Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Elder of Ziyon
Jordan’s Islamists on Monday criticized the U.S. ambassador in Amman for taking part in a dabke folk dance at the inauguration of a project, describing it as “shocking behavior.”It looks like Jones is not exactly dancing alone. One can assume he was dancing with other diplomats. So why didn't the Islamists complain about the other dancers? Why is an American dancing an Arab dance so "shocking?"
Following the opening of a $140 million (100 million euro) US-funded project in the northern governorate of Irbid last Thursday, envoy Stuart E. Jones joined officials and women in dancing a Jordanian dabke.
“It was shocking behavior for Jordanians who know very well that America and the Zionist entity (Israel) are two sides of the same coin,” the opposition Islamic Action Front party, the political arm of the kingdom’s Muslim Brotherhood, said in a statement.
“We condemn such actions in our villages, and demand the government make sure diplomats adhere to their roles.”
Performed at weddings, parties and similar occasions, Dabke is a traditional dance in Arab countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey as well as Israel and the Palestinian territories.
It has many versions, but generally dancers form a line facing an audience, hold hands, slightly lift their left feet and stamp to traditional music.
The U.S. embassy has said the five-year project in Irbid seeks to “support the rule of law, citizen engagement and participation, and civil society across the kingdom.”
Jordan, which has a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, is one of Washington’s key allies in the region and a major beneficiary of U.S. military and economic aid.
The answer is that they just want to criticize Americans no matter what. If he would have declined to dance, they would have said that he is acting like Arab dances are beneath him.
