Syrian revolution solidarity week festival begins in Doha

Over 100 Syrian artists are participating in a cultural week organised to show solidarity with the Syrian revolution. The festival titled ‘Home that Blossoms in Freedom’ was inaugurated on Friday at Katara, the Cultural Village. The aim of the festival is to highlight the events that have marked the Syrian revolution for about 14 months now. Different activities are planned during the eight-day festival. Open markets, film shows, theatre plays, exhibitions, and poem presentations are some of the activities in which the artists and writers will take part together with thinkers and artists from other Arab countries. The first event of the festival was a charitable open market for handicrafts made by Syrian women. In a statement, Iman Dandash, an official, said: “Most of the exhibited articles are handicrafts by Syrian women who worked on these items such as clothes, embroidery, brocades, glass, bracelets and head bands which are called ‘Herria’ in the Syrian dialect, as well as pottery, in their homes.” Iman said that proceeds from the Syrian market would go to needy people as well as the victims of the Syrian revolution through Qatar Charity. She pointed out that the stock of the exhibited articles would run out in less than two days given the huge demand for them. The market also features several publications such as the book titled Aspects of Tyranny written by Abdulrahman al Kawakibi, and a booklet that includes some of the artwork by Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat. Carrie Kigijian, officer in-charge of Katara Art Centre, said the centre was proud to host the charity market, hoping that it would achieve what it was set up for. After the launch of the market, the participants visited the photographic exhibition featuring works of Syrian artists. Syrian cartoonist and artist Ali Farzat’s images were inaugurated by Arab thinker Azmi Beshara, head of the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies.From/Qatartribune