Today’s Enlightening
Entertainment will be
presented in Arabic,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German, Italian,
Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, Malay,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish
and Thai.
Welcome,
respected viewers.
Today, we will present
the first part
of a 2-part series
about the In’ash Al-Usra
Society’s Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage,
in Ramallah, Palestine.
Ramallah is a beautiful city
in the central West Bank,
6 miles north of Jerusalem.
Founded
in the 16th century,
the city has a population
of 25,500 inhabitants.
The In’ash Al-Usra
Society (Rejuvenation
of the Family) is a charity
which was founded
in 1965 as an initiative
by Mrs. Samiha Khalil,
a much loved Palestinian
community leader.
She firmly believed in
the values of empowerment
and self-sufficiency,
and inspired many people
through her life
of community
and national service.
The In’ash Al-Usra
Society assists women
in acquiring skills
to earn their livelihood
and to become
active participants
and decision makers
in their communities.
The society runs
the In’ash College,
the Studies Center
for Palestinian Heritage,
a vocational training center,
two clinics for health
and dental services,
a garment factory,
a kindergarten
and a nursery.
It gives scholarly funds
and provides housing
and cash assistance
to the needy as well as
to victims of conflict.
The Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
was founded in 1977,
as part of the society’s
objective to develop
folk handicrafts
and to preserve
Palestinian folklore.
Mr. Sami,
who is a tour guide
in the museum,
will now show us around
the exhibits’ collection.
The museum
is filled with items
which traditionally
have been used in
Palestinian households.
Here, we notice that
the Palestinian woman
used to grind barley,
wheat, or freekeh
(roasted green wheat)
by using a grinder
this way…
and she put either
the Freekeh or wheat here,
and then the ground item
comes out from here.
She used to
grind everything and
put a plate, a container,
or something like that.
Here we can see a cradle.
The Palestinian woman
used to sway
and comfort her baby
in order to calm him,
so, it was a a lot of work,
and she did that until
her baby calmed down
and slept.
This place is called
“alkhabia,” it's the place
where you can keep wheat
and barley, or the hoard
of the whole year,
the place here
has small windows to
take sugar, rice, wheat,
and from here, the freekeh
and some other items.
Here is a wardrobe
to put woolen blankets,
covers, and mattresses in it,
and this box
is called almerkaz.
This box…
this is the wedding box;
each Palestinian bride
used to buy a box
of this kind, and used to
keep all her personal things
and all her belongings
inside this box.
She kept all her money
in this box,
so the box has a key.
There is no bride
in Palestine
without such a box.
Since more than
40 years ago until now,
every bride had such a box.
It was one of her rights
to have a box like this.
These are some items
that used to be
in the guest house or
in the house of the family.
This is the lamp
as we have said earlier,
and these are trays.
Here is also what they
used to prepare coffee or
to heat many other things
or to warm the home
or guest house.
This is a sieve.
This is a lantern
and it's like the lamp
and it's used for lighting
at night.
This is called oud.
Those are brooms, those
are some kinds of plates
that were used to
prepare food and the like.
These are some of the items
that were used
in the Palestinian
family home, in the house.
This box was used
to keep clothes and
the personal things inside.
This is called… it's like
a basin for the home.
You can see it from here.
This also can be used
for water, it can be used
to keep the water cold
in summer or
to keep the water warm
in winter.
This is the water hole,
right here.
There was a water hole,
and this bucket was for it.
This item was called meckel.
We put water
in this meckel
and all kinds of birds
come to drink from it.
After we return,
we will continue our tour
through the Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah in Palestine.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Enlightening Entertainment
and our visit
to the In’ash El-Usra
Society’s Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah.
Our tour guide Mr. Sami
will now show us
more traditional items
of Palestinian daily life.
We are now visiting
the museum’s beautiful
exhibit of a traditional
Palestinian guest house.
This is a guest house.
The householder used to
come to the guest house,
as every family in Palestine
has a guest house
to receive guests and
people, and the friends
used to meet together and
gather with each other
in the sheikh's home
and used to
narrate their stories,
their problems.
Anybody who has a problem
within his house,
within the family
or with other people,
used to come here
to complain to the sheikh.
Also, they used to stay up
late at night together
and to have a good time
playing the rebeck,
and singing like this way,
and the people
around the singer
sing with him as a chorus
or listen to his songs.
This rebeck
has a deep meaning,
it's not just an instrument
to be played, it's also
a kind of entertainment,
and the singer uses it
to express about
social issues, meaning
it's a kind of media
to express what is
happening in the society.
And there is the coffee man
who is using
the coffee pot this way
and he prepares coffee
for the guests.
This item is used
for the coal.
This is the black coffee.
