Happy Islamic New Year

The Islamic New Year, also known as Arabic New Year or Hijri New Year is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year 1440. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar

Different Islamic denominations - Shi'a and Sunni - and cultures do different things to mark Muharram. Fasting varies among different Muslim communities. Some Muslims fast on or around the 10th day of Muharram, also known as the Day of Ashura, to mourn the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn ibn Ali. Some mosques have free meals (nazar) around the ninth to 11th days of Muharram.

In Iraq, some Shi'a Muslims make a pilgrimage to the Imam Husayn Shrine, on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn Ali. In Iran, taziya (ta'zieh) or Condolence Theatre are performed. During Muharram, these take the form of re-enactments of the battle of Karbala. In south Asia, similar events are known as such as marsiya, noha and soaz, tabuik or tabut. In Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, they are known as Hosay or Hussay and are attended by people from a variety of religions and cultures.

Shi'a Muslims, particularly those in Afghanistan, Bahrain, India, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan, take part in remembrance parades or matam (matham). During matam, men gather in large groups on the streets to take part in ritual chest beating. Some people also beat themselves with zanjir (metal chains fixed into handles), but this practice is controversial and has been banned by some civic and Islamic authorities.

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Religious Diplomacy - Fez Meeting to Promote Moderate Islam

According to a report carried by Morocco World News, 300 Muslim scholars will meet in Fez to debate issues on promoting moderate Islam

The higher council of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulemas (scholars) will hold a meeting from December 8 to 10 in Morocco’s spiritual capital Fez, bringing together 300 ulemas from all over the continent as part of its religious diplomacy in Africa.

In an official statement released by the foundation, the meeting will be devoted to examining the foundation’s action plan for 2018, as well as to debating major themes such as the values of moderate Islam and the shared African cultural heritage.

This regular session will see the participation of 300 Islamic scholars from 32 African countries where the foundation is represented. More than 80 women will take part of the meeting, 20 of whom are Moroccan.

The work of the Council will bring focus on two axes. The first will concern the adoption of the objectives fixed in article 4 of the Dahir, which are the preservation of the common religious and spiritual constants between Morocco and the African countries, the promotion of the authentic rules of Sharia and the principles of tolerant Islam, the revitalization of the common African Islamic cultural heritage, and the consolidation of the historical relations that bind Morocco to other African countries.

The second axis of this meeting will focus on the examination and voting of the annual draft program for the year 2018 and the process of implementation of the work of the four standing committees in accordance with article 18 of the Dahir, namely the Committee for Scientific and Cultural Activities, the Sharia Studies Committee, the Revitalization of African Islamic Heritage Committee and the Communication, Cooperation and Partnership Committee.

As part of its religious diplomacy in Africa, Morocco continues to promote its moderate version of Islam as a bulwark against extremism and establishes itself as leader, providing training for the hundreds of imams from Africa.

In 2015, Morocco created the religious institute, Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulemas, in order to promote a tolerant Islam and curb the growing threat of terrorism.

The religious institute aims to unite religious scholars and imams of the kingdom with those in other African countries in an effort to serve the interests of Islam. It advocates tolerance and promote research and studies in Islamic thought and culture.

Under the supervision of King Mohammed VI, the institute intends to inculcate the values of moderate Islam as it has always been practiced in Morocco (based on the Ashaari doctrine and the Malikite school of jurisprudence) to the new generations of imams and preachers.

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Date of the Prophet's Birthday Announced

Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi, the date marking the anniversary of the birth of the prophet Mohammed, will be celebrated on Friday, December 1, 2017, according to Morocco's Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs.

The month of Rabie-I 1439 AH begins today (Monday, November 20th). Indeed, the observation of the lunar crescent of the month of Rabie-I 1439 AH was not confirmed until the evening of Saturday 29 Safar 1439 AH corresponding to November 18, 2017, said the department.

