Plays and Other Entertainment in Gaza
Audiences in the Gaza Strip have been treated to an entirely different kind of critique of the policies of Hamas administrators. Formerly (as at the present) it was Fatah politicians who were famously considered to be utterly corrupt, assigning to their personal accounts funding from the international community meant to be used to better the lives of ordinary Palestinians.Hamas was largely elected on the promise and the premise that they were honest; their earnest demonstrations of assistance to Palestinians with their generous provision of social services pre-election helped them immensely. On the basis of what they promised and what they presented, their power became formidable, on the election of Hamas to Palestinian Authority positions.
Now that Hamas has unceremoniously ousted Fatah from Gaza and completely taken over its administration, controlling the violence and the chaos that had erupted into full bloom after the pull-out of Israeli troops, those Palestinians formerly supportive of Hamas have had reason to doubt themselves.
Now, a new play has been launched titled Umbilical Cord, which gives both Hamas and Fatah short shrift in public opinion. They are both now accused of ignoring the suffering of Palestinians, selling out to Iran and the United States, respectively. "It's an escape valve for what people say in secret ... their frustration about the division and their anger over the foreign aid that interferes with decisions", said the director of the new play.
The humble working-class principals of the play speak of the dire needs of the Gazan Palestinians, resulting from the Egyptian and Israeli blockade of Gaza, since the Hamas takeover. Hamas seen as a violent threat by both of those countries, given its mandate - to destroy Israel on the one hand - and iniquitously introduce Islamist ideals wherever it can.
A character meant to represent Hamas in the play exults at having liberated Gaza - despite that Israel itself had exited the Strip leaving it to its own devices.
With the removal of Israeli troops and settlements Gaza melted into chaos, until the takeover of Hamas, instilling order in the territory, and along with it rigid Islamism and severe punishment for those who failed to adhere to their fundamentalist rule. The people, reeling under their condition of endemic poverty, reject Hamas and the suffering it has brought them.
The play is critical of Fatah and Hamas for not accommodating themselves to one another under one meaningful rule that would lift the blockade. The siege that they suffer under allows them only basic goods, and the local economy has dissolved. "We have two health ministries (Fatah and Hamas) but no electricity, no flour, and no cement", says one player.
"If you want to set up a faction just should slogans about Jerusalem and the settlements and the wall and incontinence ... You'll make a fortune in aid", proclaims the 'wise fool' of the play. An obvious allusion to the flood of compassionate aid from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, in response to the plight of the Palestinians, incapable of governing themselves, of envisaging a future without hatred and strife, of accommodating themselves to peace with their neighbour.
"Gaza is under siege and every day the (Israeli) tanks enter. The steadfastness against the blockade comes from our martyred children."
" But we bring you money in exchange for your martyred children."
"F--k the money. Take my life and give me back my son. This is a dog's life.""This is a scream in the face of the officials, because the people are sick and tired of the way they do business", according to the head of an independent cultural organization that produced the play with aid from the Swiss development fund and local donors.
"We wanted to force them to hear what we think about this awful situation."
Labels: Middle East, Political Realities, Traditions, Troublespots
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, March 20, 2010
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