They used black coffee
as we can see here.
It's necessary to know
that the coffee pot is used
with the left hand.
He pours coffee
with the left hand,
and hold the cup
in the right hand
and drink it this way.
They pour
a very little quantity,
just about one or two sips.
It's something
like courtesy when
friends gather together.
We used this charcoal
to prepare coffee.
Mr. Sami shows us
a traditional wooden
Palestinian house door
with a simple
lock mechanism.
He explains that
there was no need for
elaborate security systems
since burglary
virtually did not exist
among the neighborly
Palestinian people.
This door was used
as a main gate
to close all the doors,
and there was
no metal door.
This is called the old style
of door closer,
and the big key
that you see there
is used here.
As you can see right here,
these are the kinds of wood,
and this is the mechanism
of the doors, there was
no another mechanism,
most people used this
mechanism for the doors.
There was no stealing,
even though there wasn't
a powerful army.
There was no breaking
into people houses,
there was an abundance
of politeness,
good manners, and love.
Next, we will visit
the museum’s
embroidery collection.
The pieces
which are displayed here
are produced by
the In’ash El-Usra
Society’s embroidery
production center,
which employs over
3,000 women and girls
working from their homes.
As we can see here,
there are so many
Palestinian embroideries,
with different designs,
different colors.
As you can see,
here is a design, and
here is another design.
Here also we have
another design,
As you see, here we have
a different design.
Here, there are also
different kinds of designs.
This is
the Palestinian jacket
that was and is still sacred
for the Palestinian people
and it became
an important jacket
in all the events,
and it's the standard one
in all the Palestinian
wedding parties.
Here are
the same clothes also –
very nice clothes
that we feel proud about
wherever we go.
This was
and will be our jacket,
God willing.
This is a jacket that is worn
above the dress.
For example
it was worn this way.
This is for women only,
not for men;
in other words,
the Palestinian ladies
used to wear this jacket
over any dress.
But of course each dress
has its own jacket.
Do you see this,
it's necessary for this
to be of the black color.
And there is also
another thing…
This is called a scarf;
every Palestinian lady
used to wear this uniform.
Just in the last
10 or 20 years,
some ladies turned to wear
what is called
“loose garments”
as a kind of
religious Islamic dress,
but before that, all of them
used to wear this dress
or uniform.
This kind of embroidery
was made by using
The sewing machine
or by using
what is called the loom.
So, the In’ash Al-Usra
Society (Rejuvenation
of the Family)
was known for its
Palestinian embroideries,
and its main aim
was to keep this heritage
from getting lost.
That's why
it's one of the organizations
that have done their best
and spent their money,
energy, and efforts
in order to keep
this immortal heritage
which will continue to stay
until the Judgment Day.
Thank you,
warm-hearted viewers,
for your company
on today’s program.
Please join us
next Friday, August 27,
for the final half
of our 2-part series
on the Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah, Palestine,
founded by
the In’ash El-Usra Society.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
Wishing you
Heaven’s blessings,
farewell for now.
For more information
on the In’ash El-Usra
Society’s Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage,
please visit
Thank you,
warm-hearted viewers,
for your company
on today’s program.
Please join us
next Friday, August 27,
for the final half
of our 2-part series
on the Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah, Palestine,
founded by
the In’ash El-Usra Society.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
Wishing you
Heaven’s blessings,
farewell for now.
Explore a legendary
collection of art from
the National Museum
of Afghanistan,
dating millennia.
Look at these
precious objects
from different parts
of Afghanistan,
with different
cultural integrity.
A part of Afghanistan’s
cultural heritage almost
never before seen.
You look at these
artifacts and you wonder
how they could be made.
They’re so beautiful
and the craftsmanship
is remarkable.
See Afghanistan’s
exquisite treasures
in a 3-part series starting
Tuesday, August 24,
on Supreme Master
Television’s
Enlightening Entertainment.
Today’s Enlightening
Entertainment will be
presented in Arabic,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, Malay,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish
and Thai.
The In’ash Al-Usra
Society (Rejuvenation
of the Family) is a charity
which was founded
in 1965 as an initiative
by Mrs. Samiha Khalil,
a much loved Palestinian
community leader.
She firmly believed in
the values of empowerment
and self-sufficiency,
and inspired many people
through her life
of community
and national service.
The Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
was founded in 1977,
as part of the society’s
objective to develop
folk handicrafts
and to preserve
Palestinian folklore.
This is the dress from
the Nablus area, or
rather from one of its
villages called Ravidia.
So it's the dress of Ravidia.
The dress of Ravidia
belongs to
the Ravidia area which is
a big village in Nablus.
Nablus is
a Palestinian city.
These clothes belong to
several Palestinian cities.
