The Woman as a Sufi Motif in Modern Arabic Fiction
Jamal Ali Assadi,
Mahmud Khaled Naamneh
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
101-113
Received:
31 March 2021
Accepted:
19 April 2021
Published:
29 April 2021
Abstract: The woman has been so intensely described in modern Arabic fiction that she has accomplished new fashionable connotations. She is often depicted in connection with a number of settings, especially the Şūfī one. In this context, the woman appears as a comprehensive representation that helps the male protagonist accomplish huge goals. This notion is copied from medieval mystic writers who considered the woman as a chief foundation of their practices which concentrated on love and yearning. Through the woman, or their earthly mistress they believed they could realize their supreme lover, God. Şūfī conventions have overwhelmingly jammed modern-day Arab writers. For the purpose of focus, this study will examine the manifestation of women in Al-Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to The North, Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love and Hasan Alwan’s, A Little Death. Although Al-Tayeb Salih does not use real şūfī characters, he floods his work with nice-looking women who are enchanted by and enchant the hero’s mysticism exactly like the beloved ladies of şūfī dignities. Furthermore, Salih packs his novel with references to şūfī celebrities, traditions and ideas to increase the mystic environment. Moreover, his protagonist, Mustafa Sa'eed discloses that his strategies in tempting women hang on the suspicious life style, abstruse philosophies and homoerotic verse of Omar al-Khayyām and Abū Nuwās. Instead of evading straight reliance on real Şūfī figures, Elif Shafak revives the old-fashioned şūfī customs and urges the present world to endorse mystic morals. Her aim is to propose answers to modern man’s complex problems. Through her female protagonist, Ella Rubenstein, Shafak gives forty Şūfī orations, epitomizing Rūmī's notion of the şūfī viewpoint. These guidelines are assurance that purify men and women from all hardships. Like Shafak, Hasan Alwan centers his novel on the life of Iben 'Arabī, a factual mystic figure. But, while Shafak aspires to prompt Şūfī ideas to settle modern man’s problems, Alwan is attracted to Şūfī free-thinking, travelling and style of life. Similar to Shafak and Salih, Alwan crams his novel with women within Şūfī settings. Our goal is to discuss what these writers attain through the employment of Şūfī practices assuming that the Şūfī treatment of women in modern Arabic literature provides new insights into the dynamic potential of the motif and a new critical approach.
Abstract: The woman has been so intensely described in modern Arabic fiction that she has accomplished new fashionable connotations. She is often depicted in connection with a number of settings, especially the Şūfī one. In this context, the woman appears as a comprehensive representation that helps the male protagonist accomplish huge goals. This notion is ...
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Problems and Strategies: Building a Future for Cultural Heritage Protection in Shaanxi, China
Yang Jin,
Liang Min,
Zhang Pan
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
114-123
Received:
14 April 2021
Published:
24 May 2021
Abstract: In China’s ancient history, 14 dynasties set their capitals in Shaanxi. The most glorious periods included the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang Dynasties. Owing to Shaanxi’s particular historical position, a large quantity of cultural heritage had been left underground and overground. Protecting well these cultural heritage is of great significance. By literature review, it is indicated that different types of research have been conducted from the perspectives of protection work (investigation report, annual report, material assembly), academic exploration (Shaanxi cultural heritage protection in earlier period, macro-research), monographic study (great site protection, revolutionary cultural heritage protection, field cultural heritage protection, cultural heritage protection and social economy, archaeological site and cultural heritage protection, legal system, cultural heritage crime, fight against cultural heritage crime, cultural heritage digitization) and case studies. However, these studies are inadequate in quantity, quality, depth, analysis and creativity. In particular, besides the natural deterioration, the cultural heritage is suffering from human damages during the economic activities, such as urbanization, commercialism, consumerism, tourism and cultural heritage crime. The existing protection management and utilization approach are no longer effective and influential enough, deserving improvements. This paper aims to investigate the problems in cultural heritage protection in Shaanxi, and then analyze their causes and finally put forward targeted strategies and suggestions. Field investigation, literature review and comparative data analysis methods have been adopted. It is found that the cultural protection problems in Shaanxi lie in natural damage, human destruction, constructive damage, protective damage and commercial damage, which are caused by incomplete and inadequate execution of protective policies and conservative measures, incompetence to carry out an overall and sustainable protection thoroughly, insufficient investment in cultural heritage protection, insufficient professional protection staff, underdeveloped infrastructural facilities, inadequate public supports, severe challenges in capacity building, imperfect legal system and conservative concepts. Correspondingly, the multi-approaches strategies concerning improvements in investment, archaeological excavation, security supervision, fight against tomb robbing and smuggling and public interest litigation system are put forward. And suggestions on enhancing value recognition, digitization, big data platform, talents and team building, revolutionary cultural heritage protection and collaboration are also discussed. It concludes that the new protective conception of “both object and humanity spirit take equal priority” should be implemented.
