Misguided charitiesA reflection on misguided charities and the true path to peace

Superficial remedy: Belly Dance for Gaza

One such event, promoted as Belly Dance for Gaza, was supposed to raise money for the suffering people of Gaza through dance performances.

The event flyer.
The event flyer.

he second part of the title is taken from a flyer in Sydney, which advertised a belly dance event selling tickets to support the people of Gaza. In recent years, fundraising events in the West have taken on creative – and sometimes bizarre – forms.

One such event, promoted as Belly Dance for Gaza, was supposed to raise money for the suffering people of Gaza through dance performances.

While the intention may be commendable, the contradiction of this situation is both amusing and profoundly painful.

This issue not only reflects a lack of understanding of Middle Eastern culture but also highlights the longstanding misconceptions and superficial engagement with the real crises in the region.

The Western portrayal of the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian situation, is often diluted and distorted. The reality is far more complex than the quick, superficial solutions typically offered by fundraising campaigns like belly dance performances. It serves as a painful reminder that the roots of suffering – whether in Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Iraq or other war-torn areas – have long been overlooked. While the Western world provides superficial remedies to soothe the surface pain, the deeper wounds caused by ignorance, neglect and geopolitical exploitation continue to fester.

The image of a fundraising event through belly dancing might be particularly striking and perhaps quite alluring. But do you understand what is happening in the world and culture of Arabs in the Middle East? What is their religious view of women, and what are their cultural and social laws?

The behaviour and dress of Arab women are often controlled by the men in their families, influenced by cultural and religious factors. For many women, especially in more restrictive environments, the concept of public dance performances, particularly in semi-nude attire, is alien and even offensive. Women are required to dress fully in public places and for some, even eating in public requires a veil. It doesn’t matter where they live; whatever the man of the family says becomes the family law and must be obeyed.

Women and children are viewed as property belonging to men, akin to homes and cars. This contradiction in raising money for Gaza through dance can only be seen as deception. This raises the question in your mind: belly dance is an Arab dance, so how is this possible?

Yes, women are not regarded as artists in traditional Arab society and now you will realise how little understanding the Western organisers have of the culture and society they claim to assist.

But what about Gaza? Beyond belly dancing and fundraising, how can we truly help the people there? The truth is that no temporary aid can replace addressing the root causes of Gaza’s suffering. To genuinely assist the people of Gaza, we must focus on the reasons for their pain, rather than settle for superficial solutions that do not contribute to healing.

The reality of life in Gaza is far beyond what many in the West imagine.

Gaza is not just home to ordinary civilians; it is also home to dangerous groups like Hamas, which maintain strict control over the region. These groups have turned Gaza into a base for military operations and their survival is funded by the Islamic Republic in Iran. This relationship, bolstered by oil wealth and geopolitical strategies, is part of a larger and more dangerous problem: a cycle of violence, extremism and suffering that keeps the people of Gaza in perpetual instability.

Instead of focusing solely on short-term aid, such as food, medicine or charity events, the international community must address this cycle of violence. Real peace in Gaza cannot stem from fundraising efforts that do not tackle the roots of conflict. The world must recognise the destructive role of groups like Hamas in the region’s instability and work towards disarming these organisations.

There is hope for a future where events like Belly Dance for Gaza are no longer necessary – a future where people can live in their homeland with dignity and security. To achieve this goal, we must focus on long-term solutions that address the root causes of the conflict, rather than temporary relief efforts. This means not only providing humanitarian aid but also promoting peace, justice and freedom for the people of Gaza and the broader Middle East.

Ultimately, let us envision a day when belly dancers perform solely for joyous celebrations in a region that has finally achieved peace, where human rights are upheld by new leaders, free from any gender, ethnic, or tribal biases.

Only then will the people of Gaza and the entire Middle East understand the true meaning of peace and security.

Leila Naseri is a Sydney-based music composer, storyteller and social activist, dedicated to blending Iranian heritage with contemporary soundscapes and storytelling for social change.

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