Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra

Equal time for Praha.  And here's the link to their website.

Bratislava Hot Serenaders

Nothing to do with finance or the GCC but brilliant.  Mit "Henry de Winter" und Bobby.  

Here's the link to BHS website.

Hissa Hilal - New Book of Poetry on Divorce and Women's Rights

According to The National Ms. Hilal's new book. Divorce and Kholu’ Poetry: A Reading of the Status of Women in Tribal Society, Nabati Poetry as a Witness, is stirring up a controversy over whether women had more rights in the 1950's than now.

“Ms Hilal wants to show that women have always had the right to voice their opinions about who they wanted to marry,” he said. “It is an important book for the new generation to read.”

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the central thesis in her book, the important point is to get people thinking about the rights of women.

And perhaps then they'll remember women like  نسيبة بنت كعب  Nusaybah Bint Ka'ab and ask what might have happened if at Uhud she decided that "mixing" with men folk was haram.  

Hissa Hilal - Last Poem (7 April 2010)

(Update:  Translation of Poem by The National)

My poems! When your critics seek flaws in you, they will be overwhelmed when they find none.
When you suffer from drought during a summer, I will pour meanings into you until your thirst is quenched.
Defeat fear and conquer every frightening cave.
Do not live life with one eye looking behind.
Any illusion that seeks to find a nest in you, make it fly.
Scare it away from your thoughts and ambitions.

Illuminate and realise your potential, and feel what God has given you.
The feeling of helplessness never helps the weak. If you step back, you will be gone.
For courage, there is a price. O, honest one.
When night and coward people renounce you,
When faint-hearted get scared even from the sound of the bullets,
When rumours increase around you, through genuine verses, you can kill any illusion.
You have come with thought exposing fodder-seekers.

You would think friends will praise you.
Your honesty is itself a slap in the face of all falsehood.
Those who are used to only compliments will be annoyed.
He will get jealous who wags his tail when he sees the bread.
When you prefer to stay hungry out of pride.
He who has no conscience hates you.
In his darkness he is immersed, he does not see your light.
What benefits the scum when standing in your way?

When every free voice remains supportive of you do not fear his snake hiss.
You have a waving wing; you will not be betrayed by your open skies.
Bring the good news to he who wants to be your ally.
When you fly and no one can reach you in the sky.

Hissa Hilal - Not Only #1 at Suq Al Mal

A nice article from The National.

As you'll notice she had the highest marks from the judges but lost two to one in the "popular" vote.

She showed, through her poems, that she is brave. Meeting her in person, she is a very decent woman. People have attacked her for expressing her ideas and views but she stood up for her views.

No two people can disagree that she is an able poet,” Mrs al Ahmadi said. “We knew her poetry, she wrote under the name Rimmia [deer in Arabic]. We are familiar with her talent.”

Million's Poet Final: Hissa Hilal in Third Place

Tonight marked the final competition in the Million's Poet 2010 contest.  

Nasser AlAjami of Kuwait is the Million's Poet for 2010 with 67 points (out of 100).

Falah Al Mowraqi of Kuwait second with 63 points.

Hissa Hilal third with 62.

Or one can look at it another way, Hissa came ahead of 44 other poets.

Either way you look at it is a remarkable achievement.

She was born to a bedouin family.  Discouraged from pursuing poetry by her parents.  Raised in a society that has confused tribal taqlid from the Jahiliyya with a noble religion.  A society in which a 43 year old mother of two  needs her husband or her brother's permission to get a passport.  And their permission and presence to travel.

Yet she persevered.

And came in third in a field traditionally dominated by men.

But beyond the prize the more important thing is really the message.  The content.  Not the banner that one is given.  And she acquitted herself quite nicely.

I also found her quite an appealing sort of person.  

In the early episodes of the contest she was quite clearly nervous.  Having been kept down for so long, it must have been daunting to go out in front of such a large audience, including members of the royal family of Abu Dhabi, noted poets among the judges as well as tens of millions of TV viewers.  

There are also a couple of interviews with her on You Tube and she seems a down to earth sort of person.  Direct in her response to questions.  And displaying a flinty spine of steel on some issues.

Hissa Hilal - Video of Poem on Fatwas and Religious Extremism (with Translation)

Here's a link to the poem at The National.  With translation via subtitles.

This is not from the actual contest.

Here's a YouTube link to the contest.  She begins by saying that the topic of her poem requires a lot of courage to talk about.  That many are silent.

And here's her poem about the media.  In the first bit (till about 1:20) she's reciting a poem to Shaykh Muhammad Bin Zayed.   It's customary for the poet to honor the host with a couple of verses.

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal".

