A Self proclaimed Father of American Muslim Theater

Islam Needs a Martin Luther
By Marvin X, project director
 The University of Poetry

A Project of the Black Arts Movement
The Islamic world needs a Martin Luther, someone to usher in an Age of Reform that will radically alter some of the fundamental values of Islam that are retrograde, archaic, primitive and must be discarded into the dustbin of Muslim history so that Islam can regain its position as a culture of enlightenment rather than darkness.
At an Islamic Art Conference I attended this past weekend in Oakland, California, along with Muslims from around the world, there was discussion of how Islam has suppressed artists, calling Muslim art haram (religiously proscribed), shirk (associating partners with God) and other negative terms that essentially condemn Islamic art as evil.

When I addressed the audience, I noted that I am the “father of Islamic literature in America” by default because other Muslim writers were told to give up the art of writing, creative anyway, but I ignored the ban and thus my work is all that remains, aside from poet Sam Hamad and a few others who’ve written during the last forty years that may surface with proper research. Not only writers, but painters, musicians, dancers, singers and others were suppressed. Even minister Farrakhan, a musician and singer, was made to give up his art.
But we know it is artists who give people visions and prophecy, thus when they are suppressed, the people are likely to walk in darkness as we see at the present moment.
In my remarks at the conference, I challenged the Muslim artists to be revolutionary and yes, disobedient — to hell with those who desire to suppress Muslim art, they are the backward ones, they are the evil ones and must be opposed by, yes, any means necessary.
So much that goes for Islam is ancient and primitive, really, not worthy of discussion in the modern world among people of intelligence. Elijah Muhammad used to say the wisdom of this world is exhausted, and this includes Islam. It must be revolutionized or thrown into the dustbin of ancient thought.
The Islamic revolution must, will and shall be led by Muslim artists with vision for a day when Islamic culture will be the vanguard of world culture, projecting the most positive and scientific aspects of the new millennium.
Islamic culture must come from behind the veil, or if anything, put the veil on men and let the women march forth as harbingers of the new world order. Contrary to what men think, women have been found to be the most advanced sector of society, intellectually and spiritually, so we would do well to listen to them for answers to the right path. 
Clearly, Muslim men are not on sirat al-mustaqim (“the straight path”). Over a billion people of Islamic faith are currently steeped in poverty, ignorance and disease, wallowing in political oppression of the most backward, Stalinist variety. And when the politicians are not oppressing, the mullahs and Imams do the same work, even to the point of following the Christians in the sexual exploitation of boys and girls.
Let a Muslim Martin Luther step to the front of the line and represent the way of truth, freedom, justice and equality. Muslim collaborators with imperialism, colonialism, and all manner of retrograde religiosity and political oppression must be condemned. Islamic scholars whose theology is based on primitive laws, edicts, fatwas must be ostracized because their actions only add to the utter confusion and ignorance pervading the Muslim world.
Surely, the destruction the Tsunami brought to South Asia is a sign of Allah’s displeasure with the Muslim people, along with Christians, Hindus and others. If we continue down the path of primitive worship of myths and rituals, surely Allah has even greater destruction planned for those without eyes, ears, the deaf, dumb and blind. After Allah has blessed us with light, how can we yet walk in darkness? How can we possess “supreme wisdom” yet have nothing, behave as spiritual slaves to any storefront imam with a rote memory of Al-Quran?
Let a Martin Luther Muslim arise to destroy idols of ignorance and suppression of creativity. Yes, let everything praise Allah, from the flute to the lute, from the dancer to the poet.
*   *   *
Marvin X is a distinguished poet, playwright and essayist of the Black Arts Movement (BAM). He is the founder and director of Recovery Theatre in San Francisco. He also co-founded the Black Arts/West Theatre and Black House, which served briefly as the headquarters for the Black Panther Party and as a center for performance, theatre, poetry and music in the Bay Area. He  works  as a lecturer, teacher and producer.
This essay will be published in the forthcoming Wish I Could Tell You The Truth (2005) /Copyright © 2003-2005 Muslim WakeUp! Inc.  The World's Most Popular Muslim Online Magazine http://muslimwakeup.com  info@muslimwakeup.com
 

American Islamic Theater
A Dawah Tool
[Although Arab theatre - in the sense of stage plays - did not develop until the 19th century, the region has other dramatic traditions
dating back hundreds of years. These include puppetry, storytelling and Ta'ziyah - a type of religious passion play performed in Shi'a communities.

