Abdullah Taraman

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

There’s a saying: “Meet a Palestinian, they’ll never let you forget it.” That’s because we have to fight to be seen, to be remembered. My tattoo is not just where I’m from — it’s what was taken from my grandparents, what I carry in my heart, and what I’ll pass to my daughter. It’s identity and resistance in one. It says: we’re still here. We always will be.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

It would cry out in agony for all the suffering and injustice my people have endured — for the homes lost, the lives taken, the stories buried. But it would also sing. It would sing of resilience, of survival, of a people who refuse to vanish. It would say: “I am still here. My story matters. My people matter.” And maybe, just maybe, it would whisper a dream — that one day we can live with dignity, in peace, and in freedom.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’m a full-time single dad to a beautiful 7 year old proud Palestinian daughter. We’re struggling, and this would help us stay housed, rebuild, and move forward. I’d also donate part to help displaced Palestinians who’ve made it out. This wouldn’t just change my life — it would ripple outward. And maybe I’d finally start becoming the tattooed person I’ve always wanted to be, not just someone with a handful of tattoos.