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Subscribe to RSSCamps Breakerz crew made a video in January 2012 called "Breakdance Revolution In Gaza" that shows them making moves across the Gaza Strip.
GAZA STRIP – In Hamas-ruled Gaza, where Islamic fundamentalism controls every aspect of daily life in the city that has been under an Israeli-imposed siege since June 2007, a group of eight young men from the Nuseirat refugee camp are breaking boundaries by break dancing.
The Camps Breakerz took their moves out onto the rundown streets of Gaza for the first time this month, even though members have been practicing together since 2005.
The dancers released a video on YouTube that shows them doing elaborate dance moves – from spinning head stands to arms stands and flips in “I heart Gaza” t-shirts all over Gaza.
"When I danced in the street I felt free for the first time in my life. I challenged the conservative society and mainly I challenged the Israeli siege," said Mohammed al-Ghrize, otherwise known as “Funk,” who brought together the Camps Breakerz crew.
Challenging strict code
Ghrize, a 25-year-old who works as a nurse, was introduced to the world of break dancing at the age of 16 when he lived with his family in Saudi Arabia. Since returning to his homeland in Gaza, he searched for others who shared his passion for dancing. "It took me two years to persuade seven people to establish a break dancing crew, two of which are my own brothers," he said.
Over the past five years Hamas has imposed a strict code of conduct in Gaza, forcing residents to follow strict Islamic law. The laws have restricted women from social activities like riding on the backs of motorbikes and smoking traditional shisha pipes in public spaces. They have even restricted men from working in women’s hair salons – believing that men cutting women’s hair is immodest.
In a new attempt by the fundamentalist militant Muslim group to crack down on behavior it sees as contrary to its conservative interpretation of Islam, Hamas banned Gaza youth from participating in the Palestinian version of "American Idol." Their reasoning was because Muslims can only sing and dance to the sound of drums – not any modern instruments.
"Because I know it's very hard for our conservative society to accept our Westernized hobby, we introduced break dancing as a kind of sport," Ghrize explained. “We even managed to convince Hamas to regard break dancing as a sport by performing in their sports events and dancing only to the beats of the drums.”
The group understands that in a society struggling under the ongoing Israeli blockade, break dancing can be viewed as a waste of time and seen as lacking respect for the Gazan reality. The Nuseirat refugee camp where Ghrize lives is home to 66,000 refugees, even though it was initially built to accommodate 16,000 people. And conditions are grim: According to the U.N. 90 percent of the water there is “unfit for human consumption.”
So for the members of the group, dancing is a welcome distraction.
"We regard our activities as another form of resistance against the occupation; all of our sketches are inspired by our people's tragedies, especially children. Break dancing for us is a way of expressing our freedom.”
Ghrize studied nursing and works at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. “All members of our crew are very well-educated,” he said.
At the end of video the crew recently released, the dancers names, nicknames, ages, job and special moves are listed. They range from “Chino,” a 22-year-old cook whose specialty is “style break beat,” to “Dark,” a 26-year-old teacher whose specialty is “combos,” to “Fox,” a 15-year-old student who likes “power moves.”
One of the many obstacles the Camps Breakerz faced was finding a place to train, especially after the Nuseirat refugee camp’s community center was destroyed by an Israeli raid during the war on Gaza in 2008.
"We have a dream," Ghrize said, "that one day we will have our own center where we can teach children to break dance and give them a stage to express their feelings."
The Camps Breakerz hope to go to the U.S., where break dancing originated, to meet other break dancers who will help them grow, excel and become an internationally recognized group. They want to eventually be able to compete internationally among the best break dancers in the world.
"I wish I lived in a free liberal country where I can practice the thing I love most without any political or fundamentalist boundaries."
Related link: Gaza youths find escape in free running
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Wow, just like Treblinka!
I didn't know there had been a population explosion at Treblinka.
This is one of the stupidest comments I've ever read. What in the world do you see in this video that compares to a concentration camp?!! The men are healthy and dancing in well maintained streets, plazas and markets full of food. That's what Gaza looks like (I live 5 miles away) and you compare that to Treblinka?? You are completely blind.
Leslie you are right its more like Orewells 1984. Hamas is enslaving its own people. Women deserve the right to drive, to marry for love, to work --attend the university, ride on the backs of motorcycles and get their hair done by a fabulous gay man! ( there are lots of gay palestinians) They can be just as good a wife and/or tool of Allah in jeans and t-shirts as they can in a burqa. If men can't control themselves around women ( whether clothed or not) then those men are animals and deserved to be treated as such.
