Two of the greatest living Arab writers meet on stage together for the first time, Syrian Adonis and Libyan Ibrahim Al-Koni, in this video about poetry, Sufism and the changes happening in the wake of the Arab spring.
“If you see a scholar calling by the Sultan’s door – then know he is a thief.” In August 2011, the two renowned Arab writers Adonis and Ibrahim Al-Koni met at Louisiana Literature festival in Denmark, for a talk about the Arab spring movements which had begun half a year earlier, in December 2010.
Syrian Adonis, born Ali Ahmad Said Esber in 1930, is considered the greatest living Arab poet, while Libyan Ibrahim Al-Koni, born 1948, is considered one of the greatest living Arab writers. Here they talk of extremism and about the importance of Sufism in thinking, and how it is against all types of authority. The Sufi religion is the supreme power in the whole Sahara society, according to Al-Koni.
During the discussion the two writers very precisely predict many of the problems which have since occurred in the region, and talk of the necessary changes which must happen in Arab societies for the revolution to ever be a success. They both agree that the changes must happen deep within society, rather than via a simple change of power.
Read more about the two writers on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adunis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Al-Koni
The conversation took place at Louisiana Literature festival at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2011.
Lebanese journalist Hanna Ziadeh translated to Danish and interviewed the two writers.
Camera and editing by Martin Kogi
Produced by Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2014
Supported by Nordea-fonden
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