feature: familiarity – street art in occupied palestine

You are a ward of a state that does not love you and will not let you forget it. A place that constantly reminds you of your inhumanity in its eyes, with allies more comfortable with you as a victim than a man.

Your life is a series of indignities, small and large. Palms to the wall, eyes level, legs spread—a demeanor that implies no sudden moves. The boot nudging apart your heels a reminder of your place. A reminder of the terrible things that are revealed when a powerful man faces a powerless one.

A community seeped in oppression, honor, and blood. War zone casualty rates fifteen minutes from quiet suburbs. A place of the dispossessed and dispensable, where talking peace feels like a crime.

Way too familiar.

Photos by Iryna Farria*, AFROPUNK Contributor
Words by Dewaine Farria**, AFROPUNK Contributor

*Iryna Farria’s photography can be found on her website and Facebook.
**Dewaine Farria blogs on Blogspot and is hard at work on his first novel.