AMP-Minnesota celebrates Palestinian heritage

Nearly 1,000 people turned out at Spring Lake Park High School in Spring Lake Park, Minn., to enjoy authentic cuisine, Palestinian artwork and poetry, folkdance and a play, which were presented by the Al Aqsa Institute and the Minnesota chapter of the American Muslims for Palestine on March 31.

The event, which featured Sanabel Al-Quds Milwaukee Dabka group, as well as Ismail Alqadi and the Israa band, also showcased local children in the Bara’em Al-Aqsa dabka group and in the play, “Palestine Bleeds.” AMP National Director of Media and Communications Kristin Szremski delivered the keynote address. Other children recited poetry in Arabic and English.

One segment of the program was devoted to Syria. Students conducted a “Flash Freeze,” where actors depicting soldiers of the Al-Assad regime brutalized Syrian protestors were frozen in time to create a tableau of human rights abuses. At the same time, other students held signs of solidarity with the Syrian freedom seekers.