Gabriel Al-Shaer

Philistine Gabriel Al-Shaer

Philistine is a treatise of what it means to be Palestinian, an immigrant and an exiled person of diaspora. The contents within the book were inspired by studies into immigrant history, and an examination of the evolution of the word "philistine" itself. The dictionary definition for Philistine is as follows, "One who is hostile or indifferent to the culture and the arts. This book argues that this definition must be changed to it's proper meaning, which is as follows, "Philistine: n. Peoples who claim heritage from the regipn of Palestine in the Middle East; Those affected by diaspora, and made to suffer from a lack of identity. The book comes on the heels of Gabrielknowseverything's album "Philistine, released October 23rd, which goes into the same argument through music. The album and book release see Gabrielknowseverything looking to establish a cornerstone with which to lay a foundation on who he is, and upon what context his work should be viewed. And that is that of a Palestinian-American - a Philistine.