Photo credit: Baladna's Facebook page
Baladna: Palestine Society of Columbus held an afternoon poetry reading featuring author and filmmaker Hind Shoufani, with readings by Mandy Shunnarah and Sara Abu Rashed.
The event took place at Zora’s House in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
About 60 community members and students attended. A Q&A session followed the readings.
During the discussion, one audience member asked whether any of the panelists had suffered harassment or retribution from Israeli officials in response to their activism during visits to their homeland in Palestine.
Hind Shoufani shared that she had been detained and interrogated for about five hours by the Israeli Shabak—officially known as the Israel Security Agency and counterintelligence service.
Attendees enjoying the afternoon poetry reading at Zora's House today presented by three Palestinian guests. Photo credit CFP writer Mahmoud El-Yousseph
A Shabak female agent at the Palestinian Jordanian border examined her phone, asked her to identify many of her contacts, and questioned her with personal and irrelevant inquiries—an apparent attempt to discourage Palestinians from returning to their homeland. At the end of the interrogation, the agent told her, “Have a good day,” to which Hind pointedly refused to reply with, “Thank you.”
Baladna is a newly established, fully volunteer-run organization that advances and expands the civic, social, cultural, and educational engagement of the Palestinian community in Central Ohio.
The afternoon poetry reading was co-sponsored by FSJP and SJP–OSU.
Caption for additional images
- The afternoon poetry panelists from left to right: Sara Abu Rashed, Hind Shoufani, and Mandy Shunnarah. Photo taken by Columbus Free Press writer Mahmoud El-Yousspeh
- Attendees enjoying the afternoon poetry reading at Zora's House today presented by three Palestinian guests. Photo credit CFP writer Mahmoud El-Yousseph
- Some of the guests at the event stood for nearly two hours listening to afternoon poetry reading at Zora's house in Columbus. Photo taken by CFB writer Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice.
Email: elyousseph6@yahoo.com
