The Decaying Khaliji Values
The clip above is of a now very widely spread “hippy dance” among young khalijis. It is one (with some folkloric origins to it of some sort) performed by two or more women as shown on the video with a background music of nothing more than continuous hits on drums with the lead singer chanting “Diqny.. Diqny” (which loosely translates to “Hit me, Hit me”), it is usually accompanied by what I can only describe as a weird outlandish belly dancing technique that relies on shaking the (behind) in a unique way.
The thing that I find very strange is the fact that most of those “dancers” that does this for a living, actually come out with a Burqa on, dancing exotically with other women (sometimes even in front of a male audience).
Now bear in mind that the dance comes from the very same society that takes Hijab and Abaya as a traditional/religious/honorable required dress. It comes from the very same society that encourages segregation between the sexes, and forbids premarital relationships and such. But still (and I’m speaking for my own personal experience) from what I see, is actually widely accepting such dances with sexual acts (be it this “Diqny” or even the traditional Egyptian belly dancing) within weddings or private parties, and encourages them. Reaching out to a level where a wedding party without or with little “dancers” (who are usually invited guests) is regarded to “cold” and “boring”.
It’s always been my belief that anything that makes a person feel sexy is a great and defiantly worthy pastime. Whatever channel that draws you away from the virtual world you create yourself with the internet and the TV to let out some sexual tension I am very tolerant of.
I don’t have children that sap up my energy, nor do I have an unsatisfying sexual partner, but I’m sure that plenty of local women do need activities or interests that will reignite their sexual selves; but then again, who am I to find fault with whatever does this for them?
You see; I’m fine with models, I’m fine with pit babes, hooter waitresses, playboy dolls, those out there who do it for the money have made a conscious choice to do so whatever motivates them is obviously no more different than whatever motivates professional pole-dancers or exotic dancers.
What I have a problem with is the duality, what I have a problem with is the mentality, the fact that they are led to believe that if they look and move like a Pussycat Doll, or a dancer on one of those rap hit songs they will be sexy. Not understanding that they will be perceived as sexy, which is different than the confidence that comes from knowing who you are sexually.
Realistically speaking, what can we expect bored, desperate, naïve, young or sexually shut-down women to do to feel sexy? They sure can’t ship their kids off to boarding school, or make their husbands work fewer hours, they sure can’t go out dressed and looking “their” definition of sexiness. We have to excuse them.. I guess..
The Diqny dance, might seem innocuous to most people. To me, it’s just another way that our culture has distracted us from contemplation on one’s self, so that it can lure us with quick fixes and immediate gratification, even if it was in a disgusting and kinky way.
Update: I lost the clip I have! The one above is one similar to the one I intended to put. Do contact me if you have one I could put up here.
Interesting read, eMoodz. Does she give dancing classes in Bahrain? And would you know where? But it’s the first time i’ve seen a belly dancer or someone dance with a head scarf worn…i’m not quite sure what it implies nor signifies, but she wiggles well, amazing!
The “Diqny.. Diqny” dance which you mentioned translates in to ‘hit me’, is there a hidden context to it or do people take it literally and go and hit the dancer, i mean why is it called the hit me dance? Is it just a name or is there more to drums and wiggling?
theyre labseen hijabs la . comon !
First of all, that song disgust me. When I once saw girls dancing rather erotically to it my jaw dropped. I don’t blame them though, it isn’t very easy to get laid in Bahrain..
Secondly, I think that we, at least as Bahrainis, lean more towards modernism and freedom of expression and actions than we do towards tribalism. Therefore, most Bahrainis do relatively practice their personal freedom and believe in it. And if it wasn’t for the leashes wrapped around their necks by most rigid halal-haram/black-white religious preachers, they wouldn’t have appeared as hypocrites.
I know many people who scorn girls wearing short dresses over long-sleeved tops and pants with a scarf on top. I know many who also make fun of men drinking in Ramadhan and fasting during the day. I realize that there is a contradicting duality in their actions. But then again, in a society where you are oppressed in the name of religion, in a society where it isn’t that easy to swim against the stream, isn’t every one of us a little bit of a hypocrite?
Mohammed, you know that not all women who wear scarves are religious. This is a rather unique society, still in one of its many transitional phases. Though not clear, it’s only natural that such examples of duality occur.
The first time I heard of such dancing if you can call it that, and the dancers was when my younger sister attended an acquaintance’s wedding. Apparently, the women were all but having intercourse on the dancer floor with their imaginary partners while the crowd- all over-religious women only mind you, cheered on. It was all anyone who attended could talk about, how amazing it was. I guess it is the Bahraini version of a Chippendale room only the dancers are women. A strip show, buffet and a wedding all in one! Personally, I find these dances, dancers and songs tasteless and quite indicative of what a repressed-sexually and otherwise- most Bahrainis are.
