Ta’ziyah Islamic Theatre: the Way to Europe

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to trace the origins, evolution and modern cross-cultural transformations of the ta’ziyah Islamic theatre. The path of traditional ta’ziyah Islamic theatre is comprehensively traced in the article as a special genre from its inception in the 7th century as a component of Muslim ritual culture to current European theatrical practices. The research methodology is mainly based on historical-analytical and comparative-art approaches, which involves cultural and anthropological study of the evolution of Arab theatre, in particular the ways of formation and development of ta’ziyah Islamic theatre. Scientific novelty. As a result of historical and art studies, the evolution of ta’ziyah Islamic theatre from its origins as a component of the Islamic cult rite to the current forms as a component of European theatrical culture was traced for the first time in a comprehensive and well-argued way with the involvement of various factual material. Conclusions. Despite Sunni reservations, the phenomenon of the ta’ziyah remains the only indigenous theatrical genre that can be confidently regarded as both profoundly Islamic and intensely dramatic. It is, however, a sui generis tragic drama, which many believe cannot be presented outside its immediate cultural universe without severe distortion of its meanings, which are fully apprehensible only by the Shi’ite communities of the Middle East. Even in that context, the ta’ziyah and its associated mourning rituals remain controversial among the clergy. Can such a phenomenon be introduced to non-Shi’ite audiences? Can it cross the cultural divide and find appreciation in the West? It seems that it can, though not without some loss of religious significance. Mohammad Ghaffari and Kiarostami have shown the way, although their work has provoked strong criticism. The ta’ziyah should be regarded as a cultural resource of great value, to be treated with the utmost respect but not confined by ideology to a narrow interpretation of its significance.

Keywords

• ta’ziyah Islamic Theatre
• Imam Hussein
• Muslim religion
• Islamic drama
• Husseiniyya
• Abbas Kiarostami