Kul sana wintum tayibeen, my sweets -- as you all know, Moulid Al-Nabi was last Tuesday, and although those of us in the media don't usually get to enjoy holidays (the news, after all, never rests), Cairo was certainly lovely, as it always is whenever most people don't go to work. My colleagues and I did get our fill of the lovely candies and sweets that Egyptians have traditionally celebrated Prophet Mohamed's birthday with, however, and the two photos above -- taken by Abdel-Aziz El-Nimr and Tarek Atia -- reveal just how wonderful the display cases around the city look, and why adults and children alike so look forward to this time of year.
At the Cairo Opera House, meanwhile, a mega celebration commemorating Moulid Al-Nabi also took place on Tuesday, featuring performers from the Opera Company for Arabic Music, the Abdel- Halim Noweira Arabic Music Ensemble, as well as the National Arabic Music Ensemble Choir. Over a dozen famous religious songs and hymns were performed by the likes of Shaimaa Nagui, Riham Abdel-Hakim, and Maye Farouk.
Also under the auspices of the Opera House, a heart-warming day of cooperation between generations recently took place, with veteran composers and musicians like Mohamed Sultan, Helmi Bakr, Hassan Abul-Seoud, Farouk El- Sharnoubi, and Mohamed Ali Soliman taking the time to assess the voices of budding singers, with a goal towards composing new songs for them, to be released -- for the first time -- in a special collection. My dear friend Samir Farag, director of the Opera House, told me he was extremely pleased with encouraging these younger talents, an idea that also had the strong support of Culture Minister Farouk Hosni as a means of reviving the golden age of Arabic song.
Speaking of golden, the city of Fort Worth, Texas, celebrated the inauguration of an exhibit of Pharaonic antiquities entitled "The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt" last week. My colleague Nevine El-Aref was there, and was pleasantly surprised to be invited, along with Zahi Hawass, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, to an oriental night hosted by Onsi Habib, a successful Egyptian businessman who immigrated to Dallas some 30 years ago. Habib's American wife Lucinda had prepared a veritable bounty of Egyptian food, including fuul, felafel, fatta, mulukhiya, and even kawarei (calves' trotters). The atmosphere around the couple's Mediterranean-style house was also enhanced by the sweet scents of apple-flavoured shisha tobacco wafting through the air. El- Aref was curious as to how the friendly and energetic Lucinda had managed to cook Egyptian food so well. "It was easy," Lucinda said. Having been married to an Egyptian for 12 years, she had learned to cook him his favourite meals. "With help from my husband's sister and an Egyptian cook book sold in the States, I have become an expert."
Imagine my excitement, my dears, when I spotted Rebecca Garang, wife of the Sudan People's Liberation Army leader John Garang de Mabior at the Coptic Evangelical Organisation for Social Services in Nozha, Heliopolis. Mrs Garang had just flown in from Nairobi to attend the first ever Egyptian-Sudanese non-governmental organisations workshop. Radiant in a pistachio green and purple African dress, she mingled with Sudanese diplomats and officials and leaders of Egyptian NGOs. Mrs Garang, who has been to Cairo several times before, was surrounded by well-wishers, both Egyptian and Sudanese. Nadia Makram Ebeid, envoy for the Arab League to Sudan, who was also in a fabulous lime green outfit, delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony. Among those present were Sudanese dignitaries in billowing white robes and turbans, including retired Sudanese Ambassador Abdel-Moneim Mustafa El- Amin, Dau Aleer Abit, the executive director of Sudan Medical Care, and Ambassador Hassan Abdel-Baqi, Sudan's representative at the Arab League.
Arab NGOs have been working hard to stop systematic violence against women in the region, as was evident at a consultative meeting that took place last Monday. Attended by representatives from 15 Arab nations, the two-day conference was an excellent opportunity for exchanging viewpoints among the region's NGOs, civil associations and UN bodies, according to my colleague Mustafa El-Menshawy. Some of the most prominent speakers included Jordanian activist Asma El- Akhdar, Hefsa El-Khameiri of the Bahrain Association for Human Rights, and Haifaa Abu Ghazala, who heads the United Nations Development Fund for Women's regional office in Amman. UN Assistant Special Rapporteur Christina Saunders also gave a speech, and John Rees, who heads the Stop the War Coalition, was there, making his case against the unjustifiable war against Iraq and its severe humanitarian repercussions. Iraq's Buthaina Naseri also gave a wonderfully effective speech, and received a standing ovation as a result.
This week is your last chance to catch the fantastic collection of paintings by the late, great artist Hussein Bikar at the American University in Cairo (AUC)'s Ewart Gallery. Entitled "The Many Faces of Hussein Bikar: A Tribute to a Lifetime of Creative Expression", the show runs till 22 May, and includes many of Bikar's finest works, including portraits he made of eight AUC presidents. The exhibit's inauguration was accompanied by a video and slide presentation by Al-Ahram artist and critic Makram Henein, with commentary provided by artist and graphic designer Elhamy Naguib. A round table discussion also took place featuring Naguib, Henein, prominent caricaturist Mustafa Hussein, and TV presenter Mufid Fawzi.
Within the framework of President Hosni Mubarak's recommendations to increase cooperation between different ministries with a goal towards boosting opportunities for youth, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni and Youth Minister Alieddin Hilal signed an agreement of cooperation between their respective ministries, which will be implemented by the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces and the Youth Sector. Amongst the activities being planned -- an annual cultural mega celebration called "The Youth Festival", extensive cultural programmes at summer youth camps, and the publication of several new periodicals focussing on raising cultural awareness and art appreciation.