Hmm.. yummy yummy yummy
I struggled till I got the comment published- spam protector trapping it. I wanted to reply here but since I couldn’t I wrote a post in my blog.
All i can say is thank the lord my wife is not arab and my unborn children won’t learn arabic. and won’t be interduced to this culture … heheheheheheh
funny, weird, i saw before and i think that this people need to get a life…..and get down from thier LANDA CARUIZER and chill for a while in Europe not England i mean EUROPE the real one….
I don’t know of classes that teach “the Diqny Dance” anywhere around Bahrain, I doubt there area any anyway. Your best bet would be to go out there and get your “hands wet” as they say!
Just to gets the facts straightened here, I don’t have anything against dirty dancing really. Concealing the identity of the dancer is really a natural product of our ill minded community, where sexual acts are tolerated as long as they aren’t connected to a person or an identity. Be it the widespread of the Arab adult rooms in paltalk, the diqny dance, the girls dancing in the streets on marches (masked) or even the examples noted by Amal above.
Duality does exist, oppressed by religion and local tribal traditions; this is only the tip of the iceberg we are seeing.
Apologies, I’ve been trying to post a comment but never could because Askimet was blocking me, so I wrote the reply in my blog instead linking to here.
Another interesting take on the same issue is blogged about here, by Palestinian blogger Roba Al-Assi.
Posted by bahraini and proud: “All i can say is thank the lord my wife is not arab and my unborn children won’t learn Arabic. and won’t be introduced to this culture … hehehehehehe”
Thank god neither your children nor your wife are part of our culture or else we would have another bunch of people with screwed up mentalities like yours to deal with!!! Contrary to your name, with such an attitude you are neither a Bahraini nor proud to be one. And yes, I AM judging you since you decided to make such a stupid judgemental comment about our rich and magnificent culture (no association to the club above of course)
Go screw yourself “Bahrain and proud”…
Just a note:
m3alayeh is a dance/type of music in UAE usually associated with guys being effeminate and doing the “female dance.” i.e. it’s usually guys dancing!
I’m not sure about this video really. It could be guys it could be girls, but usually m3alayeh dancing is associated with guys!
OMG I HATE THIS SONG I HATE THIS DANCE !!! ITS SOO *BEEEEEP* !!!
ALLAH YA5TH.HOM =@
I think this is just another part of the bedoin culture you lambasted in an earlier post. This dance was usually done by UAE and Omani royal families black african ’slavewomen’ (for lack of a better word for 3abeed’), usually from Zanzibar… till now they are hired in alot of weddings in the UAE. This im3alaya dance has caught on recently with the wave of bedoin culture and I personally find it much more vulgur than normal bellydancing. Its not easy to do either!!
hey cool vid got more ?
Hello,
I am from Iran and read your blog sometimes, I love this statement:”No shie, no sonnie, Just Bahrain.” Mine would be: “No shie, no sonnie, just Iran, and after that: No shie, no sonnie just middle east.”
Bahrainia you cleared my view on this, I have always been wondering why our fellow Arabs dance this kinda dance because it did not look like an Arab tradition but rather an African one. I have had some African friends and I have had the opportunity to have a look at their culture and most of their traditional dances look like the m3alayah.
Bahraini, the one who said “thanks god my wife is not arab and my unborn kids won’t learn the language”, I just think you’re a disgrace to your own self, if you see a percentage of your population being messed up, then try to change things as much as you can, participate in things you could participate in. I am not saying atla3 fl sama2 for them but don’t go around showing off your hate for your own culture. And leaving your country for going to the EU is not a solution. And I feel sorry for your “future” kids if there’re any, because having a dad, who comes from a beautiful country like Bahrain and being Bahraini himself (Bahrainis are a good people, but do not feel included) and hating his own self is the worse thing a kid could have, because he or she will end up like you, a frustrated lad in search of a new identity. Also, the EU people don’t like those who are trying to fit in spite of their belonging to another and very different “race” if i can use that term. They would not even consider an EU born from foreign parents as a full EU individual, so get your facts right mate and I know well what I am talking about.
Also Amal, I do not think that we have the right to point the finger at the religious leaders, they are doing their best and may Allah help them, without them you would see dogs and human having sex in the streets like we’ve witnessed in the EU that this Bahraini EU lover, cherishes so much.
May Allah guide us all.
From London
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- Mohammed AlMaskati
East Riffa, Bahrain
I support a ONE Bahrain!
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