For a variety of reasons, including censorship, theatre has never become an especially popular art form in the Arab countries and the limited number of theatres has led to the development of theatrical troupes who travel in search of audiences.

Probably the best on-line history of Arab theatre is by Roger Allen, extracted from "An Introduction to Arabic Literature" (Cambridge University Press, 2000).

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Puppets
Khayal al-zill ( "shadows of the imagination" or "shadows of fancy") was a popular form of puppetry in medieval Cairo. The plays could be simple or elaborate, serious or farcical, and were appreciated by all classes.
Khayal al-zill was probably similar to the Turkish shadow puppetry known as karagoz (see Karagoz, the traditional shadow theatre of Turkey; Turkish shadow theatre and karagoz.net).
One of the key figures in shadow puppetry was the Iraqi-born poet/playwright Ibn Daniyal (died 1311), three of whose plays survive.
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Storytelling
Widespread illiteracy led to the development of oral folk literature throughout the Middle East in which professional storytellers recounted popular tales - often adding individual touches in the hope of collecting more money from their audience. Some story-tellers would accompany themselves on musical instruments or make dramatic gestures at appropriate points in the tale.

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Ta'ziyah
Ta'ziyah (or Ta'ziyeh) is usually described as a passion play. It is performed in Shi'a communities during the month of Muharram to commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussain, at the battle of Karbala in AD 680.
"During the first nine days, religious notables recite, with great emotion, details from Hussain's life, while groups of men dance wildly in the streets inflicting wounds upon themselves with chains. On the tenth day, a symbolic coffin is carried in procession, followed by horses, bloodied men, and a steed representing Hussain's war-horse. The long performance, consisting of some forty to fifty scenes, is introduced by lamentations chanted by a male choir, answered by the mourning wail of a female choir."

Ta'ziyah has not always been regarded favourably by the authorities, since Hussain ccan be regarded as the spiritual leader of the dispossessed.
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For books on the subject we recommend:
The Islamic Drama: Taziyah
by Jamshid Malikpur. Order from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Modern Arabic Drama: An Anthology
by Salma Khadra Jayyusi and Roger Allen (editors). or
Short Arabic Plays: An Anthology
by Salma Khadra Jayyusi (editor). Order both from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Ibn Daniyal: The Arabic Medieval Shadow Plays 
by Paule Kahle and Derek Hopwood (editors). Order from
Famous American
Muslim Playwrights
Imanu Amiri Baraka
Aisha Rahman
Kalamu ya Salaam
Yusef Komunyakaa
Sonia Sanchez
Marvin X

Theaterical attempts
have exploded
in the
Muslim Community

Often new attempts at theater reflect the need to tell a story - either a moral story for a  history of a people or place.

In addition American Muslim Theater now includes some elements of the story from Muslim immigrants and their experiences integrating and assimilating their culture in the fabric of  America.  Thus the voice of American Muslim theater has a new militancy and political cry.

Plays performed before uniquely Muslim audiences tend to be very religious.
History of Arabian
and
Middle Eastern Theater
New Arab Playwrights

Arab and Middle Eastern theater in modern times has moved largely away from the spiritually inspiring messages to often political satires of the ills in society and culture. 

This is often because these plays are produced in Europe and America, and or are written by poltical activitist from a particular county.. 

There is also the definition of Islamic plays and writing in general.  There are plays that are Muslim 'authored' but are not inherently religious in nature.  An Islamic play is by definition meant to be religious by design.  An Arab play is at its basic level a play written by an Arab with  themes consistent with this society. 

The vastness of theater in the Middle East really must be explored on an individual level.
American Muslim Theater has often been very political in scope and used as a Dawah tool.  The earliest expressions were part of the black nationalist and civil rights movements.  These plays were often hard hitting,satirical and critical of the descrepancies is society.  Early playwrights played to large audiences usually on the East coast in New York or West coast in California.