BAck on subject---love seeing the breakdancers. good job!
There are millions upon millions of square miles of land owned and managed by thier Muslim brethren. Israel is a tiny speck of land on the coast. You might think that the Palestinians would relaize they will not be getting this strip of land owned by their grandfathers back. Sometimes a person needs to let go. The Byzantine Greeks let go of their capital city, imagine if the Greeks made refugee camps bordering Turkey, to let the Turks know they live on occupied land.
The Palestinians would rather live in misery in refugee camps at Iseal's border than make a better life elesewhere. It's time for the Muslim world to say, enough is enough and help these people. But of course they won't.
I'm glad that the Palestinians are expressing themselves through art, it's a start. Now if only the young girls could also express themselves...oh, I forgot, that would be unIslamic. The Treblinka you speak of is created by Hamas intended for the women, the hair stylists and the musicians who play stringed instruments.
Sharia law is unwelcome where people have culture. Hamas/Hezbollah is the source of the Palestinian misery, nobody else.
The B Boys of GAZA are fresh !! You guys get props from here in NYC. We Love You !! FREE PALASTINE NOW !! From Puerto Ricans w/ Love.
ken
They better break dance than Israeli border.
A refugee camp built for 16,000 but holding 66,000. The Palistinians need to stop breeding like rabbits. The UN should cut off aid and see how many Palistinians the land can support without outside interference!
With exception of free condoms and vasectomies.
If Israel would stop growing it's population maybe they wouldn't have to steal all that Palestinian land on the west bank. It is impossible for me to conceive of how the Israeli's (especially after what was done to them) could enslave the palestinians and can do no evil in western eyes (in particular the USA, where we support them even when they spy on us and hurt our national interests). No American or Israeli would except the conditions of the Israeli occupation forces impose on the Palestinians.
Gazans break dancing: vow revenge on Israel. News at 11.
Yeah, we don't need to mention 12000 rockets launched from Gaza with the intent of killing Israeli citizens
We don't need to mention that Hamas has in its charter the call for the destruction of Israel
We don't need to mention that the Hamas and their Palestinian subjects refuse to recognize the State of Israel's right to exist.
We don't have to mention that the US classifies Hamas as a Terrorist organization
It's a siege that is unwarranted if you ignore these facts.
We don't need to recognize that the abundance of Palestinians who died were killed by Israeli military activities whose intent was to kill Hamas terrorists that had attacked Israeli citizens and then hid among the Palestinian citizens, Why would Hamas terrorists take any blame for this, they only used the Palestinians as human shields, the Israelis pulled the trigger.
How can there be "Palestinian refugee camps" in Gaza where all of the inhabitants are Palestinians?
Those refugees cant' be released until Israel is destroyed
From other parts of Palestine outside of Gaza after the 1948 and 1967 wars. Get it?
If there are more people like this young man, perhaps someday he will be living in a "free liberal country." This is a perfect example of American "soft power." Our dynamic culture, which results in part from immigration, is a powerful draw for young people throughout the world. We may be able to CONTROL people and nations with our military, but it is our culture, ideals and examples that can CHANGE them.
The statement from our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, ..." is held in awe by so many people. It is disturbing when we violate our own principles with places like Guantanamo Bay and our behavior at Abu Ghraib prison.
Good one Barry, I'll go along with that - although I must say 'inalienable' looks far better to me.
Whilst I understood the reasoning, I also have nagging doubts about the 'execution' of Osama. Just seemed so unAmerican to me...
Well Aussie Guy I have nagging doubts about the execution of almost 3000 innocent civilians by Osama and his "crew". Just seems so "unhuman" to me.
Of course you're absolutely right Mike, no argument from me on that score mate!
Although I can't understand why you might have nagging doubts. There's nothing to be doubtful about as far as that's concerned.
Mike was being sarcastic, of course.
I would rather have had a trial for Bin Laden, but he admitted his guilt in his taunting videos. Just as when the US Navy targeted the Japanese admiral who planned the Pearl Harbor attack, the world will soon forget the action. I would've preferred the Israeli way, however. Bin Laden should've just turned up dead with the US maintaining a stony silence. Everyone knows, yet doesn't know, who is behind the death.
