Iraqi Band in Basra Supports Gaza with Songs About Palestine
(AWP) - The Iraqi audience in the Basra Theater were trying to overcome their tears as they listened to songs about Palestine that touched their hearts during a concert by a band in support of the Palestinian people in the face of Israel’s non-stop war on Gaza Strip.
Young men and women as well as children, all clad in the black-and-white chequered Palestinian keffiyeh, sang and played music in a concert whose revenues will be devoted for supporting Palestine, including Lebanese singer Fairuz’s Zahrat al-Mada’in (Flower of all Cities), and the national anthem of Palestine.
On the sidelines of the concert, organized by the Basra Orchestra in association with the artists syndicate in the Iraqi city, Qais al-Kinani, the Basra Orchestra Conductor, said, “We felt guilty over the Palestinian people being slain with thousands of terrorist ways. We played a group of songs that support the Palestinian issue. The resistance will be triumphant eventually and Palestine will be back.”
Ala’ Jawwad, a singer in the band, said art made a stand today on the Palestinian issue in support of the families that have been killed recently and in previous years.
“It was a real contribution by Maestro Aly Qassem with participation by players from Basra, young men and women. This contribution was supportive of the cause. We performed songs, including Zahrat al-Mada’in (Flower of all Cities), which tells the story of the Palestinian cause as sung by the renowned Lebanese singer Fairuz. We sang it today. We also played the national anthems of Iraq and Palestine. This is the least we could do". Ala’ Jawwad, a singer in the band
A young player, Zahra’ Mohamed, said, “Of course, we like to support the Palestinian cause. We are all with it as Arabs and humans with hearts and consciences. We offer all support for the children of Palestine who die in Gaza. We are trying to give all possible support for the children to live.”
For his part, Fatehi Shaddad, the chairman of the artists syndicate in Basra, said all artists must support the Palestinian cause.
“As a syndicate, we are supporting it through art in the face of this ruthless onslaught by Israel against our Palestinian brothers, particularly in Gaza, where families and children are being killed. We have to make this stand,” he stressed.