I’ve had my own critique of the hirak’s development, but this depiction is so out of pocket. Then again it’s French media. But besides that, I’d like to share my thoughts on the concerns brought up here about Algerian society. Let’s begin with the “taboo of love”. https://twitter.com/france5tv/status/1265370117967314947

I think the Muslim world at large has unnecessarily shied away from virtues of romance that are very much so encouraged between a married couple in our religious tradition.

Unlike other belief systems where life-long abstinence is the highest level of spiritual purity, sex between a married couple in Islam is a blessing from God. Affection under this contract is a form of worship.

At my fellowship, we had a great session on Islamic family systems where our shaykh said he shouldn’t feel like he is recounting something inappropriate when sharing a hadith about the relations our beloved Prophet PBUH had with his wife.

(That being said, this isn’t a free pass to read everything in traditional texts as erotica poetry.) While marriages in the past may have been at times more like practical arrangements, healthy physical relationships are of the sunnah.

We need to reconstruct our understanding of masculinity by returning to prophetic inspiration — because right off the bat if we do not know how to be the best versions of ourselves then coming together as a unit will be nothing short of a mess.

Sex, besides the obvious gratification we are naturally wired to crave and enjoy, is something to look forward to when you know your partner is operating on the same ideals of love and respect.

Our friend Anis in this video is worrying about rights to PDA when the issue really should be about how we approach private affairs.

Algerian women are even sometimes perceived to be the type to push their husbands away when it comes to intimate acts, seeing it a chore, and Algerian men are of course frequently regarded to be much more concerned with their personal arousal.

A lot of things contribute to this kind of dynamic, which is a whole other topic of its own. Point is, being able to snog at a bus stop won’t get us where we need to be. Anis doesn’t like that in order to live out the cuffed lifestyle, he has to get married.

Well, buddy, it won’t kill you to pursue that kind of commitment or hide that you are doing otherwise. That being said I do think it can be a bit much to move like siblings even when you are married and possibly even get fined for public indecency for the smallest of gestures;

if we put aside that people have different limits for vibing and definitions of good taste, I think we can agree that an air of happiness is a great sign we are fulfilling our duties and pleasing God.

Often times in our culture we make certain things 3ib on a basis that isn’t even Islamic, and because we are not actively working on correcting this from our own epistemological framework,

people find the unbridled sexuality sung about in old school rai to be the ultimate path to freedom. One extreme to the next. Now, if even Islamic principles for behavior are considered “extreme” or restrictive, then it is clear where someone’s head is at.

Taboos around sins are good. Shame about committing a sin is good. The feeling you’re doing something wrong? May we never lose it. We all fall into temptation. No need to broadcast it. We don’t want to know. Now, onto another point raised in the trailer.

It’s true that Algeria needs more recreational outlets for young people so they don’t resort to immoral activities. But if you think happiness is in a nightclub and normalized bar-hopping cures depression, I don’t know what to tell you.

Crying over taboos surrounding porn and masturbation is just, no comment. Shame preserves our dignity and keeps our values in check. Of course, there are major societal issues on how it’s used as an instrument to meet detrimental ends, examples of valid concerns:

(1) Unequal pressure between men and women. I think the solution is to reinforce shame in men instead of stripping it among women. (2) Shame of being a victim of injustice. This is senseless and extremely harmful. Keep people in the wrong accountable.

(3) Crippling shame with no guidance or light at the end of the tunnel. Wallowing in guilt as a result of not being able to communicate with someone is not a reflection of a society concerned with the divine.

Balancing mercy with a shared understanding of what is best for us is a must. But the desperation in trying to eliminate shame as a whole will only drive us toward hedonism.

It comes to no surprise that even in conservative countries people drink alcohol and have premarital sex. So far the only commentary I’ve seen about this doc addresses that these things in fact exist, since apparently some were out of the loop.

That’s not even what’s significant about this. In respect to different class perspectives on “revolution”, it specifically exposes us to the priorities of s7ab la chi chi which makes it comical and the least representative,

but it also speaks to a trend of diluting both our innate and learned sense of shame, so that one can openly swim in his pool of unfiltered desires w/o the uncomfortable gaze of the collective, because their judgement may remind him of whatever is left of his healthy conscience.