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Fez Festival of Sufi Culture - Day Three Review

Click on images to enlarge

The third day of the Sufi Festival started with a wet weather alert. According to some forecasters there is a chance of evening rain on Monday and possibly showers through until Wednesday - no rain appeared, but it was a day with a big surprise

The Round Tables

The round table discussions continued to draw large audiences with well chosen topics and interesting guests.

The first forum discussed the place of Sufism in contemporary Arab culture. An audience member remarked to The View From Fez, that "contemporary Islamic culture" would have been an even broader discussion. But perhaps too wide for a single forum session.

Yet, this was a fascinating discussion, ranging as it did, over contemporary literature, fiction, poetry, song and even contemporary calligraphy.

The audience was thoroughly engaged and gave the speakers warm applause and at times, vocal encouragement!

The audience were animated!

The morning forum

The afternoon forum centred on the interpretation of the Qu'ran from a spiritual perspective. Again, it was a high-powered panel of academics.

The afternoon forum panel

The evening concert

The big surprise of the day was the changing of the venue for the evening concerts. When we approached Festival Director, Faouzi Skali, and suggested that the sight-lines for the concert stage were such that very few people could see anything, he agreed to think about it. Think he did, and he is to be congratulated for rapidly coming up with an elegant solution.

Faouzi Skali acted decisively to change the venue

He moved the venue further down the Jnan Sbil Gardens to a beautiful forested area where all patrons were on the same level and could watch the concerts in comfort.  He also turned it into "theatre in the round" with seats on all sides. Our thanks go to Faouzi for acting so decisively.

The concert was in two parts. The first featured Farida Parveen, the Bangladeshi folk singer who specialises in the songs of Lalon Shah.

Farida Parveen was in fine form and more relaxed than she had been on the opening night where she shared the stage with the samaa singers.  Although seated down on the ground, she filled the stage with her energy and the beauty of her songs.

Her fellow musicians also rose to the occasion, particularly the flautist, who played at times with profound delicacy and at others, like an excited bird on steroids!  The audience loved it.

The second part of the evening brought the first of the Sufi Brotherhoods to the stage -  the Tariqa Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya.

The striking thing about the tariqa that presented tonight was the age of the twelve musicians. They were all young men, and more than that, young men with talent.

The changed venue also provided better sound and the limited and judicious use of echo on the vocals added another dimension to the performance.

For the local people in the audience, this was a familiar and spiritually uplifting treat. For first time visitors it was a revelation that peace and harmony spring from the Sufi sphere.

The Boutchichiyya, - a Sufi tradition in safe younger hands

A little background...
The word tariqa in the name of a group, such as Tariqa Boutchichiyya, literally means ‘the way’. In this context it means the Sufi way, literally a path, a road, which, when applied to Sufism will relate to a specific order, but they think of it as the way to God. A lot of Sufis will say "there are many paths, and this is our path."

Much of what is performed is known as samaà - a form of Sufi music, and the literal translation from Arabic is "audition", or "to listen or to hear", but with spiritual connotations. It also refers to a ritual that takes place in a zawiya, Arabic for the corner of a Sufi house or meeting place, often attached to a Mosque, and which would suggest that the original samaâ used to meet in a corner.

The Brotherhood are a purely vocal group and the Boutichichiyya are blessed with some extraordinary voices. Among the various munshid (soloists) in the group, there were a number of superb singers.

The music differs from most Moroccan forms in that there are interesting hints of the eastern-Arabic macam modal system. At different times different munshid would take solo parts, called mawwal, a form of improvised singing where they use poetry and improvise melodic passages using words that they have written in front of them. All the singers had a great command of the macam and mawwal.

Sufism is very focussed on the prophet Mohammed. Muslims are also, but Sufism tends to prophet centred.

A lot of the poetry in samaâ is about the prophet, for example, al-Burda – the name means 'poem of the mantle' or 'of the cloak'.

The poem was written in the 11th century by Imam al-Busiri and forms part of a vast body of literature in praise of the Prophet that emerged from an Islamic culture where seeking knowledge of him was encouraged.

