Written in 2007, this dramatic pamphlet is aimed against dictatorial regimes who manipulate political, religious and social power. The text has been reworked in the light of current events in the Middle East where various forms of radicalism are spreading. It proposes a reading of the process through which individuals and societies become radical.

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Mawlana features the character of ‘Abed, the son of a mosque custodian. The Shaykh Mohay ad-Dîn Ibn Arabî mosque is located in a lower middle-class historic neighbourhood of Damascus. In a monologue, ‘Abed narrates his life story shaped by impositions from a conservative family and society. His encounter with Omran, a visual artist, leads him to break away from his environment. Through discussing with Omran, ‘Abed questions the political and religious restrictions he has been subjected to.

As he frees himself from family and constraints, ‘Abed wishes to break previous bans: he wants to dance, sing, think and love freely. For this, he needs new bearings.

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In his quest to reject conservative religious attitudes, ‘Abed discovers a Sufi order that draws on the legacy of Ibn Arabî (1165-1240), the Great Master of spirituality and esotericism. His philosophy was discredited by the Damascene clerics when he was alive, and later condemned by reformist yet conservative trends such as Wahabbism and Salafism. Ibn Arabî’s vision runs counter an institutionalisation of Islam by political regimes thus allowing individuals to experience their faith outside the politicised sphere of religious institutions. ‘Abed strives to find his new path within Sufi religious activism but ends up rejected by all his peers. What end will he meet?

Through the tragic-comic story of this apprentice dervish, the production powerfully exposes dictatorial devices and the manufacture of religious radicalism inherent to the arbitrariness of political power.