Video: Dabke flashmob at Arizona State University asserts (dancing) Palestinian presence

Students for Justice in Palestine livened up an ordinary day at Arizona State University (ASU) by staging a dabke (Palestinian line dance) flashmob in the middle of campus.

Lina Bearat, President of ASU Students for Justice in Palestine, wrote to me that that flashmob took place last week but the video was released on 9 April in remembrance of the Deir Yassin massacre on that day in 1948. The flashmob aimed to show that “Palestinians still exists and we are still deeply rooted in our country and our culture,” Bearat wrote.

At the end of the video, students make that point by holding up signs that spell out, “”ISRAEL STOP Erasing Palestinian Identity.”

Comments

I wouldn't be surprised if

Permalink Suha replied on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 16:02

I wouldn't be surprised if Israel claims Dabke is a Jewish or Israeli dance after hummous, taboulah, baba ghanouj and other Arabic food. The names of those dishes are Arabic and are derived from Arabic verbs. Israel better keep its hands off of our culture.

Slightly different, isn't the

Permalink Karen Nakamura replied on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 18:16

Slightly different, isn't the Kaifefeh, wrong spelling, but the embroidered dress of Palestine, almost identical to the gowns/designs, etc. of Ur? How ancient, how beautiful, how telling about who descends from whom.

hands off our culture

Permalink derp replied on Thu, 04/19/2012 - 15:28

Ideally, no one should have to keep their hands off other people's culture. I think that the best case scenario is that people share their culture. I'm Irish and Cuban, but I study Arabic and I am VP of the Arabic Club at my school. I love learning about and experiencing different cultures. I understand the frustration with some people trying to hijack culture, but would you agree that the best (maybe not the most realistic) option, is for everyone to share culture?