Al-Qudsfestival

Al-Quds Capital of Culture 2009

Stockholm 2009-04-11

“Al-Quds, Capital of Arab Culture” Festivity to kick off in Stockholm – Sweden”


My Friends
Assalamu Alaykum
My Friends
The Swedish Al-Quds committee created to organize the Jerusalem festivities in Sweden. Celebrating Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009 at the popular, official as well as local, Swedish, Arab and international levels emphasizes the city’s significance as an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian land in 1967 and its political importance as the Capital of the independent State of Palestine coupled with its religious significance and its Arab cultural identity. The event aims at mobilizing cultural activities in and around Al-Quds as well as rehabilitating its culture infrastructure and decreasing the sufferings of its inhabitants.
It also aims at having Al-Quds Capital of Culture implement related activities as well as coordinating with regional and international bodies and the solidarity movement for promoting Al-Quds identity, culture and history as the Capital of the Palestinian State. Preparations are underway towards this important event through a clear vision, objectives and events plan.
The vision is built on the importance of cultural activities as a significant component for the survival and sustenance of a national identity. The opening will be sparked from the heart of Aqsa Mosque in Fittja- Stockholm with the participation of a variety of cultural institutions of different specialties.

To write for al-Quds, is simply to write for all of Palestine and the Arab League, for each party mutilated from the Arab body and became occupied. This year, al-Quds was chosen as capital of Arab culture and then we must concentrate all our suffering in one breath and talk about our occupied land embodied in a city whose identity was and will ever remain the Arab identity even if every stone was uprooted and replaced by foreign stone ". Also on the program a short films on topics relating to the life of Palestinians and particularly Jerusalemites, with an eye to how the Israeli occupation challenges the realization of Arab culture.
The Swedish Al-Quds committee created to organize the Jerusalem festivities by Mr. Ezzedine al-Masri, general manager of the Ministry of Culture in Gaza, the coordinator of Al-Quds committee in Gaza and manager of the theater activities, said to us, that their door is open to all of those who want to serve Jerusalem. He told us that his ministry does not mind at we "working with anyone who wants to participate in our festivities in Sweden, but our problem in Sweden those who want to serve their political agendas at the expense of Jerusalem."
“But Jerusalem is the capital of all capitals, first because the Palestinians are spread all around the world, second because it is an occupied city, and lastly because of what we are witnessing - ethnic cleansing and Judaization. “We from Al-Quds committee invite all the groups to join the Al-Quds activities. We are talking about Jerusalem, which should be above everything, and should unite us, not divide us. This is the main goal that we should work on.” The event is to be launched in Stockholm and a number of Swedish cities and in the Occupied Territories, through the direct telelink option.
Events for the celebrations of “Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture,” (QCAC) will be broadcast on Swedish, Arab and Palestinian Satellite television so they can reach all countries of the Arab League. Broadcasting will commence at Fittja Mosque on 27 April, and cover an Open Day of events around Jerusalem and Palestinian. Events for the celebrations of “Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture,” (QCAC) will include a speech from Chairman of the Subcommittee of al-Quds Festivity in Sweden and Gaza.
Also on the program we will hold a press conference and a speech by Muslim and Swedish leaders “on the Cultural an peace Identity of Jerusalem.” We also prepare to release a book in Swedish on the aims of the festival, with background on Al-Quds Daly culture, artistic institutions and heritage.


The Subcommittee of al-Quds Festivity in Sweden

Mr. Mahmoud Aldebe Mr. Mousa Rifai Mr. Adnan Bülent Baluglu




Time: 14.00 – 1700.
Place: