Category Archives: Bahrain

Art, Religion and History: The Case of Bahrain

Anthropology/Sociology, Art, Bahrain, Folklore and Proverbs, Islamic Rituals


Figure 1. A Replica of the head of Imam Husayn

by El-Sayed el-Aswad
University of Bahrain

Art, in its broad meaning encompassing performance and non-performance forms of expression, plays a significant part in Bahraini imagination and folk culture. The focus here, however, will be on the innovative aspects of Shi‘a vernacular art. Among the Shi‘ti people of Bahrain there has been a shift from traditional or old-fashioned styles of mourning and commemorating the tragic events of ‘Ashura, or the tenth of Muharram (the first month of Islamic calendar in which Imam Husayn, grandson of the prophet Muhammad, was martyred) to a modern way of expression reflected mostly in the art.


Figure 2. Imaginary of al-‘Abbas, the sibling of Imam Husain

During the first ten days of Muharram, colorful forms of calligraphy, iconography, replicas (tashihat), ritual and visual representations are presented and meticulously enacted in exhibitions and in the streets of Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, as well as in most of the villages with Shi‘a majorities. Continue reading Art, Religion and History: The Case of Bahrain →

A Dialogue With Allah

Anthropology/Sociology, Bahrain, Islamic Rituals, Photography


Figure 1: Mosque, women and palm tree.

By el-Sayed el-Aswad

Folk culture provides members of the society with living models in the form of iconic images, key symbols, and root metaphors that enable them to express themselves, and the other as well. Sanctity or religious meaning is bestowed on an object or place for the reason that a religiously significant event (a miracle, wonder or blessing) is associated with it.

At an art exhibition at the College of Art, Bahrain University last year, 2006, I was surprised to see very beautiful and stunning pictures in which a group of women were climbing palm trees (figure 2-5). Recognizing the cultural significance of the palm tree in Arab societies, I decided to interview Waheeda Malullah (figure 6), the artist whose photos show that the climbing of palm trees is not just aimed at the collection of dates commonly consumed in the Arab Gulf countries, but rather at the engagement in spiritual communication with invisible spheres of the cosmos and the achievement of blessing or grace (baraka), among other objectives. Continue reading A Dialogue With Allah →

Post-Asabiyya: Ibn Khaldun and the Discourse of Reform: Part One

Bahrain, Islamic History

[left to right, Burhan Ghalioun, Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabri, Ibrahim Gholum, Fahmy Jad’an and Abu-Ya’rab al- Marzouqi at University of Bahrain Ibn Khaldun conference in May]

The theme of “reform” in its socio-economic, political, religious, and ethical dimensions has been, for the last five years, a topic of greatest contention and debate in the Arab World. This theme was recently extensively deliberated in a conference entitled “Khaldunian Thought and the Discourse of Reform” in celebration of the 600th anniversary of Ibn Khaldun, the erudite Arab thinker, scholar, politician, and historian of the 14th century. Sponsored by the College of Arts at the University of Bahrain, it hosted renowned contemporary scholars including Muhammad ‘Abid al-Jabri, Burhan Ghalioun, Fahmy Jad’an and Abu-Ya’rab al- Marzouqi, among others. Continue reading Post-Asabiyya: Ibn Khaldun and the Discourse of Reform: Part One →