You sound thoughtful and wise Barry, I'd enjoy a cold beer and a chat with you I'm sure.
As for sarcasm, not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
That's some cool stuff. You go B-boyz of Palestine. Let's see how long it will take israhell to kill those artists dreams. regardless noone stays oppressed for life, that's a fact. Freedom will come. Thank you MSNBC for sharing.
Let's just hope some Israeli soldier doesn't shoot them dead because he has nothing better to do.
Wow, how insightful is that. Maybe those blood thursty Israeli soldiers wont' have to shoot them. Perhaps their families can get together and kill them to keep their honor. Maybe a fellow student will suit up and suicide bomb them. Or... their next door neighbors can rape their mothers and sisters/brothers to teach them a not to go against the Koran or edicts from the Hamas imans. Come to think of it, getting picked off by Israeli soldiers might be a blessing, at least then they would be matyrs that their families could be proud of.
Miss Scarlet: "Let's just hope some Israeli soldier doesn't shoot them dead because he has nothing better to do."
Yes, because that's what we do. When we aren't running to bomb shelters, we spend our free time shooting people b/c we'd rather do that then be with our families, go to school, enjoy our hobbies, make money at our jobs, live a peaceful life...you're a truly ignorant person.
I suppose this article is supposed to make up for Hamas using the Hail Hitler salute during a speech last week!
And dancing in the streets when the twin towers keeled over...
Uh! Yeah!!! I'm with Aussie Guy. If dancing is so evil in Islam, how come it was so alright in so many muslim countries on 9/11???
This is a beautiful video to see. It shows, for the first time, a children's camp in Gaza where the main purpose isn't to train young minds to focus on killing Israeli. I found it most significant that they chose to dance in front of wall graffiti that says "Peace Starts Here." The journalist should heed those words and not write such an inciteful article against Israel, where most of the population would like nothing more than peace.
If the Gazans would stop shooting rockets into Israel, perhaps the dialogue to peace could begin. Imagine the day that Gazan kids could dance with Israelis and all could live free. Perhaps the leaders of these "refugee camps" would stop using these talented young men and their families as pawns in their self-serving war and begin to care about the people.
Beth - Spend a day in Gaza. You will be surprised at what you find. The media in Israel is as biased as it is in America. You have nothing to fear if you go to Gaza to seek the truth about the people there. You will be welcomed as a guest. However, be prepared to see some ugly things. Things you don't hear about in the news.
A prominent Palestinian family in Gaza crosses into Israel once a month to be blessed by a Rabbi. They do so because they have always known their ancestry is Jewish.
Genetic testing indicates that Palestinians are almost exactly the same as Jews and distinctly different to Arabs. It seems that centuries ago the Jewish population was given the choice of converting to Islam or losing their lands or their lives.
NO nation can be truly great if it cuts off half of its brain power and enslaves women. I would like to see some women in this group (never going to happen)
I hope thy don't "break" a leg!
Oh my Allah!!!! Blasphemy!!! This is the work of the EVIL WEST and their surrogates, the ISREALIs. No more dancing! No more singing! No more TV or Radio or Intenet or anything!!! We must live in our own little bubble and be safe and ignorant and backwards like Allah meant us to be! Wonder how come he let us learn how to read, especailly things like the Koran! Well ONLY those ordained should have such gifts!!!!
Hamas will soon put a stop to the break dancing , because it's too westernized .
Break dancing terrorists. Even Jon Stewart didn't think of that. Next we'll see break dancing Taliban or break dancing Hezbollah. I'm sure the Jew haters are thinking about break dancing Zionists or break dancing Haganah. Doesn't the guy who wishes to "live in a free liberal country" know that Israel is the closest one?
How brainwashed are these people that even though Hamas is forbidding singing and dancing, they can still point a finger znd blame the Israelis. I guarantee that if they were to promote a tour in Israel, people would pay to come and see them and applaud them The ignorance and hate is mind-boggling!
Well, all I know that I don't care how bad a day I had or what kind of problems I have, they go away (for a while). As good as a good Long Island Ice Tea. That said, everyone knows what Hamas represents: ignorance, backwardness, isolation, hatres, enslavement, and war. They've never fooled anyone and they aren't fooling anyone now. Keep you people where they while the rest of the world moves forward.
Gazan wiggers -LOL