Morocco Fez Festival of World Sufi Culture

A Soul For Globalization Conference in Fez Morocco




18 April to 25, 2010


Sufism, this venue of education and spiritual teaching, considered to be the heart of the faith of Islam, was first defused informally before it was progressively structured around the 11th century. 

Historically, the transmission of this teaching is done, from the 13th century down through spiritual centers that earned by merit to preserve the norms of culture, sociability and spirituality proper to Islam in an era of dislocation of Muslim world, particularly under the impact of Mongol invasions.  These centers in fact have known how to preserve a message of universal spirituality that has nourished the Muslim culture and not only enhanced its artistic and literary expressions, but also its social and economic advancements.  For centuries Sufism has inspired simultaneously the organization, and the ethical and spiritual charters of guilds of crafts throughout the Muslim world.

In Morocco for example, guilds and special trades have traditionally allied themselves with Sufi orders. 
The relationship that has been established between spirituality and social and human development has marked naturally the cultural and historical identity of Morocco. 

These Sufi Orders of Morocco have known through time an international beaming by establishing their zawiyas in different countries.  The case of the Zawiya Quadiriya and Zawiya Tijania in this regard is an eloquent illustration.  The roles of these Sufi orders of teaching and civic and spiritual education at the same time engagement of human development and mediation for peace, in a profound and creative effect, are what constitute the Moroccan culture.

The festival of the Sufi Culture has not only the gift to identify a spiritual and artistic patrimony of an exceptional wealth, but also to open the thought on what could be the benefit of this patrimony on the heart of the Moroccan society today.  Sufism can also inspire on global level, some new approaches for concrete maneuvers of peace mediations and for development of mutual dialogues between religions and cultures.  This festival can contribute as well as promote and defuse throughout the world, particularly in a troubled era, the message of peace, universality and spirituality registered in the heart of Islam.  


Hamid Mernissi

All rights reserved


Festival and Forum Program

Projected Programme

 

SATURDAY 17 APRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture of Introduction : « What is Sufism ? » by Faouzi Skali. Lecture : « The Kingdom of the Saints » by Zakia Zouanat (anthropologist, writer specialised in Sufism, Morocco) Lecture : « The Sufi manuscripts of the Qaraouiyine » by Abdellah El Ouazzani (Professor, writer and presenter of a TV programme on 2M dedicated to Islamic issues, Morocco)

16.00-18.00 Round table : « For a poetry of civilization » Presentation : Bensalem Himmich (Minister of Culture - Morocco) Round table : Edgar Morin (French sociologist and philosopher, highly skilled Director at the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research, France) Bariza Khiari (a French socialist senator in Paris (Ile-de-France) Nahal Tajddod (member of the world team CNRS and writer of several books on history – Iran/France) Jean Claude Carrière (writer and scriptwriter- France) Mohammed Berrada (former Minister of Finance and Moroccan Ambassador in Paris, professor of economics, Morocco)

21.00 Concert : « Ecstatic chants » - Shaykh Habboush - Jalal Eddine Weiss (Syria - France)

SUNDAY 18 APRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Round table : « Reconsidering development » Assia Bensalah Alaoui (Moroccan roving ambassador, professor of law, Morocco) Patrick Viveret (referendum adviser at the national audit office, philosopher and essayist in alter-globalization - France) Majid Rahnema (writer, former Minister of Science & Higher Education in Iran and professor at the American University of Paris – France/Iran) Katherine Marshall (professor at Georgetown University, Director of the Forum world leader faith and development -USA) Alia Al Dalli (representative resident of the PNUD in Morocco– Iraq) Mats Karlsson (director of the department Maghreb, North Africa and Middle East of the World Bank – Suede)

16.00-18.00 : 1st Part : Nahal Tajddod and Jean Claude Carrière : « The Birds’ Conference » by Farid Eddin Attar (France – Iran) 2nd Part : Karima Skalli and Said Chraibi – Tribute to Abu al Hassan Ash Shusturi

21.00 Concert : The Chishty Sufi Sama Ensemble (Shahi Qawwals ) from Ajmer Dargah Sharif (India)

MONDAY 19 APRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « Figures of a living Shaykh : Sidi Hamza Al Qadiri Al Boutchichi »by Mountasser Hamada (writer and journalist – Morocco) et Faouzi Skali

16.00-18.00 Round table : « Spirituality and social changes » Alain Chevillat (director – founder of the University « Terre du Ciel, knowledge and wisdom in the world” -France) Yacine Demaison (Lecturer, educationalist– France) Bernard Ginisty (Philosopher, former director of « Témoignage Chrétien », co-founder of ATTAC -France) Aoua Ly-tall (sociologist, founding President of African Women’s Network – Canada/West-Africa)

