Jiha helped people express their views

Jiha whose wit , fun and jokes still attract the attention of laymen and specialists alike in the Arab and Islamic World has not yet won the title he deserved.

The man represented the collective conscience of the Arab people for long period of time and centuries after his death . The Arab jiha , different from Egyptian and the Turkish Jiha , was born in the seventh century A.D. in the Arabian peninsula.

 He spent almost all his life in Kufa , Iraq . without any doubt the Turkish Jiha (Nasruddin Khouja) followed the footsteps of the Arab Jiha and benefited to a great deal from the rich legacy of the Arab Jiha left behind.

 Nasruddin Khouja was born in 1130 and died in 1200 A.D. The Turks paid much care and interest to their jiha and built a big mausoleum for him which is now a tourist attraction .With the passage of time the character of Jiha turned into a myth and an epic . Making fun, satire and practical jokes are the main characteristics of the Arab Jiha who turned into an inexhaustible source for modern Arabic satirical writings launched by Tawfik Al-Hakim and other Arab writers.

 Many people used to tell stories criticizing rulers pretending that they were Jihas’ stories lest they should face punishment .

Jihas’ character or even his name played an important role in helping people express their views and ideas regarding the ruling classes.

  Zainab  Makhlouf