‘Echoes of Palestine’ to be held in Colombo on 13 Jan.

Saturday, 10 January 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine (SLCSP), in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Palestine to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, will host a special literary and cultural program titled ‘Echoes of Palestine’ on Tuesday, 13 January, 2026, at the Lighthouse Auditorium of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, Colombo 7.

The event, scheduled from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m., will mark the launch of the book, ‘The Heritage of the Homeland Trampled by a Superpower – Palestine’, authored by, former Minister and SLCSP former Co-Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar. The publication is a carefully curated selection of eight inspiring and thought-provoking speeches made in Parliament on Palestine, along with a widely read newspaper column, reflecting decades of advocacy for justice, international law, and the rights of oppressed peoples.

The book addresses a wide range of themes, including the call for the suspension of relations with Israel until it complies with world public opinion; the lived reality of violence in Palestine and the resilience of its victims; the principle that foreign policy must be grounded in the welfare of humanity; the misuse of veto power against global public opinion; the urgent need to strengthen international institutions for peace and economic justice; and the importance of the United Nations in safeguarding small states. It also includes reflections described as a ‘textbook of genocide’, questioning global indifference.

The book will be reviewed by a distinguished panel comprising former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Bar Association of Sri Lanka former President Upul Jayasuriya, University of Colombo Department of Paediatrics Emeritus Professor Harendra de Silva, and National Child Protection Authority former Chairman, 2017 Vidya Jyothi award recipient, former Sri Lankan Ambassador and international political analyst Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka.

The program will also feature a theatrical performance titled ‘For a Palestinian’, a one-person play written by Bilal Hasna and Aaron Kilercioglu, directed by Akmal Hamid, and performed by Murthaaz Abdul Barry. The performance explores themes of belonging, heritage, and love through the extraordinary yet little-known life of Wa’el Zuaiter, a Palestinian intellectual who lived in Rome in the 1960s.

‘Echoes of Palestine’ brings together literature, critical reflection, and performance to foster deeper public engagement with the Palestinian question and to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s long-standing tradition of solidarity rooted in international law and global justice.