Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, August/September 2016, pp. 76-77
Music & Arts
Event Showcases Gulf Poetry and Culture
THE ARAB GULF STATES INSTITUTE (AGSI) broke boundaries and stereotypes with a June 23 spoken word poetry event at Busboys and Poets restaurant in Washington, DC. The event, titled “RIWAYA: Spoken Word from the Gulf,” featured three renowned poets: Afra Atiq and Salem Shukri al Attas, both from the United Arab Emirates, and Fatima al Haddad from Kuwait. Their poems’ subjects ranged from love and relationships, to gender norms and cultural identities, to odes to the golden days of the ’90s.
In one poem, Atiq playfully reflects on the video game system of her youth. “I miss Atari,” she says. “XBOX has nothing on it, iPad can’t compare with its worth, it was better than Sega, PS 2, 3, 4, Nintendo Cube and 64 all rolled into one.”
Other poems were less light-hearted, such as Haddad’s poem titled “Cover Her,” which she elegantly recited against a background of graceful oud music. “Do not show those lips that make mountains fall, cover her,” Haddad said. “Let no thoughts with her bright mind make noise, let only miracles from her womb bear boys.”
According to AGSI’s website, the goal of RIWAYA was to showcase elements of Gulf Arab culture and highlight the common humanity of us all. “Arabic poetry isn’t just about expression,” Shukri said during the Q&A. “It’s about bridging gaps and helping people understand your message, because poetry is supposed to be controversial and polarizing and necessary.”
—Massarah Mikati
