Muhammad Khaled Abu Mahmoud is a former President of the General Union of Palestinian Engineers, Australia branch. A survivor of the Nakba, he now lives in Gadigal/Sydney. Below is a version of a speech he gave to the Nakba protest on May 15, which we are publishing in English and Arabic.
鈥 鈥 鈥
賷賵丕賮賯貙 丕賱賷賵賲 丕賱兀乇亘毓丕亍貙 丕賱匕賰乇賶 76 賱賱賳賰亘丞貙賵"丕賱賳賰亘丞" 鬲乇賲夭 廿賱賶 丕賱鬲賴噩賷乇 丕賱賯爻乇賷 丕賱噩賲丕毓賷 賱兀賰孬乇 賲賳 750 兀賱賮 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷 賲賳 亘賷賵鬲賴賲 賵兀乇丕囟賷賴賲 毓丕賲 (1948)貙 丕賱賳賰亘丞 "卮賰賱鬲 兀賰亘乇 毓賲賱賷丞 鬲胤賴賷乇 毓乇賯賷 卮賴丿賴丕 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓卮乇賵賳"鈥撠娯辟 鬲丿賲賷乇 531 賲賳 兀氐賱 774 賯乇賷丞 賵賲丿賷賳丞 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷丞- 賵賳賮匕鬲 丕賱毓氐丕亘丕鬲 丕賱氐賴賷賵賳賷丞 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 70 賲噩夭乇丞 亘丨賯 丕賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳貙 賵鬲卮乇賷丿 賯乇丕亘丞 200 兀賱賮 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷.賵亘賯賷 賳丨賵 150 兀賱賮 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷 賮賯胤 賮賷 丕賱賲丿賳 賵丕賱賯乇賶 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 丿丕禺賱 廿爻乇丕卅賷賱貙 賵丕乇鬲賮毓 毓丿丿賴賲 賱賷氐賱 賳丨賵 賲賱賷賵賳 賵700 兀賱賮 丨鬲賶 賳賴丕賷丞 2021.
Today marks the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, symbolising the mass forced displacement of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands in 1948.
The Nakba constituted the largest ethnic cleansing process witnessed in the 20th century: 531 out of 774 villages and cities were destroyed.
Zionist gangs carried out more than 70 massacres against Palestinians, displacing nearly 200,000 Palestinians.
Only about 150,000 Palestinians remained in Arab cities and villages inside Israel; their number rose to about 1,700,000 by the end of 2021.
賵亘毓丿 丨乇亘 1948貙 乇賮囟鬲 廿爻乇丕卅賷賱 丕賱爻賲丕丨 賱賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳 丕賱賲賴噩乇賷賳 亘丕賱毓賵丿丞貨 丨賷孬 鬲丨賵賱 丕賱賳丕夭丨賵賳 賳鬲賷噩丞 賱匕賱賰 廿賱賶 賲噩鬲賲毓 丿丕卅賲 賱賱丕噩卅賷賳 賷亘賱睾 毓丿丿賴賲 丕賱丌賳 丨賵丕賱賷 6 賲賱丕賷賷賳貙 賷毓賷卮 賲毓馗賲賴賲 賮賷 賲禺賷賲丕鬲 丕賱賱丕噩卅賷賳 丿丕禺賱 兀丨賷丕亍 賮賯賷乇丞 賮賷 賱亘賳丕賳 賵爻賵乇賷丕 賵丕賱兀乇丿賳 賵丕賱囟賮丞 丕賱睾乇亘賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丨鬲賱賴丕 廿爻乇丕卅賷賱貙賵賮賷 睾夭丞 賷卮賰賱 丕賱賱丕噩卅賵賳 賵兀丨賮丕丿賴賲 丨賵丕賱賷 孬賱丕孬丞 兀乇亘丕毓 丕賱爻賰丕賳.賵賷毓丿 乇賮囟 廿爻乇丕卅賷賱 賱丨賯 丕賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳 賮賷 丕賱毓賵丿丞 兀丨丿 丕賱賲胤丕賱亘 丕賱乇卅賷爻賷丞 賮賷 丕賱氐乇丕毓 丕賱毓乇亘賷 丕賱廿爻乇丕卅賷賱賷.