Finally, my dears, I am very pleased to announce that my esteemed colleague Ayman El-Amir, who contributes regularly to the Weekly, will be taking on a rather unique and prestigious new post, starting today, as director of communications at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. El- Amir was chosen by Library Director Ismail Serageldin to fill this highly important role, which will involve dealing with the media in Egypt, the Arab world, and around the globe.
El-Amir is certainly highly qualified for the mission, having had an illustrious media career including posts as bureau chief for the Middle East News Agency in Belgrade and Algeria, Al- Ahram's first full-time correspondent in Washington DC, Press Counsellor for Egypt's Permanent Mission at the UN in New York, and two decades of media work at the UN itself, culminating with his role as the director of UN Radio and TV. El-Amir told me he was anxious to reach out to the media with the Bibliotheca's message, using technology to link the library to the world, as it aims to recapture the glory of the Alexandria Library of yore. We wish him the best of luck, and offer our heartiest congratulations.
Pack of Cards
Kul sana wintum tayibeen, my sweets -- as you all know, Moulid Al-Nabi was last Tuesday, and although those of us in the media don't usually get to enjoy holidays (the news, after all, never rests), Cairo was certainly lovely, as it always is whenever most people don't go to work. My colleagues and I did get our fill of the lovely candies and sweets that Egyptians have traditionally celebrated Prophet Mohamed's birthday with, however, and the two photos above -- taken by Abdel-Aziz El-Nimr and Tarek Atia -- reveal just how wonderful the display cases around the city look, and why adults and children alike so look forward to this time of year.
Also under the auspices of the Opera House, a heart-warming day of cooperation between generations recently took place, with veteran composers and musicians like Mohamed Sultan, Helmi Bakr, Hassan Abul-Seoud, Farouk El- Sharnoubi, and Mohamed Ali Soliman taking the time to assess the voices of budding singers, with a goal towards composing new songs for them, to be released -- for the first time -- in a special collection. My dear friend Samir Farag, director of the Opera House, told me he was extremely pleased with encouraging these younger talents, an idea that also had the strong support of Culture Minister Farouk Hosni as a means of reviving the golden age of Arabic song.
Speaking of golden, the city of Fort Worth, Texas, celebrated the inauguration of an exhibit of Pharaonic antiquities entitled "The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt" last week. My colleague Nevine El-Aref was there, and was pleasantly surprised to be invited, along with Zahi Hawass, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, to an oriental night hosted by Onsi Habib, a successful Egyptian businessman who immigrated to Dallas some 30 years ago. Habib's American wife Lucinda had prepared a veritable bounty of Egyptian food, including fuul, felafel, fatta, mulukhiya, and even kawarei (calves' trotters). The atmosphere around the couple's Mediterranean-style house was also enhanced by the sweet scents of apple-flavoured shisha tobacco wafting through the air. El- Aref was curious as to how the friendly and energetic Lucinda had managed to cook Egyptian food so well. "It was easy," Lucinda said. Having been married to an Egyptian for 12 years, she had learned to cook him his favourite meals. "With help from my husband's sister and an Egyptian cook book sold in the States, I have become an expert."
Imagine my excitement, my dears, when I spotted Rebecca Garang, wife of the Sudan People's Liberation Army leader John Garang de Mabior at the Coptic Evangelical Organisation for Social Services in Nozha, Heliopolis. Mrs Garang had just flown in from Nairobi to attend the first ever Egyptian-Sudanese non-governmental organisations workshop. Radiant in a pistachio green and purple African dress, she mingled with Sudanese diplomats and officials and leaders of Egyptian NGOs. Mrs Garang, who has been to Cairo several times before, was surrounded by well-wishers, both Egyptian and Sudanese. Nadia Makram Ebeid, envoy for the Arab League to Sudan, who was also in a fabulous lime green outfit, delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony. Among those present were Sudanese dignitaries in billowing white robes and turbans, including retired Sudanese Ambassador Abdel-Moneim Mustafa El- Amin, Dau Aleer Abit, the executive director of Sudan Medical Care, and Ambassador Hassan Abdel-Baqi, Sudan's representative at the Arab League.
This week is your last chance to catch the fantastic collection of paintings by the late, great artist Hussein Bikar at the American University in Cairo (AUC)'s Ewart Gallery. Entitled "The Many Faces of Hussein Bikar: A Tribute to a Lifetime of Creative Expression", the show runs till 22 May, and includes many of Bikar's finest works, including portraits he made of eight AUC presidents. The exhibit's inauguration was accompanied by a video and slide presentation by Al-Ahram artist and critic Makram Henein, with commentary provided by artist and graphic designer Elhamy Naguib. A round table discussion also took place featuring Naguib, Henein, prominent caricaturist Mustafa Hussein, and TV presenter Mufid Fawzi.
Within the framework of President Hosni Mubarak's recommendations to increase cooperation between different ministries with a goal towards boosting opportunities for youth, Culture Minister Farouk Hosni and Youth Minister Alieddin Hilal signed an agreement of cooperation between their respective ministries, which will be implemented by the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces and the Youth Sector. Amongst the activities being planned -- an annual cultural mega celebration called "The Youth Festival", extensive cultural programmes at summer youth camps, and the publication of several new periodicals focussing on raising cultural awareness and art appreciation.
Finally, my dears, I am very pleased to announce that my esteemed colleague Ayman El-Amir, who contributes regularly to the Weekly, will be taking on a rather unique and prestigious new post, starting today, as director of communications at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. El- Amir was chosen by Library Director Ismail Serageldin to fill this highly important role, which will involve dealing with the media in Egypt, the Arab world, and around the globe.