Hissa Hilal - Poem on Fatwas and Intolerance

شفت شر يتوايق من عيون الفتاوي ... في زمانٍ حلاله ملقحينه حرام ..
عن وجوه الحقايق لارفعت الغطاوي  ..  بان مسخٍ تخفى تحت ستر اللثام ..
وحشي الفكر ساخط بربريٍ عماوي ..لابس الموت لبس وشد فوقه حزام ..
في حزوم السياسة يرعب الناس عاوي ... يفترس كل نفسٍ طامحة للسلام..
لاذ صوت الحقيقة وانزوى الحق ثاوي ... يوم عند المصالح ذل حر الكلام ..
أمتي لاغديتي بين عاوي وهاوي ... كن عيني تشوفك في شعيب الظلام ..
لا تشبين نار ولا حميتي جلاوي ... ملبدة ما رفعتي بالمواجيب هام ..
بين قومٍ مخيفه مابها حي ياوي ... ما بها إلا ضواري قضمها بالعظام ..
أنتي القصعه اللي تشبعين المقاوي ... كل جارح وضاري فيك يلقى طعام ..
يوم طاوي محبك بالهفا كل طاوي ... فيك ألذ الولايم لـ المنافق تقام ..
هاب راع البعير وذل ولد الشواوي ... جالبك كل جالب يوم سايمك سام ..
آه يا طول ضيمك يا جزور الشفاوي ... يوم الأسحم يقودك لأبرقٍ بالخطام ..
بالجراب المصرصر غاية لكل حاوي ... حيث رقط النوايا لاويه بالهمام ..
نزلوا سهمك اللي ياكلون الرشاوي ... وسط سوق السياسة لين عود حطام ..
كم محبٍ ومخلص لو يزج النخاوي .. عند عينك تغطرس قل شوفك وشام ..
يجي يومٍ يبين فيه صدق الهواوي .. لا بجد كل خاين في نهار الزحام ..

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal".     

Hissa Hilal Speaks - A Powerful Voice

More on her life story.   Here.

Sometimes the human spirit triumphs over oppression.   Often it does not.

How many bright minds and great talents have been stifled by the Jahiliyya posing as Islam?

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

Hissa Hilal - Million's Poet Update - Wednesday's Competition Deferred to 7 April

 

In case you're wondering about the results of last night's competition and the fate of Hissa Hilal.  The competition was postponed out of respect for the passing of Shaykh Ahmed, the brother of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.  

I understand 7 April is the new date.

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

More Coverage of Hissa Hilal

This from The National Abu Dhabi.

Sort of breaks the Western stereotype about Muslim women.

I particularly like this quote.

Covering my face is not because I am afraid of people. We live in a tribal society and otherwise my husband, my brother will be criticised by other men,” she said.

“I know they love me and they support me. It’s a big sacrifice for them in such a society to let me go to the TV and talk to the media. I am hoping my daughters won’t have to cover their faces and they’ll live a better life.”

Sister Hissa nailed it.

The niqab is tribal taqlid from the Jahiliyya.

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

Hissa Hilal: Update from 25 March Final in Million's Poet

So how did Hissa do in yesterday's competition?

Here's Bader Asman's report on the Million's Poet website.   The article is worth a read as it gives some background on the competition, the judges' analysis of the poems, and some additional information, including a trip the contestants took to Abu Tinah Island - which Abu Dhabi is promoting as one of the wonders of the world..  

This show is fairly popular.   Imagine, if you can,  an "American Idol style show"  except in this one the contestants recite classical poetry.  Nabati poetry.  Here's a webpage of a rather prolific Nabati poet from the UAE with an explanation of the genre as well as some of his poems..

Some background on scoring.  The judges will award 60 points and the public's vote will be translated into another 40 points.  

The judge's points are awarded in two stages.  30 yesterday and 30 next week Wednesday at the final session when the winner will be announced.  Public voting continues until the end of next week's final program.

The five finalist poets will then be ranked according to their total scores with the first place winner receiving AED 5 million, the second place winner AED 4 million and so on.

Here are the results for Wednesday's program:

1. Hissa Hilal (Saudi Arabia) - 28 out of 30 points for her poem on the media.  She described it as a device which spreads both good and bad news, praised the "enlightened" press for battling censorship and evil, and commended those journalists who gave their lives to achieve these ends.
2. Sultan AlAsaymar (Kuwait) - 28 out of 30 for his poem on terrorism.  Reportedly the images were powerful and direct.  The terrorist is ready to act even if it means destroying the smile of a child.  The terrorist has a cancer of the mind and no real homeland. 
3. Fallah AlMoragi (Kuwait) - 27 out of 30 for his poem on the Arabian Gulf (peoples, history, geography).
4. Jazaa al Boqami (Saudi Arabia) - 26 out of 30 for his poem on women.  Woman, a magical creature who though she faces ignorance and oppression, does not lose her inner essence.
5. Nasser al Ajmi (Kuwait) - 26 out of 30 for his poem praising the bravery and loyalty of soldiers defending their country. 

