An all-girl Palestinian music band has taken the message of freedom, resistance, and justice beyond the confines of Palestine by singing and playing melodies and rhythms at a Qatar Foundation (QF) event recently. As many as 33 young women took part in QF’s D'reesha Performing Arts Festival, promoting Palestinian culture, according to a story on QF website.
Billed Banat Al-Quds, meaning “Girls of Jerusalem,” it showcased patriotic, folkloric, Arabic, and popular songs that draw inspiration from the Palestinian resistance. Bodour Alyateem, who recently joined the Banat Al-Quds band, said: “I am happy to represent my country, Palestine, in cultural shows abroad. We, as Palestinians, have an important message and cause, and every one of us must represent it, no matter the different ways to expresses it.”
Travelling and crossing the walls of Palestine was not easy for Alyateem and her friends, as they hold Palestinian passports, which is not recognised in most countries of the world. “Our journeys often take several hours, and sometimes days, due to the restrictions placed by the Israeli occupation forces. Also, there is no airport inside Palestine to travel through.”
Alyateem pointed out that the internal confrontations and wars that take place in Palestine affect the mental health and daily life of all citizens, but this does not make them surrender. “Despite the challenges we face inside Palestine, we do not give up, and we always find other ways to make our voices heard.”
The Banat Al-Quds band from Palestine has chosen music as a weapon to resist the Israeli occupation.
Saheed Azzeh, one of the participants in the show said: "Songs and melodies are part of the identity and culture of the Palestinian people, and therefore, we have taken them as a method to express the culture of resistance. Besides the double standards of the media today about Palestine, we can, through music, talk about captives, martyrs, and Palestinian civilisation and culture.
“Music is a tool for resistance and for representing Palestine in a way that breaks the stereotype about it. Through our participation in the festival, we want to spread our message in a peaceful way through music, because we believe that music truly touches people's hearts."
Aida Qunbar who joined the band since its inception, and has been singing since the age of 12, said: "I have always loved music, and I am happy to participate in Arab and international events to present art through which we can share our Palestinian cause with the world."
Qunbar pointed out that their participation in the D'reesha Performing Arts Festival was an irreplaceable opportunity, especially since it coincided with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. "Our presence in Doha at a time when a global megaevent was being organised gave us the opportunity to communicate with a larger audience of different cultures and countries, and to share with them our Palestinian culture.
"I haven’t witnessed solidarity with the Palestinian people as much as I saw in Qatar, and we all felt the sincerity and love of the people in Qatar for Palestine, whether citizens or residents, and their dream of liberating it despite all circumstances.
"What I loved most about being in Qatar is that I was able to put the Palestinian keffiyeh on my shoulder, and raise the Palestinian flag without fear and hesitation, as we are not allowed to do so inside Palestine."