"Jokes: How Moroccans laugh at religion, sex and politics"

Posted on January 3rd, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Morocco.

Jokes are a serious matter and it can become awkward when some people don’t laugh at your jokes. The Moroccan Arab magazine Nichane ran a cover story about the role of jokes while sharing a few with readers. The jokes that were deemed particularly offensive were the ones dealing with religion. Jokes you can actually here everywhere and therefore nothing new. The article was written by Sanaa al Aji. A lawsuit has been filed against her and the magazine’s director for “insult to the Islamic faith” and “publication and distribution of writings that are contrary to the morals and mores” of the country. The cover story brings harm [to] the fundamental values of the Moroccan society, all the more reason that these values constitute the basis of cohesion between the various components of the Moroccan people. The trial is set for January 8th (thanks to Aisha for translating the Arab sites).

Meanwhile several Moroccan bloggers have set up a solidarity action such as Refusenik, Eatbees, Larbi, other blogs like View From Fez and Maroc-Blogs (1,2,3) also pay attention to it and also in some of the mainstream there seems to be some attention (but not much) like for example this interesting op-ed in Dar al Hayat by Mohamed Ashab, who raises some interesting questions: (more…)

12 comments.

“Jokes: How Moroccans laugh at religion, sex and politics”

Posted on January 3rd, 2007 by .
Categories: Morocco.

Jokes are a serious matter and it can become awkward when some people don’t laugh at your jokes. The Moroccan Arab magazine Nichane ran a cover story about the role of jokes while sharing a few with readers. The jokes that were deemed particularly offensive were the ones dealing with religion. Jokes you can actually here everywhere and therefore nothing new. The article was written by Sanaa al Aji. A lawsuit has been filed against her and the magazine’s director for “insult to the Islamic faith” and “publication and distribution of writings that are contrary to the morals and mores” of the country. The cover story brings harm [to] the fundamental values of the Moroccan society, all the more reason that these values constitute the basis of cohesion between the various components of the Moroccan people. The trial is set for January 8th (thanks to Aisha for translating the Arab sites).

Meanwhile several Moroccan bloggers have set up a solidarity action such as Refusenik, Eatbees, Larbi, other blogs like View From Fez and Maroc-Blogs (1,2,3) also pay attention to it and also in some of the mainstream there seems to be some attention (but not much) like for example this interesting op-ed in Dar al Hayat by Mohamed Ashab, who raises some interesting questions: (more…)

12 comments.

2007: Year of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

Posted on January 3rd, 2007 by .
Categories: Arts & culture, Internal Debates, Islam in the Netherlands.

Unesco has announced that the 800th anniversary of Mevlana Rumi will be celebrated in the Netherlands in 2007 as the Unesco Year of Mevlana Rumi in the Netherlands.
Mevlana Rumi was born in Balkh (now part of Afghanistan) and died in Konya (now Turkey). Rumi’s significance transcends national, ethnic and religious boundaries. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages in various formats. After Rumi’s death, his followers founded the Mevlevi Order, better known as the “Whirling Dervishes“, who believe in performing their worship in the form of dance and music ceremony called the sema.

The general theme of his thoughts is essentially about the concept of Tawheed (unity) and union with his beloved (the primal root) and the longing for reunity which could be achieved throught music, poetry and dancing. The sacred dance of the Whirling Dervishes, Sema / turning, symbolizes a mystical journey where the traveller turns towards the truth and love, abandons hostility, hatred, reaches ‘Perfection’ where true peace and harmony exists and returns as a more mature person. Not difficult to understand why Rumi’s message also attracted Jews, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. For many followers Rumi was a true poet of love:

Love’s nationality is separate from all other religions,
The lover’s religion and nationality is the Beloved (God).

The lover’s cause is separate from all other causes
Love is the astrolabe of God’s mysteries.

From: The Mysteries of the Universe and Rumi’s Discoveries on the Majestic Path of Love

A question I (since I’m not an expert on his work) have: Does Rumi prefer love as the means to submit oneselves to the divine revelation and what does this mean for the place of reason in his work?

1 comment.