“We cannot be erased”: in Brest, eight teenagers from the West Bank came to make Palestinian culture resonate

The group of four girls and four boys, aged 12 to 14, arrived in France on Thursday June 11. After a stopover in Quimper, these young ambassadors resonated, in Brest, the rhythms of their traditional dance, listed by UNESCO as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in December 2023. For these young people, safeguarding this heritage is an act of resilience.

“As long as our children live, we cannot be erased,” said Ibrahim, one of the companions. “I’ve been training them in dabkeh for seven months. We show the resistance of our traditions despite the suffering of our people,” adds Areen, the troop’s coach.

What upsets them the most here is people’s freedom.

A poignant rendition of the Palestinian anthem, “Mawtini” (“My Homeland”), sung in chorus by the children, brought tears to the eyes of the particularly touched spectators.

« Ici, ils goûtent à l’espoir »

This trip to Brittany is also an opportunity to offer a breath of fresh air to these teenagers. Razan Haj, young woman responsible for the group, sums up the strength of this cultural correspondence: “What upsets them the most here is the freedom of the people. At home, we do not have the freedom to move around. They discover this feeling, marvel at the possibilities offered by a country like France and taste hope. The audience was very moved, and this motivates us to continue to express the voice of our people through dance.”