Iqbal Tamimi – Arabic Drama, politics and Palestine at Ramadan
By Mary Rizzo • Aug 26th, 2009 at 21:18 • Category: Culture and Heritage, Features, Iqbal's Choice, Newswire, Palestine, Religion, Uprooted Palestinians' Testimonies
Ramadan in the Arab World is connected with many things in my memory, but most of all the relationship that is growing even stronger between the people and their television sets.
As we used to fast when we were young, we did not think a great deal of the deep meanings of fasting, we only felt that we are getting stronger, we felt like heroes being able to defeat our own temptations and weaknesses, fighting our battles against dribbling mouths when we used to bring our noses as close as we could to a big bowl of desert in the fridge without sinking in, especially in a weather that was boiling hot, almost like being smacked by a whip of fire through a window overlooking hell.
Of course we needed to watch TV to keep us occupied. I used to watch the English version of Sesame Street and I envied the Cookie Monster while the clock was ticking away the moments until we heard the loudspeakers from the mosques declaring that it is time to dig in, drink and eat whatever we wanted. We thanked God that we were not one of the many poor people around the world who have nothing to eat all year round. We knew that hunger and deprivation are the enemies that we should fight and defeat when we grow older.
Writing a couple of weeks ago about the top Syrian actor Duraid Laham and his seasonal work for Ramadan, triggered my appetite to write about an important aspect very closely connected with Ramadan, though it has nothing to do with fasting, faith, or any other form of religious rituals.
Anyone who lived long enough in the Middle East would have noticed that people get glued to their TV sets in Ramadan. Ramadan turned to be the season of drama and entertainment on TV channels. Most television channels compete to steal the time of the Muslims who are supposed to be offering more of their time for worship and charity work, but since I worked a significant time of my life in TV stations, I felt the need to vent some of my bottled views before my memories go frothy.
Ramadan is the month most production companies get geared for all year round, the majority of satellite channels will never release their best production of Drama but during this month, after all, it is the only time of the year all members of all families follow the same routine of eating their meal at almost the same second in each city, and most of them do that while watching TV.
Ramadan has turned out to be a month of trade, entertainment and consumerism, even though we are supposed to consume much less than any other time of the year, since we are not eating 3 meals a day, and supposed to share what we have with the needy, but quite the opposite happens. People stand in long queues to buy things normally they do not need, and in amounts that looks like we are going to be struck with a famine, or subjected to a nuclear attack and might starve to death while in hiding for the rest of our lives.
Shopping for dates, juices, meats, sweets, disposable cups, new utensils and everything that can go down the pipes is accompanied with entertainment to make such experience a memorable one. Entertainment on TV screens in Ramadan is a completion and a race because the revenues of advertising rise like no other time of the year, promoting things that we have already bought, and hypnotizing us to think that we still need to buy some more to stay alive otherwise we will collapse out of sheer depravation.
Getting ready for Ramadan starts in the Arab world in fields of entertainment through the silver screen, everyone in the media market rolls up his sleeves, writing sarcastic scripts, historic or hysteric 30 episode series since Ramadan is almost 30 days, and fishing for new faces to play the new soup operas and dramas, and many cooking shows.
Dramas on TV during Ramadan are almost a racing competition between two leading countries in this field, Egypt and Syria. Egypt is known for producing social drama, while Syria is in the lead of documenting historical drama. The social drama in Egypt does not need a great deal of financing, most of the work can be made on comparatively limited budgets, the story can be written easily about everyday life, and the locations of shooting are usually indoors in an apartment. Studios are where most of the activities go. The costumes cost is minimum; no research is needed as such for most aspects. Unlike the Syrian drama that costs a great deal, since in general its arguments are subjects of the past, and talks about important turning points of history, thus lots of research goes into documents, costumes, antiques, horses, locations and huge numbers of actors involved every year.
In general Syrian drama comes at the lead regarding the amount of work documenting the Palestinian plight and the suffering of the Palestinian refugees. One of its best dramas aired in the past Ramadan was ‘Altaghreebeh Alfalasteeneyeh’ or the Palestinian Exodus, starring Jamal Suleiman (in the photo with the author) and Khalid Taja from Syria and Juliet Awwad from Jordan and a long list of leading actors and actresses.
Syria remained the strong guard and protector of Arabic literature, language and theatrical traditions, while the language of other works of the Arab world’s productions has been deformed beyond recognition.
