And it's really frustrating when they don't believe you. Because, truthfully speaking, I cannot believe it myself when my husband, the mayor, is not home at midnight. But the local Palestinian security station is open twenty-four hours a day, so I know where to find David Canaan Khoury when he's helping to solve others' problems.

Being in the forefront of Taybeh leadership has led to many opportunities in making great impressions on people who wish to know a different face of Palestine. The world is surprised to get an unusual picture that reflects the fact that some of us in Palestine are normal, regular people who wish to have prosperity and a future for our children like all other people around the world. Wow! Even Palestinians want to celebrate life. That is amazing under oppression! Working on making a positive impression on the international community, however, requires total self-commitment; almost giving up your regular life so that you can work on showing what it means to be Palestinian when you are not Palestinian in blood but in spirit and faith. We try to live day-to-day life with inner peace - a significant non-violent action under the harsh conditions imposed by Israel. We endeavour to have an open house for special visitors, run a small business with a big name, boost the economy, schedule community events, and put a smile on that different face of Palestine. It's a daily struggle to keep hope alive.

The mayor is usually dressed in his professional suit and brand-name tie as he goes off to the local municipality, but during the olive-picking season the usual impression becomes cloudy since this man simply does not look like himself. At 7:30 a.m., he is not at home because he has departed at 5:30 a.m., even before the sunrise, to show the workers exactly which olives to pick. Even when he gives up his normal work day to be in the olive groves with the workers to make sure that they know which groves to work in, he still needs to get away to check on the office staff. In the meantime his first cousin accuses him of picking olives from five of his personal olive trees. I simply give up when it comes to the "But he said ... then I said ..." type of mentality. Can you get up any earlier than 5:30 a.m. to reflect your commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the land? Not in my Greek book!

Impressions of land and ownership take on a deep meaning in Palestine. In other places, if you say the word "land," it means nothing that would signify any emotional, spiritual, or psychological consequences. But when you come to Taybeh and you see three illegal Israeli settlements closing in on a tiny village, you should count on some loyal local residents who are committed to keeping their centuries-old values and traditions and by all means hold on to their property. Some of these residents, such as Nadim Khoury, the famous brew master of Taybeh, even suggest clever schemes to boost the economy since he has attended so many Oktoberfest celebrations worldwide. It was his dream come true to see the very first German-style festival happen in Taybeh before the olive-picking season.

It's been a great challenge to seek sponsors and raise money to help the municipality host the annual Taybeh Oktoberfest since 2005. Sufficient funds are needed in order to allow all the local women's cooperatives and small businesses to keep 100 percent of the proceeds from sales. The municipality covers the running costs of the festival, including musicians, booth setup, media, etc. I have personally come to understand that not all the local people believe in this idea of promoting a modern, moderate, liberal, and free Palestine. Thus, I always ask myself whether I am doing the right thing, since most times I am simply lost among the multicultural rules and just trying to make a good impression.

The hope that the world will see a Palestine in need of basic human rights for all is what gives me inner peace. It is the multicultural Palestine that can include ancient traditions and modern ones as well, where I, as a Greek married to a Palestinian, can feel at home.

The impression that has been engraved on my soul during these past twenty years of living in Palestine is that all human beings, no matter what their past or future might hold, are worthy of celebrating life with freedom, liberty, justice, peace, and happiness. I am truly blessed to be in an environment where more than twenty thousand people of diverse nationalities, religions, and cultures attended the Taybeh Oktoberfest last year to confirm this outlook. I hope Taybeh will continue to be "the flame of peace," as some people have called it, and keep the Taybeh Oktoberfest as the highlight of Palestine, as all its advertisements claim. I believe that the community in Taybeh will continue to make diverse impressions and inspire people to travel to Palestine even beyond the Oktoberfest season.

Dr. Maria C. Khoury is organising the 8th Taybeh Oktoberfest, scheduled to take place in Taybeh, Palestine, on October 6 and 7, 2012. At present we are seeking sponsorship for this distinctive event. For more information, contact Dr. Khoury at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .