By: Sude Guvendik, Staff Writer
Content warning: mentions of displacement.
Saeed Teebi is a Canadian writer who was a finalist for the Atwood Gibson Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. Teebi recently engaged students and faculty at SFU for a conversation about the themes of citizenship-as-belonging and identity within diaspora communities. The event, titled “Diaspora Citizenship: Palestinian Journeys,” was co-sponsored by SFU international studies and featured an exploration of Teebi’s celebrated collection of stories, Her First Palestinian.
Teebi’s work has garnered attention for its exploration of Palestinian identity and the experiences of Palestinian diaspora communities in Canada. During the event, Teebi discussed his motivation for writing Her First Palestinian, highlighting the need to feature Palestinian characters and narratives in the Canadian literary landscape.
The concept of belonging is “very precarious” for Teebi. He described it as a “highly localized feeling to belong in small places and in small settings.” He emphasized the profound importance of language as a guardian of history, underlining how language, with its intrinsic ties to memory, preserves spaces and narratives that may exist both in tangible and intangible forms.
Teebi explained that “we will return” is a mantra often passed down through generations as a symbolic thread connecting diasporic Palestinians to their ancestral land. This idea of return is not just a political aspiration; it’s a fundamental part of their personhood, selfhood, and dignity. It represents the unwavering belonging to their homeland, a connection that has been sustained through decades of displacement and struggle.
The Palestinian occupation is regarded as prolonged and unlawful Israeli control over Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, leading to the subjugation and disenfranchisement of the Palestinian people. Supporters of the Palestinian cause contend that ending this occupation is crucial for realizing the Palestinian right to self-determination.
The commitment to the idea of return is not solely about the practicality of physically returning to Palestine, given the complex geopolitical realities. Many elderly Palestinians in the diaspora may never see their homeland again. However, Teebi underscored the importance of recognizing that holding the belief has immense cultural and psychological significance. Believing in the possibility of returning to Palestine offers hope, even though many elderly Palestinians in the diaspora may never physically go back due to complex political reasons.
Teebi shed light on the character of Nadia, a central figure in the narrative of his debut work. Nadia, a white Canadian lawyer in a romantic relationship with a Palestinian, plays a pivotal role in the story by exemplifying a remarkable willingness to embrace a different perspective.
Nadia’s emotional voyage is closely intertwined with her discovery of historical records inscribed in Hebrew, which bear witness to Palestine’s existence prior to the establishment of the state of Israel. This revelation acts as a poignant turning point for her character as she challenges her preconceptions. This moment prompts a comprehensive reevaluation of her own understanding of the region’s complex history.
“I always knew I wanted to write something that had to do with my Palestinian identity and featured Palestinian characters,” Teebi explained in a CBC article. “On the Canadian literary landscape, there’s not a lot of that. It was important for me to feature those kinds of characters.”
Teebi’s desire to bring Palestinian voices to the forefront is a reflection of the broader conversation about representation in literature. While his stories are rooted in the Palestinian experience, they are “pretty universally applicable to other peoples in diaspora or other immigrants,” Teebi said. “But to engage those kinds of characters was important to me.”
The event provided attendees with a unique opportunity to delve into Teebi’s literary journey and the impact of his work on discussions surrounding citizenship, belonging, and diaspora experiences. Through his stories, Teebi invites readers to explore Palestinian experiences in Canada and the broader diaspora.
Her First Palestinian is available at Massey Books. Visit their website at www.storestock.massybooks.com. The full version of this article can be found at www.the-peak.ca.
