"We wrote the song 'Filastin' many years ago, after visiting the West Bank and witnessing the reality of ordinary, yet extraordinary people. We were profoundly struck by their lives, grace and determination, despite the daily challenges brought by the occupation, which affects every aspect of life. It entails the inability to move freely within your own country, settler violence, needing permits to go outside the West Bank and continuous checkpoints in addition to Israeli military aggressions.
We heard the stories from people in Gaza, which resembled more a concentration camp than a mere prison. We saw the scars on women and men from bullets and settler attacks. We heard of numerous young people, often children, who had been detained for years without access to a lawyer or a trial. Why are we not defining them as life-long hostages? It is clear that there is no accountability and that questioning the alt right Israeli government leads to ridiculous allegations of antisemitism.
The ethnic cleansing of Palestinians has been ongoing for more than 60 years, and what we all are witnessing live on our screens today is an ongoing mass execution of innocent lives, fully endorsed by the international community. This has never been only "a conflict" and we cannot call the atrocities in Gaza “a war". This is systematic ethnical cleansing. This is the time to speak up and to be on the right side of history. As Europeans, we must reflect on our own privilege and blind spots. We have the responsibility to use our privilege to challenge these injustices and support those who are marginalized and oppressed. To this end we call upon everyone to urge our governments to call for an immediate ceasefire.
'Filastin' was written as a protest song that echoed the evening prayer from the mosques in the valley of the West Bank. That still holds true today. Amids unbearable adversity brought by the occupation, the massacre of so many children, women and men, Palestinians keep on inspiring humanity on how to live, be resilient and resist. Resist to exist. We dedicate this song to them, and to all who stand with them in their struggle for justice and peace. We hope that music will raise awareness and solidarity for their cause, and that it will inspire others to join us in demanding an end to the war and occupation in Palestine. Our song is also a celebration of Palestinians as agents of change and creators of culture as we value their intellectual contributions, artistic expressions and human dignity.
We invite you to listen to 'Filastin' and join us in solidarity with Palestine."
— Alps.
Listen here: alps.ffm.to/filastin2023
#artistscall4ceasefire.org
Live:
20.01.2024 — STUDIO 69, EVERGEM
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