Ma'an – Bethlehem University on Saturday evening hosted a festival under the banner "the right of return," organized by the Ad-Doha Children's Cultural Center.
The Palestinian dabka troupe Wishah performed at the festival, as well as the renowned Syrian singer Samih Shqair, who participated via a video link from Jordan.
The festival began with the Palestinian national anthem, after which the Wishah troupe performed folk dances from the Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian and Iraqi traditions. The director of Wishah, Muhammad Ata, said the troupe was established in 2003, and that it has performed at the local level so far.
Their first performance abroad will be in Algeria in July, he explained. He affirmed that the group performs Arab folk dances and songs in additional to Palestinian dances because Palestine is one component of the Arab cultural heritage. "We, as Palestinians, need to extend bridges and connections to the Arab world all the time," he said.The live link through video conference with musician Samih Shqair in Jordan was organized by Ma'an network, and Shqair traveled to Jordan specifically to participate in the festival. Shqair performed three patriotic songs to the lively audience, who shouted his name in appreciation.
Faris Al-Atrash, one of the festival organizers, said that the Ad-Doha Children's Cultural Center plans to hold a similar festival every year to commemorate the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) until Palestinian refugees are allowed back to their homeland.
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