Saker Shebeeb an independent thinker of special worth
‘A unique poet’
This is the second in a series of articles on Saker Al Shebeeb, a poet and philosopher and outstanding pioneer in the awakening of thought. — Editor
TBy Lidia Qattan
he subtlest form of suffering known to man is that engendered by the poisonous atmosphere incidental to failure.
Saker was in the prime of his youth when the world came crashing down on him. He was feeling utterly denied, abandoned, and homeless. He was a lonely, blind man cast away by his own family, facing an uncertain future.
Breaking-up with his father was not only the greatest humiliation he had to endure, in itself it was a source of ubiquitous and everlasting suffering he had to bear through life.
At the time he found himself suddenly alone, he felt as if the forces of life had been stunt within him, he felt at the bed-rock of his existence.
Everything within him. and around him was dead or meaningless, only the cupidity and the cruelties of the people around him still held their sting on him and this was the only reality, his only connection with life which eventually became the source of his energy in a fight that lasted through life.
The moment he felt an out-cast, his heart was so full of guilt and fears as his heart could hold. Tumultuous thoughts roared and bellowed hideously in his mind; he was quite incapable of finding peace or comfort from anything or anyone around him.
Such miseries as he felt kept accumulating upon him till his whole being could bear no more; then all suddenly there was a calm sensation quite unexpected and sublime, all his grief and troubles were overshadowed by an intense relief.
The feeling was so exhilarating and strange that he actually felt he was being blessed by a Divine presence showing him he had not be forsaken, while this feeling lasted he felt in heaven and earth all at once.
It was a sensation of infinite life, of love, of wisdom, of peace and power hitherto unknown to him rushing through his veins, flooding his heart with warmth and a faith in his own special purpose in life.
From that moment his revolutionary spirit was set ablaze, the dogmatic ruthless character of his poetry was born.
That temporary loss of orientation in life and his fortuitous escape from it contributed to the precocious maturity of his unique philosophical poetry; from then onwards he was dominated by only one thought: To fight the system, in this he found his power.
Saker was his real self again, yet more determined than ever before to disperse the clouds of doubts and superstitious that were shadowing the better reasoning of his people.
From the day he left home, he never set foot in the house of his father again; he still visited his two sisters from time to time, but only in his absence.
Interpretation
The poet and author Abdulla Zakaria Al Ansary, in his brilliant interpretation of Saker Shebeeb poetry and life-work, draws a vivid picture of the man’s personality beneath the veneer of his comments.
At the same time, by drawing attention to the time and place and the conditions that inspired the poet, he takes us back into a journey through time and we see life in Kuwait as it were in those days.
As discovered by all who read the poetry of Saker Shebeeb, laymen and intellectuals alike, his style is hard to understand.
His unique command of the Arabic language made him prone to a choice of words, whose meaning could only be understood through delving deep into them, searching their inner value.
This characteristic, together with the absence of beauty in rhythm, did not help in making the poetry of Saker Shebeeb very popular.
However, the broad spectrum the poet
Lidia Qattan
Flamingo birds spotted at one of the beaches of Kuwait Bay.
covers on all subjects of life and his vast knowledge in almost every subject makes it irresistible and challenging to those who seek to understand his philosophy.
Such is the case of the poet-author Abdullah Zakaria Al Ansary, and of Ahmed Besher Al Roomy, before him, who collected most of his work and wrote a profile on the poet and his work.
Abdullah Zakaria writes “In studying the work of Saker Shebeeb I became aware of the poet’s intellectual depth in his poetical interpretation of the multifarious aspects of life, and I became fascinated by his strange and profound philosophy.
Saker Shebeeb was a unique poet, an independent thinker of special worth: He worshiped the human intellect.
He believed in modern knowledge as being the tool and means by which enlightened people could lift themselves above the thick cover of superstitions and prejudices that cloud human intellect, sinking their believers to the level of animal existence.
Saker was patriotic at heart; he was forever urging the unity of all Arabian countries; but most of all he was a great lover of the Arabic language, jealous of its beauty and melody.
When he was walking through the streets of Old Kuwait town, whenever passing-by one of the schools he inevitably stopped by the windows to listen; if he heard the teacher addressing his students in a degraded form of Arabic, he promptly acted with sudden fury, beating at the window with his cane to draw his attention. When the teacher came out to investigate, he got a severe reproach from him.
Believed
Saker Shebeeb strongly believed in the emancipation of woman in society, hence he championed her cause with all his heart.
If he was hard in his war against radicals of Islam, whose dogmas were crippling the healthy development of the Arabian world by keeping people in the dark, depriving them of their chances of a better life under the true guide of Islam, he was yet more bitter when it came to defend the right of woman in society. Then his sting was truly terrible!
Deep and sincere in politics as in everything else, Saker Shebeeb often verged on prophetic warnings of doom. As when, grieving with anger over the crisis of Palestine, he was exhorting the Arab leaders to united action against the common enemy, which, while inflicting constant humiliations on the Arab image, was plotting to destroy it.
His poem “Palestine” published in an Iraqi paper, was written during the heated days of the Arab rebellion, which began in 1936 and reached its peak in the following year.
What sparked the unrest was the drastic suggestion of the Royal Commission to divide Palestine as a solution to the Jewish problem, while ignoring the Arabs protesting demanding self-government.
The saga of Palestine began, in 1918, with the Balfour Declaration; from its onset it raised a wave of patriotism and animosity that swept through the Arabian world setting ablaze the mind of people, specially of students and intellectuals.
Saker Shebeeb was one of the most alert to the coming events, he was therefore never tired of warning and urging united action while the issue could still turn in favor of the Arab cause.
In 1938, a poem of Saker Shebeeb appeared in the periodical “Al Sigiyl,” under title “Work! Not Words!” In some of the passages he thunders:
“Will the Arab be able to raise their head one day if the Jews take over Palestine? Or will they excuse themselves? If we cannot sacrifice our wealth and very life for this holy cause, when will we expend it?”
In another passage he reminds the Arab countries of their noble baring in history. “We must perpetuate the ancient glory. Glory is in struggle. Why then do we dishonor ourselves? Why do we belittle our ancestors, the Arab, and don’t act as they did? Either we are liars or not Arabs like them”!
Revolutionary
When the Arab world began to melt in the heated paradox of revolutionary and moderate ideas we find Saker Shebeeb thundering with scorn and entreat.
“Till when will we let them laugh at us? Those who begged our food and now are tearing at our flesh, sinking their fangs into us, dividing us in weakness and fear! Let us unite in the purpose of our ideal. Let us be friend in this beloved land. Let us follow the holy commands of our religion and avoid the guidance of those who bear the turban”!
If Saker Shebeeb, feeling as he did then, were living today and saw what the Iraqis did to his beloved Kuwait. If he witnessed the terror and destruction, the torturing and killing of his people, the deporting and imprisoning of thousands of them, the setting ablaze the entire oil-field, and putting the Arab image to shame for the whole world to see and criticize. What words of anger and reproach, of anguish and disgust would come out of him?!
What flaming passion would fill his poetical flow in praise of our heroes, and martyrs of this tiny land: the men and women who stood firm defending their country, who suffered martyrdom under torture, writing with their blood the most glorious chapter in the history of this country!
Seven Arabian countries stood against tiny Kuwait, openly siding with Iraq, the aggressor! What would Saker think now of the Arab Unity? Of the brotherhood? Of Arab heroism?!
Best was for him never to have lived through this tragedy, never to have witnessed this open shame. God knows the man suffered enough!