Egyptian Muslims and Jews were not always at odds. Before the Arab-Israeli wars, before the mass exodus of Jews from Egypt, there was harmony. Spanning the 1930s to the 1960s, this sweeping novel accompanies Galal, a young boy with a Jewish mother and a Muslim father, through his childhood and boyhood in a vibrant popular quarter of Cairo. With his schoolboy crushes and teen rebellions, Galal is deeply Egyptian, knit tightly into the middle-class fabric of manners, morals, and traditions that cheerfully incorporates and transcends religion - a fabric about to be torn apart by a bigger world of politics that will put Galal's very identity to the test.
Juif Musulman Séries
Cette série explore la tapisserie complexe de la vie juive et musulmane en Égypte pendant une période de transformation au milieu du XXe siècle. Elle suit des individus naviguant dans leurs identités au milieu d'un paysage culturel riche où les différences religieuses coexistent souvent harmonieusement dans la vie quotidienne et les structures familiales. Les récits capturent la chaleur et la complexité de ces communautés avant que les tensions politiques croissantes ne menacent leur existence entrelacée. C'est une exploration poignante de l'appartenance, de l'héritage et de l'impact profond des événements historiques sur les vies personnelles.



Ordre de lecture recommandé
- 1
- 2
"How could a good Muslim boy like you be born into a Jewish family!" For Galal, forced to leave Egypt in the 1960s Jewish exodus with his family, the Diaspora has none of the beauty of a rich tapestry of history; it's a day-to-day struggle to fit into his new life in Paris, reconcile the conflicting demands of family and friends, and come to terms with who he is. Deeply personal, this unusual and uplifting coming-of-age novel takes us into the heart of an ordinary young man in the grip of an unforgiving historical moment.
- 3
Menorahs and Minarets
- 264pages
- 10 heures de lecture
After ten years in Paris, Gala returns to Cairo, where he finds a society in transformation. Egypt is Galal's home, but he feels he no longer belongs there. He is caught between his two identities : his Jewish mother's family are cosmopolitan business people, while his Muslim father's side are rural farmers from the Delta. In this conclusion to Kamal Ruhayyim's compelling triology, he paints an uncompromising portrait of an older generation dictating how their children live and love. -- Provided by publisher.