I have always been a fan of my friend Rawan’s* photography, and have always wondered what my most authentic self, a Palestinian woman engulfed in all of her ancestral love, would look like in Rawan’s eyes. I reached out to her, and she worked her magic. I also want to thank Fatma for the makeup which gave a golden glow to our vision of the Palestinian woman. Working with Rawan was wonderful because she helped me feel unapologetic in front of her camera lens. We hope that you feel the triumph, pain, glory, vulnerability, and beauty of the Palestinian woman through this project. Each photo tells a different story of every Palestinian woman but with myself as the model because I carry every Palestinian woman’s story in my heart.

*Follow Rawan for her latest projects and check out the behind-the-scenes video!

This project is inspired by every single Palestinian woman in my life. From the oldest teta I know, my angelic grandmothers, mama, to my friends, and beyond. I am in constant admiration of our strength, resilience, brilliance, intelligence, kindness, and overall grace. Palestinian women are the people the Palestinian cause stems life from. We will continue fiercely defending everything and everyone we love until total liberation and into forever. This project is a message to the world that we Palestinian women refuse to succumb to the oppressive occupation that tries to cut off our tongues, tries to our hands behind our backs, and tries to bomb away the magic and shine in our souls.

“A Palestinian woman who refuses to relinquish her resilience and love of her homeland, cries tears of gold for the atrocities the world commits against her people.”