'Members of Palestine orchestra send message of resistance, peace'

AMMAN — Haneen Rjoub, a 23-year-old violinist from the Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO), has noticed a certain degree of ignorance in the West when it comes to Muslim women who wear hijab (the headscarf).

Rjoub recalled that many of her audience in Europe had not imagined that women who wear hijab are able accomplish so much throughout their careers, erroneously seeing those who wear headscarves as underdeveloped.

"There are times when I perform in Europe when some people would be shocked that I can speak English," she told The Jordan Times after the orchestra's performance on Tuesday at Al Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman.

"Some have told me that I have affected them positively. When foreigners watch our show in our own country, they are impressed when a Muslim woman has such musical abilities," Rjoub added. 

Rjoub joined 75 musicians, along with 12 young women singers from the Palestine Choir, in the Amman performance, which, she said, had a message to deliver.

"Being in an orchestra is part of me that is important because it sends a message of resistance and peace. This orchestra has members of different religious backgrounds; this shows that everyone wants to perform music and this is beautiful," the violinist added. 

Loudina Baboun, another violinist with the orchestra, said their shows illustrate how Palestinians are keen on showing their musical skills. 

"These shows introduce the culture and heritage of both Palestinians and Arabs, because the group also includes many artists from different Arab countries," she told The Jordan Times. 

Naseem Al Atrash, another member of the orchestra, agreed. 

"The idea of the orchestra is really important for Palestinians because such initiatives are limited in our region; however, there are so many projects like this in Europe and the US," said Atrash, who joined the PYO in 2004 and is currently studying in the US.

Marco Mislah, an 18-year-old vocal artist, said singing is her passion and she finally found the right place to move her into a worldwide profession.    

"The only thing I can do is to sing for my country," Mislah added.  

Mohammad Maragha, of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, said PYO concerts focus on promoting Palestinian art. He noted that the Israeli occupation is the main obstacle facing members of the orchestra.

"Occupation is the main obstacle of any cultural development. It hinders the meeting of the musicians because they are of different Arab nationalities, and the other obstacle is the difficulty of having Palestinians leave the country and transporting musical instruments. There are complications and the process is also expensive," Maragha added.