L’œuvre journalistique de James Sanua à Paris, de la satire révolutionnaire à la médiation entre l’Orient et l’Occident (1878-1910)

Abstract

A pioneer of Arab satirical theatre and journalism, Yaʿqūb Ṣannūʿ (James Sanua, 1839-1912) took refuge in Paris in 1878. For the following 33 years he published a satirical newspaper, whose title changed seven times, and then launched Tawaddud [Let us get along], al-Munṣif [The Equitable] and L'Univers Musulman. These different publications gradually shifted from a nationalist, even Islamist, discourse aimed at politicising Egyptian readers to a message of mediation between Eastern and Western cultures. With his last newspaper, Sanua wanted to make the French readers understand the Muslim world, its culture and its religion. The aim of this article is to present the journalistic work of James Sanua and the impact his move to Paris had on it.

Keywords

• islamism
• 19th century
• James Sanua
• Yaʿqūb Sannūʿ
• Abou Naddara
• Abū Nazzāra