Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

The film “I Shall Not Hate” was screened at the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor on December 12, 2024. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands provided the film with limited screening rights.

I Shall Not Hate is a personal and at the same time universal story of a Palestinian doctor. The fate of the main character and author of the book of the same name, Izzeldin Abuelaish, unfolds during the Israeli-Palestinian war, taking him from a refugee camp in Gaza to the University of Toronto and the Supreme Court of Israel. According to Izzeldin, throughout his life's journey, his main enemy was hatred, to combat which infinite tolerance and grace of forgiveness were required. 

I Shall Not Hate was published in 2011 and has won several awards. The book was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, became a bestseller, and won the «Search for Common Ground», «Middle East Institute», «Stavros Niarchos Prize for Survivorship» and many other awards. According to Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. "This story is a necessary lesson against hatred and revenge."