Through The Badan Village, we are:

  • where tatreez is no longer an isolated individual task, but a collective one. In the diaspora, we are building a village similar to the ones our elders participated in pre-1948 where access to seamstresses, stitchers, and resources is plentiful. The Badan Village will help stitchers begin, stitch, and finish projects within community.

  • where utilizing our bodies (badans) can heal what speech cannot. Both Palestinians and non-Palestinians are invited to stitch in our communal gatherings, so their hands can work and hearts can rest.

  • where both seasoned stitchers and beginners can learn the construction of a thobe. Through our multiple resources, stitchers can confidently begin their thobe and attend our gatherings for both educational and moral support.

Become a Villager:

Community Guidelines:

Attend In-Person

Attendance and presence is where connection happens! We highly encourage our Villagers to join our in-person gatherings when they are able to across the Chicagoland area, or our occasional meetings in other states. *If you are not local to Chicago, you are more than welcome to join our group chat.

Join a Whatsapp Group

Whatsapp will be our main mode of communication. 1) It is where we announce upcoming meeting locations and times. 2) It is also where Villagers can share their tatreez projects, meet other stitchers, and ask questions.

Contribute to Healing

One of the primary goals of The Badan Village is healing through community. During our gatherings, somatic exercises may be lead by Badan instructor and Licensed Social Worker, Bayan Fares. During these vulnerable exercises and/or personal conversations, we ask our Villagers to uphold common kindness, courtesy, and privacy for one another. Community is the backbone of healing and we can all contribute in our own way.

Support Local Pro-Palestine Spaces

We intentionally host our meetings at pro-Palestine shops, organizations, and spaces. We ask our Villagers to support, be considerate of, and uplift these spaces when they visit.

Approach Tatreez with Intention

The Badan Village is a safe space for all individuals from all walks of life. We welcome both Palestinians and non-Palestinians to join us. For non-Palestinians, we encourage them to approach tatreez with intention as it relates to Palestinian history and origins. We also encourage them to not only learn tatreez but fight for Palestinian liberation. For more information on the difference between appreciation and appropriation of tatreez, please visit our blog article, "Can I Practice Tatreez as a Non-Palestinian?"

Share Helpful Resources

We encourage our Villagers to share tatreez resources in our group chat including books, links, and events. We do not encourage the promotion of oneself, products for sale, or irrelevant events to tatreez or Palestine without consent from the group admin.