Zionism, Jesus, Resilience in Palestine and Cuba - Sami Awad

This is my third recorded conversation with Palestinian activist, author and teacher, Sami Awad. Sami’s recent book, Sacred Awakening - Reclaiming Christ Consciousness, has drawn widespread international attention. In the book and his short video offerings, Sami challenges the traditional Christian view of the teachings of Jesus, and as well challenges the dominant modes of movements for social change. He suggests that the life choices and teachings of Jesus were aimed at awakening us to a higher consciousness – free from our conditioned patterns of fear and domination – and towards solidarity with the oppressed. The ultimate challenge Jesus gives us, according to Sami, is “Love your enemy.” 

In our conversation, Sami gives a clear-eyed description of that challenge. He tells us what is taking place on the ground in the West Bank where he lives. There, he and his friends and family experience daily violent incursions into Palestinian villages by Jewish Israelis who destroy homes and farms and commit deadly attacks on the people. All this takes place while the Israeli soldiers watch and often support the settler terrorists. I am always moved to ask myself, “What would I do if I were subjected to that?” And, “What would the world be doing if these were Jewish people being subjected to that?”

In spite of it all, Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim, carry on with their lives and celebrations with determined resilience. Meanwhile, Sami’s organization, Nonviolence International, is one of several groups composed of Internationals, Jewish Israelis, and Palestinians that offer non-violent witnessing and documenting of the situation. The hope is that bringing awareness of the violence to the attention of the world will bring it to an end. But the depressing fact so far is that the violence keeps escalating.

Sami was born in the U.S., so being an American citizen, unlike other Palestinians, he is able to travel out of Palestine, . On his recent speaking tour of the U.S., his return was delayed when all flights were cancelled due to the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. He managed to take the opportunity to join the flotilla of boats bringing supplies to Cuba, which is under siege by the U.S.. He talks about his sense of solidarity with the Cuban people who have a long supportive relationship with the Palestinian cause. The Cubans have also demonstrated their resilience under the gun of a military super-power, that has also put them under siege.

In our conversation we range back and forth between the spiritual and political, weaving a path in which they are not separate, but part of the same way of living a full life as a human being. Sami took a moment to share his upcoming book that will focus on the issues of masculinity and what it means to be a man in the world today – an issue he feels is at the heart of the causes of the problems in the world. 

For more information about Sami and his work, please check out the links below. 

October: The Sacred awakening Pilgrimage - https://www.holyland360.tours/scacred-awakening-retreat

Not just where Jesus walked—but how he lived.

A contemplative pilgrimage exploring the Beatitudes as a living path of compassion, humility, and spiritual awakening. 

June: Sami will be speaking at the “Resistance Studies Conference” at Univ of Mass in Amherst June 18-21.

Sami’s website - https://sami-awad.com/