by Rosie Alfatlawi
Plans are afoot in Saudi Arabia for the establishment of institutes for musical and dramatical education.
The president of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, Sultan al-Baaza’i, revealed the project in an interview with the Saudi Okaz newspaper.
Al-Baaza’i noted that “the cultural scene in Saudi Arabia has begun to take its proper form.”
“Arts and culture are on their way to making a place for themselves as a part of the life of the Kingdom,” he added.
The news has sparked lively debate on social media, with the hashtag “foundation of a musical institute” trending widely on Tuesday.
Some have criticized the move on moral grounds. Music is considered by many in the ultra-conservative Kingdom to be sinful under their strict interpretation of Islamic teachings.
It is for this reason that musical performances remain rare, although relatively liberal Jeddah has so far this year hosted concerts by singer Mohammed Abduh and pianist Omar Khairat.
دستور دولتنا الكتاب والسنة والوزارء والمسؤولين الذين يسعون للفساد ألم يلقو القسم على خدمة الدين؟ هل #انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي من خدمة الدين! خونه
— يوسف (@yoos0f) May 2, 2017
The constitution of our country is the book (the Quran) and the Sunnah (the teachings of the Prophet), and the ministers and officials who strive for corruption, did they not swear to serve the religion [Islam]? Is #founding_a_musical_institute in service of religion? Betrayal.
#انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي
— العنود333 (@anooodh333) May 2, 2017
إن كان هذا الكلام صحيح فهذا من أبواب الشر والفتنة
وحسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل..'
If these words are true, then this is the opening of the doors to evil and temptation. May God deliver us.
Others were defiant, extolling the virtues of music in the face of such criticism.
سوف يصرخون ويصيحون في البداية ثما راح يتأقلمون معروفه حركاتهم ، بنهاية الموسيقى باقية وتمدد #انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي
— عزيّز~ (@3zi_19) May 2, 2017
They will scream and shout at first but then they will become acclimatized. Its well known how it goes! In the end, music will remain and expand.
#انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي الموسيقى ضخمها المطاوعة وجعلوها جرماً عظيما رغم انها لم تؤذي احدا ولم تقتل نفسا ولم تاخذ مالاً ربا او حراماً
— قراءات ، ، (@Moony_347) May 2, 2017
Music, they’ve exaggerated it and made it out to be a great crime, despite the fact that it hasn’t hurt anyone, or killed anyone, or taken usurious or forbidden money.
And music lovers from across the Kingdom have expressed their joy at the plans.
Make this happen! You aren't obligated to learn how to play musical instruments if they made this happen!
— A (@A48390248) May 2, 2017
#انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي
Music is a piece of art that goes in the ears straight to the heart.
— رحّـــــال (@Justletitgo1986) May 2, 2017
#انشاء_معهد_للموسيقى pic.twitter.com/qt0hJN0fnF
Please, I want to learn how to play the Oud, plz take all of my money, but let me learn how
— Raghad Turki Alharbi (@RaghadTurki) May 2, 2017
#انشاء_معهد_للموسيقي pic.twitter.com/OuYkFejYC5
In the Okaz interview, Al-Baaza’i also highlighted plans for the transformation of the country’s film festival into a foundation for investment in films.
While cinemas in Saudi Arabia were shut down decades ago, a film festival has been hosted in the city of Dammam for the last four years. This, despite strong criticism from religious authorities, including the grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh who in January warned that cinemas could host "atheistic or rotten" foreign films and be “an invitation to mixing of sexes.”
The Sheikh has also criticized musical concerts on moral grounds, and it remains to be seen how the Saudi authorities will respond to the plans for musical and dramatical institutes.
RA