After the 1948 war, Israel refused to allow the displaced Palestinians to return.
The displaced have now become a permanent refugee community, numbering about 6 million, living in refugee camps inside poor neighborhoods in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank 鈥 and in Gaza.
There, refugees and their descendants make up about three-quarters of the population.
Israel鈥檚 rejection of the Palestinians鈥 right to return is one of the main demands in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
賱賰賳 賳賰亘丞 丕賱兀賲爻 鬲亘丿賵 囟卅賷賱丞 丕賱賷賵賲 兀賲丕賲 丕賱賲兀爻丕丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丿賵乇 賮氐賵賱賴丕 丕賱丌賳 賮賷 睾夭丞貙 丕賱鬲賷 鬲鬲毓乇囟 賱丨乇亘 廿亘丕丿丞 賷卮賳賴丕 噩賷卮 丕賱丕丨鬲賱丕賱 丕賱廿爻乇丕卅賷賱賷 毓賱賶 丕賱賯胤丕毓 賲賳匕 7 兀賰鬲賵亘乇 丕賱賲丕囟賷貙賵兀爻賮乇鬲 丕賱丨乇亘 毓賱賶 睾夭丞貙 毓賳 丕爻鬲卮賴丕丿 賵廿氐丕亘丞 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 100 兀賱賮 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷貙 睾丕賱亘賷鬲賴賲 賲賳 丕賱賳爻丕亍 賵丕賱兀胤賮丕賱貙 賵兀噩亘乇 噩賷卮 丕賱丕丨鬲賱丕賱 丨賵丕賱賷 1.7 賲賱賷賵賳 賮賱爻胤賷賳賷 -毓賱賶 鬲乇賰 賲賳丕夭賱賴賲貙 丨賷孬賷毓丕乇囟 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱丿賵賱賷 亘卮丿丞 兀賷 胤乇丿 噩賲丕毓賷 賱賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳 賲賳 睾夭丞.
But yesterday鈥檚 Nakba seems insignificant compared to the tragedy now taking place in Gaza.
The Gaza Strip has been subjected to a war of genocide waged by the Israeli occupation army since last October 7. The war on Gaza has led to the martyrdom and injury of more than 100,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
Israel鈥檚 occupation army forced about 1.7 million Palestinians to leave their homes. This is despite the international community strongly opposing the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.
賵賷氐賮 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻 賲丨賲丿 禺丕賱丿 兀亘賵 賲丨賲賵丿 丕賱乇卅賷爻 丕賱爻丕亘賯 賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻賷賳 丕賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳 賮賷 兀爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕 - 丕賱賷丕賱賷賵賲丕賱丕賵賱賱賵氐賵賱賴 廿賱賶 兀爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕 毓丕賲 1986:賰丕賳 "賰賲丕 丕賱毓氐賮賵乇 丕賱匕賷 賵噩賻丿 毓購卮賸丕 賰丕賳 賷亘丨孬 毓賳賴 賲賳匕 毓卮乇賷賳 毓丕賲賸丕".鬲賳賯賱 亘賷賳 丕賱丿賵賱 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 亘丨孬丕賸 毓賳 丕賱丕爻鬲賯乇丕乇 亘爻亘亘 丨賲賱賴 "賵孬賷賯丞 爻賮乇 賱丕噩卅賮賱爻胤賷賳賷.
I came to Australia in 1987: I was like a bird that found a nest that it had been looking for for 20 years.
I had moved between Arab countries in search of stability because, as a Palestinian refugee, I only had a 鈥渢ravel document鈥 not a passport.
