Religion, Politics and the Revolution in African-Arabic Drama

The revolution and mass protest that hugs the peoples of the African-Arabic origin has provoked many questions, the most still begging for answers, about the social issues that overcrowd the Afro-Arabian minds. Whilst the peoples have largely depend on religion to soothe the suppression of their inner-spirit, potentates on the political aqua have used it to give legitimacy to their continuous stay in power amidst hardship, suppression, and a climate of fear which the rulers have created. However, in 2011 in Tunisia, the self-incineration of Mohammed Bouazizi opened another chapter in the meddling of religion and politics. The role of religion was given another function. it became a tool for the mass mobilization against the ruling political class and attempts to engage the dialectics between the ruled and the ruler and the conqueror and the conquered. All these and more is described in the characterizations and deep contents in THE SULTAN'S DILEMMA and FATE OF A COCKROACH, two important works of Tewfiq al-Hakim worthy of study especially in understanding the revolution in the region and a beautiful mirror in addressing the sociopolitical issues that beset the Afro-Arabian minds.

Autorentext

Ihidero V. Osae is a dramaturg and a researcher with a bias for drama and intercultural encounters. He studied Theatre Arts and Theatre and Performing Arts at the University of Benin and Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. He is currently researching on viable methodology of using the theatre to address developmental and cross-national challenges.