The Slaughtered Dance

The Slaughtered Dance is an English version of a story originated in Arabic by myself, and has been published today on this platform, where the incidents took place in Lebanon in the sixties of last century. It shows how avarice and poverty drove innocent victims into the hell of "Al-Mutanabi" street, known, at the time, as the den of debauchery and sin. The street was named after the famous Arab poet who died in 965 a.c. and was meant to be the center of literature and science. Unfortunately, the street and the whole surrounding area became the red zone of the city when August Henry Ponsot, the French Governor of Lebanon endorsed sex trade in 1931.
In general, people think that those women involved in this shameful activity are acting according to their own will, ignoring the importance of money as the chief stimulus of survival, on one hand, and the challenging circumstances of that backward society, on the other hand.
Jamila and Salwa are two examples to talk about, hinting within the scenes to some other wretched victims. The tragedy of Jamila started when her husband had been killed an awful accident. She was not able to confront the avarice and selfishness of her brother-in-law Tarraf, so she took her son and her daughter fleeing from their home. Since that time she has never enjoyed comfort or peace.
As a prelude, the first chapters of the story talk about the dilemma of Fawaz, Jamila's son, his suffering as a child and his difficult situation as a chap after he had accepted a hard low-class job to achieve his ambitions.
Also there is an introduction about Zyzafon, the village where Jamila had been married, revealing the history of her husband's clan, who are they and how they have got there to acquire such estate. Shedding light also on the intimate relationship with Sobhia, her angelic co-sister-in-law, despite the hostile attitude of her husband Tarraf.
The other woman Salwa was an innocent, naive girl, whom her father forced her out of school to work as a house servant, where she had been doomed by a bossy, abnormal woman.
About the culprits, there is Anwar or Dorgham the cuckold, who worships money, forcing his own wife with some other victims into vice. Sami, the pimp who tempts innocent girls to fall into servitude. Tarraf, the greedy, who destroyed his brother's family, out of his jealousy and ingratitude. Hayat, the eccentric women, who has bullied the poor girl Salwa, causing her to plunge into sin.
Other culprits behind the scenes were, Salwa's indifferent father, and the inhuman legislation of explicit sex trade, where victims are bullied, discarded and abused.