Abstract: In China’s ancient history, 14 dynasties set their capitals in Shaanxi. The most glorious periods included the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang Dynasties. Owing to Shaanxi’s particular historical position, a large quantity of cultural heritage had been left underground and overground. Protecting well these cultural heritage is of great significa...
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Tidcan: Multiple Alliteration of Somali Songs – New Insights
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
124-142
Received:
9 April 2021
Accepted:
17 May 2021
Published:
26 May 2021
Abstract: This paper formulates some changes in Somali poetry composition through the transition of the Somali literature from oral to a written culture since the introduction of a writing system for the Somali language in 1972. These changes are first observed through the comparison of themes and styles of poetry used by the classic nomadic and pastoralist poets (1800-1970ies) versus the themes and styles used by the educated university graduate poets in the cities (post-1972). A second comparison is done between the first generation of educated poets (1970ies - 1990) and the current generation of young poets in the era of social media, and how these changes are observed in the literature both in terms of imaginative themes on social issues, and the introduction of new styles and structures of poetry by the contemporary poets. To understand better the comparison, the peculiarities of Somali poetry, including the alliteration and meter system, are briefly explained. In the second part, the paper explores new insights and developments in Somali lyrics writing where contemporary lyricists are experimenting with new styles of poetry writing, including the introduction of multiple alliterations and the expansion of the Somali lyrics to a rhymed style. A corpus of 21 selected songs is identified within the Somali Corpus (see www.somalicorpus.com) and analyzed focusing on the introduction of the multiple alliterations and the use of the poem's rhyme style. The songwriters have been interviewed on their views of these new developments and to fact-check with them the contents of the peoms (order of the verses in the lysics and their meaning), and some of the lyrics have been translated into English to reflect on the themes they deal with. The term Tidcan as a poem with more than one alliterative sound for the entire poem is coined here by using an existing Somali word with another meaning. In fact, the word “tidcan” means literally braiding: like tima tidcan=braided hair. The paper finally questions the impacts of these developments on music composition for the Somali song.
Abstract: This paper formulates some changes in Somali poetry composition through the transition of the Somali literature from oral to a written culture since the introduction of a writing system for the Somali language in 1972. These changes are first observed through the comparison of themes and styles of poetry used by the classic nomadic and pastoralist ...
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An Anthropologico-Metaphysical Reflection on the Being of Man: A Philosophical Enquiry
Ignatius Nnaemeka Onwuatuegwu
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 3, May 2021
Pages:
143-146
Received:
29 April 2021
Accepted:
20 May 2021
Published:
31 May 2021
Abstract: The contemporary man is gradually and systematically, though unknowingly becoming so mechanical and headstrongly wallowing deeply into the quagmire of a total oblivion of his own being. Consequently, the contemporary technolization and scientificalization of the present human society has necessarily estranged man from God and from his own very self. Invariably, life is becoming more mechanical and meaningless, and disjointedness of the contemporary man has equally affected his way of conceiving reality in general. It is this pitiable condition of man the present disjointed and fragmented society that has around the researcher's interest into reflecting on the anthropologico-metaphysical reflection on the being of man. Man as being is a profound mystery. As a mystery, man cannot be fully and comprehensively understood. The knowledge of man is over and above man himself, even though the knowledge of man is not against human comprehension nor does it destroy human reasoning. It is in the anthropological question of the being of man that the metaphysics of God emerged. For man to comprehensively understand his very being, he has first to become God, for it is God alone who knows man through and through. Even man's unformed flame is known by him. Hence, it is only in relation to God that man can meaningfully discover himself understand his own very being. It is this mystery of the being of man that the writer attempts to unravel in this work. The researcher primarily employed the philosophical method of critical reflection as a means to achieve this goal. Man as a created being, on the basis of metaphysical principle of finality, is driving on as well as sustained by its metaphysical and meta-psychical desire to see God.
Abstract: The contemporary man is gradually and systematically, though unknowingly becoming so mechanical and headstrongly wallowing deeply into the quagmire of a total oblivion of his own being. Consequently, the contemporary technolization and scientificalization of the present human society has necessarily estranged man from God and from his own very self...
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