On Artistic Freedom, Political Courage, Love to Death, and Polygamy in the Middle East
“Il est bien malaisé (puisqu’il faut enfin m’expliquer) d’ôter à des insensés des chaînes qu’ils révèrent.
“It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere. “
Voltaire, Le dîner du comte de Boulainvilliers (1767): Deuxième Entretien
"The artist when he sides with the people against the regime, even at the risk of his life: Iranian director Muhsin Mahkmabaf, an intellectual artist, gave an example of how should behave ……" Columnist in an Egyptian daily, commenting on an interview in Alarabiya, and the column in turn being republished and quoted on Alarabiya web site. Sort of like mutual……something by the media. (I can’t say it, but the ancient Romans would politely call it asinus asinum fricat).
I like and admire Muhsin Makhmalbaf, one of the best filmmakers around. I agree with most of the political views he is reported to have expressed in the interview. I did not see the interview on, but I would disagree what he is reported in this article to have implied that the people of Iran are mostly against the nuclear program “they want democracy and not the atomic bomb”. I wish that were entirely true, but my guess is that they want both. Unfortunately, the nuclear issue has become such a national pride issue that nobody inside Iran opposes it, at least not publicly. The issue is ‘toxic’ politically and may be off the table for some time no matter who rules in Tehran. That is why all the talk of compromise and veiled threats of military action and the Biden purposeful mis-statement on Israeli strikes are irrelevant at this time.
But what intrigues me, to put it politely, is an article in a Saudi station website, based on an article in an Egyptian newspaper, in turn based on an interview in the same Saudi station about the bravery of artists defying their rulers to the point of risking their lives. It is a good point, of course it is, and Makhmabaf is a brave artist.
But quoting him about young people, especially girls, being free to wear what they want? Talking about young men and women walking down the street freely, listening to music they want, watching a film they want? Actually, they are more likely to do that in Tehran than in Riyadh. In Saudi Arabia they can’t show their faces or drive a car, and there are no public cinemas. If a couple walk down the street together in Riyadh, they will be accosted by the religious police and arrested- if found that they are not married (especially to each other) they can be flogged and jailed.
Or talk about the artist defying the rulers? Like in Saudi Arabia and Egypt where they are forced to be literally public employees, at best court artists?
True, in the Arab world, artists and their rulers engage in a love-fest where they love and admire each other. So do the people: we love and admire our rulers to death, and they love and admire us so much more. Most Arab rulers love their people to death also, literally, to the extent that they are willing to kill many of us, as many as it takes, so that they would not have to part with us. And by talking about loving to death I am not invoking the very wise and very old ages to which almost all Arab rulers cling to power. I assume the ruling mullahs in Iran would go to the same lengths in order not to part from their people. Even Bibi Netanyahu in Israel has compromised so much with the crazies to form his coalition, that he has tied himself into a position that he will never be able to achieve the compromise needed in the West Bank to achieve peace. That much he loves to be near his people. Love is in the air all over the Middle East.
Love: that is why the polygamists marry so many of us, they feel the need to show their love and hence marry as many as they can legally, for love’s sak, and when they reach the limit, they trade in an older model for a new one. They have such big hearts that they wish they can embrace many of us, especially female ones who are not above a certain age.
Al-Masri al Youm started as an independent daily, but it has been moving fast to look like just another Egyptian government media mouthpiece. It is out-Ahraming the government-owned al-Ahram. Or, maybe the writer is cleverly trying to get a subtle message across on conditions in Egypt and other Arab countries regarding freedoms of expression, as well as dress. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, shall we?
Cheers
mhg
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