Aladdin’s Lantern
Author: Omaima Abou-Bakr - أميمة أبو بكر
Category: Children's Stories
Aladdin’s Lantern is a story inspired by the much celebrated One Thousand and One Nights stories. It is written by the She Said: Gender Sensitive Storytelling Workshop in the Women and Memory Forum. This workshop is comprised of a group of women writers who use storytelling as a means of empowering women in stories and giving them positive and effective roles. Their aim is to present women in a more realistic light and to battle the stereotypical and prescribed roles assigned to them in traditional storytelling.
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This is a story for children—written by Omaima Abou Bakr and illustrated by Sherif Danish—in which a little boy is confused and cannot understand why people have to follow fixed patterns in their lives. This is symbolized by the designation of green to children and blue to adults. The story emphasizes that what is assumed to be “natural”, “supposed” and “expected” should sometimes be subverted. A female genie opens the little boy’s eyes to the fact that people should not abide by rigid rules, and she suggests that they appreciate all colors.