The Department of Arabic Language at the College of Education for the Humanities, Kerbala University, organized a scientific workshop on intertextuality in the poetic play “Noah Does Not Board the Ark”. The workshop was presented by Prof. Dr. Rafal Hassan Taha and targeted faculty members, students, and staff.
The aim of the workshop was to introduce the concept of intertextuality, which is considered one of the most important modern literary techniques and poetic methods. It is a fundamental feature of texts that refer to prior or contemporary works, often carrying traits of those texts, whether in whole or in part.
The workshop included a discussion of the play “Noah Does Not Board the Ark”, in which the writer Mohammad Ali Al-Khafaji presented an inversion of the story of the Prophet Noah (peace be upon him). Instead of depicting Noah’s salvation alongside the believers aboard the ark as the earth faced destruction and Allah’s wrath, Al-Khafaji reversed the narrative. In his version, Noah refuses to board the ark, urging people to stay away from it, emphasizing that the earth is the source of safety and stability, and it is crucial to remain on it, not abandon it. This served as a symbolic reference to the occupied Arab lands. The workshop highlighted two types of intertextuality: indirect intertextuality, which is deeper and more impactful, often not easily recognized by the audience, and direct intertextuality, where the text interacts with the original source, either in its entirety or with some modification.
