A collective performance, an open discussion in which everyone responds to ALLAHU AKBAR, trying to discover the beauty of that moment. an invitation to artists and residents of BASE to collectively deconstruct the prejudices attached to specific expressions, once perceived as symbols of hatred, but which have the potential to take on a new linguistic and semantic meaning. To develop a sound performance, live or recorded, focused on ‘Takbir’, to restore its positive power and magnificence.
During a protest in Brussels’ Place de Bethléem, chants of “freedom for Palestine” echoed with voices rising with each shout. At one point, a protester shouted a powerful ‘Takbir’ (a proclamation of God’s greatness), to which the crowd immediately responded in unison: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar’ (God is the greatest).
A friend of Tuorki, initially hesitant, took a deep breath and shouted: ‘Allahu Akbar’. Then she turned to Yosra and said: ‘This is the first time I have ever said this sentence and I feel free, proud to have said it’. At that moment, it was clear to Yosra that something profound had happened. A language and emotional barrier had been overcome: ‘Allahu Akbar’ was no longer the dreaded expression associated with terror, but had become a rallying cry, an invitation to community, liberation and creation.
This expression had long been a prisoner of clichés and misinterpretations, used as a weapon to incite hatred, violence and death. It had fallen victim to religious fanaticism, Islamic extremism and doctrinal exaggeration, as well as media and political demonisation orchestrated by Western imperialism, determined to fight and eradicate Islam from its territory.
At that moment, Tourki wrote a post: ‘Allahu Akbar, a simple song of peace, a whisper for calm and security, not for chaos and terrorism’. In the ups and downs of life, these words are uttered in both sorrow and joy. It is a heartfelt expression, in the conviction that only God understands the inner depths of each person. With each utterance, faith is expressed that victory lies deep within oneself. ‘Allahu Akbar’ is a humble reminder that triumph is a journey guided by Allah. It is now evident that restoring the beauty and dignity of the phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ is no longer an individual endeavour: voices like those of Alaa Mansour, Saif Fradj, Maïssane Alibrahimi and many others are rising up. Together, they are uniting their hearts and minds around this expression, turning ‘Allahu Akbar’ into a common ground, a shared language.
Yosra Tourki, is a Tunisian artist currently living in France, graduated in 2023 from the École des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes. Since her arrival in France in 2020, she has explored the concept and forms of displacement – both deliberate and impulsive – through films, writings, installations, dialogues and research. Her work is deeply rooted in an ongoing commitment to challenging power structures, practices and institutional dynamics.