Paris-based Palestinian composes anthem for homeland: Ahmad Dari... مستني دولة بأيلول. أحمد داري

"Mestani Dawla be Aylol" -- "I Am Waiting for a State in September"

Paris-based Palestinian composes anthem for homeland
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PARIS (Reuters) -- A Palestinian living in France has come up with what has become an unwitting anthem for his homeland's bid for nationhood at the United Nations meeting later this week.

Ahmed Dari, who until recently worked for the United Nations' Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation, is the author of "Mestani Dawla be Aylol" -- "I Am Waiting for a State in September" -- a hit song that is played from Ramallah to Rafah.

The song, written and performed in a light-hearted, almost tongue-in-cheek manner, has had tens of thousands of views on social networking sites. Dari says it aims to give hope to Palestinians in the run-up to President Mahmoud Abbas' bid to have Palestinian nationhood recognized by the UN's Security Council -- a move that America has vowed to veto.

"There are several major points in this song. I evoke the question of the Palestinian refugees, a crucial question. I talk about the probable American veto at the UN on the recognition of Palestine. I'm also interested in the view of Palestinians, who are split between optimism and pessimism about the future," he told Reuters Television in his small house perched on the outskirts of Paris.

Dari, who has recently become an advisor to the Palestinian Authority, is bemused by the success of the song. Created with his friend, two computers and a handful of instruments, it uses a tortoise to symbolize a slow progress towards statehood.

To create the clip, Ahmed Dari used images from the internet. There is also a woman, a symbol of life.

Dari says the song is much more effective than a political message.

''I felt that my clip reached a very broad Palestinian audience, particularly the young and even the old. The song works better than a political message. The song and the clip are very simple. The words are simple, the music is simple, there are lots of colors in the clip and that works."

His friend and fellow musician Youssef Zayed hopes the Palestinian bid for United Nations recognition will succeed.

''I am optimistic, though I know that there are obstacles. I do not know how long it will take, it will perhaps not be our generation that will see it. That doesn't matter, Palestine will live, we will wait, if God wills it."

Meanwhile, Dari is pursuing his career as a diplomat and singer. He is also an accomplished Arabic calligrapher. He will travel to New York this week and has already composed a new song. Its theme will be the difficult relationship between Palestinians and Israelis.