 At this point, Hissa is in the lead though I think the outcome is still far from certain. 

Next week Wednesday each of the five remaining contestants is to recite a poem they believe is the most beautiful written (outside of this contest).  The only constraint is that it cannot exceed 20 "bayts" (verses).  It can be an old poem or a new poem.  And apparently must be by someone other than the contestant.

The winner of the previous year's contest (Million's Poet 2009) has the right to defend his title as Million's Poet against this year's winner.  Ziyad Bin Hijab Bin Nahayt from Saudi Arabia who won the honors in 2009 has decided not to.  So one of the five contestants will be the Million's Poet for 2010.

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

Additional Details on Hissa Hilal

Copyright Gulf News Dubai

Here's a bit more on the story of this remarkable woman from Dubai's Gulf News.

Wednesday 24 March is the final round in the Million's Poet Contest.   The winner will be announced a week later.

And some more information from AlWatan and AlRiyadh Newspapers in Saudi Arabia.

His some biographical data.  She's in her forties, married and the mother of a number of children.  Number unspecified here but GN says four.  She uses the name "Rimiya" and has been a popular (in the sense of peoples' as opposed to elite) poet for over 20 years.  The GN says she was editor of poetry at AlHayat, a pan Arabic newspaper (owned by Saudi interests).   So all this talk of her being a housewife ignores her career.

She has said that both she and her family were frightened by the threats against her.  Her family has advised her to steer clear of topics such as "mixing" of the sexes, vote for women, and religious extremism.  She made the point that her poem was about the latter - not Ikhilat (mixing), though she did note that she did not agree with Shaykh AlBarrak's fatwa as mixing in the workplace was a necessity of life.  As a side note, Shaykh AlBarrak appears to have clarified his fatwa to mean unsupervised "mixing" - which would not include mixed classes at the university or at the workplace.

For those who criticized her for reciting poetry in public, she cited two examples.  Aisha Bint Talha who was a noted poet and was married to four of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWAWS).  This is not the Aisha who was married to the Prophet (SAAWS).  And AlKhansa'a.

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal". 

Hissa Hilal: Her Brave Face Obscured But Her Honest Voice Heard

Copyright The National Abu Dbabi

Here's the article from The National with a translation of her poem.  So far I have been unable to find a copy of the Arabic or another English translation.

Her brave face may obscured by the survival of taqlid min al Jahiliyya,  but her honest voice has not been silenced.

Good luck in the finals.  

All posts on Hissa now have the label "Hissa Hilal".  

كوكب الشرق

 

Copyright Blago Tebi - Creative Commons License

هذا هو اليوم الذي فيه توفي الموسيقى 3 فبراير 1975

 ذكرى فاطمة ابراهيم البلطجي

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

رجعوني صوتك لأيامي اللي راحوا
علموني أندم على الماضي وجراحه
اللي سمعته قبل ما تسمعك اذنيه 
عمر ضايع يحسبوه إزاي عليّ
انت عمري اللي ابتدي بنورك صباحه
قد ايه من عمري قبلك راح وعدّى
يا حبيبي قد ايه من عمري راح
ولا شاف القلب قبلك فرحة واحدة

The National Newspaper Abu Dhabi "Beauty Queen Dazzles the Judges"

 Copyright The National Abu Dhabi

A long, slender neck, full lips, a well-shaped nose and long legs – Ruwayda had all that, and then some.

Sporting long, curly lashes, a full hump and even spacing between her toes, the one-year-old purebred Omani Asayel finished first in the beauty pageant at the Al Dhafra Camel Festival which began yesterday.

I just couldn't resist.  The article not the camel.

Cast A Cold Eye

Interesting Blog: The Boursa Exchange

Today's feature The Boursa Exchange, a blog on life in downtown Cairo. 

You might wonder why the plug here as it apparently has nothing to do with finance or the GCC.   Well, it has some very interesting posts.  And Cairo is one of the great cities in the world.  And this is my blog.  There is also a link, however tenuous to finance, the blog does take its name from the area where the Cairo Stock Exchange is located

As befits a country with Egypt's history, Cairo has a veritable treasure trove of buildings and neighborhoods - different periods, different styles ...

There's a neat book by Samir W Raafat "Cairo the Glory Years", which focuses on the modern European inspired architecture.  Sadly, it seems a lot of these gems are suffering from lack of proper attention. 

On the other hand, there are some new triumphs - the gisr "gamila" fouq 26th July Street in Zamalek.  And, of course, the Burg Al 'Ayb.  Or is that Burg Al 'Aar?  Shukran gazilan, Ustath Khalid!  

A Man's A Man

St. Michael's Cemetery, Dumfries Scotland.