Timeless ties
Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, on a visit to Athens, urged the cultures of the world to come together for the good of humankind. Inas Nour, in the Greek capital, reports
On her first official visit to Greece, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak delivered a keynote address in which she praised the enormous contributions the Greeks historically made to the cultural life of Egypt and spoke about how the new century can be one that brings Greeks and Egyptians together once more to forge cultural bonds, promote global tolerance and build a universal culture of peace.
Delivering her speech at the Megarane Hall on 2 June after inaugurating an exhibition of Egyptian art and culture -- the famous "Portraits of Fayoum" -- Mrs Mubarak said that this art embodied the unique mix that Hellenistic culture created, crossing geographic barriers and speaking to us across space and time.
"And so it is with all great works of the human mind," Mrs Mubarak told her audience of over 2,000 prominent personalities, among whom were Greek President Constantine Stephanopoulos and Marianna Vardinoyannis, the UN's good will ambassador in Greece. "They display imagination. They are not of a time, but for all time. It is a privilege to be here in Athens for the inauguration of this exhibition of a treasure from both our cultures."
Mrs Mubarak said that it was at Alexandria that great minds such as Euclid, Callimachus, Eratosthenes and Herophylus joined other scientists, historians and poets to create "that amazing community of scholars that mapped the heavens, organised the calendar, established the foundations of science and pushed the boundaries of our knowledge."
Not only that, these giants opened up the cultures of the world and established a true dialogue of civilisations. "It was at the ancient library that the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek," she said. "The Alexandria scholars promoted rationality, tolerance and understanding and organised universal knowledge."
Today, Mrs Mubarak said, the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of the original. "The rebirth of the library is a major political event: in a time of war, it is a gesture of peace; in a time of division, it is a symbol of unity; in a time of brutality, it is a celebration of our common humanity," she said.
It is indicative, she said, that many of the great artists who celebrated the centennial anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 came from all over the world and donated their time and talent to the celebration of the birth of the new library in 2002.
"The eminent personalities, the artists and the many ordinary folks around the world who shared in these celebrations did so to affirm the spirit of Alexandria and what the new institution stands for," Mrs Mubarak said. "It is a hand stretched in friendship across a hostile and suspicious landscape, where openness to the other and mutual respect will bring people together."
Mrs Mubarak said we Egyptians expect the remarkable complex to be an institution with a mission. "It must be a space of freedom where all ideas are freely exchanged and debated, as well as a powerful national, regional and international force for actively promoting the values of rationality, justice, gender equality, tolerance, dialogue and understanding."
To that end, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's message is clear and reaffirmed in all its activities. In the months since its inauguration, the library has organised many events that have brought together some of the best minds of the world with the relevant social actors to address the issues of peace and development and the rights of men and women everywhere.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was the venue for the first-ever Youth Employment Summit last year, which brought together close to 2,000 young people from all over the world. "Out of that gathering, came a clarion call for action; a strong message of hope and empowerment," Mrs Mubarak said. "It is a message that youth are not a problem, but an enormous resource. The gathering brought them together to take charge of inventing their own future."
Another major international conference the library hosted was one on Biotechnology and Sustainable Development. "And the message that came out clearly there was one of equity," Mrs Mubarak said. "That the new sciences must address the needs of the many rather than just add to the luxuries of the few; that if science is harnessed to the needs of the 80 per cent of humanity that live in the developing world, it would help build bridges of understanding and collaboration rather than confrontation."
Mrs Mubarak said such gatherings and the numerous other activities that are so vital in today's world would not have been possible "if our friends who share the dream of reviving the spirit of the ancient library in terms suited to the new millennium had not so generously supported Egypt's commitment".
She said the government and people of Greece have been at the forefront of those who continue to support the library. "We are particularly grateful to Marianna Vardinoyannis, who graciously accepted to serve on our board of trustees to guide the first steps of our fledgling institution," Mrs Mubarak said. "We were delighted that President Stephanopoulos joined President Mubarak to celebrate the launching of this new and unique institution and that the Greek community in its hundreds came by chartered boat and joined us to celebrate."
Mrs Mubarak made a bid in concluding her speech. "In this world of war and suffering and in our region where peace seems always beset by endless hurdles, we must show courage and dedication in the pursuit of peace," she said. "But we cannot do it alone. We welcome you as partners in this important enterprise. Let us create a coalition of the caring that will actively promote peace through dialogue, learning and understanding. If economics and politics separate us, culture can unite us."
The exhibition inaugurated by Mrs Mubarak included ancient Egyptian and Greek art from the Egyptian Museum that has never before been displayed outside of Egypt. The exhibit will remain open till 15 July in the Greek capital, at which time the Egyptian cultural season organised by Egypt's cultural centre in Athens will end.
Mrs Mubarak's other engagements in Athens included a visit on 1 June to the El Pida children's cancer centre, which is headed by Marianna Vardinoyannis.
A day later, Mrs Mubarak attended an event in which the famous Italian opera singer Andrea Boccelli sang and whose revenue is to go to the Library of Alexandria.
Meanwhile, Mrs Mubarak was awarded a gold medal by Andreas Zaimis, the former Greek foreign minister and head of the Friends of the Alexandria Library Society, in honour of her tireless efforts in the revival of the library. She also received the Greek-Egyptian Friendship Society shield.
