BERLIN — Just one night after a deadly attack shook Berlin’s Pride celebrations, a Syrian belly dancer stepped onto the stage at the city’s Museum Island determined to keep the spirit of the event alive.
Haidar Darwish, dressed in a striking hoop skirt and red fez, opened his performance by asking the crowd for a moment of silence before declaring that the show would go on — even as the LGBTQ+ community grieved.
“Yesterday there was an attack and a hate crime on our community in Berlin during the Pride Parade,” Darwish told the audience Sunday evening, visibly struggling to hold back his emotions.
“It’s heavy on our community but we are pushing through, and we are here specifically today, myself and my artists, to show up and be visible,” he added.
The attack took place Saturday night, when a van ramming and stabbing near Berlin’s Pride festival left one person dead and nearly 30 others injured. Authorities have described it as an extremist terror attack.
The suspect, identified as Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German-born citizen with Lebanese roots, was shot and killed by police Sunday evening after he reportedly charged at officers with a sharp object. Some officials have raised questions about how Ballout had been permitted to move freely within Germany following a prior conviction connected to ties with the Islamic State group.
Darwish, who fled Syria in 2016, performed alongside the group Queens Against Borders — a collective formed to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ refugees, migrants, and immigrants. Sharing the stage with him were Egyptian belly dancer Aleya and Nigerian drag performer Countess Sasha Seduction.
Setting aside his grief, Darwish began spinning in the style of a traditional Anatolian dervish, his red skirt fanning out in a wide, graceful arc. Traditional Arabic music filled the venue, building in tempo and volume until Darwish shed his skirt and launched into belly dance moves — drawing cheers from the crowd.
“We’re trying our best, to be honest, in these weird, horrible times to create a stage where we can be present,” said the 30-year-old Darwish, who performs under the name “The Darvish.”
He emphasized the significance of performing that particular night, noting that the audience extended well beyond the LGBTQ+ community to include Berliners from all walks of life and numerous international visitors.
Even so, Darwish acknowledged a deep exhaustion, saying “we are tired to constantly be put in a position where we have to fight endlessly.”
While the performers could have chosen to stay home, he said, “we can also put grief into joy.”
By the end of the night, the emotion in the room had shifted — the audience rose from their seats and joined the dancers, turning what began as a night of mourning into something closer to celebration.
