22 - 28 November 2001
Issue No.561
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 22 - 28 November 2001 Issue No.561 |
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Pack of Cards
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And while we are busy honouring those who have done more than their fair share for the life of the mind, we had better look to Hassan Hamdi, general manager of Al-Ahram Advertising Department, whose accomplishments speak for themselves. Amr Mortagui, dean of the AUC's School of Business, Economics and Communications, honoured Hamdi as an advertising pioneer in Al-Ahram, Egypt and indeed all the Middle East. Ibrahim Hegazi, assistant professor of marketing at AUC, gave the keynote speech. Those attending the touching ceremony were lucky enough to see a documentary on the life and works of Hassan Hamdi, who has managed to combine academia with gruelling physical activity. He is, of course, a prominent patron of sports -- notably as vice-chairman of Al-Ahli Club, but also as an innovator in promoting sports in Egypt generally. Hamdi, modest as ever, insisted that his colleagues deserve as much praise as he had received, and recognised his debt to the teachers who have taught him all he knows, most importantly Ibrahim Nafie and Saleh Selim.
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Well, you clever little things, here is some more good news for the intellectually-minded among you. You know how you all go on about the poor system of education and how you have to help the kiddies with their lessons -- sometimes, indeed, actually doing their homework for them? Come on, admit it: Sos knows all -- some of my friends who have children of school age have actually become so knowledgeable that they could apply for a teaching position themselves. Now, finally, help is on the way. On 4 November, a protocol was signed between London University Edexcel, the British Council and the Egyptian Ministry of Education, headed by Dr Hussein Kamel Bahaaeddin, which allows (for the first time in Egypt) the inclusion of course work and continuous assessment in GCSE, AS and A Level examinations. The new exams provide clear objectives and aim to test higher order skills as well as simple facts. They will be moderated by London Edexcel to ensure that UK curriculum standards are being maintained. Furthermore, all participating schools will undergo an initial inspection by the British Council to ensure that the quality of teaching and the facilities are of the highest calibre.
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The Arab Radio and Television (ART) seems to be reserving its best programmes for the month of Ramadan, and so it should, since sitting at home glued to the idiot box while drinking tea and nibbling on scrumptious delicacies after Iftar is one of the consecrated pleasures of the holy month. This is why ART has signed an agreement with the Cairo Opera House to televise live the concerts of Al-Inshad Al-Dini Troupe, conducted by Omar Farahat, during this period. Founded in 1973, the troupe, comprising 20 munshids or cantors and 25 musicians, plays religious and mystical songs from the Islamic heritage, composed by sheikhs El- Hariri, Sayed Mursi and El-Manzalawi. Several Arab satellite channels will also show concerts being performed at the Opera's small hall. Among the countries participating in this musical extravaganza are Lebanon, Iraq, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Yemen.
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Ramadan always brings food for thought, and this time it is being provided by the Cultural Development Fund (CDF), affiliated with the Culture Ministry, which will be offering several cultural evenings starting from 23 November at the ministry's various venues: Beit Al-Harawi, Beit Zeinab Khatun, Beit Al-Suheimi, Tal'at Harb Library in Sayeda Nafisa district and the recently inaugurated Alexandria Centre of Creativity.
Director of the CDF Salah Shaquir has said that the programme will include several evenings presenting poetry recitals by renowned poets, among them the prominent poet Abdel- Rahman El-Abnoudi and Ahmed Bekhit at Beit Al-Harawi. Iraqi oud master and composer Nassir Shamma and his Uyoun Troupe will be playing on the first evening, at the Alexandria Centre of Creativity. The National Music Ensemble for Folklore will give two concerts at the Tal'at Harb Library and Beit Al-Suheimi. Among other participants are the Yorka Troupe; the Qithara Troupe (led by Alfred Gamil); percussionist Nesma Abdel-Aziz; the Love and Peace Troupe; Sudanese folklore singer Assem Al-Tayeb; and Port Said's Al-Tanboura Troupe, which performs Sufi and folkloric dances and songs to the lilting tunes of the traditional Semsemia. At Beit Zeinab Khatun, a souq displaying an unusual collection of handicrafts will be set up, complemented by audio-visual cultural material. This programme can be enjoyed from 22 November until 12 December.
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And for those of you who are more inclined towards the exotic, a collection of versatile paintings by the Indian artist Shahla Vinita Karim is on show until 25 November at 19, Road 210, Digla in Maadi. A lover of Egypt, Karim says she has always been infatuated by its rich heritage, busy souqs and vibrant people. She has been living in Egypt since 1998. This is her third exhibition here. A previous show, titled Rhythm of the East, was inspired by the Indian heritage as well as the Egyptian way of life. The artist uses a variety of media such as watercolour, acrylic and oil to express her deepest feelings and most fleeting impressions.
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Not to be outdone, the Supreme Council for Culture, an affiliate of the Culture Ministry, is also celebrating the holy month of Ramadan by organising a series of discussions of the art of poetry at the council from 24 November until 7 December. It will introduce many poets, veteran versifiers as well as novices: Ahmed Fouad Negm, Farida Abu Se'da, Fatma Qandil, Ahmed Taha, and Gamal El-Qassass and Maysoun Saqr from the Emirates among others. The poetry recital will be accompanied by music and songs performed by Nubian singer Karam Murad and vocalist Ahmed El-Tawila (who performs Sufi songs), in addition to an oud recital by Ahmed Khalaf.
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I know at least one dear friend who has much to celebrate during the month of Ramadan: Mazen Abdel-Rahman Hassan, a senior in political science at Cairo University, wrote an essay titled "Unity Through Diversity," which he submitted to the contest organised by the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Centre for Dialogue among Civilisations in Tehran in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, New Jersey, USA, administered this contest, inviting undergraduate students to envision how the dialogue among civilisations can better prepare the people of the world, especially young people, for the challenges of tomorrow. Ten essays were selected from the five United Nations regions. And guess what? Mazen's was one of the two winning entries for Africa.
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The enchanting May Bayoumi, of Al- Ahram's Publications Advertising Department, recently married a gallant groom: Walid Ezzat of the Three Corners Company, in a celebration at the gracious Pyramisa Hotel in Giza. Family and friends gathered around the young couple to wish them well in a spontaneous demonstration of joy.
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Ramadan is the perfect month to recognise the value of those who have contributed so much to our intellectual life, and it is therefore no surprise that the Nile TV Culture channel seized this opportunity and singled out 30 of our most prominent cultural personalities for special applause. Of course, you may have guessed that our own Chairman of the Board of Al-Ahram Organisation and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram, Ibrahim Nafie, who is also both chairman of the Arab Journalists' Federation and head of the Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate, occupied pride of place on that list. So did presidential adviser Osama El-Baz; Ibrahim Se'da, chairman of the board and editor -in-chief of Akhbar El-Yom, and many other active contributors to our cultural well-being: Samir Sarhan, Samir Farag, Ra'fat Radwan, Abdelwahab Elmessiri, Omar Khayrat and Salah Enani. Keep a sharp eye out for the ceremony, which will be shown during the holy month.
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