We Were, We Are: A Palestine Memorial Quilt
Every stitch in this Palestine memorial quilt is a heartbeat, carrying memory, love, and resilience.
We Were, We Are is a living memorial quilt created to honor Palestinians — those whose lives have been taken and those who continue to endure. It’s not just crochet. It’s a way of lifting up Palestinian voices, one square at a time, so they are remembered as individuals, not reduced to statistics or headlines.
The Purpose of this palestine memorial quilt
The purpose of this project is twofold.
First, it is about uplifting stories. Too often, the world only sees Palestinians through the lens of tragedy — as martyrs, victims, or numbers in a death toll. The media, if it even mentions the people of Gaza, romanticizes their sacrifice. But behind every headline was (or is) a whole person. Someone with dreams for their children, a favorite dish they loved, a song they hummed, a story they wanted to tell. They deserve to be remembered for their full lives, not only the way they were taken.
Second, this quilt is an act of advocacy. It will travel with me to protests, marches, and rallies for Palestinian freedom. It will even come with me to markets, to spread the word and continue spreading awareness. My goal is for it to serve as both a visual reminder of lives worth honoring and a soft but powerful call for justice. When words fail, sometimes art can hold the space we cannot.
How the Idea Came About
This idea found me in the shower, when I was thinking about the many horrific stories I’d seen coming out of Gaza.
I realized something unsettling.
While I could recall the details of their deaths, I didn’t know who these people were. Who did they love? What made them laugh? What were their hopes and plans before everything changed?
It broke my heart to realize how easily they become only stories of violence, when their lives had been so much more. They are — or were — people with hobbies, with favorite foods, with fears, joy, determination, and love woven into their days.
Some are gone too soon.
Some are still living through unbearable hardship.
And they all deserve to be remembered for who they are, and all that that entails.
A symbol of Memory and Resilience
Each square in this quilt tells a story. Most honor individuals. Others hold symbols of Palestine itself — tatreez, olive trees, oranges, poppies, watermelon, the keffiyeh, the flag. Together, the quilt becomes both a tribute and a testimony: We were, we are.
This page will grow alongside the quilt. Here you’ll find each square, with its story and its meaning. Some are memorials, some are symbols of resilience, but I have stitched them all with reverence and love.
Explore the Quilt
As this project grows, so will this page. Below you’ll find a clickable map of the quilt linking to the story behind each square. Whether it’s a memorial to an individual, a symbol of Palestinian culture, or a square honoring resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. I invite you to take your time, read through, and hold space for each life and symbol stitched here.
Share a Story
If you have a loved one, friend, or community member whose story you’d like to honor in my Palestine memorial quilt project, We Were, We Are, I would be humbled to include them. I crochet each square with care and reverence, and by remembering each person individually through this project, we will be treating them as more than a name or a number. Instead, they are part of a living archive of Palestinian strength, love, and humanity.
You can reach out to me directly to share a story, or follow along as the quilt continues to unfold. Together, we can hold their memory close, lift up Palestinian voices, and say with one voice: We were, we are.
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