An ad I saw on television moved me more than 100 demonstrations in 22 Arab countries. The Arab League declared Jerusalem the Arab Cultural Capital for 2009, based upon the UNESCO Cultural Capital Program.

“The choice for Jerusalem provides an important incentive for initiating collective action to preserve and promote the Palestinian Arab character of Jerusalem, and will attract people’s attention to the injustice Israel inflicts on the Holy City, by threatening to abolish its landmarks, demolishing houses of Palestinians, land- and house confiscation and the construction of the Wall. But the struggle for Jerusalem is not just political, but also a cultural struggle. Israel’s provocative excavations on the Temple Mount and the threats to abolish Arab and Islamic landmarks endangers not only the rich Palestinian heritage of Jerusalem, but also its’ unique universal character.”

The ad on TV moved me more than all the demonstrations I have seen in the past two months.  This is the time we can prove that culture can beat weapons, ideas can fight cannons, and words can retaliate bullets. However, what are the activities for the whole year, I am still trying to find out the program on the internet, I found proposed agenda and activities on this site 

http://www.forumpalestina.org/Doc%20english/2008/February08/ArabCulturalCapital.htm       

I hope this year will be full of well organized, expressive and impressive activities varying from, art, hand-crafts, literature, movies, music and theartre to attract the whole world to Jerusalem and this will be a greater chance to point out the richness of the Palestinian culture and accentuate the Palestinian case better than many demonstrations.

Let us look forward to a fantastic Arab Cultural Year in Jerusalem.  Culture can overcome all weapons.