賴購噩賾乇鬲 毓丕卅賱鬲賴 賲賳 賲丿賷賳丞 賷丕賮丕 丕賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷丞 賮賷 丨乇亘 丕賱賳賰亘丞毓賳 賲丿賷賳鬲賴 賷丕賮丕 丕賱鬲賷 賵購賱丿鬲 賮賷賴丕 毓丕賲 1946 丨賷孬 兀賳賷 兀賰亘乇 毓賲乇丕賸 賲賳 丿賵賱丞 賲丕 賷爻賲賷 丿賵賱丞 廿爻乇丕卅賷賱.賰丕賳 "賮賷 賷丕賮丕 兀乇亘毓 孬賰賳丕鬲貙 賱賲購賱丕賰 丕賱兀乇丕囟賷 賵亘賷丕乇丕鬲 丕賱亘乇鬲賯丕賱貙 賵 賰丕賳鬲 毓丕卅賱鬲賷 賲賳 賲購賱丕賰 孬賰賳丞 兀亘賵 賰亘賷乇.
My family was displaced from the Palestinian city of Jaffa, where I was born in 1946, during the Nakba.
I am older than the so-called State of Israel.
For land and orange grove owners, there were four barracks in Jaffa and my family was one of the owners of the Abu Kabir barracks.
賲賳 匕賰乇賷丕鬲 兀賷丕賲 丨乇亘 丕賱賳賰亘丞 賷賯賵賱: "賯丕賵賲 賵丕賱丿賷 賵兀亘賳丕亍 噩賷賱賴 亘賰賱 丕賱爻購亘賱 賱賱亘賯丕亍 丿賮丕毓賸丕 毓賳 賷丕賮丕貙 賱賰賳 賯賵丞 丕賱賯氐賮 兀噩亘乇鬲 毓丕卅賱丕鬲 賷丕賮丕 毓賱賶 鬲乇賰 丕賱賲丿賷賳丞貙 賯賽爻賲賹 賲賳賴賲 鬲賵噩賴 亘乇丕賸 賵丕賱丌禺乇 亘丨乇丕賸. 賵賰丕賳鬲 毓丕卅賱鬲賷 賲賲賳 鬲賵噩賴 賳丨賵 丕賱亘丨乇 賮賷 馗賱 賯氐賮 卮丿賷丿貙 丨鬲賶 乇爻鬲 賲乇丕賰亘 丕賱毓丕卅賱丕鬲 賮賷 賲賷賳丕亍 亘賵乇爻毓賷丿 丕賱賲氐乇賷. 賵亘毓丿賴丕 丕爻鬲賯乇賷賳丕 賮賷 賲氐乇 亘毓丿 兀賳 囟賲賽賳 禺丕賱賷 賵噩賵丿賳丕.
My memories of the days of the Nakba War is that my father and those of his generation resisted, by all means, and stayed to defend Jaffa. But the force of the bombing forced Jaffa鈥檚 families to leave.
Some headed off by land and others by sea. My family was among those who headed took a boat 鈥 under intense bombardment 鈥 until we docked in the Egyptian port of Port Said.
We settled in Egypt, with my uncle as guarantor.
鬲禺乇噩 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻 賲丨賲丿 禺丕賱丿 兀亘賵 賲丨賲賵丿 賲賳 丕賱噩丕賲毓丞 賮賷 賲氐乇貙 丨賷孬 亘丿兀鬲 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞 丕賱丨賯賷賯賷丞 賱賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷丕賱匕賷 賷丨賲賱 "賵孬賷賯丞 爻賮乇 賱丕噩卅" 丨賷孬 乇賮囟鬲賵馗賷賮賴 賮賷 賰賱丕 賲賳 賲氐乇 賵丕賱丕乇丿賳 亘爻亘亘 賴匕賴 丕賱賵孬賷賯丞.
