Concert sparks controversy

By Zalfa Feghali ---

An exhibit and a concert organized by the Jordanian Cultural Club and the Arab Heritage Club, celebrated "Jordanian Talents," last Monday night in the Assembly Hall. Brochures on Jordan and its tourist attractions were distributed, and some Jordanian students exhibited their cartoon art while others showcased their musical talents. Rasha Kabeen on piano, Wissam Tbeileh on violin, Ahmad Barakat on the oud, Ziad Makhoul on piano and guitar, and Makadi Nahas, vocalist, entertained the two hundred-strong audience with well-known Arabic pieces as well as a few classical ones. The concert began with a poetic speech from Ibhar Al-Mahid, president of the Jordanian Cultural Club, who commemorated Jordanian youth, hailed Lebanon as a leader in Arab culture, and credited AUB with being the most respected university in the region. He added that he hoped that events like this one would heighten good relations between Lebanon and Jordan. He then introduced Tbeileh's violin rendition of the Lebanese National Anthem as the audience stood in unison. The music continued for a further two hours, many times spurring the audience to clap and sing along. The individual sounds of the oud, guitar, and violin blended beautifully to complement each other and the vocals, while the piano gave depth to the oriental style. The seventeen-song program was further expanded at the end, when both Kabeen and Nahas gladly obliged, each with an encore. Refreshments were served outside after the concert, and students spoke with the Jordanian ambassador, who also attended the event. Controversy was sparked he next day when Outlook received a flyer signed by an "honest Arab," who criticized the JCC for having distributed brochures on Jordan that included Israel, a "cancer," on the regional map. The author of the flyer called this a betrayal to the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian Cultural Club was quick to clarify that they were in no way involved in the distribution of the flyer. "It had nothing to do with us," declared Saifedean Ammous, of the PCC. In response to this open attack, the Jordanian Cultural Club issued a reply signed by "a realistic Arab," who urged the "honest Arab" to broaden his horizons, saying that the first way to address a problem is to recognize it. After that, problems can slowly begin to be solved. "How can we solve a problem if we don't even admit its existence on a map?" the flyer asked.