The society has changed even in Syria, but it is still the only country whose drama offers us the chance every Ramadan to have a little peek into the past, to experience what being colonized was like, and how women used to be totally isolated from men, and how the structure of the family was different, and how responsibilities were distributed. The competition in the field of drama in Ramadan sometimes develops into diplomatic tension, it touches certain spots of pain of our fading history.
The main characteristic difference between both dramas is that the Syrian drama is almost always highlighting the collective efforts; the hero is the nation or the group, unlike championship in Egyptian drama that is claimed by individuals. Every successful Syrian drama reflects every participant as a star or a hero regardless of how humble the role is, because the work itself is gigantic, as a collective championship. The Egyptian drama on the other hand is characterized by a leading role for a leading actor or actress, and should there be two actresses in the lead, it is inevitable that interruptions of work would happen and debates are published regarding whose name should appear on the top.
The Syrian individual is far from wanting to be the ultimate hero in drama or politics. In any Syrian drama one can be very lucky to see tens of leading actors, iconic figures playing different roles.
The dramas from Jordan, the Gulf countries and the North Africa come in second place.
The Jordanian drama is almost unique in being the first in the Arab world to focus on the Bedouins’ society, culture, and their rich content of oral literature and history. This kind of drama proved very successful in the Gulf region and Iraq, it reminds the people in the Gulf of a few years back before the oil messed up their serene environment, and before the skyscrapers out shadowed their kind, caring neighbourhoods, and before being invaded by hundreds of foreign imported lifestyles that made them feel like a minority in their own home countries. The drama production in the Gulf is comparatively new, it is almost their own taste, and not as widely circulated as Egyptian or Syrian dramas which are considered easier to understand because of the Egyptian and Syrian simple dialects all Arab countries got used to. On the other hand, North African drama (Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia) have difficult dialects to understand, this discouraged many TV channels from buying their works. All the previously mentioned, besides other factors, lead TV channels to adopt exclusivity and selectivity policies.
But some privately owned satellite stations take advantage during the holy month of Ramadan to promote what can be described as non modest line of production to satisfy the taste of some and fill a certain gap, while other satellites, mainly state owned, have to put their brakes on as a sign of respect of the fasting viewers and the holy month. This of course attracts different lines of advertising.
In general the majority repent partially then the minute Ramadan starts packing its bag, all absurdity and sluggish production comes back on the screens in a flash.
And since TV production is a business, those who claim to be pious start to work on faith related programmes, some investors have both kinds of channels; the ones that sell viewing time using women’s bodies, and the ones that promise the viewers paradise in the afterlife where they can enjoy equally beautiful women. Women are in the mind of the producers, regardless of the media season. Some might wonder why an investor in low standards content of entertainment would want to invest in an Islamic channel. I would say that some hope to be forgiven for the junk they have been producing all year round, it is somehow like feeding the poor a piece of bread, hoping to be forgiven for eating pork…doing some good hoping to mask the bad. Some even think that the Almighty does not know how to handle their tax books. More like spraying the skunk with some cheap perfume.
Ramadan is also the season of polishing the images of some Sheikhs of Fatwa, they are invited like movie or entertainment stars, some Sheiks even have their own fans, but of course they appear on their own kind of religious channels.
The funny thing is, some TV satellite investors find it more economical to mix both lines. One minute you have a religious program aired with someone preaching until you are convinced that you are so corrupt and guilty deep down to your bones that you are going right away to hell before even being given the chance to change your pyjamas, the other minute the programme is followed by a video clip or an interview with one of the so many so-called female artists who believe deeply in the mission of economising, since they wear only the minimum size of hugging outfits, which might shrink even further during the interview. Many of them strive hard to stretch the hem over their thighs or cleavages while mentioning God repeatedly and talking about how blessed they are that God helped them swarm well while they perform their belly dance, even though many do not even know the difference between dance and stomach ache.
The thing is…some of those entertainers can’t stay away from the glamour of the screen, they have to appear on the screen for one reason or another, a month is too long a period to be deprived of lights, and surprise… surprise… they are invited to appear as guests of talk shows to teach us about our faith and talk to us about manners and how we can develop and better ourselves, and of course to fit in with the Ramadan spirit they would thank God for being able to be good belly dancers.
The majority evade talking about the occupation in Palestine, or what is happening in Iraq. They are great spirits; very sensitive souls that they do not want to ruin the appetite of the good audience, that they sedate their conscious before coming to the studios.
