Brewing for Peace

“An unusual occupation in an occupied land”

My roommate Nadine has done it again. Check out her mini-documentary below, “Brewing for Peace.” It is the story of a small, Christian village in the West Bank and its famous beer brewery that puts a different face on Palestinian resistance.

Brewing for Peace from Nadine Ajaka on Vimeo.

 

“Brewing for Peace” gives voice to a beautiful story, a story that we (read: Americans) can relate to and understand. Its a layered story: its about a family – its about the first beer brewery in the Middle East – its about the last exclusively Christian village in Palestine – and its about peaceful resistance to occupation.

I think its an important story to tell, for a lot of reasons. To start, Palestine is something pretty unrelatable to most Americans. Its a charged word, a political word, that invites fierce opinions and debate. Palestinians are people who are different from us – Arab, Muslim, conservative, you name it. Even if we don’t hold outright stereotypes, Palestine still feels like a very different place – literally and culturally.

This story turns that upside down.. because its about Palestinian Christians doing what we love best – drinking good beer. It seems like a silly thing, but it actually means a lot. “I can imagine sitting having a beer with him” really does lead to a feeling of connection – feeling of shared culture or similar daily lives.

 

Its also an important story because it gives a new face to Palestinian resistance. Peaceful resistance never seems to get enough coverage in the media, which tires out the audience with stories of political standstills, hate, and violence. Yet there is a strong non-violent resistance movement in Palestine, and the Khoury family looks at their beer brewery as a contribution to it. In their microcosm, one sees the detrimental effects of the occupation on normal people, trying to live normal lives and run a normal business. As Medees says, “We just want to live like everyone else.”

 

I hope the Khoury family is right… and that someday soon we will “Cheers” to peace with Taybeh beer.

 

 

PS. This is also a “MUST SEE” place to visit while in the region and hosts an amazing Oktoberfest. Highly recommended.