In writing al-Burda, or Qasida Burda, Imam Al-Busiri acknowledges the shortcomings of describing the Prophet in the poem itself.

He is like the sun,
small to the eye when seen from afar,
But when glimpsed close up.
It dazzles and overwhelms - al-Burda

Tomorow's programme

Tuesday October 17
10h-12h: Round table: "Sufism, art and poetry" - Medersa Bounaniya

16h-18h: Round table: "Sufism and inter-religious dialogue" - Medersa Bounaniya

8 pm: Tariqa Rissouniya - from the Zaouia Rissouniya in Tetouan- Jnan Sbil Park

Text and photographs: Sandy McCutcheon. Additional notes: Philip Murphy Jr and Fitzroy Morrissey

Reviews
Click on links to read a full review of each day

Who are the Sufis?
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight

SEE FULL SUFI FESTIVAL PROGRAMME HERE

The View From Fez is an official Media Partner of the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture

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Ishmael Saidi's "Jihad" play to be performed in Morocco

The play Djihad by Ismaël Saïdi finally arrives in Morocco. Initiated by the French Institute of Morocco as part of its cultural season, the tour is scheduled from 12 to 17 October in El Jadida, Tangier, Rabat and Fez

Ben, Reda and Ismaël are three young people from Brussels who face the idleness of their lives. They decide to travel to Syria to fight alongside the other jihadists. Along the tragicomic journey from Schaerbeek to Homs, passing through Istanbul, they discover the reasons that pushed each of them to leave and face a situation much less idyllic than expected.

Djihad is above all a comedy that deals with the clichés of all religions and breaks the silence on the taboos of each.

"It combines humour, derision and emotion to deal with radicalisation,"s ays the French Institute of Morocco.

The play was declared a "public utility" in Belgium in January 2015. It was also recommended in France by the French Ministry of Education to prevent radicalisation in schools.

"This piece is obviously a self-criticism of the community of which I am a member. The problem of the identity imprint is very important in immigrant communities, whether in Belgium or anywhere else in Europe," says Ismaël Saïdi.

Tour Program
El Jadida: Thursday, October 12 at 7 pm - Portuguese Church
Tangier: Friday, October 13 at 7:30 pm - Salle Beckett of the French Institute of Tangier
Rabat: Saturday 14 October at 8 pm - National Theater Mohammed V
Fez: Tuesday, October 17 at 7 pm - Al Houria Cultural Complex

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This Friday - Have a Happy Islamic New Year 1439!

The Islamic New Year or Hijri New Year (Arabic: رأس السنة الهجرية‎‎ Raʼs al-Sanah al-Hijrīyah) is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar.

The first Islamic year begans in 622 AD with the emigration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. All religious duties, such as prayer, fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage, and the dates of significant events, such as celebration of holy nights and festivals, are calculated according to the lunar calendar.

Morocco's Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs says the new year of Hegira 1439 will be Friday, September 22

To all our readers - Happy New Year!

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Eid El Kebir - September 1st

Eid El Kebir (Eid Al Adha) will be celebrated on Friday 1 September in Morocco. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs

In a statement, the ministry said that the sighting of the lunar crescent announcing the month of Dou Al Hijja in Hegira 1438 was observed on Tuesday evening, August 22. Consequently Eid Al Adha will be celebrated on 10 Dou Hijja 1438 corresponding to 1 September 2017.

So it's a long weekend in Morocco in early September. Also on Tuesday, the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that the salaries of civil servants for the current month will be paid on Friday 25 August 2017, in view of Eid Al Adha.