The historic dramas in general are not about our present struggles in Palestine or Iraq; such issues are not encouraged because they might lead the viewers to question present time corruption. The investors also know that they should be on the safe side to get the work accredited by the largest number of censorship committees in the Arab world and to be able to sell the product. Hence the drama is manipulated and dwarfed and deformed to portray what can be described as manhood stands… showing local fights in the streets, and howling males to gather the gang of friends or tribe members to protect the honour of someone’s sister because she looked out of a window, or was seen talking to a boy.
In the midst of the time Iraq was torn apart and was bleeding to death, we have been introduced to the new budding stars of Iraqi refugees on TV, who are on their way to stardom through shows and competitions of talents. No one should complain that Arab satellites do not care about Iraq; here we are bringing you the most beautiful Iraqi young girls to entertain you. The Iraqis are doing fine. The Palestinians are living a normal life too, the Gaza people are fasting all year round, and fasting is good for their health. No one dares to say that they are fasting all year round against their will.
Mary Rizzo is an art restorer, translator and writer living in Italy. Editor and co-founder of Palestine Think Tank, co-founder of Tlaxcala translations collective. Her personal blog is Peacepalestine.
Email this author | All posts by Mary Rizzo
(obviously, Iqbal's the author, not me!) but as site regulars know, there is a glitch that when something goes in this category, I am the only author allowed to be inserted down here… that will change when this moves into a different category!
I love this piece, it is really fascinating and I have learned a lot about the various countries and the way they represent themselves through the TV. Thanks to Iqbal for explaining how it all works in the media and TV world, and with a lot of humour too!
[...] from: Iqbal Tamimi – Arabic Drama, politics and Palestine at Ramadan … Share and [...]
[...] more here: Iqbal Tamimi – Arabic Drama, politics and Palestine at Ramadan … Share and [...]
[...] Iqbal Tamimi – Arabic Drama, politics and Palestine at Ramadan … Share and [...]
[...] fighting our battles against dribbling mouths when we used to bring our noses as close as we coul click for more var _wh = ((document.location.protocol=='https:') ? "https://sec1.woopra.com" : [...]
Thank you Iqbal for this piece, you have said what has been on many minds. They have turned the holy month of Ramadan to a commercial extravaganza, my family and I have to look for religious show or a historical drama that can help you learn something and not just a form of entertainment from tens of shows.
Another thing that has been on my mind is how the month of mercy has no mercy in it from those stealing traders and food sellers, the food becomes 3 times its price! Ya Allah! Anyhow, here people refused to buy vegetables these first few days causing a loss for the traders forcing them to reduce the prices. People can do a lot to better their conditions but there has to be the will to do it and stop being so nonchalant about it.
Hi Mary! Hope you are well :)
[...] I wanted to share this article for it has a critical tone of one of the problems facing the Arab world, in which people are distracted from improving their conditions by mostly absurd TV programs. More importantly people are taken away from the right path and taking advantage of Ramadan to reform the self and actually do something good for their afterlife. by Iqbal Tamimi, Palestinian think tank [...]
@realistic bird – Hello my dearest! I hope you are doing well! I'm well, but very busy, (and made the zucchini cake again, still have to check out your recipe, in the meantime, ate all the raspberries because there was no chocolate in the house!) I am sorry to be talking about food now. (forgive me!) I was telling Iqbal just yesterday that I so admire people who are able to do the fast. It takes a lot of strength to do it, and it is so admirable.
It's true the world over, right around a holiday, the shops and mass media turn it into consumer extravaganzas. There is a charlie Brown cartoon from my childhood, where Charlie (a very mild-mannered and sweet boy) all of a sudden shouts out , "is there ANYONE who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" I have to find the clip of this, it always makes me cry… and linus says what it is, the story behind it, and there is a transformation of the group of people, all of a sudden, they realise they were obsessed with the surface things and forgot what the whole meaning was. In my family, it became something of a joke when we were frazzled with shopping, cooking cards, decorating… we have to remind ourselves what the whole point is!
I got so much out of reading this article. I can't thank Iqbal enough for her work of entertaining and educating. I wish that people could use these moments provided to reflect on things (as well as being together).
(let me see if i find that link to the clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA
Thank you Iqbal. Im impressed by the way you managed to bring up this important subject in such a elegant matter. Had i written an article dealing with the arabic tv and all the hypocrisy, double standards and filth in it, it would have been written in a very very angry way im sure.
I never watch arabic tv, it is so annoying and pathetic with the exception of some news broadcasts (and perhaps bab el 7ara allthough i dont follow it).
