14 - 20 June 2001
Issue No.538
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 14 - 20 June 2001 Issue No.538 |
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Be quiet, Hegazi'
In an article entitled "The Importance of Being Ahmed Abdel-Mo'ti Hegazi" (Akhbar Al- Adab, 10 June), poet and critic Abdel-Mon'im Ramadan launched an attack on veteran poet Hegazi targetting articles by the latter in which he censured the kind of prose poetry that has come to be synonymous with the Generation of the Nineties. The piece amounts to an angry defence of, rather than an apology for, the poetics of the Nineties, which favour individual over collective consciousness and promulgate everyday concerns of the body as much as the soul instead of promoting national and social- political awareness.Sounding an optimistic note for the future of the prose poem, Ramadan posits a theory of the history of poetry in which, at every stage, with every new generation of poets, the majority of practitioners are minor figures who produce nothing of value. This majority, Ramadan asserts, should not be despised and attacked, since by embracing the new set of literary values, regardless of what they finally produce, they set the scene for "the exceptional poets' work."
"Without this inconsequential majority in the Fifties," Ramadan writes, "neither Hegazi nor Salah Abdel-Sabour would have been able to produce beautiful poetry." That the bulk of the Nineties output may prove worthless in the long term, therefore, does not justify Hegazi's dismissal of this work. At least it suggests a model of the poet. "It is beneficial to pay attention to the link between the prose poem and the model of the private poet, which at last shifts the emphasis from the model of the public poet that has overwhelmed every epoch of our modern literary life."
The point of his article notwithstanding, Ramadan adopts a stinging tone. He begins with the assertion that he cannot help responding to Hegazi's articles even as "they aim to tempt us to create an immense din at the centre of which the poet Hegazi stands, having accomplished nothing worth mentioning." Hegazi is, he repeatedly explains, "probably a poet but always a star;" his articles are "the remains of old, mouldy sweets unwanted and abandoned." Ramadan concludes by quoting the late Abdel-Sabour, Hegazi's fellow journeyman, in 1958 writing of his senior Abbas Mahmoud El-Aqqad: "I wish he would be quiet." Ramadan points out that, on this and other topics, he harbours the same feeling towards Hegazi.
Thoughtful patronage
Whether businessmen or royalty, the founding members of this postmodern marriage of business and culture are well equipped: from Saudi prince Khalid Al-Faisal to Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris, they span the Gulf, Morocco and Lebanon. It was Al- Faisal who first proposed the idea in his inaugural speech at the Conference of Arab Culture in Beirut last year."The institution will bring luminaries together with businessmen in the Arab world," he explained at the meeting. "By supporting cultural activities and nurturing talent, the institution aims to help the Arab nation regain its role as a central civilisation and culture."
The meeting was attended by Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab League, who expressed both "personal joy" and "official interest" in the institution's work.
Contributions of founding members, Al- Faisal announced, had reached a grand total of $24 million: "The institution will finance its activities using the interest this capital generates." The founding members will meet next in Abha, Saudi Arabia, at the end of this month, in preparation for a final meeting to take place in Beirut, where the institution's headquarters will be located.
In literary circles reactions towards the initiative ranged from guarded criticism to wholehearted backing. Poet Farid Abu-Se'da pointed out that the notion of businessmen supporting cultural and intellectual activities is "as old as humanity itself." He added that, regardless of the term used to refer to them, it was always the owners of capital who endorsed the arts. "I bless and support the founding of an institution of Arab thought by businessmen, so long as it is not subject to government control and is committed to the principles of civil society." Novelist Fouad Qandil, too, expressed joy at "the return of businessmen to the intellectual arena." But critic Ramadan El-Bastawisi voiced a number of possible reservations: "It is impossible to claim that such an institution would not be subject to any authority, considering that many of the founding members themselves constitute authorities in their own right... The fate of this institution thus depends on their ability to create a margin of freedom within which political debate can take place; only in this way can they create an institution that truly caters for culture."
Legal principles
The third intellectual conference of the Islamic Academy in Vienna ended last month. For three days Muslim scholars addressed terrorism and human rights. Participants included Al- Azhar University President and Deputy President of the Society of Islamic Universities Ahmed Omar Hashim. Though discussions focused on terrorism as a transnational crime and a side effect of "the extremism that gives Islam a bad name," topics ranged from a comparative philosophy of crime to the Palestinian Intifada. Participants paid particular attention to the issue of informing Europeans about the essential principles of Islamic law and how it operates.Clubbable youth
"Islam is everyone's heritage", a multi-media, educational exhibition by the Organisation of Islamic Culture in Spain has been on the move, battling against media misinformation all over that country. The exhibition, which targets primary and secondary students, pits itself against racial discrimination in Europe. Based on a comprehensive research project, it presents information about aspects of Islamic civilisation and the texts associated with them, debunking the myths young people are exposed to. The organisation offers courses in Islamic culture for primary and secondary teachers in order to "extend the campaign to all fronts." It has been well-received, Abdel-Rahman Jah, the president of the Organisation of Islamic Culture announced: "Islamic heritage is deeply rooted here [and] Spaniards are sympathetic to the problems of minorities and immigrants; the young especially are increasingly interested in the Islamic world."
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