The Revolt of the Young: Essays by Tawfiq al-Hakim

Tawfiq al-Hakim (1898–1987) is recognized as one of the most important figures in the history of modern Arabic literature. Considered a pioneer in many literary forms, including drama, novels, and short stories, al-Hakim influenced generations of Egyptian writers. The Revolt of the Young is a collection of essays originally published in 1984 that shows al-Hakim as a public intellectual addressing the ongoing conflict between generations.

Al-Hakim muses on the cultural, artistic, and intellectual links and breakages between the old and the young generations. He focuses on the young and their role in the continuing development of Egyptian society, which over the course of the last century or so has undergone foreign occupation, an experiment in parliamentary democracy within a monarchical system, a socialist revolution characterized by both successes and failures, the emergence of a dictatorial presidency, and now the development of a complex political scenario currently dominated by groups with varyingly strong ties to the tenets of Islam. Al-Hakim did not live long enough to witness the most recent phases of this elongated and often disruptive process of experimentation and change, but in his writing, he focuses on the institution that he regards as crucial to any forward progress: the family.

The essays present readers with a voice from the past, with uncanny foretelling of issues raised by the events that occurred in Egypt more than twenty years after al-Hakim’s death. Radwan’s translation, along with Roger Allen’s foreword, brings to light al-Hakim’s lucid and erudite commentary, much of it as relevant to the problems facing Egyptian youth today as it was when first published.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Release date: Jan 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9780815653004

Book preview

Introduction

Every revolution is a sign of vigor and youth is the most vigorous stage in life, so it is no wonder that revolutions are led by young people. One can scarcely find a revolution that has been led by the elderly because old age involves the diminution of vigor.

If a revolution is connected with vigor, so it should be a stimulant for such vigor and should refresh it. Otherwise, such a revolution would be deemed an upheaval.

The distinction between revolution and upheaval is that the latter sweeps up with it both the good and bad, just as the turbulent wind does with both green leaves and withered ones, the fruitful tree and the barren one. A revolution, however, retains what is useful and derives strength thereof. It does away with what is useless, worn out, that which impedes vigor, shuts out fresh air, and stands in the way of renewal and development.

However, the process is not always so simple. For revolution and upheaval sometimes, if not always, intermingle. To prove and establish itself, a revolution resorts to the violence of upheaval in order to uproot everything that came before it and thus takes credit for every new blessing and renders the history of everything its own. This state of things does not change unless the revolution feels strong enough and realizes that it has a special identity, a distinctive character and a solid base in public history. At that point, it scorns and discards the element of upheaval to return confidently to the public history of the nation and place all values in their rightful position. It would also downsize itself and forge a place within the natural evolution of a rising nation. If we grasp this, it becomes easier to understand the movements of the new generations or what is nowadays called the revolt of the young.

When we were young, we all experienced a strong desire to over come certain restrictions. This is an aspect of vitality, movement, liberation, and self-assertion. In order to assert our identity and establish our individuality, it became inevitable to separate ourselves from our predecessors. Our means of separation were that taken by every revolution at its outset, namely, the rejection of everything the predecessors said. In our youth, the gulf between parents and children was not as wide as it is now. At that time, the world had not yet witnessed world wars or ingenious inventions. Everything was set in fixed molds and kept in sealed boxes; the external world was secure, slumbering beneath its observed customs and sacred traditions.

Now, however, we are in a dynamic age surging with continuous changes, with intellectual, scientific, and political movements that transcend anyone’s imagination. Nothing is stagnant, nor is it allowed to be; nothing is regarded as sacred. On the contrary, everything is subject to research and discussion.

The means of communication among nations, such as the radio, television, and satellite, have helped to spread all sorts of ideas, whether liberal, unruly, refined, or base. In such a world as the one we live in today, what is the effect of the media on young people who want to assert their identity and have a say in the formation of their character and a role in building the future?

We should be aware of all these facts and take them into consideration in dealing with young people today. It is our duty to make them realize that if they have the right to revolt, they must distinguish between revolution and upheaval. They have to be able to distinguish between what is worth keeping and adding to, and what should be cast away from the path of development and the new age.

We should be wary of preaching to or advising young people on every occasion, ignoring what is essential by constantly referring to their appearance, thinking it is the end of the world if young people adopt certain fashions of dress or hairstyles. We forget that in our youth at the beginning of the twentieth century, young men who wore turbans chose bright colors for their traditional jubbah¹ and "kaftan,"² such as lemon yellow, purple, and pistachio green. As for young men who wore fezzes,³ they used to follow the latest fashion in trousers from the tight-fitting, the wide Charleston, to the tapered. Sometimes they sported whiskers or pointed moustaches, and then there was the clean-shaven look, which was regarded as effeminate at that time. Today, being clean-shaven is widespread among young and old. All these are matters of no account now. Whenever adults make an issue of them, they are considered trivial-minded by young people and immediately lose their confidence and