Firstly, I would like to extend my appreciation to the writers for their efforts in shedding light on the cultural significance of the Dabke dance. It's commendable to see such attention given to a traditional art form that holds deep roots in our Lebanese society. Moreover, I must acknowledge that a substantial part of the content presented in the article is indeed accurate. However, it is important to acknowledge that while a considerable portion of the content is accurate, there are certain areas where the information lacks precision and needs correction for a more objective and honest portrayal of the topic.
My intervention was to correct some of the inaccurate information provided.
1- The report states that Dabke is a an arab traditional dance shared among Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrians . However, to provide a more accurate account, it's essential to recognize that Dabke originates from Lebanon. Its origins trace back over 3000 years, with the earliest known practice among the Phoenicians. This historical fact is evidenced by artifacts preserved in the British Museum ( mentioned later on in your article ) , which are attributed to the Phoenicians, who originated from Lebanon and established colonies across the Mediterranean. The Lebanese have undoubtedly preserved it for over 3000 years, as evidenced by the Phoenician artifacts in the British Museum, which identify it as Phoenician without mentioning Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian, Assyrian, Jewish, or Arab.
2- The Authenticity of Dabke: Exploring the Absence of Historical Evidence in Palestinian, Syrian, and Jordanian Archives In contrast, since the first appearance of radio and TV, the Lebanese archives boast a wealth of ancient recordings depicting ancestors practicing this traditional dance. Conversely, there is a notable absence of any evidence of this dance in the archives of Palestine, Syria, Jordan, or other national artistic collections, indicating that their practice of this dance is at least as old as the Lebanese recordings. Instead, contemporary recordings showcase groups of Palestinians and individuals from other nationalities in the Middle East performing Dabke. However, this does not grant these groups the right to claim it as a heritage of their respective countries; rather, THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY IMITATING THE LEBANESE TRADITIONAL DANCE .
3- The Reliance on Palestinian Sources and Claims of Canaanite Ancestry
In the third section, it's crucial to acknowledge that the article heavily relies on articles and links provided by Palestinians as references, despite their unreliability. These sources play a certain maneuver by admitting that Dabke is a Canaanite ( rather than a Phoenician ) dance ritual, and then claim to be descendants of the Canaanites. This maneuver is an attempt to assert their right as owners of this cultural heritage, as they claim to be the first to practice this dance along with the Phoenician Canaanites.However. not even manuscripts identifying Palestinians as Canaanites .
It is widely acknowledged by historians that Palestinians migrated and settled in the region of Canaan, but they are not its original inhabitants.
Historical events also show that there is no connection between the Canaanites and the Palestinians. For example, the Palestinians were in constant war with the Hebrews, whereas the relationship between the Phoenician Canaanites and the Hebrews was close, to the extent that there was an alliance between the two peoples, culminating in the marriage of Queen Jezebel of Tyre and King Ahab, and she continued to rule the Jews after her husband's death. JEZEBEL, AS PROUD AS SHE WAS OF HER PHOENICIAN-CANAANITE HERITAGE, WOULD SHE TRULY ABSTAIN FROM PROTECTING THE PALESTINIANS IF THEY WERE INDEED HER CANAANITE RELATIVES?!!!.
in 346-345 BC when the Persian forces were driven out of .Phoenicia, the Phoenician king of Sidon -Tennes he himself, with five hundred men, marched out of the city, pretending that he was going to a common meeting with the Persian king while indeed he seeking safety and betrayed his people .Sidonians burned all their ships in an action of union to defend the persian army so that none of the townspeople should be able by sailing out secretly to gain safety for himself. Artaxerxes personally led an army of 330,000 men against Sidon and when the Phoenician Sidonians saw the city and the walls captured and swarming with many myriads of soldiers, they shut themselves, their children, and their women up in their houses and consumed them all in flames. After this disaster had befallen the Sidonians and the whole city together with its inhabitants had been obliterated by the fire, for as a result of the prosperity of the householders there was found a vast amount of silver and gold melted down by the fire. Palestinans who came in the city to steel its gold and silver were repulsed by the Phoenicians and kicked out of Sidon .. Indeed, this act serves as further evidence of the lack of connection between the Phoenicians and the Palestinians.
4- In terms of etymology, "dabke" is a widely used Arabic term in the Lebanese dialect, predominantly signifying the act of stomping.
reports abound attributing the origin of Dabke to the fact that the Lebanese used to stomp their feet forcefully to pave the mud on their rooftops, which is a Lebanese characteristic due to Lebanon's mountainous nature, with more than two-thirds of its area being solid land and no desert like other surrounding countries. Dabke reflects the solidity of the Lebanese land, and houses in Lebanon were roofed with mud, as is well known.
5- It should also be highlighted that Lebanese folkloric songs possess a distinctive feature exclusive to Lebanese music and ABSENT IN THE TRADITIONAL SONGS OF THE NEIGHBORUIRNG COUNTRIES ( INCLUDING PALESTINIANS`) . the Dabke plays an additional element in Lebanese traditional songs. We hear the sound of feet accompanying the music and the performance of Lebanese singers, which enhances the beauty and richness of Lebanese traditional songs with the sound of dancers' footsteps following each beat .. At the end , I have to emphasize that Dabke is not an Arab traditional dance, as claimed by the report, because to this day, the spread of Dabke is limited to the countries adjacent to Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean basin (Lebanon, then Palestine, Syria, Jordan, and with timid beginnings in Iraq).