Source: @SJPSXU_ Instagram
On Thursday Sept. 28, the Students for Justice in Palestine SXU branch hosted their Arab Fest in the Schmitt Quad. The event lasted from 5 in the late afternoon until 8 in the evening. The event included booths for many different Middle Eastern and North African countries, such as Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Somalia, Morocco, Yemen, Algeria, Egypt, and of course, Palestine.
At each booth, students representing those specific countries wore their cultural clothing, brought food from their homeland, and included poster boards with information about where they represented.
There were Arabic sweets such as knafeh, baklava, and layali lebnan, to name a few. A henna artist was on the spot drawing henna, a temporary tattoo, for those who waited patiently in line. To end the night off, the Palestinian dabke team, Firket Al Azdeekeh, lit up the night.
Although Arab Fest mainly consisted of Middle Eastern and North African students representing their countries of origin, many non-Arab students had attended the event. Non-Arab students were welcomed and encouraged to attend, learn, and explore the different cultures, and even join in on the dabke.
Students for Justice in Palestine is an organization on campus that advocates for the rights of Palestinians and upholds their traditions. SJP often has events to educate Saint Xavier students about the injustices Palestinians face in Occupied Palestine. SJP SXU is one of more than 100 SJP chapters in the United States.
In Chicago alone there are roughly 11 SJP chapters in colleges and universities, such as DePaul, UIC, Loyola, Lewis, Columbia College, IIT, Northwestern, Benedictine, Moraine Valley, UChicago, and SXU.
In an interview I conducted with a SJP SXU member, Dalia Ihmoud, she explained that the Arab Fest is “hosted by the students, for the students and [the] community.” Ihmoud later went on to say that, “It’s truly different from any campus event because people might already understand Hispanic and African traditions because it’s taught in school…we take it upon ourselves to do the same through an interactive experience, so it really sticks with our peers more…”
Ihmoud stated that the SJP SXU Arab Fest “brought the Middle East to SXU.”
Many students have their reasons for joining different types of clubs. When asked about why she chose to be involved with SJP, Ihmoud stated that she was, “born and raised in Palestine” and “seeing firsthand the destruction and occupation of [her] homeland really changed [her] perspective on life.”
“When I attended my first protest I knew there had to be more ways to be proud of where I’m from and fight for it that wasn’t just protesting,” the future SJP Treasurer stated. “SJP and other various Palestinian organizations have so many creative ways to spread the word and introduce you to people who share your values. I love people and I love Palestine, so it was a no-brainer to put in my all and join.”
To be involved with SJP SXU and learn more about Palestinian history, culture, and struggle, SXU students can follow the SJP SXU Instagram account @sjpsxu_ and their X (formerly known as Twitter) account @SJPSXU_. Be sure to look out for future SJP events on The Den.