Rim Banna: Ibn Rushd Award

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Av andreas

  The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought was founded on December 10th, 1998, in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Ibn Rushd's (Averroes’) death, and on the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Universal Human Rights. It is an independent organization registered in Germany. Its founding members are mainly of Arab origin who live in Germany. Meanwhile, the fund’s members and sponsors are spread all over Europe, the Arab countries and North America. The sphere of activity, however, is the Arab world. The fund’s goal consists in fostering freedom of thought, democracy and the courage to stand up for one’s beliefs in the Arab world. The Ibn Rushd Fund wants Arab culture to strive for rationalism and tolerance. Supporting the ideas of freedom of thought and democracy is an important starting point to catch up with the process of world civilization. To this end, the fund collects money to honor people who have rendered outstanding services to these goals. In this way, endeavors for freedom and democracy in the Arab World will be supported. The fund also launches campaigns in favor of persons who because of their political or social activities and beliefs come into conflict with their governments. Rim Banna is especially acclaimed by the Ibn Rushd fund for her participation on the KKV-production ”Lullabies from the Axis of Evil”, and for the new CD ”Revelation of Ecstasy and Rebellion”, which she last winter created together with Bugge Wesseltoft (KKV 2013). Here she shows a direct line between traditional Arab Sufi poetry and modern, universal work for human rights and freedom. Rim Banna’s work is a political struggle in which music is her weapon. She is an important front figure in the whole Arab world. At the ceremony 15th of November when Rim received her award, Erik Hillestad gave the laudatory speech. Buy "Revelation of ecstasy and rebellion" here: Klicktrack