Abdulaziz Al-Musallam: Embracing modernity is our way to preserve heritage and pass it on to future generations
The Sharjah Institute for Heritage organized a panel discussion titled "The Narrator in His Silver Jubilee: From Local to Global," as part of the academic program accompanying the Sharjah International Narrator Forum. The session was moderated by media personality Hind Khlaifat, and featured Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, and Aisha Al-Hussan, Director of the Arab Heritage Center and General Coordinator of the Forum.
Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam emphasized the importance of keeping pace with modern developments, warning that failure to do so could lead to the traditional narrator being forgotten. He stressed that translation from foreign languages must be undertaken by translators who are passionate and who have a clear vision for translation. It should not be a mere linguistic exercise, but rather a transfer of the spirit of the original material.
He explained that some translations alter everything, citing the Egyptian versions of the Grimm Brothers' tales as an example, which differ significantly in tone and depth compared to the Levantine and Iraqi translations, which he described as better and more profound. He also mentioned that he has authored several books on the subject of mythical creatures, documenting 40 different folkloric beings.
Al-Musallam pointed out that the Emirate of Sharjah in particular, and the UAE in general, have made great strides in the collection and documentation of folk tales, beginning in the 1980s with projects such as folk storytelling, children’s traditional chants, and traditional women’s crafts.
He also noted that Saudi Arabia currently has the largest number of narrators among the Gulf countries.