Serene Husseini Shahid
Encyclopedia
Serene Husseini Shahid was born in Jerusalem as a member of the influential Husayni family. Her father was Jamal al-Husayni
, her maternal grandfather was Mayor of Jerusalem Faidi al-Alami
, and her maternal uncle was Musa al-Alami
.
She was educated at the Ramallah Friends School
in Ramallah
, later at the American University of Beirut
.
After 1967 she became involved in starting "cottage industries" among the Palestinian refugees. She worked on embroidery projects for Palestinian women, conducting embroidery workshops on weekdays. She, together with Huguette Caland
, helped found the Association for the Development of Palestinian Camps, a.k.a. "Inaash" (founded 1969) in Lebanon, an association devoted to preserving Traditional Palestinian Embroidery and helping women and children in Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon. At the same time she has written about Palestinian costumes
and embroidery and helped arrange exhibitions, including one in the Museum of Mankind in the British Museum
in 1991.http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199101/woven.legacy.woven.language.htm She has also donated items to the Palestine Costume Archive.
Her daughter Leila Shahid
is Palestinian envoy to European Commission
. Her other two daughters, Maya and Zeina, design and promote Palestinian Embroideries for Inaash.
Her autobiography, Jerusalem Memories, was published in 2000, and was critically acclaimed as "breaking new ground"http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,818330,00.html. It has been translated into several languages.
Jamal al-Husayni
Jamal al-Husayni , , was born in Jerusalem and was a member of the Husayni family.Husayni served as Secretary of the Palestinian Arab Action Committee and the Muslim Supreme Council. He was founder and chairman of the Palestine Arab Party and its delegate to the Arab Higher Committee, led by his...
, her maternal grandfather was Mayor of Jerusalem Faidi al-Alami
Faidi al-Alami
Faidi al-Alami was Mayor of Jerusalem from 1906 to 1909. In 1914, he was chosen to represent the city in the Ottoman parliament. His father, Musa al-Alami, was also a mayor of the city...
, and her maternal uncle was Musa al-Alami
Musa Alami
Musa Alami was a prominent Palestinian nationalist and politician.Alami was born in the Musrara district of Jerusalem, Palestine into a prominent family...
.
She was educated at the Ramallah Friends School
Ramallah Friends Schools
The Ramallah Friends Schools are two elite Private Schools founded by Quakers in the city of Ramallah, in the West Bank. The Friends Girls' School was inaugurated in 1869; the construction of the Friends Boy's School began in 1901 and opened in 1918. The Schools were run by American Quakers...
in Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, later at the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
.
After 1967 she became involved in starting "cottage industries" among the Palestinian refugees. She worked on embroidery projects for Palestinian women, conducting embroidery workshops on weekdays. She, together with Huguette Caland
Huguette Caland
Huguette Caland, born in 1931, is a Lebanese painter, sculptor and fashion designer living in Los Angeles, noted for her nudes. Caland, whose father, Bechara El Khoury was the first president of Lebanon from 1943 to 1952, co-founded INAASH , which creates jobs for refugee women and sells their...
, helped found the Association for the Development of Palestinian Camps, a.k.a. "Inaash" (founded 1969) in Lebanon, an association devoted to preserving Traditional Palestinian Embroidery and helping women and children in Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon. At the same time she has written about Palestinian costumes
Palestinian costumes
Palestinian costumes are the traditional clothing worn by Palestinians. Foreign travelers to Palestine in the 19th and early 20th centuries often commented on the rich variety of the costumes worn, particularly by the fellaheen or village women...
and embroidery and helped arrange exhibitions, including one in the Museum of Mankind in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in 1991.http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199101/woven.legacy.woven.language.htm She has also donated items to the Palestine Costume Archive.
Her daughter Leila Shahid
Leila Shahid
Leila Shahid She is the daughter of Serene Husseini Shahid and thus a member of the Al-Husayni clan. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the Baha'i prophet Baha'u'llah though she is not a Baha'i herself....
is Palestinian envoy to European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Her other two daughters, Maya and Zeina, design and promote Palestinian Embroideries for Inaash.
Her autobiography, Jerusalem Memories, was published in 2000, and was critically acclaimed as "breaking new ground"http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,818330,00.html. It has been translated into several languages.