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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Mirrors of the soul
Sir-I read with interest Nadia Abou El Magd's profile of Abdel-Wahab Mutawi (Al-Ahram Weekly, 20-26 April). I have always been a great admirer of his section, both the regular and the Friday special in Al-Ahram. I have written to his mail column over the years, and some letters have been published.I noticed that in this profile an important part of this man's great work has not been mentioned. This is probably due to his modesty and humility, but I find it essential to stress it.
Through his continuous efforts and the respect and trust of his readers, multitudes of problems, other than emotional, have been solved.
People needing jobs got them. Students in special circumstances needing accommodation found them. Less fortunate people with disabilities got appropriate jobs. Some very sick people received free adequate medical help. I could write pages about the changes that occurred in people's lives through his columns.
There is a saying: "The eyes are the mirror of the soul." Having seen his photograph in your newspaper, I can now imagine how very pure his soul must be.
Thank you, Mr Mutawi, for all you have done and are still doing.
Thank you, Ms Abou El Magd, for giving the chance to "non-Arabic" readers to get to know such a man.
Reine Naggar
Agouza
Redressing the balance
Sir- First of all, congratulations on Al-Ahram Weekly, issue 472 of which I enjoyed reading on the plane returning from my last trip to Cairo -- I was unaware that an English edition of Al-Ahram existed. I liked the way the paper was divided up, and each section was interesting, informative and well presented by your contributing journalists.After persistent Western media bombardment with the Israeli perception of the Palestinian problem, it was refreshing to read Salman Abu Sitta's article, "An end to exile," highlighting the infamous and on-going injustices perpetrated against the Palestinian people throughout the last 52 years. In Western media, the plight of the Palestinians has been purposefully played down, distorted and even swept under the carpet for over half a century. This has led to most target audiences being genuinely unaware of Palestinian grievances, and the callous way in which they were booted out of their homeland with no indemnities or even the slightest chance of retribution being made. The Israelis, and/or Jewry in general, seem to feel it is appropriate for people like Helmut Kohl and the Pope to apologise for the Holocaust which was, of course, another obscene page in modern history. However, the Israelis appear to be blind to the fact that it behooves them to make some gesture of apology to the Palestinian people for the brutal usurpation of their homeland and the continuous and flagrant violation of their human rights over a far longer period than World War II.
I would like to see Mr Abu Sitta's article published in a Western newspaper or magazine, if only to redress the balance a bit on what we are fed as a normal diet on this thorny question. I hope in the interests of the Palestinians that you can arrange for this.
Maev Gallagher (Mrs)
Madrid, Spain
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