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International Festival of the Amazigh Culture - Program Update

The International Festival of the Amazigh Culture

13th Edition

Merinides Hotel, Fès

International Festival of Amazigh Culture in Fez July 14-16

Douzi, Senhaji and Tiskat sing love and brotherhood

From 14 to 16 July, the city of Fez will host the thirteenth edition of the International Festival of Culture Amazigh under the theme "Amazighity and cultural diversity confronting extremism". Numerous Moroccan and European artists will take part in this edition, including  Abdelhafid Douzi, the star of classical Amazigh song Hadda Ouakki, Moroccan singer Ibtissam Tiskat, Saïd Senhaji, Aïcha Tachinouite, Hassan El Berkanai, Italian artist Laura Conti, in addition to the star of Flamenco dance Monica Arrabal and other musical and artistic activities.

The forum will provide an opportunity for experts, researchers and civil society actors to discuss current issues related to peace, dialogue and cultural diversity and its role in addressing all forms of extremism, and in the consolidation of democracy, coexistence, tolerance and the culture of solidarity.

At the same time, the festival will organize workshops on storytelling, painting, as well as poetry readings and art exhibitions, and book and carpet exhibits.

During the opening ceremony of the festival, which will take place on Friday 14 July afternoon, a vibrant tribute will be paid to Mr. Mohamed Kabbaj Founding President of the Fez-Sais Association and the Spirit of Fez Foundation, and a tribute will be paid to the thinker Ahmed El Khamlichi, director of Dar Al Hadith Al Hassania, and to the eminent Belgian-Moroccan writer Issa Aït Belize, in recognition of their many praiseworthy contributions to social and cultural development of Morocco. In the evening in Bab Makina, three concerts will be held, including that of Aicha Tachinouite, the Catalan group Monica Arrabal and Said Senhaji.

Many writers, thinkers, and researchers will participate in this great cultural event, namely Jean-Marie Simon, France, Saad Eddine Ibrahim of Egypt, Alfonso de Toro of Germany, Roberto Tonini of Italy, Hubert Haddad of France, Nizar Abdelkader (Lebanon), Michael Willis (Great Britain), Johan Goud (Netherlands), Ahmed Assid, Abdelkader Benali, Mohammed Taifi, Mohammed Nedali (Morocco) and many more!

All in all, this thirteenth edition of the Fez Festival of Amazigh culture will be rich and varied, and a good opportunity for all the young people and the inhabitants of the Fes-Meknes region, to enjoy the highlights of the Festival: debates and music concerts in the heart of the medina of Fez, an imperial and marvellous historical city.

Programme of the Forum

Amazighity and Cultural Diversity Confronting Extremisms

Friday, July 14

17:00:   Arrival of participants

17:30:   Opening of the Forum and the Festival  

             Opening remarks

19:00 Tribute to the Honourable:  Mohammed Kabbaj, Ahmed El Khamlichi, and

           Issa Ait Belize

18: 30   Keynote 1: «The Weaving of languages" (in French)

                                    Hubert Haddad (Writer)

19:20 Reception and a Tour of Expositions

Saturday, July 15

Morning

9:00 – 9:30

Room 1

              Keynote 2:   Criticism of Extreme Reason

                                       Maati  Kabbal (Institute of The Arab World, Paris)

                                         Moderator: Fatima Sadiqi

9 :30 – 10 :30

Room 1

First Session:      Insights on Some Apects of the Amazigh Culture in North Africa

                                  Moderator: Issa Aït Belize

Speakers:  

Jilali Saib (Mohamed V University, Rabat)

Meryam Demnati (Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms, Rabat)

Madina Touré (Nouakchot University, Mauritania)

Slimane Douih (Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez)

10:30 – 11:00 Debate

11:00 – 11:30

              Keynote 3: Enemies, Allies or Competitors? Islamist-Amazigh Movement Relations in Morocco and Algeria

                             Michael J. Willis (Oxford University, United Kingdom)

                               Moderator: Moha Ennaji

11 : 30 – 11 : 50   Coffee break

Room 1

11 : 50 – 12 :50

Second Session : Reflections on the Theories of Cultural Studies and                        

                                  Globalization

                                    Moderator:  Alfonso de Toro

Speakers :  

Mohamed Taifi (University of Virginia, USA)

