Islam and the Culture of Modern Egypt
From the Monarchy to the Republic

Examines the influence of Islam, as a religion, a practice, and a tradition, on Egypt's visual and literary modernity.

Mohammad Salama (Author)

9781108404679, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 June 2020

238 pages, 6 b/w illus.
15 x 23 x 1 cm, 0.36 kg

'His close readings of texts ... are often subltle and enlightening.' Raphael Cormack, Times Literary Supplement

Telling a new story of modern Egypt, Mohammad Salama uses textual and cinematic sources to construct a clear and accessible narrative of the dynamics of Islam and culture in the first half of the twentieth century. The conflict between tradition and secular values in modern Egypt is shown in a stimulating and challenging new light as Salama bridges analysis of nationalism and its connection to Islamism, and outlines the effects of secular education versus traditional Islamic teaching on varied elements of Egyptian society. These include cultural production, politics, economic, identity, and gender relations. All of this helps to discern the harbingers that led to Egypt's social transition from the monarchy to the republic and opens the possibility of Islam as an inspiring and inspirational force. This illuminating, provocative and informative study will be of use to anyone interested in the period, whether general readers, students, or researchers.

Preface
A note on transliteration and translation
Introduction: prelude, considerations, and definitions
1. History matters
2. Nah?a-t Mi?r: Zaynab and the cultural Renaissance of modern Egypt
3. Blindness and insight: challenging the sacred/secular divide in ??h? ?usayn's The Days
4. An Egyptian Sophocles: Qur??nic inspiration in Tawf?q al-?ak?m's People of the Cave
5. Writing the mad text: freedom, modernity and God in Naguib Mahfouz's 'The Whisper of Madness'
6. Islamism writes back: Al? A?mad B?k?th?r's Red Revolutionary and the dismantling of the secular
7. Realism and utopian irony in Y?suf Idr?s's Fara??t's Republic
8. Islam and secular nationalism in a film age: unveiling Youssef Chahine's Gam?la al-Gaz?'iriyya
Appendix 1: 'The Whisper of Madness'
Appendix 2: an interview with Youssef Chahine
Appendix 3: feature films produced in Egypt from 1927–62
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Society & culture: general [JF], Islam [HRH], Religion & beliefs [HR], 21st century history: from c 2000 - [HBLX], African history [HBJH], Humanities [H]