“Biography of Majeed” enters the American Commission

With the participation of writers, academics, and those interested in writing about Tangiers and its history, the meeting hall of the American Legation in Tangiers hosted, last Thursday, a dialogue between the Moroccan-American thinker and novelist Anouar Majeed and the novelist and biographer Abdelaziz Jedir.

The meeting aims to present the book “Blown by Question and Knowledge, a novelist’s biography by Anwar Majeed,” signed by Abdel Aziz Jadeer.

The cultural mission took the rewriting of Tangier, that is, the writing of Tangier by the Moroccans and its liberation from foreign writing, especially American, French and Spanish, as its main focus.

Etemad Bouziane, in an opening speech delivered on behalf of the Director of the Commission, Jennifer Rasamimanana, welcomed the attendees, stressing the role of these meetings in enriching the discussion about Tangier, its national dimension, its international presence, and its historical depth.

Mohamed Al-Yalahi Al-Wazzani, former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences in Tetouan, said that each issue or axis requires a special symposium, given that these axes have the overwhelming presence of Tangier in the arts and literature.

Al-Yalamahi added: “The city considered magic itself; Because it was born from the marriage of magic and myth, and many empires occupied it and then lost it, and the American writer Mark Twain considered it the second oldest city in the world.”

The same speaker stressed that “Tangier played a major role in the development of international painting, as evidenced by Matisse and Delacroix, because of the special light it enjoys (similar to Ouarzazate); It also lived under the international rule of eight countries from (1924) to (1956).” He asked: “Is this stage considered part of the Tangier/Moroccan citizen’s enjoyment of freedom and a sense of identity?” He added: “The period was in fact a multi-coloured colonialism, and therefore A Moroccan cannot be proud that Tangier was an international city: for whose benefit? “Foreigners.”

It was also emphasized that time is the past and the future, and that the present is a short moment, amid a discussion that was not devoid of controversy: Is the past more important than the present and must it be glorified constantly? To conclude that the present is more glorious, as Moroccans govern themselves by themselves, despite the presence of corrupt people, as the citizen feels proud because the city itself has witnessed changes that amount to revolutions in various fields that cannot be denied, and the future promises to be as wonderful as some of the present.

The meeting also raised the possibility of Moroccan writers liberating Tangier from the writings of foreign writers, similar to some of the writings of Abdullah Al-Aroui in history, and Shukri in literature. The novels “Si Youssef” and “A Second Chance in Tangier” also sought to follow this path. Writing a Moroccan novel about Tangier.

For his part, the novelist Anwar Majeed confirmed that “the eastern wind characterizes people, and therefore it is difficult to find a Tangier who has remained fully mentally strong after he has exceeded fifty years of age,” adding: “Living in Tangiers and in Morocco is the dearest thing he desires,” and marked the beginning of his return to his country to spend… The rest of his life.

The writer himself pointed out that his novel “A Second Chance in Tangier” and his autobiography “In the Blown of Question and Knowledge” together point to this return, and added: “I contemplated it, thought about it, and proceeded with it with joy, despite being forbidden by a number of friends from doing so.”

The spokesman explained that “America is a country that dominates the world, and a country of progress and technology, but living in it is a difficult burden that makes the nerves lose their sobriety and endurance,” recalling “the Americans killed four presidents throughout their short history,” and continued: “It is a country that is difficult for political and economic reasons, especially to eliminate.” On racism”; With reference to the novelist Chester Himes, who said, “It is a country where the white woman searches for pleasure and the Negro citizen searches for ethnic recognition.”

The meeting’s topic was: What brings Americans together? The country is vast and could form a continent. It was said that they were united by television, and it was said that the dollar united them, as Paul Bowles once said. America has also broken the concept of wealth and affluence, with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and others. Even though these people did not obtain a deep university education or complete their studies, they have come to control the world through “Silicon Valley.”

The same speaker stated that Morocco’s relationship with America is good, due to the foresight of the monarchy in Morocco, adding: “We cannot take it lightly that Morocco is the first country to recognize America, while it is far from it,” and considered the matter “the result of cunning and wisdom.” He also referred to the text of an article in the book, the subject of the meeting, in which he explained the specificity of the state in Morocco, stressing that “property is Morocco’s treasure; She is the one who protects the country, and the citizen protects her.”

Speaking in response to a question, Anwar Majeed said, “This book is the result of ten years of continuous dialogue with the writer,” adding: “This dialogue between us and the ferocity of Abdel Aziz’s urging me to write resulted in me writing my second novel, ‘A Second Chance in Tangier,’ which In it, I presented some of what we have now discussed in the topics of Tangiers and America. These are the two spaces that consumed a lifetime.”

Regarding the question: Can the biography of a writer help in approaching the history of Tangiers and restoring its reputation? The same speaker replied, “The book presents the history of Tangier from its origins in the embrace of legend, then moving to its actual history from a commercial center for a number of Roman countries, and the Vandals… to the entry of Islam into it and the English, Spanish, and international occupation, the stage of independence, and the era associated with Majeed’s stage of study (primary and preparatory). And high school), then moving to Fez in order to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the English language.”

He also presented the book “Blown by Question and Knowledge” in order to move to New York to study cinema and directing at the School of Scene Arts. He reviewed the history of American cinema and met with directors and screenwriters. Then the book changed direction with the student changing the section towards literary and critical studies, interest in Islamic studies and the history of Islam, and interest in critical thought.

“The book deals with the student’s involvement in deep and varied reading, which is the formative stage, then writing a thesis on William Faulkner, and a doctorate on Granville Hicks, and among its topics: Can the socialist system succeed in America (the country of capitalism)? It corresponds to another topic that concerns our country: Can socialism succeed in an Islamic country? I brought with me this big question from the city of Fez, and the struggle between Islamic and socialist students,” the same speaker states.