The Media Department at Birzeit University, in cooperation with Albaidar Association for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, organized a conference and photo exhibition titled “Bedouins: Life on a Burning Edge” yesterday, Monday, at the Said Khoury Building for Development Studies, with the participation of academics, students, journalists, and human rights advocates.
In his address, Dr. Abaher Al-Saqqa, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, stated that Bedouins are an inseparable part of the Palestinian social fabric, noting that values such as chivalry, honor, and solidarity are deeply associated with Bedouin culture. He warned that the targeting of Bedouin communities by occupation forces and settlers threatens the cohesion of Palestinian society, and emphasized the importance of media engagement in addressing these issues. He added that Birzeit University has long been at the forefront of advocating for marginalized communities.
For her part, Dr. Juman Qunais, Professor in the Media Department, explained that the idea for the conference and partnership with Albaidar emerged as a continuation of student and faculty efforts to produce a documentary film on the Bedouin community of Arab Al-Ka‘abneh in the Ma‘rajat area. She noted that the conference marks the first in a series of upcoming initiatives aimed at highlighting Bedouin issues and engaging students — the future media professionals — in covering violations committed against Bedouin communities by the occupation and settlers.
Speaking on behalf of Albaidar, Hassan Mleihat, the organization’s General and Legal Supervisor, presented an overview of the current conditions facing Bedouins in Palestine, stressing that the escalating settler attacks under occupation protection are unprecedented, constitute criminal acts, and violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.
Mleihat also expressed gratitude to Dr. Bassam Owaida, Head of the Media Department, who attended alongside faculty members, praising his role in the success of the conference. He emphasized that the partnership with Birzeit University’s Media Department represents a significant step toward amplifying Bedouin voices and documenting crimes committed against them.
The event concluded with the opening of a photo exhibition documenting violations against Bedouin communities through 300 photographs captured by Palestinian photographers from various regions across the West Bank.