Dabka: A Cultural Pillar

Jamal Mustafa

Tradition is the bodywork of any culture. It is principally ensconced by distinguishing hallmarks that not only represent, but frame and sponsor distinctiveness. Many cultures have varying customs to highlight their ethnicity. Palestine specifically has many cultural traditions such as tatreez, ataaba, and the one being explored in this piece: dabka. Dabka personally resonates with me because of the great memories I have of learning it at the Palestinian American Community Center, where I was also able to proudly show my family, and ultimately dance at public festivities. I was initially fascinated by the unity and happiness that Dabka encompassed, bringing everyone together for the love of tradition that we all shared. However, an unfortunate reality is that the Palestinian traditions are being amalgamated with those of the occupier while repressing our identity. This is magnified by how the Zionists disallow the Palestinians from publicly expressing our traditions in our country, while bolstering their own customs as supreme and inalienable. Nevertheless, we will not be dispirited and a testament to our resolve and endurance is characterized by the expressive dance of Dabka.

Dabka is typically performed to celebrate an occasion such as a wedding, religious holiday, or other festivities. Dabka is ingrained into Palestinian tradition and mantled as a permanent facet for thousands of years. Historically, it developed as a way to compact mud for the roofing of houses, people would gather together and stomp on the mud, producing a firm sealant. However, over the years, it evolved into a harmonious reflection of perseverance, hope, and unity: a monument of our strength and resilience.

Dabka, although not complex, is intricate in its overtones. It is done either in a circle or line formation with a leader determining the sequence of dance moves. This dance requires the participants to hold hands and in synchronization, jump, crouch, and tap the floor with their feet, rhythmically going along with a song to organize their actions. Moreover, Palestinians are very nationalistic, with a great sense of pride and love of our country. To advocate for our traditions we ensure that we are heard loudly, collectively chanting, singing, dancing, and using other forms of publicization to spread our message and raise awareness of our challenges. We use these sources of communication to project our viewpoints as well as to solidify camaraderie and joy during times that are regularly enveloped by anxiety and fear.

Although Dabka’s etymology is somewhat ambiguous, it may stem from the Levantine Arabic word dabaka which translates to “stomping of the feet.” This translation references the dance moves but it also acts as the mouthpiece for Palestinian uprising and defiance to Zionist mandates. It symbolizes the revolution we’re emblazoning, that as long as we continue to pronounce and voice our individuality through a manifestation of our unity we will remain indelible. Furthermore, the trademarked interlocking arms or hands during dabka italicizes our solidarity, a capstone of our people that is inflexible to the pressure of Zionists. Dabka equips us with the blueprint to remodel the preconceptions of the world and antiquate this paradigm of injustice. This Palestinian dance betokens our originality and auspiciously works to campaign for our separation from the Zionists by underscoring how we will not be muzzled by the hand of restraint.

Dabka has been a perennial fountainhead for our culture, and now it may be one of our most important assets in enlightening the world about our captivating traditions. It will also help us illuminate the significance of our pursuit to re-establish ourselves as an independent nation. Lastly, to help the Palestinian cause while being in America, we can perform Dabka with friends and families in our towns and present it at different social functions to

spur discussion and inform people of our foreign culture. By doing so, we will exhibit how Dabka isn’t just a part of who we are but makes us who we are. By showing that traditions are the backbone of our culture and emphasizing what makes us special, we can reclaim the meaning of being Palestinian. We are the catalysts of reform and change, if we want to make a difference we must be proactive and not be silenced by social intimidation but be encouraged by it, motivated to start an intellectual and political assembly. The only thing we need to do is express our traditions to the world and we can extend into the spotlight of truth.

PACC’S Al Baydar Dabka Group Photo by Ahmad Jamhour