By Salim El Fayda
Casablanca - The lifelong, deadly battle between religion and art takes innocent lives and destroys many others. The nearsighted and wrong conception of art’s noble message has doomed its existence.
Today, artists’ lives are sacrificed in the name of religion because they refuse to concede and please the religious and political audience. To better put it, their refusal is backed by the conviction that sacrificing art means the loss not only of oneself, but also the truth.
But why do they hate art? Egytian theologian Nasr Hamed Abou Zaid asks, "Why are preachers who point do’s and don’ts so dreaded by the idea of art and try to suppress it? Art is the land of freedom. When societies are persecuted, art pays the price." The answer to this question requires a deep intellectual search in the religious mindset, which ties people throughout history to different metaphysical notions that vary from one religion to another.
Religion uses its tools to create an inner tumult in humans and attaches them to a world "up there" where everything is allowed, including art. The story behind this hatred is that art takes its audience into a nirvana that even religion cannot transcend. The reason why religion started a war against art and artists is the fact that art became its threatening competitor. It is a war for which the religious mindset prepares its arsenal to justify its deeds and convictions towards creative art.
Another pretext behind this religious assault on art is because it is considered a reminder of life’s temptations. According to religion, art is an open invitation to enjoy life, while the mission of man on earth is to worship and prepare for the hereafter.
Nasr Hamid Abou Zaid once stated, "The everlasting religious prohibition of art remained a divine abstract debate. Many cultures throughout history have celebrated rituals using artistic and literary expressions. Most of the prohibitive speeches have based their arguments on the prohibition of poetry in the Quran." There is no denying what Abou Zaid said, since books of ancient and modern history have confirmed executions and holocausts that targeted art and artists.
There is, however, an interesting point that surfaces in Abou Zaid’s quote. He highlights the use of art to serve religious purposes and its important role in promoting heathen and Abrahamic religious thoughts. For instance, artists include religious content in their works to serve the church’s agendas. In Islam, the Quranic calligraphy and innovative recitations of verses, as well as the Islamic architecture that has resisted aging throughout history, all confirm the utility of art in spreading the religious message.
But what kind of art is that? Certainly it is one that serves religious purposes. Based on this, thorns and obstacles are thrown in the path of art that does not blow in their direction. According to them, artists are immature, so they should be denied the right to freedom of speech through painting, singing, dancing, and more.
The Arab world is in dire need for this kind of debate. Jeopardizing the freedom of thought and the assassination of freedom of speech has shrunk the already tight space left for artists. During the growing fist of moderate and extremist Islamic politics, freedom is rejected through the shield of religion. We desperately need art to defend life, freedom, justice, the common wealfare, and beauty.
This article was originally published on MWN Arabic and translated into English by Mona Badri
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