Al-Ahram Weekly | People

		23 -29 May 2002 Issue No.587 People	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Al-Ahram, my sweets, is so much more than a media organisation, as a recent event I attended with my colleague Reham El-Adawi clearly revealed. Taking place in the grand foyer of Al-Ahram's main building on Galaa Street, an art exhibition organised to help the victims of the Aswan-bound train that caught fire in February, killing nearly 400 people, was being inaugurated.
Prime Minister Atef Ebeid, Minister of the Public Business Sector Mukhtar Khattab, Al-Ahram Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Board Ibrahim Nafie, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Al-Iqtisadi magazine Essam Refaat and the chairman of the Academic Centre for Design and Consultation Hammad Abdallah Hammad, were among the luminaries present for this benevolent event.
The exhibit includes 35 pieces, amongst which are paintings, drawings, sculpture, textiles and carpets estimated at LE175,000. They will be sold in an auction, the proceeds from which will be given to the families of the train's victims, in the form of monthly salaries.
Among the artists who donated their work to the cause is my dear colleague Nagwa El- Ashri, who was also in charge of compiling the pieces on display. Artists Omar El-Nagdi, Mustafa Kamal, Gihan Raouf, Farid Fadel, Mohsen Sha'lan, Zeinab Khalil, Mohamed Tarawi, Ibrahim Abdel-Malak, Ahmed Nawwar, Mohamed El-Ma'lawi, Ali Ibrahim and Soheir Osman, all participated as well.

Galal Nassar

What good news! Our dear colleague Galal Nassar, Al-Ahram Weekly's military correspondent, has just won LE4,000 in prize money for excellence in journalism for the year 2002. Nassar was given the award by the Press Syndicate, which is headed by Ibrahim Nafie. The council also awarded veteran writer and former Press Syndicate chairman Kamel Zoheiri a prize in recognition of his relentless efforts in supporting press freedom and the rights of journalists. Nassar won for his article, "The American Art of War" which dealt with the US's Afghan campaign. To mark the occasion, a large celebration will be held at the syndicate's new building, where the prizes will be given out on 10 June, which also happens to be Journalists Day.
It's not the first time, by the way, that Nassar has won a Syndicate prize. He was selected best Egyptian military editor for four consecutive years starting in 1994.
For the past few weeks, my dears, the Cairo Opera House has been like a beehive as it prepares for celebrations marking Al-Mulid Al-Nabawi Al-Sharif (the birth of Prophet Mohamed), which are being held today at the Main Hall. A group of budding singers from the Cairo Opera Company, supervised by composer Gamal Salama, will be putting on a two-part concert, directed by Gihan Mursi. The first part includes a collection of popular religious songs performed by Riham Abdel- Hakim, Amira Ahmed, May Farouk, Asmaa Said, Ayaat Farouk, Omneya Samir, Ahmed Said, Walid Kamal and Mohamed Sultan. The second part will feature the promising voice of Amal Maher performing the famous religious-themed oeuvres of the late, legendary Umm Kulthoum. The classics, such as Wulid Al-Huda (Birth of Guidance) and Salu Qalbi (Ask My Heart), will be accompanied by the Abdel-Halim Nuweira Arabic Music Ensemble, led by maestro Salah Ghoubashi. Amongst the other troupes participating in the event, are Al-Inshad Al-Dini troupe, which will most certainly mesmerise the audience with its ecstatic zikr (rituals), and a selection of invocations, and Tawashih (religious chants).

Egyptian cinema has long been accorded international recognition. In this light, the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) -- an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture -- will continue to support the Egyptian film industry both here and abroad by attending the film market at the Cannes International Film Festival for the fifth consecutive year. You can bet I will also be making an appearance on those lovely French shores to visit the Egyptian pavilion designed by Nagi Shaker. CDF director Salah Shaquir says two books are available there to provide all the information one may need on Egyptian cinema. One is about the industry itself, including facts on studios, film companies, and laws governing the shooting of foreign films in Egypt. The second presents a panoramic view of Egyptian documentary and narrative cinema from 1990 to 2001. Scenes from the most memorable movies in the long history of Egyptian cinema will also be on show at the pavilion. Definitely a development of much interest to all Egyptian cinema lovers -- and those who can't make it can even take a virtual look via the http://www.cdf-eg.org web site.
The Baby Home School has just held its annual celebration at the Opera House, my dears, and my colleague Nashwa Abdel- Tawab, a Baby Home graduate, attended the party with our own photographer Khaled El- Fiqi. After watching the three-hour show, which featured much solidarity with Palestine and its people, Nashwa and Khaled emerged with hope for the future. Aged from kindergarten to grade five, 500 pupils sang for peace and danced for action. They performed the song, "We all love Egypt" written by the talented lyricist and scriptwriter Medhat El- Adl, with music composed by the head music teacher and musician Hassan Rushdi. Highly visible amongst the audience was Minister of Education Hussein Kamel Bahaaeddin, and Nawal El-Digwi, who owns the school. The dynamic school principal, Mona El-Digwi, should be thanked for managing to stimulate students and staff into revealing their talents for such a great cause.

Although I am no fashion victim myself, all of you sweethearts know how I am a dedicated follower of fashion -- on others -- one of the main motives behind that being that it often gives me ample opportunity to give free reign to my sharp and biting sarcasm. I must admit, however, that when I found myself first at the Cairo Citadel and the second day at the Semiramis Intercontinental upon an invitation from Marie-Louis and BTM, my sarcastic tongue was tied. Be they casual, flowing dresses or smart costumes for men, and whatever the material in which they were cut, the designs I saw on those lovely mannequins were simply a pleasure to behold.

Sharm El-Sheikh, the grand Egyptian resort town recently named a city of peace by UNESCO, will soon gain added importance as a cultural attraction as well. The city's Al-Nabq tourism centre, is gearing up to feature a museum, called Eco-House, which will be the gathering place for various civilisations: Egyptian, Arabic, Islamic, African and Asian, thus ensuring Egypt's role in promoting various cultures, civilisations and peace. Museum director Mohamed Essawi said that 50 square metres of space have been allocated for each participating country to display samples of its architecture. Ten pieces from the inherited past will also be on display, shedding light on cultural identity. Eco-House is to open in December 2003, and its budget is estimated at $1.4 million. Primarily a private sector enterprise, Eco- House has been transformed into a non- profit venture managed by a board of trustees. It is being supported by the Foreign Ministry, as well as the ministries of culture and tourism, and the Arab League.

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