Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

[nicholas_chiasson]

one of the reasons for arab illiteracy...is a shortage of stuff to read. With schooling optional, many arabs actually forget how to read as there are fewer books published in arabic than say...finnish. This leads to a lack of interest in reading. In fact the only reason the mid-east was literate at all is to read the Koran.

[bucheon bum]

[Ya-ta Boy]

They need an Andrew Carnegie to set up some libraries. Somebody call Bill Gates or George Soros. I'm serious. I wasn't aware that there aren't many books published in Arabic. I suppose it makes sense when you think about how poor the countries are.

[nicholas_chiasson]

[ddeubel]

[Gopher]

"Tribute to Edward Said"

[bucheon bum]

[dogbert]

[wannago]

Probably the reason that you don't see modern literature coming from the Arabs is that reading itself is not a high priority for them. Go to an airport in North America or Europe and watch how many people are reading as they wait. Then, go to an airport in the Middle East. You will see far fewer people reading...and the ones that are will be European or American. No, not all..I'm not trying to make this a racial thing, but Arabs simply do not read for pleasure...or for much else.

[nicholas_chiasson]

[ddeubel]

I'm not going to go with the "my thing is bigger". You didn't get my point.

I'm not at all denying there is Arab illiteracy. But to make the leap that it is because there is no modern literature is just flatly false. There is a grand and wise arab "literati" that produces much fine writing. Writing of a worldly standard. There is more than enough to read for literacy.

You put the cart before the horse my friend. Lack of reading material does not cause illiteracy in ANY case. It is a multiplicity of factors. Further, illiteracy I will say does as you indicate result in a lack of widespread reading material........but not literature. Fine and noble literature. And for literature of a high standard to be disseminated, you don't need a plethora of writers. You only need a distribution system and desire/demand.

Have you heard of Dr. Jayyusi? I will not reference her political stance but her anthology of Modern Arab poetry is outstanding. http://www.sakakini.org/literature/literature.htm

DD

[nicholas_chiasson]

But who reads it? A TINY educated class. Where it is permitted to be published at all. There is no 'popular' literature in the Arab world. Tom Clancy and Harry Potter have been translated into other langauges because of the need for literature. However there are 1 billion chinese speakers. Yet there are more famous Japanese Novelists being read today in translation thant Chinese Novels. Why? Because the works of Japanese writers capture the 'popular' imaginiation. The works of Arab writers are still seen as elite and tracked down.
-I think you define 'Literature' as high grade reading material. I'm thinking of it as the printed page. In other words I don't consider Clive Custlet or most of Stephen King to be 'Literature'...but they are 'literature'.
Yet even most Arabs are aware of the anti-cultural trend of Islamic fundamentalist thought. The Shi'a especially are considered 'uncultured' and the Wahabist thought of SA are the most famous examples. Rushdie is no Arab being Persian and all, but the modern middle east is full of politicly repressive regimes-that suffer china's fate-or theocratic regimes-that issue fatwa on writers they have issues with.
-I thinkthat im writing this at 10:30 shows I'm bored. Look what Gangwon does to a guy. Islamic Literature...at should be out surrounded by beautiful women not writing words like fatwa.

[ddeubel]

[Roch]