Egyptian lawyers are up in arms over indecency of the republished version of a classic tale.
The story goes that the brave and wise Scheherazade put a stop to the king’s habit of marrying virgin brides only to kill them the morning after the marriage was consummated.
Scheherazade, the king’s new bride and daughter of his adviser, captured the curiosity of her husband by telling him an intriguing tale every night, but leaving it unfinished. Eager to hear how the tale ended, the king spared his bride’s life.
Scheherazade’s tales are compiled in what is considered one of the world’s seminal classics, Arabian Nights, also known by the title A Thousand and One Nights.
Now, more than twelve centuries after the first collection of the folk tales was published, Scheherazade is again making headlines, this time in modern Egypt.
As Egyptian conservatives attempt to stop publication of a new edition of the classic and take it off the market, Egyptian writers are fighting to preserve free speech. Presumably, the new edition has not been edited as heavily as previous editions, and this unabridged version has made some Egyptians furious.
A group of lawyers have banded together in an effort to block the book’s publication in Egypt, calling the collection indecent. They are launching an obscenity case against cultural officials in Egypt for publishing the new edition.
According to Egyptian law an individual can be fined and sentenced to prison for up to two years for publishing written material or pictures considered indecent.
The lawyers also want to take legal action against Dr. Ahmad Mugahid who heads the cultural authority, and Gamal Al-Ghitani, the editor of the edition.
The lawyers were originally believed to be from an organization called Lawyers Without Restrictions, but the organization posted a statement recently on its website that the appeal was not made on the organization’s behalf, and that not all of those who signed the appeal are members of the organization.
Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosni has spoken against the lawyers, describing A Thousand and One Nights as a part of cultural heritage.
The case is also drawing a strong response from Egyptian writers, who are calling on Egypt to allow the publication of the book. The writers say the republication of A Thousand and One Nights should be welcomed, not boycotted.
They’re arguing that it is a matter of freedom of expression, and stress the importance of maintaining this cultural legacy just as previous generations have done.
“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Dalia Ziada, an Egyptian blogger told The Media Line.
“When I was a kid, my mother bought me the complete series and it was my favorite,” she said.
“During the 1990s we had an annual TV show that was screened on Ramadan every year telling stories from Alf Leila wi Leila [Arabian Nights]. It’s a part of our consciousness and not just a book. Of course, the book is very popular in Egypt and it is sold either in separate chapters or the complete comprehensive version. But the complete version is rare. Republishing it should be a great work that we all should praise and be happy with. Those lawyers who want to confiscate the book are not entitled to do that. What bothered them? Who hired them to play God and decide what people should read and what they should not?”
As Egyptians brace for legislative elections at the end of 2010 and presidential elections next year, politics have permeated many areas, including Scheherazade’s sleeping quarters. The controversy over Arabian Nights marks the latest battle between conservatives and liberals in Egypt over the character of Egypt’s society.
“You’re dealing with a book of literature and you can think it’s good or obscene, but the issue is that politics have seeped into every realm, including culture and literature,” Dr. Maha Azzam, an associate fellow at the Middle Eastern and North African Program of Chatham House told The Media Line.
“There are people with religious inclinations in Egyptian society and on the other hand, those with a secular bend who are vying for influence, whether cultural or political. Each group says it has the right to stress their understanding of a particular issue.”
The case in itself is not very significant, Azzam said, but it has been highlighted because it is a way for Egyptians to vent their political grievances, which they are restricted to do in the current political climate.
“There isn’t a real political arena where they can compete, so cultural issues become more heightened and take on a life of their own because this is an area where they can battle it out,” she explained.
“…a society that is afraid of a story is weak and doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the context of enlightenment and gifts to humanity,” wrote Sa’id A-Shahat in the Egyptian daily Al-Yom A-Sabi.
The lawyers’ argument reflects a “superficial understanding of religion, which leads to an unjustified fear,” continued Shahat.
“A Thousand and One Nights is not responsible for any moral turpitude that has harmed society…whoever wants to read it can and whoever doesn’t want to read it can stay away,” read the Al-Yom A-Sabi article.
Sharif Hafez, an Egyptian liberal and political analyst said the ruling National Democratic Party is trying to show it is more liberal so it probably would not ban A Thousand and One Nights. But if it does, Hafez believes Egyptians will continue to get their daily dose of folklore.
“Any book is available in Egypt,” he said. “But there are two ways of getting them…If the government doesn’t ban it, the book is sold normally. If the book is against Islam or illegal, you can get it on the black market for a higher price and this is good for the publisher because he has a higher profit.”
“The government knows there’s a black market.”