Hafiz Sheriff launches debut book

• ‘History as I See It and Others’ delves into Israel-Palestine conflict and global current affairs

‘History as I See It and Others’ by Hafiz Sheriff, a searing take on the Israel-Palestine conflict and current world affairs, has now launched in Sri Lanka.

The Israeli occupation of Palestine has been a hotly debated topic for many years, among academic circles, casual gatherings, and within the hallowed halls of the United Nations. In Sri Lanka however, the subject of the military exercises, settler violence, and merciless tactics of persecution inflicted upon the Palestinian people is a conversation that not often takes centre stage.  

In ‘History as I see It and Others,’ author Hafiz Sheriff breaks down the intricacies of the Israel-Palestine conflict, providing a wider historical understanding of the Zionist movement’s many machinations towards establishing a Jewish state in Palestine, and how in the slow process -spanning decades now-, the Israeli government is succeeding in the complete displacement of the Palestinian Arab people from a land originally their own.  Not wanting to merely paint a bleak picture of the state of current affairs in the Middle East however, ‘History as I See It,’ as the title suggests, is also a retrospective assessment of the author’s own views on the current state of global affairs. 

In a chapter titled ‘Mindfulness’ Sheriff writes of harnessing compassion in our daily lives, a gentle segue between chapters as well as an appeal to the reader to fully appreciate and reflect on history and its many consequences. The author additionally draws from the works of George Vaillant, Richard Dawkins, and Abraham H Marslow, in an attempt to reinforce his views and beliefs on emotional intelligence and personal development.

“I wrote ‘History as I See It and Others’ primarily with the intention of highlighting the many human rights violations committed by consecutive Israeli governments, so as to raise greater awareness and urge more people to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israel’s apartheid state,” said Sheriff of his debut work. “This book is a product of deep research combined with the desire to share what I have learned, and I am grateful to Jam Fruit Tree Publications for allowing me to see my efforts bear fruit.”

The author and songwriter has previously released an album ‘Love You Riza’ in 2018, of which the song ‘Oh Jerusalem’ is dedicated to the plight of the Palestinians under Israeli colonialism, and he hopes that this book with serve as a fitting justification for the impassioned sentiments shared in the song.

Although released in December 2019 on Amazon and Kindle, ‘History as I See It and Others’ is now available in paperback form for Rs. 700 at Jam Fruit Tree Publications on 366/1, Galle Road, Colombo 03. Contact 072-7268078 to reserve a copy or arrange delivery.