An issue of the the literary magazine "Ibda3", which is published by one of the Egyptian government's literary institutions, is being banned for containing a poem that has a stanza deemed by some to be offensive to the "Divine Being." The ban came after the union of press workers objected to the poem and because the government did not want a confrontation about it with the Muslim Brotherhood in the Parliament. The magazine was closed down before for publishing paintings of nudes.
As usual while the government harasses the MB on the political front, they choose to compromise with them on the cultural front. It's the policy expressed by the Arab proverb: "Udrob kaff w 3addel Taqeyeh." (slap with one hand, and fix the cap with the other).
The ultimate victim is poetry, which should really be banned once and for all. Arabs can live without it.
6 comments:
There is another proverb, which says, "kaff wa ka3ba 7alwa" (a slap and a candy). When we look back at Arabic poetry, and the profane themes it sang centuries ago, and think about what censored now, we cannot but be amazed at how backward we are now and modern we used to be!!!
Clearly, the history of the Arab world, society or culture, cannot be read in a linear logic.
It's really pathetic when politics overrides culture, especially in a world that boasts of its poetic tradition!
I would love to read the poem, but I am sure it is not as transgressive or subversive as it is made to look like...
I, however, am glad to hear that poetry--and literature continues--to have disturb and have a real function in the Arab world, rather than be branded as a meta-narrative, as is mostly the case in EuroAmerica.
I agree. If it's up to those benighted people, major parts of Arabic literary tradition will be mangled and suppressed. Yes, poetry still has meaning and the power to transgress and mobilize but if left to them it will be turned into "anasheed".
An /Arab Booker/?
Well, it seems the Arab novel will really be underdeveloping poetry, especially with this new Arab Booker prize of 60.000.00 to offered the first time next year. There will be a shortlist of 5 novels and only one will win. Assumption that all shortlisted works will be translated holds.
This is a great news, even though I have always been skeptical about literary prizes and have always respected novelists and artists who turned down the Nobel or any other prizes. I find contentment in the idea that lit is not about material prizes, but, at the present time, let's hope that this prize will be a real boost to the Arab novel which remains invisible in the Euro-America.
Here is the link to the Arab Booker Prize
http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/176AF915-1AEC-4E38-9F53-9EF28C7EAABD.htm
the link didn't work. but i agree with what your saying. these prizes are less than what they are and always politics play a big role in awarding them. Can you imagine anyone giving an official award to Muthaffar al Nawwab or Ahmad Fouad Najm?
but one still hopes they may create a literary buzz, which can't hurt.
Amal
Check out aljazeera website, section "thaqafa wa fan" and you will find it. The prize is just for the novel, so those poets are out of the game. But, who knows they might give it Sonallah Ibrahim or Wasini La'araj, etc. I am sure Ala Alaswany will get it, most probably. Hopefully, for the good reasons. Being myself resistant to egyptocentrism, I find myself drawn to his writings, but I might be mistaken since to attack egyptocentrism is perhaps one of the laws of egyptocentrism itself. As often, I am trapped!
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