Jamal’s Four Identities
Last fall, when I visited Rahat, the Bedouin city a few minutes north of Be’er Sheva, my host was Jamal Alkirnawi, a social worker who was a guest speaker in my class on Psychology, Law, and Justice at Ben Gurion University. According to the following article, it looks like Jamal will soon be returning to Montreal, where he received his MSW:
Canada-Israel Committee - A Successful Blend of Four Identities:
Who is he? An Arab, a Bedouin, an Israeli, or a Palestinian? Jamal Alkirnawi, 28, identifies with and sees himself as all four - a bit of a head-scratcher. The education activist, working for social change in the Israeli Bedouin community, has been chosen to participate in a McGill University peace forum this fall. It is not the first time Alkirnawi has been to Canada and he is excited about the upcoming trip. He is hoping the experience will add to his mission as a “social changer” for people in the Middle East…..
Not surprisingly in a Jewish-communty forum focused on Canada-Israel relations, the article doesn’t provide much depth about reconciling conflicting identities in a society where Jewish citizens count more than everyone else. Jamal is one of many who grapple with confusing priorities and allegiances. He’s done a remarkable job, as have some other Bedouin and Palestinians I met in Israel, but the process has not been as smooth as the article reassuringly implies. I wish him well.