Here we have costumes
related to central
Palestine, such as Jenin,
Tulkarem, for example,
or even Ramallah,
some to Al Majdal which
is a Palestinian city,
others are related to
Hebron.
And some others may be
related to Jericho,
for example.
Some costumes are
related to the area of
Jerusalem and the areas
of Al Bireh and Ramallah.
For example,
this dress here is related
to Be'er Sheva.
Here is a costume that is
related to the areas of
Al Bireh and Ramallah.
This one is also related to
the areas of Al Bireh
and Ramallah.
In fact, all these clothes
are Palestinian
embroideries.
Palestinian women wore
them daily formally
and on all occasions,
at weddings as well as
at funerals.
These clothes represent
each city respectively,
and each woman or
all the women of that city
wore the same style.
Thus, they had
a special dress.
Here, this is
a Palestinian men’s
costume, and this is
for Palestinian women.
For example,
this is a cloak,
all men of Palestine
wore the same cloak.
Although the colors were
different in some areas,
they wore the same
as this mannequin.
This dress is related to
Ramallah and Al Bireh
and it represents
the Palestinian women.
For men, the costume
consists of several pieces.
Here, there is the al hatta
on the head and also
the al ekal – the cloak,
which is brown here.
All women wore clothes
with the al ishar
and al khorka.
Men wore the cloak
with the al hatta
or al ekal and the like.
Next, we visited
the museum’s exhibits
of agricultural tools.
In this section, we will
see the agricultural tools
that prevailed
in the occupied
Palestinian territories,
and still now,
with some changes.
For instance,
here are some of
the agricultural tools.
This is a so-called dakran,
it is used for harvesting.
This tool was used to
lift up wheat or barley.
This is a pickax.
This is a tillage tool
which was put over cows,
mules or horses
to till the land;
it’s called al teacha.
This was also used
for harvesting,
it’s a tool that was used
to harvest wheat and
barley – it’s a sickle.
The peasants used it
to cut grass, wheat
or barley, etc.
As we see,
after the harvest,
this sieve was used to
sift and purify wheat,
rice, barley, or
any other types of grain.
This tool was used to
illuminate the Palestinian
house, it is a lamp,
as you see,
it is used in this way.
It is filled with oil
or kerosene.
All these items are pans
for cooking or carrying
food: tray, cooking pans,
as you see.
This is a burner.
It was used for cooking
instead of a stove.
As you see,
it is equipped like this.
This was a tool
for cooking,
the burner was turned on
and equipped,
as you see, like this.
Then the pan was placed
on top of it.
In this way,
the cooking was done.
This is a cover.
Here we have, the
al tabun which was used
for the baking process.
The dough was placed
here and it was closed
with a piece of wood
or the like.
Here was placed some
kind of animal excrement
or Wood in order to
make fire, to bake things
in the al tabun.
Next, we take a look
a traditional
Palestinian millstone.
Rice or wheat or
other types of grains
were put on here.
It grinds grains.
Then, the milled wheat
or Barley dropped
from here to be collected.
This basket and
other baskets were used
for food, for carrying
bread or fruits.
This is the lakan,
in the vernacular,
the lakan (basin)
was used for washing.
The Palestinian women
put water here
and the other objects to
be washed.
This pan, like the rest,
was used to put the food
here, this is a scoop.
It is made of wood,
as you see;
it was placed here
in order to stir the food.
This is a misfaia, or
filter, to get rid of water.
So the water comes down
through this
and the food stays inside.
Here are
several kitchen tools.
Some were used
either in the kitchen
or in the home and
for various purposes.
For example,
this was the ironing cloth
for the laundry.
Here is the mortar
in which garlic, nuts and
so on were placed to be
crushed, in this way.
After we return,
we will continue our tour
through the Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah, Palestine.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Enlightening Entertainment
and our visit to
the In’ash El-Usra
Society’s Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah.
In this section, we can
see trays made of straw.
They are made by hand,
the Palestinian women
made these trays by hand.
The making of these trays
is a piece of art,
such as this tray,
this one and this one.
All were made by
the Palestinian women
with dry straw but
it had different colors.
Some of them were dyed
to give them another
color, just as you see here:
red, yellow, and green.
This is the art of
the Palestinian families
or women who were able
to do these art works.
So, the Palestinian
women used these trays
for different occasions,
such as baking,
offering food, carrying
and covering things.
So, they used
these trays and tools as
an alternative to trays
made of iron, nickel
or al totia, etc., which
exists now in the market.
Here are different kinds
and a wide collection of
baskets which were used
for many purposes,
but all were used to
preserve and carry
vegetables and fruits.
