Summary
A concept for the experience of exile of refugees in general, applied by Shahd Abusalama to Palestinian refugees in particular: camps locked in limbo, suspended in space and time, holding to a right of return firmly denied by Israel (Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, PDF p.47).
Details
- Abusalama argues the state of permanent temporality is reinforced by a perpetual cycle of settler-colonial violence since 1948 with no justice or accountability, and denies the camps their political status as spaces of reclamation (Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, PDF p.47).
- UNRWA, in her account, engaged with settling refugees permanently outside Palestine rather than repatriating them, trapping Palestinians in a cycle of survival, dependency and permanent temporality (Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, PDF p.58).
- Her chapter’s organising questions ask how Palestinians can break free from the vicious circle of permanent temporality and protect future generations from the same experiences (Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, PDF p.52).
Related pages
Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, Shahd Abusalama, Nakba, Right of Return, UNRWA