Posted on: 2000

By Khaled Nsseibeh

No doubt mirth and laughter are a part of what we are as human beings. In addition to its being a natural human tendency– universally observable– people’s sense of humor is often times culturally derived. The people of a tiny hamlet or town may have a sense of humor especially enjoyed and that is familiar to that particular town or region. Traditions and a shared historical experience may explain a great deal.

Can we say something about the sense of humor of Arab Jerusalemites?

Before addressing this question lets say something about humor in Islam: The Muslim faith encourages laughter to the extent that it is a religion that seeks to achieve human well being. On one occasion, the prophet Muhammad told an elderly woman that her likes will not go to paradise; she was obviously astounded by the Prophet’s remark… But he (peace be upon him) explained that this is so because in paradise people are forever youthful…(this is not the exact narration).

Having said that we can say that certain types of humor which encourage racism and prejudice, or which foster denigration by dint of the humanly blameless (social status, the physical and social environment, accent or cuisine of a group, gender affiliation, handicap, etc.) are Islamically discouraged. In contrast, humor which brings to focus these differences but which at the same time helps in social solidarity and compassion is Islamically encouraged.

Going back to the question: what can we say about the humor of Jerusalemites? Generally speaking it is a subdued sense of humor. A part of the reason is that Arab Jerusalemites are extremely conscious of social perception, generally reluctant to engage in boisterous kinds of laughter– especially on occasions when many people are present. It is commonplace to reproach someone who express lewdness in jokes to be reproached as “Qalil Haya” (or suffering from insufficient sense of shame).

Does that mean that Jerusalemites are incapable of vulgar humor, or that, in fact, lewd joking doesn’t exist? The fact is it exists: but when it is practiced, this writer would argue, there is sometimes an effort to conceal it or to resist it. But like any other city there is a certain amount of corruption which occurs in how people stimulate laughter, or how they go about resisting it.

After the 1948 and the 1967 catastrophes it is arguable that the Jerusalem Arab community (inside and outside Palestine) became more exposed to influences transmitted through newer social environments, through avenues of the media and education which were not present in earlier times.

No doubt, Israeli occupation and culture also had an influence on the styles of humor of Jerusalemites. In effect, humor is evoked oftentimes by both the painful as well as the sweet, by enemies as well as friends, by what is indigenous to a social group and what is extraneous.

Sometimes, absence or availability of money is a source for humor, when wealth is referred to: “Fulan Zangil” (a word of ostensibly Turkish origin) may mean: so and so is rich. By contrast, the remark “Fulan mfaliss” may mean he is penniless1. The adjective “mfaliss”, may mean “without fils”– the first syllable of which is “mafi” (without), and the second syllable “fils” is a monetary unit.

Perhaps for Jerusalemites the moral example may be the Egyptians: they maintain their mirth and sense of humor under the most difficult or under the easiest of circumstances. Oftentimes, that may add up to laughing hearts that get warmer over time.

Do the Turks have a sense of humor? To the extent that a Turk is a man, and to the extent that humor is a human trait we can deduce that the Turks have a sense of humor. To observe Turkish humor directly knowing Jerusalemites may be a helpful thread.

End Note

1- This is the common meaning of the word mfaliss, however, the literal meaning of the word indicates the opposite and that is a person has fils or money.

Mr. Khaled Nusseibeh is a translator and writer. He currently manages the Ubada Center for Writing and Translation Services in Amman. Born in Amman in 1961, he obtained his BA and MA from Columbia and Princeton Universities, respectively. Mr. Nusseibeh, who originates from Jerusalem, specialized in Near Eastern Studies with a focus on Islamic thought and studies.