This type, for example,
was called the al methane,
which means that the
Palestinian women put
grapes, vegetables, fruit
and other things inside
and carried it
on their heads and
went to another region
to sell what they could
and went back.
Then, the next day
in the morning,
they refilled it with
vegetables or whatever,
and went to the market.
Here are some decorative
items which were used
for adorning;
many women kept jewelry
and ornaments that
they had in the house
inside a basket, here,
and carried it by hand.
Some women placed
the basket on their heads,
like this, and
went to the market
or any other place.
In this manner
they walked and
went everywhere,
looking very beautiful
and wearing the rural
embroidered costume.
To sum up,
all that you see now
are table tools,
tools for offering
and preserving food.
There were no
refrigerators but baskets.
We had no table
to place the food on
but this tray.
There were no large
baskets, for example, and
cabinets in the house;
the women put
their jewelry or whatever
inside and kept it, as we
have already mentioned.
These are beautiful tools,
as you see,
very beautiful.
Women used it
for the laundry
or something like that.
Because of the situation,
Palestinian women could
cope easily, they could
give up a lot of needs and
find another alternative.
They had this kind of
basket instead of
plastic bags which
exist today.
They had the tray
instead of the table,
and instead of the car,
they had the al methane,
in which the women
put all that
they wanted to sell
as well as other tools.
Since ancient times,
precious herbs have been
used in Palestine
for many purposes.
We visited
the museum’s collection
of traditional herbs.
There were various kinds
of herbs used by the
Palestinian families as
an alternative medicine.
This is the alternative
medicine which was used
in antiquity or in
the thirties and twenties.
Some people still use
these herbs
as medical herbs.
One purpose is that they
eliminate many diseases,
and another purpose is
that some of these herbs
are added to food or
cooking to taste good.
Here are, for example,
sage, chamomile, gall oak,
incense, and al derias.
Here is an herb to treat
pressure, for example.
At the end of our tour,
we look at some more
traditional Palestinian
costumes and jewelry.
This costume is related to
another city called
Bissan (North Valley),
which is one of the
Palestinian territories.
So, we can recognize
the region or the woman
according to the costume
she wears.
As you see,
this dress belongs to
the Bissan area.
This is the costume from
Al Merden which is one
of the Palestinian villages.
As you see, it
consists of many pieces,
internal and external.
These ardan, or sleeves,
should be under the dress.
So, as you see,
it consists of two pieces,
one is green, as you see,
it is overlaid, like this.
This is the Al Merden
costume,
from North Palestine.
This is the Baleek costume
of Nablus.
This is the al kombaz
(outer garment); almost
all men in Palestine
wear the al kombaz.
But this one is for women.
Above the dress,
the women put the
al kombaz or the cloak.
As we see
in this collection, there
are some kinds of jewelry
which the Palestinian
women used to wear.
This is related to
the area of Al Wakaia.
This is for al ashari,
which was worn
instead of gold,
on top of the head.
Here is gold, a rosary.
There are some kinds of
chains or
pink necklaces, etc.
These are other kinds,
made of beads;
various beautiful
necklaces and bracelets,
the Palestinian women
used to wear these
at happy occasions.
This concludes
the 2nd and final part of
our program
on the In’ash El-Usra
Museum of
Palestinian Folk Heritage
in Ramallah, Palestine.
We thank the
In’ash El-Usra Society
for preserving
the priceless treasures of
Palestinian folk heritage.
May the beautiful people
of Palestine always enjoy
their traditions
in peace and abundance.
Thank you,
kind-hearted viewers,
for joining us today.
Now, please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television
for Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News.
May each day bring you
more wisdom
and fulfillment.
For more information
on the In’ash El-Usra
Society’s Museum
of Palestinian
Folk Heritage,
please visit
Formulating
a “Theory of Everything”
- that accounts for
all the forces of nature
in a single doctrine
has long been the pursuit
of physicists worldwide.
Physics has come
a long way, especially
in the last 12 years
since the Superstring
Revolution, where we
have, to a good degree,
fulfilled Albert Einstein’s
life-long dream
to discover
the unified source of
the diversified universe…
Dr. John Hagelin,
world-renowned
vegetarian quantum
physicist has a theory
that he says fulfills
Einstein’s vision and
can be practically applied
to bring about peace
in our world.
To find out more,
watch part one of
“Dr. John Hagelin: Look
Within to Understand
the Universe”
Monday, August 30 on
Science and Spirituality.
Dr. John Hagelin,
world-renowned
vegetarian quantum
physicist has a theory
that he says fulfills
Einstein’s vision and
can be practically applied
to bring about peace
in our world.
To find out more,
watch part one of
“Dr. John Hagelin: Look
Within to Understand
the Universe” today on
Science and Spirituality.