Hamas slams the Ramallah dance festival as ‘depraved’

“This is more than forbidden because it presents us as satisfied with all matters and that nothing remains for us except learning licentiousness and impudent art,” Mr Abu Ras said. “This is more than forbidden because it is taking place at a time when the sons of the Palestinian people are being killed and its holy places Judaised.”

The ban is symbolic only since the Islamic group’s writ does not extend to the West Bank. Troupes have come from Norway, Italy, Serbia, France, Germany and Spain to perform alongside the local Palestinian El-Funoun group.

The latter devoted its performance Saturday night to an adaptation to dance of cartoons of the widely popular Palestinian caricaturist Naji al-Ali, who was assassinated in London in 1989.

Mr Abu Ras said: “The nation is not in need of dance, it is in need of resistance and of committed men carrying rifles. It is not in need of men dancing alongside women on the pretext that this serves the national cause.” He termed the festival “morally depraved” and warned that it would “cause [male] youths to become effeminate”.

Commenting on the Hamas reaction, festival coordinator Joyce Hanania told the JC: “We are upset about it. They just don’t understand.”