Issa Aït Belize (Moroccan-Belgian Writer, Brussels)

Bouthaina Ben Kridis (University of Carthage, Tunisia)

Alberto Tonini (University of Florence, Italie)

12: 50 – 13: 15 Debate

15:30 – 16:15  

Room 1

Third Session:          Literature, Art and Cohabitation

Moderator: Mohamed Fousshi

Speakers :

Enza Palamara (François Rabelais University, Tours, France)

Ali Fertahi (Moulay Slimane University, Béni-Mellal)

Juliane Tauchnitz (University of Leipzig, Germany)

16:15 –16 :45  Debate

16 :45 – 17 :15

                              Keynote 4: Alfonso de Toro (University of Leipzig,  

                                                     Germany)                                        

                                           Culture as a Weapon against Extremism

      Moderator : Jilali Saib

17:15 – 18:05   Coffee break

18 :05- 19 :35  

Room 2

Parallel Session: Painting Workshop on "Fighting Extremism"
Hosted by Khadija Madani Alaoui and Tarek Sadki (University of Fez)

18 :05 - 18:50  

Room 1

Fourth Session:   Multiculturalism, Multilingualism and Extremism

                                  Moderator:   Juliane Tauchnitz

Speakers:

Nizar Abdelkader (Lebanon)

Fatima Sadiqi (International Institute for Langues and Cultures, Fez)

Belkacem Boumedini (Mustapha STAMBOULI University, Mascara, Algeria)

Nebia Dadoua Hadria (CRASC. Oran, Algeria)

18:50 -19:20 Debate

Sunday, July 16th

9 :00 – 12 :00

Room 2

Parallel Session: Story-telling Workshop on "Fighting Extremism"
Facilitated by: Jean-Marie Simon (Stories lighter, France and Mohammed El Alami, University of Fez)

Room 1

9 :00 – 10 :00

Fifth Session:   Amazigh, Religion and Democracy

                               Moderator: Meryam Demnati

Speakers:

Johan Goud  (University of Utrecht, Holland)

Yahya Belaskri (France)

Moha Ennaji (International Institute for Langues and Cultures, Fez)

10 :00 – 10:30  Debate

10 :30  - 11 :00

                     Keynote 5: Equality values in Amazigh Culture

                 Ahmed Assid (Amazigh Observatory of Rights and Freedoms, Rabat)

Moderator: Mohamed Nedali

11 :00 – 11:20  Coffee break

11 :20 – 12:35

Sixth Session:     Radicalization of Youth and Extremism

                                Moderator : Nizar Abdelkader

Speakers:

Abdelkader Benali (Moroccan-Dutch writer)

Bruce Maddy-Weitzman (Senior Research Fellow)

Jean-Marie Simon (France)

12:35 - 13: 05   Debate

13: 05 – 13:35   Programmed speech: Saad Eddine Ibrahim (Ibn Khaldoun

                               Center, Egypt)

                              Cultural Diversity in the Middle East and North Africa

                              Moderator: Abdelkader Benali

13:35 – 13:55 Poetry reading: Mohamed Nedali, Bassou Oujebbour, Saida

                           El Kabir, Asmae Belkasmi, Khadija Madani Alaoui

Moderator: Mohammed Moubtassime

13:55      Recommendations and closing

17:00 – 20:00 Guided Tour of the Medina (optional)

MUSICAL CONCERTS IN BAB MAKINA

21:30 - 00:00

Friday, July 14, 2017

- AICHA TACHINOUIT  (Morocco) -  BALLET FLAMENCO MONICA ARRABAL (Spain) - SAID SENHAJI (Morocco)

Saturday, July 15th, 2017

-GROUPE AHIDOUS TAHLA (Morocco) -HASSAN  ELBERKANI (Morocco) - IBTISSAM TISKAT (Morocco)

Sunday, July 16th, 2017

-HADDA OUAKKI (Morocco) - LAURA CONTI (Italy) -ABDELHAFID DOUZI (Morocco)

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