賵氐賱 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻 賲丨賲丿 禺丕賱丿 兀亘賵 賲丨賲賵丿 廿賱賶 兀爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕 毓丕賲 1986 賯丕丿賲賸丕 賲賳 丕賱毓丕氐賲丞 丕賱廿賲丕乇丕鬲賷丞 兀亘賵 馗亘賷貙 丨賷孬 賰丕賳 賷毓賲賱 賰亘賷乇賸丕 賱賱賲賴賳丿爻賷賳 賮賷 廿丨丿賶 卮乇賰丕鬲 丕賱亘鬲乇賵賱.
I graduated from the university in Egypt where the real suffering began for a Palestinian who only has a 鈥渞efugee travel document鈥. I was refused employment in both Egypt and Jordan because of this.
I arrived in Australia in 1986 from Abu Dhabi, the Emirates capital, where I had worked as a chief engineer in an oil company.
賵毓賳兀賴賲 賳賯丕胤 丕賱鬲丨賵賱 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴 賷賯賵賱:" 丕賱賳賯胤丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 兀賳賳賷 賰賳鬲 賲賳 兀賵丕卅賱 賲賳 爻丕賴賲 賮賷鬲兀爻賷爻 賮乇賵毓 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱毓丕賲 賱賱賲賴賳丿爻賷賳 丕賱賮賱爻胤賷賳賷賷賳 賮賷 爻賵乇賷丕 賵丕賱毓乇丕賯 賵丕爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕 賵丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 丕賱毓丕賲丕賱匕賷 賰丕賳 賲賯乇賴 賮賷 亘睾丿丕丿貙 賵丕賱孬丕賳賷丞 兀賳賳賷 兀氐亘丨鬲 乇卅賷爻 賴匕丕 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 賮賷 兀爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕 亘毓丿 兀賳 賰賱賮賳賷 丕賱兀賲賷賳 丕賱毓丕賲 丕賱爻丕亘賯 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻 賲乇賵丕賳 毓亘丿 丕賱丨賲賷丿 亘鬲卮賰賷賱 賮乇毓 丕賱丕鬲丨丕丿 賮賷 爻賷丿賳賷鈥 丕爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕.
The most important turning point in my life is that I contributed to establishing branches of the General Union of Palestinian Engineers in Syria, Iraq and, later, Australia. I also helped set up the General Union of Palestinian Workers which, in 1973, was headquartered in Baghdad, Iraq.
The second important turning point is that I became the president of General Union of Palestinian Workers in Australia, after the previous Secretary-General Engineer Marwan Abdel Hamid assigned me to form the Union branch in Sydney, Australia.
賵賱賰賷 賱丕 賳賳爻賷 "丕賳賳丕 賱毓丕卅丿賵賳"賷賳氐丨 丕賱丿賰鬲賵乇 丕賱賲賴賳丿爻 賲丨賲丿 禺丕賱丿 兀亘賵 賲丨賲賵丿貙 丕賱賲賴丕噩乇 丕賱噩丿賷丿 亘丕賱丕胤賱丕毓 毓賱賶 丕賱卮乇賵胤 丕賱鬲賷 賴丕噩乇 毓賱賶 兀爻丕爻賴丕 賵丕賱丕賱鬲夭丕賲 亘賴丕貙 賵丕賱丨氐賵賱 毓賱賶 丕賱禺亘乇丞 丕賱賲丨賱賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 爻鬲爻丕毓丿賴 毓賱賶 丕賱鬲丿乇噩 賮賷 丕賱爻購賱賲 丕賱賵馗賷賮賷 賮賷 兀爻鬲乇丕賱賷丕. 毓丕卮鬲 賮賱爻胤賷賳 丨乇丞 毓乇亘賷丞 賵毓丕氐賲鬲賴丕 丕賱賯丿爻 丕賱卮乇賷賮貙 賵丕賳賴丕 賱孬賵乇丞 丨鬲賷 丕賱賳氐乇 賵丕賱鬲丨乇賷乇.
In response to the Nakba order 鈥淵ou will not return鈥, I can advise that 鈥淲e will return鈥!
Long live, free, Arab Palestine with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.
It is a revolution, until victory and liberation.
Video: Peter Boyle/91自拍论坛