Global Arab Network | Changing the Arab Gulf, verse by verse

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Changing the Arab Gulf, verse by verse

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Friday, 08 May 2009 19:59

Three years ago, when I devised the format for the latest media craze in the Gulf, Millions’ Poet, it was with little more in mind than creating an entertaining and original youth-focused television show.

Now in its third season and with more than 15 million viewers each week, the show has become the most prestigious poetry competition in the Arab Gulf and a platform for young male and female poets to voice their thoughts before a wide audience. Most unexpectedly, it has also helped change regional attitudes toward women.

Televised, this 16-week live poetry competition could easily be mistaken for American Idol or Pop Idol, but with poetry instead of pop music. It engages 48 aspiring poets from around the Gulf, a panel of five celebrity judges and millions of viewers across the Arabic-speaking world in a competition to win five million dirhams (over $1.3 million) and a coveted title.

Convincing today’s youths that poetry, a pastime deeply rooted in the ancient heritage of the Gulf, can be “cool,” was no easy feat. And the show’s impact on the societies of the Gulf region, surprisingly, has gone even further.

When the Millions’ Poet competition was launched in 2006 with a 6-week long tour around the Gulf, we auditioned thousands of young poets, but less than five percent of them were women. This turnout was understandable, considering that it’s frowned upon for women to appear on camera, “exposing” themselves to millions of prying eyes.

As the show has steadily gained popularity, however, the number of women competitors has also risen. Today, approximately one in every four people auditioning for the show is a woman.

And this is causing a stir.

Aydah Al Jahani, a young Saudi poetess adorned in the niqab, an outfit that covers not only the body but also the face, faced the wrath of her family and tribe for entering the third – and most recent – season of the competition. Upon hearing the news, her family pleaded with her to withdraw.

However, Aydah – a battling force for women’s rights in the region – pushed forward in the competition despite the lack of support from her relatives. Thanks to public voting via SMS and praise for her poetic skills from the judges, Aydah continued on to the second round of the competition. It was then that her family and tribe realised that this competition was beneficial to their collective success, and brought no harm to their honour.

Aydah’s story was splashed all over the news. Soon thereafter, the effects of her struggle could be seen in the audience, where the number of women had increased to approximately half. And although she did not ultimately win the title of “Millions’ Poet”, she received much moral support from both her male and female counterparts, as well as from viewers.

Like Aydah, I have strived to break down gender barriers in society. I have worked in media for 20 years and host my own talk show on Dubai TV, tackling some of the most taboo issues in the Arab world. I am thankful that my viewers around the region think of me as a mother or a sister to them, someone who can help them overcome their struggles.

While the road might be long, the region is changing for the better. It will take time. But we need people to realise that they can use the media – even entertainment media – to facilitate and instigate this change.

Already, we can see it working.

* Nashwa Al Ruwaini is the chief executive officer of Pyramedia, a co-founder and board member of the Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, a talk show host on Dubai TV and creator of Millions’ Poet. This article first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer and was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews)

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