21.00 Samaa Evening : Hassani chants of the Tariqa Boutchichiyya from Laâyoune (Morocco)

TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « Spiritual Chivalry (Futuwwa) : a path for our times ? » by Jaafar Kansoussi (intellectual, specialized in Sufism- Morocco)

16.00-18.00 Lecture : « Mystic and poetry in Ibn Arabi » by A. Filali (Academic - Morocco), Cecilia Twinch (speaker in Ibn Arabi Society , Oxford –United Kingdom) , Ahmed El Kheligh (journalist on TV channel 2M and on radio Médi 1, specialized in Sufism- Morocco) and David Hornsby (member of « Ibn Arabi Society », Oxford - United Kingdom)

21.00 Samaa Evening : 1st Part : Tariqa Charqawiyya (Morocco) 2nd Part : Tariqa Darqawiyya (Morocco)

WEDNESDAY 21 AVRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « Therapy of the soul » by Eric Geoffroy (Writer, specialized in Islam and Sufism - France)

16.00-18.00 : Workshop : 1st Part : « Poetry in a garden » 2nd Part : « The path of flavours, how to feed one’s soul, one’s body » Jeanne Bouguet (gastronome, dietician -France)

21.00 Samaa Evening : 1st Part :Tariqa Alawiyya (Morocco) 2nd Part : Tariqa Wazzania (Morocco)

THURSDAY 22 AVRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « the day of the earth » Environmentalism : an art of living or a practical urgent need ? Kamal Oudghiri (engineer in telecommunications at the NASA – Morocco/USA) Pierre Rabhi (writer, philosopher and international expert in the fight against desertification Pioneer in agro-ecology and founder of the movement ‘Terre et Humanisme’ - France) Caroline Chabot (Journalist« Acts and Meaning » - France) Nicholas Moller (president of Global Institute for new energy technologies GIFNET - Denmark) Fattouma Benabdenbi (sociologist and founder-member of the Moroccon Association for women’s enterprise, Espod – Morocco) Jean Marie Pelt (botanist and famous environmentalist, president of the European institute of Environment since 1972 – France)

16.00-18.00 Lecture : « The manuscripts of Tombouctou » Abdelkader Haïdara (scholar, collector and owner of a private collection of manuscripts - Mali) Abdul Laraw (collector and owner of a private collection of manuscripts, specialized in techniques to preserve manuscripts - Mali) Souada Maoulainine (Lecturer specialized in Sufism, Morocco) Fatima Harrak (Director of the Institute of African Studies - Morocco) Marie-Odile Delacour (Journalist and writer-France) Jean-René Huleu (French journalist- France)

21.00 Concert : « Al Munfarija » Samaa of Fez – Haj Mohammed Bennis (Morocco)

FRIDAY 23 AVRIL 2010 :

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « Films and spirituality » - « Cinema and search for meaning » by Nabil Ayouche (Film director-Morocco)

16.00-18.00 Cultural café : « Art and spirituality » with the participation of Zeyba Rahman (director of cultural production, president of the World Music institute in New York), Amadou and Mariam (Malian Singers), Setsuko Klossowska from Rola (Japanese Painter) and Salamatou Sow (Professor from Nigeria)

21.00 Concert : « Maqamat of desire of God » Hussain Al Aadhamy (Iraq – Jordany)

SATURDAY 24 AVRIL 2010 :

09.00-10.00 Lecture : « Ibn Batouta’s Quest » by Said Taghmaoui (French American actor, native of Morocco - Morocco)

10.00-12.00 Lecture : « Love stronger than death » by Professor H. Joyeux (professor at the faculty of medicine in Montpellier, initiated the series of lectures on “health, love and sexuality”, writer-France) and Fanny Abadi (a psychotherapist, founder of the international ethic Centre and of the humanitarian ethic Association- France)

16.00-18.00 Round table : « Islam and the West : tracks of light » Mahmoud Hussein (common pseudonym for two writers : Baghgat Elnadi and Adel Rifaat - France/Egypt) Fatema Mernissi (sociologist and writer – Morocco) Zeyba Rahman (director of cultural production, president of the World Music institute in New York) Hassan Abou Ayoub (former Minister, roving ambassador – Morocco) Mustapha Chérif (Philosopher, theologian and searcher in human and social sciences - Algeria) Maati Kabbal (writer and journalist -Morocco) Abdou Hafidi (political scientist, presenter of the program « Islam » on France 2) Saad Khiari (writer, involved in several programs for the dialogue of religions and cultures- France)

21.00 Concert : « Spiritual Noubas » Great voices of Moroccan Samaa with Mohammed Briouel (Morocco)


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