I had barely introduced myself when the women of Inaash Association eagerly began showing me their work. They spread out lengths of fabric embroidered with Palestinian tatreez across the table. Rich crimson patterns stood out against black and ivory backgrounds, with diamond shapes, cypress trees, and protective symbols woven into precise geometric arrangements. At the center lay a rectangular cloth featuring a map. Samar Kabuli, Inaash’s head embroiderer, told me, “This is the map of Palestine.” One by one, each woman pointed to the spot on the map where her family had once lived.
Rula Fayez Baraka, a 45-year-old refugee and embroiderer living in Lebanon, shared that she has spent her whole life in exile. “During the Nakba, Israeli settlers took our home by force,” Rula recalled. “My father found refuge in Lebanon, moving between different camps to find work or shelter. That’s the Palestinian way of life—always on the move.”
Every embroiderer at Inaash has been displaced, their families among the 470,000 Palestinian refugees registered in Lebanon today. Most live in one of the country’s 12 refugee camps. “The camps are terribly overcrowded,” Rula explained. “The alleys are filled with dirty water and dangling electrical wires. Jobs are hard to come by because Lebanese laws prevent us from working in many fields.” Inaash was founded in 1969 by the celebrated artist Huguette Caland El Khoury as a direct response to this layered crisis. The social enterprise focuses on creating jobs for female Palestinian refugees, selling their embroidered dresses, shawls, bags, cushions, and framed textiles online and at international exhibitions. Since it began, the organization has trained and employed more than 2,000 refugees.
Most of the women already know how to embroider when they join Inaash, having learned from female relatives. “We’re taught about the historical importance of tatreez in school,” Samar noted, explaining that this embroidery style is over 3,000 years old and that each Palestinian village has its own unique patterns. “The designs tell stories about our local culture—the people, animals, plants, and beliefs of each area.”
What starts as a home-based skill becomes a profession through Inaash. Once hired, the women receive formal training and chances for career growth. “We begin with basic patterns and regularly evaluate their progress,” said Ali Jaafar, the general manager. “Samar joined us over 20 years ago in an entry-level role. Today she leads the 400 embroiderers we employ.”
One of their recent projects was for an exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia. The team was tasked with recreating 70 historical Palestinian dresses, each representing the traditional designs of different cities and towns. “We had to carry out careful research to find all the necessary details,” Samar said. “It took more than three years to finish.”
Projects like this hold deep emotional meaning for the embroiderers. “The motifs from my father’s region, Safed, moved me deeply,” Samar shared. Because Israel continues to deny Palestinian refugees the right to return, Samar has never been able to visit Safed. “Through tatreez, I learned about the plants, animals, and traditions of the area. I could imagine it clearly.”
As part of the project, Inaash also created small framed embroideries of the dresses for people to display at home. “We wanted to make sure these traditional patterns wouldn’t be forgotten again,” Samar explained.
Beyond preserving culture, Inaash’s work helps raise awareness of the Palestinian cause. “It can be hard to talk about our struggles and find people who will listen,””Who will listen?” Rula says solemnly. “Tatreez has become a silent message of resistance. Each piece shows that the Palestinian people will endure, and our craft will never disappear.”
Embroidery also serves as a powerful form of therapy. Samar shares the story of a woman taken by Israeli forces in the 1980s. “She was only 17 at the time and endured two years of abuse,” Samar recalls quietly. “After her release, she was deeply unstable. The only thing that could calm her was stitching.” Now in her 50s, the woman still takes on embroidery projects. “Without her needlework, she becomes restless and talks to herself,” Samar adds. “So we always keep her supplied with work. It might take her a year to finish a piece, but the results are beautiful.”
Rula also finds comfort in the steady motion of embroidery. “Watching Israel’s genocide in Gaza has been heartbreaking,” she says. “When it becomes too much, I turn off the TV and pick up my needle. It helps me find peace.”
Life in Lebanon presents its own struggles. The country’s economic collapse, the 2020 port explosion, and ongoing conflicts with Israel have made daily survival uncertain. “Living and working here isn’t easy,” Ali acknowledges. “Power cuts are frequent, so the women often climb onto their roofs to catch enough light for sewing.”
During the late 2024 war between Lebanon and Israel, Inaash’s embroiderers were forced from their homes. “Even as they fled, the women made sure to bring their embroidery bags,” Jafaar notes. “They told us they wanted to keep stitching because the work gives them independence.”
This financial independence has kindled hope among the women. Salwa Abed el Rasool, 35, explains that she invests her earnings in her children’s future. “My mother taught us that education is our only weapon in this world,” Salwa remembers. She now uses her income to pay for her daughter’s schooling. “I’ll never forget my first paycheck—it filled me with hope that my daughter could have a better life than mine,” she says, smiling.
Salwa searches through her belongings and proudly produces the first piece she was paid for: a white tote bag featuring Handala. Created in 1969 by Naji al-Ali, Handala is a ten-year-old Palestinian refugee from iconic political cartoons. “In the drawings, he always has his back to the world, refusing to grow up or show his face until he can go home,” Salwa explains, tracing the embroidery with her fingers. “One day, I hope to stitch him facing forward, ready to return.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Palestinian Refugee Women in Lebanon keeping embroidery traditions alive with clear and concise answers
Beginner General Questions
1 What is Palestinian embroidery
Palestinian embroidery known as tatreez is a traditional form of crossstitch embroidery It uses colorful threads to create intricate symbolic patterns on fabric often telling stories or representing different villages and regions
2 Why is embroidery so important to these women
For Palestinian refugee women embroidery is more than a craft Its a vital connection to their heritage identity and homeland which many have never seen Its a form of cultural preservation and personal expression
3 How does embroidery help them economically
By forming cooperatives and selling their embroidered items these women can earn an independent income to support their families in a country where they face significant legal and economic restrictions
4 Where can I see or buy this embroidery
You can find it in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon through specific womens cooperatives and at cultural fairs or exhibitions focused on Palestinian crafts
Advanced InDepth Questions
5 What are the biggest challenges they face in keeping this tradition alive
They face numerous challenges including
Poverty and Lack of Resources High costs for quality fabric and threads
Legal Restrictions As refugees they have limited work rights making it hard to run a formal business
Market Access Finding consistent buyers outside their immediate community is difficult
Aging Artisans The younger generation sometimes sees it as an oldfashioned skill leading to a risk of the tradition dying out
6 How has the embroidery changed since they left Palestine
While traditional patterns remain central you can see some evolution Women sometimes incorporate Lebanese influences or create new designs that reflect their experiences as refugees Theres also a move towards applying traditional patterns to modern products like laptop cases and tote bags to appeal to a wider market
7 Are there specific patterns or colors that have special meaning
Yes absolutely Different patterns are associated with specific Palestinian cities and villages For example the