“Revolution, Party and the Decline of Capitalism”
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS) Regional Office Palestine celebrated the launching of a book with texts by Rosa Luxemburg translated into Arabic last month in Ramallah and Jerusalem.
Rosa Luxemburg expert Dr. Jörn Schütrumpf and the translators of the book Ahmad Farouq and Dr. Mohammad Abu Zaid guided through two political evenings around Rosa Luxemburg in Jerusalem and Ramallah last month. These events were not only highly anticipated by the audience but also by all persons involved. “Unbelievable that the whole process of putting this book together and publishing it in Arabic took three years! It has been a lot of work and now, we are very proud to present the book to the Palestinian public”, said Dr. Katja Hermann, director of RLS Regional Office Palestine located in Ramallah.
The events in Jerusalem and Ramallah attracted an interested and well-informed crowd. „The audience here in Palestine is very keen on learning more about Rosa and especially about how her thinking can be translated into ideas for their struggles“, said Dr. Jörn Schütrumpf about his impression of the events. After a stage reading performed in Arabic by theater actress Yasmin Sameer Shalaldeh, the floor was opened for deep discussions: Dr. Jörn Schütrumpf gave comprehensive explanations on the historical context and Rosa’s importance for today while Ahmad Farouq and Dr. Mohammad Abu Zaid presented their insights into the meaning of Rosa’s political thought for the Arab region in general. “As an Egyptian, translating Rosa’s writings into Arabic gave me an immense understanding of what has been happening in my country during and since the revolution”, said Ahmad Farouq, who was glad to visit Palestine for the first time.
“Unfortunately or fortunately, Rosa did not provide us with universal recipes that can be applied to any context. Every generation has to figure out on its own how to achieve its goals, but we can surely learn a lot from how she lived her own political life and from what she left us in her essays”, summarized Dr. Jörn Schütrumpf. Yet, the events were well received by the audiences. “Rosa is an idol for me in her thinking and her personal life. She was a courageous revolutionary who challenged the system. This is why it is important for us to be able to read more of her in Arabic”, said Afaf Gatasheh, who works for RLS partner Fuad Nasser Institute in Ramallah, after the reading.
Rosa Luxemburg who lived from 1871 until her murder in 1919 fascinates as a revolutionary, critical and emancipatory thinker until today. With her political philosophy on democracy and social justice, she was way ahead of her time, still stimulating today’s left with her relevant and inspiring approaches that are now accessible for Arabic speakers.