A Guiding Light Falls On Ramallah

[Violet_Crumble]

By Sam Bahour
08 May, 2004
Countercurrents.org

Ramallah is now usually quiet at night. This has not always been the case forthis summer town located in the center of the West Bank. As a matter of fact, before the latest Israeli military aggression and subsequent re-occupation of the West Bank, Palestinians in Ramallah were known to walk the streets and socialize well into the night. However, tonight the deafening silence was broken, not by the frequent Israeli tanks and jeeps that now enter and exit the city at will, but rather by the music of the distinguished Daniel Barenboim, one of the great musicians of our time.

Despite the Israeli Apartheid Wall and despite the humiliation of having to cross the Israeli military checkpoints surrounding Ramallah, this world renowned musician, an Israeli by nationality, visited Palestine again, being received by a larger and larger audience every time.

Mr. Barenboim, this absolutely incredible musician – a legend in his own right – took to the stage tonight at the Friends’ Boys’ School in front of a standing room only audience and proceeded to perform an extraordinary piano recital. For a continuous sixty minutes, the mixed Palestinian and foreign audience watched the intensity of his every move and the fiery of his musical climaxes along with the occasional lull in the beat. Children in the audience stared with awe. If I did not know better, I would swear that my daughter Areen, a first year piano student, didn’t blink throughout the entire performance as she soaked in every note.

More than a musician, Mr. Barenboim is a humanist who sees beyond the frameworks that define traditional conflicts, especially those between Palestine and Israel. He values justice, social justice, which he profoundly articulates as the needed foundation for successful resolutions of conflicts around the world.

Returning following intermission, Mr. Barenboim addressed the audience and reflected upon the life of the noted literary critic, scholar, advocate for Palestinian independence and his close friend, Dr. Edward Said (1935-2003). As the disciplined musician he is, Mr. Barenboim explained how he and his late friend, Dr. Said, created the Barenboim-Said Foundation in order to promote “music in education” and “educational music” – two distinct goals as stated by Mr. Barenboim.

http://www.countercurrents.org/pa-bahour080504.htm