[Dancecult-l] Muslim Raves

[shuki shalev]

I know of some in Israel and a bit in the Palestinian territories. The
parties have no immediate connection to any of the supposed tenets of EDMC,
are hidden from the mainstream and are composed almost exclusively from men
who dance in line/circle dances [e.g. the wedding dabke]  without
pretentions of countercultural self-expressionism. Women, to the extent that
they are present, are sidelined and don't really 'go off', so to speak, stay
away from the main action but then, at the end of the party, often go away
with men to... 

The drugs are mostly alcohol [a no-no for religious Muslims] and hashish.
And to a small degree mdma. Acid is almost non-existent and the few I have
asked, seem to say that they don't dig its headspace. The music is often
electronic dance beats remixed with Arab music phrasing and vocal samples.

This also occurs a bit among the Bedouin youth and recently I was asked to
DJ at a local wedding (I live in the desert) but way after the main event
had finished and most of the 'guests' had gone home. Normally, Bedouins who
want to 'party' in any serious manner, will join already existing
secular-Jewish Israeli PEDMC events.

If someone wants to get-down in style in an authoritative (Muslim)
community, and they have the dough, they most likely have their fun - which
would certainly include some form of EDM - in private, away from the prying
gaze of the public eye. This happens quite frequently in Israel among the
Arabs/Bedouin and (Jewish)ultra-Orthodox populations.

- btw- during the second intifada, there was a 'rave for peace' in Tel-Aviv,
Israel in about 2002 which was mildly successful - 2k ppl showed up. But
more interesting: when Israel decided to pull out of Gaza in 2005, a group
of orthodox right wing youth attempted to stage a 'rave against the
expulsion' to try and garner support against this move in predominantly
secular Tel-Aviv. Only a few score ppl turned up and needless to say, the
idea didn't work out. Nonetheless, trance has so thoroughly penetrated the
Israel's socio-cultural fabric that it is employed to various aims by both
secular [left wing] and orthodox [right wing] enthusiasts, and apparently,
when they're feeling naughty, by some of the Arab populations as well.

-Shuki



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