Musid and Musidah in a book [Archives:2002/31/Local News]
archive
July 29 2002
Social Issues in Popular Yemeni Culture, volume 1, Musid and Musidah has appeared in Arabic and English a year and half after the project was initiated by Janet C.E Watson. The production and publication of the book, based on episodes of the famous Yemeni radio series, Musid wa-Musidah, written and produced since 1988 by Abdul-Rahman Mutahhar, was funded by the Social Fund for Development and the British Embassy in Sanaa. The book comprises an introduction and fifty episodes of the program transcribed in colloquial Sanani Arabic and translated into idiomatic English. The jacket cover and each of the episodes are illustrated by the well-known cartoonist for al-Thawrah, Mohammed al-Shaibani. In this way, the book combines two forms of art, which deal with social issues through satire. The cartoons capture the issue immediately, while the episodes develop the issue through argument and counter-argument. The main aim of the book is to present a selection of representative episodes to the English- speaking population in Yemen. The episodes address many of the social issues dealt with by Non-governmental Organizations working in the country, including family planning, underage marriage, pollution, water conservation litter, womens literacy and girls education. The episodes demonstrate that proper solutions to these problems do not contravene Islamic principles or many traditional Yemeni values: arguments are reinforced through reference to Prophetic traditions and Quran, and through the use of Yemeni proverbs, traditional sayings, poetry and songs. The book also presents a sample of Yemeni humor and gives an insight into Yemeni domestic life that many non-Arabic speakers living in Yemen may not have experienced. Finally, all proceeds from the book will be used to establish a program to teach art and handicraft to gifted children of poor background from the Old City of Sanaa. The book retails at 300YR. The funds and establishment of the program are to be managed by al-Safa Womens Charitable Association, headed by Hana al-Anisi. Janet disclosed to the YT that readers can contribute to the program wishing either to purchase copies of the book or to contribute directly or indirectly to the art program are asked to contact Hana al-Anisi by telephone on 541155 or 543435. Alternatively, they could contact the Social Fund for Development 240417.