Ramadan is a month for ibadah, not for being a tool for the corrupted rich arab elite that need the avergage people like us to watch whatever they spit out for us.
And Its disgusting how during Ramadan, some arab countries (the rulers that is) choose to act religious by banning this and that and then after ramadan ends, those haram things that were banned becomes legal again as if they are only haram during ramadan, oh and how the newspapers and state owned tv show the corrupted rulers doing 3omra expecting the viewers to be convinced of how great a muslim that ruler is when the law he rules with it is corrupted, opressive and non-islamic and how his foreign politics is causing harm to people, yet none of that is supposed to be seen by the average muslim, all we need to see is how the corrupted ruler does 3omra or prays in front of the camera, then we are supposed to sit in front of the tv eating all those things their commercials want us to buy and watch show after show ignoring praying the tarawih and reading quran – that is the ramadan designed for arabs by their ruling elite. The smart arab is the one that reject their plan. Arab tv deliberatly corrupt arabs without majority of the masses realizing it but hey if the arab masses are busy worrying about what happened on musalsal this and that then they wont bother noticing how messed up the arab world is with these corrupted leaders that have their picture hung up in every street and corner….. la 7awla wa la qowwa illa billah.
Indeed, this reminds me to of how Christmas has become so commercialized. But even starting back in the pious European Middle Ages, it was thus, with ribald vendors hawking their stuffs and wares to the churchgoing masses on their way to worship.
Money and sex, the two universal impulses. Religious holidays and organized religion are supposed to be an expression of rising above these base animal instincts, if only temporarily. But money worship, modernity and materialism are reducing us all to full time animals. Some see this as a good thing and encourage it along.
These can hardly complain, then, when they themselves end up in cattle cars bound for slaughter for getting in the way of the materialist “progress” and "welfare" of the general public. A general climate of hedonism and nihilism ultimately consumes everyone, including those who encourage it out of vanity, ideology, or personal profit.
[...] Iqbal Tamimi – Arabic Drama, politics and Palestine at Ramadan | Palestine Think Tank palestinethinktank.com/2009/08/26/iqbal-tamimi-arabic-drama-politics-and-palestine-at-ramadan – view page – cached Ramadan in the Arab World is connected with many things in my memory, but most of all the relationship that is growing even stronger between the people and — From the page [...]
@Mary Rizzo –
Good to know you are well. :) no problem about the food haha when you are fasting one gets more inventive with food, it clears the mind. I'm not sure if someone else feels this way but even though being summer and all when you are fasting there is a sense of calmness that comes over you and your body is more alert, sometimes food is overrated lol.
Must be a great recipe I have to look for zucchini now :D
What is more annoying is that people want to worship in this month but what they are given by TV is useless in that department though no one needs TV in that way really.
I know Charlie! That is so cute, we always need to be reminded of the important things…there is too many things in this life that sidetrack you. Thanks for the video.
@realistic bird – If you were closeby, I'd bring you a crate of zucchinis! But alas, I think I've made the last cake, there has been no rain here for a few weeks, and given a heavy work load, wasn't able to make it out there in the past 10 days and tend my garden and my husband told me the plants are all dead except for one! It's a pity, but we got more than we ever bargained for as it is! The recipe really is worth it though! All the guests and friends could NOT detect the enormous quantity of zucchini in it.. one asked, well why put it in if you can't taste it? Good question, but it wouldn't be a zucchini cake then, would it!?
Agreed that one doesn't need the TV to help them worship, but given all the religious programmes I see on satellite (most of them are the same, but with different dubbing) I suspect that for a lot of people it is a natural combination. I do have to say that last year i watched a Coptic mass on TV (I restore art, so the icons were what attracted me!) and it was actually very appealing. But, I suppose that's not what you intended. by the way, i loved the artwork you put with this article on one of your sites! excellent!
@Mary Rizzo –
Lol thank you, my sister would go crazy if we got any more crates of anything…the man with the cheese I told you about earlier got us olive oil this time, it seems he wanted to bring cheese but my brother implored him not to :X
Ah sorry to hear about your plants. Good point about the zucchini in the cake! Just tell him it is good for him :D
Yes of course there is a lot to learn if the programs are proper but I meant within the spirit of Ramadan there is alot a person could do with no need for TV, like read the Qur'an, make supplication, prayer, etc.
Yeah I saw many caricatures about Ramadan and TV but that was the most symbolic.