Every now and then an Arab or a Muslim
writer attains fame and recognition in the West for excellence in the field
Literature (short story, novel, poetry…etc) and some even win the Nobel Prize.
This means that those Muslim or Arab writers who are well versed in the
European languages are intelligent and even brilliant people, because they were
able to compete with the natives of European languages. This supposition
becomes more evident when we compare the Arab Muslims with the Orientalists
whose field of study has existed for hundreds of years. This comparison shows
the number of European who mastered Arabic and other Muslim languages is very
much in favor of the Arab Muslims.
But the more important question still
remains to be asked: what are the criteria used tin giving these prizes? Why
should the Europeans give these prizes to Arab Muslims writers and deprive
their own natives who share the same faith and culture?
From previous knowledge of these
prizes it seems that they are given to Arab Muslim writers who discuss Muslim
societies from within since they are more apt to understand their special
features and characteristics from westernized perspective. Such writers must
ridicule Islamic ways of living that are based on Islamic faith and creed.
There are many such examples, one of which is the late Algerian Katib Yasin who
professed communism.
The latest of these prizes is the
“Arliti” Prize given to the Algerian writer Fatimah Galier who writes in French
while Algerian born and lives between the two countries: Algeria and France.
“Fatima writes about The Maghribian societies with all their limitations and
prohibitions” as relayed by Al-Sharq Al-wsat columnist Abdullah Bajubair.
Would Fatimah have won the prize if
she wrote on the positive and negative sides of these societies or if she wrote
about the advantages or assets of the Islamic societies in general or in
particular the Magribi societies?
Bajubair added that Fatimah has
attracted the critiques by the themes she deals with, such as in her play:”Oh…I
have come.” Which deals with religious fantacism or radicalism. This theme has
been very attractive to Westerners whether they are literary critiques,
academics, journalists or politicians.
Though what Fatimah wrote about
religious radicalism in the Maghribian countries has been published only in
French, she could not have said anything different from what has already been
said. The Western media calls the Islamic resurgence by names, which carry
negative connotations in the Western thinking such Fundamentalism or
radicalism. This media goes further to describe the members of the Islamic
movements as psychologically unstable, irrational and they are enemies of
secularism and modernism.
Let the French or European give their
prizes to whomever they wish, but we must not be deceived about these
prizewinners and their views of Islam and Muslim societies.
France has been the leading country in
giving these prizes, because it seems that the French imitate the Greek
colonization, which was known for forcing upon the colonized nations Greek
language and culture. Therefore, these prizes are intended to keep the bonds
with the ex-colonized nations and to strengthen the ties with France “ the
mother”.
Should we congratulate those winners
or should we convey our condolences for loosing their identity and weakening
their bond with their own religion and nation?
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