Fez Festival of Sufi Culture, April 2014: In the Footsteps of Ibn ‘Arabî.


The Fez Festival of Sufi Culture (not to be confused with the Fez Festival of Sacred Music) has been an annual happening since 2007, and each year it has grown in size and scope. This year it was a seven day event devoted exclusively to the thought of the 12th century Andalusian mystic and philosopher, Ibn ‘Arabî (1165-1240), whose work is perhaps the most inclusive and extensive exposition of a spiritual perspective based upon unity.

It was most appropriate that it took place in the city of Fez, which has a continuous tradition of education going back to the 7th century – in Ibn ‘Arabî’s day it was the spiritual centre of the western Islamic world, called ‘the Mecca of the West’ – and which is still steeped in the traditions and practice of Sufi culture.






View of Fez from the hills above the old city walls.

The festival, under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, took place in the beautiful grounds of the Batha Palace at the edge of the old medina. The days were devoted to wide-ranging discussions on different aspects of Ibn ‘Arabî’s life and work. These took the form of panel presentations – ‘round tables’ – followed by lively interaction with the audience, ably chaired by the founder and organiser of the Festival, Dr Faouzi Skali. 

Dr Faouzi Skali, on being awarded France’s highest honour, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur in May 2014.  This was in “recognition of his pioneering work as a standard-bearer for cultural diversity, religious pluralism and spiritual and humanitarian values”.





Speakers were invited from all over the world; France, Morocco, Spain, USA, Nigeria, Mali, Bosnia Herzegovina, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. The UK speakers consisted of Jane Clark from the Ibn Arabi Society in Oxford and Elizabeth Roberts from the Beshara Trust.

'Ibn 'Arabi's Heritage' by Jane Clark
'Ibn 'Arabi and Beshara' by Elizabeth Roberts


    

(Left) Morning panel discussion in the courtyard of the Batha Palace, chaired by Faouzi Skali
(speaking) with delegates from France, Morocco, Mali and Saudi Arabi
(Middle) Panel on the ‘Contemporary Relevance of Ibn ‘Arabi’s work’, with Elizabeth Roberts
(The Beshara Trust, UK)
(Right)  Panel on ‘Women in Ibn ‘Arabi’, with Jane Clark (MIAS, UK)


The evenings were devoted to performances of Sufi music by groups from Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey, Spain and Mali, when the doors were thrown open to the local Moroccans. The Festival is a hugely popular event and people travel from all over the world to attend it; the audience for the discussions numbered 100-150 each day, whilst in the evenings 600 to 800 people somehow managed to squeeze themselves into the courtyard. A special event this year was a premiere screening of Nacer Kemir’s new film on Ibn ‘Arabî ‘Looking for Muhyiddin’ which was so popular that additional showings had to be arranged.

The event culminated in consideration of two exciting proposals. The first is to set up a ‘University of Sufi Culture’ to continue and expand the work of the Festival. The final day was devoted to an open discussion about this, involving all the speakers and the audience where everyone was invited to contribute to the vision of what this might entail. Faouzi Skali made clear that this is not a university of Sufism per se but rather a way of establishing and protecting the values of Sufi culture (practiced by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike) such as tolerance, mutual respect, compassion, the love of beauty and the development of taste (dhawq).

The second proposal is for a centre of Ibn Arabi studies, which is to be built by the municipality next to the al-Azhar mosque in the old medina. This is one of the oldest mosques in Fez which has a special relationship to Ibn Arabi, who stayed with its Imam during his three visits to the city; it was the recorded site of several important spiritual experiences, including his ‘mir’aj’ (night journey) and his entry into the station of ‘without a nape of the neck’ (i.e. 360º vision). One of the highlights of the week was our visit as a group to this lovely little mosque, where the Imam invited us to climb to the top of the unique, octagonal minaret with a panoramic view across the city.

 
(Left) The old door to the Al-Azhar mosque in the old city
(Right) The Imam of the al-Azhar mosque

At a time when so many areas of the world are falling into violence and disruption due to religious and cultural divisions, the importance of a thinker like Ibn ‘Arabi, who emphasises the unity of humanity, becomes even more clear. Much of the discussion during this week concerned his critical place within the Islamic world, and the necessity for those who follow his vision to emphasise that his perspective is central to– not peripheral or contrary to – the Islamic faith. But it was also evident that he is becoming an increasingly influential figure within western, non-Islamic culture, where his ideas are now becoming widely known. As such, he could have a key role in bringing together people from west and east in our multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-faith, global society.

  
(Left) Moroccan and Malian delegates, with Roderick Grierson from the Rumi Institute in Cyprus
(Right) Audience discussion; Shaykha Nur (Turkey) speaking


  
(Left) Panel on ‘The Way of Chivalry’; Salamatu Sow (Nigeria) and Souad Hakim (Lebanon)
(Right) Panel on ‘Quranic commentary and hadith in Ibn ‘Arabi’; Shaykha Nur (Turkey),
Michael Barry  (USA) and Denis Gril (France)


(Left) Jemal Amrani (Sorbonne, France)
(Right) Panel on ‘Influence of the thought of Ibn ‘Arabi from the Machreq to the Maghreb';
Eric Geoffroy (France)

 
(Left) Panel on ‘Contemporary Relevance of Ibn ‘Arabi’s work’; Pablo Beneito (Spain)
and Thammi al-Harrak (Morocco)
(Right) UK delegates (from left to right); Janet Bowers (Beshara Trust), Elizabeth Roberts
(Beshara Trust), Keith Hammond (Glasgow University), Jane Clark (Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society)
with the owner of our favourite restaurant in the old city.