At a glance A shorthand guide to recent publications compiled by Mahmoud El-Wardani

Magazines

Al-Hilal, monthly magazine, issue no.7, July 2003, Cairo: Al- Hilal Reassessing the Arab self is the core topic of this issue of the Cairo magazine, with Salah Qunsuwa, Galal Amin, Murad Wahba, Ahmed Abu Zeid and Raouf Abbas discussing a range of issues from American influence on Arab educational systems to cultural identity and the future of the region. Mustafa Suweif discusses history and human will, Gamil Matar takes on the "spread of stupidity" and Mustafa Nabil writes an obituary of Abdel-Ghani El-Gamasi, one of the heroes of the October War. The issue also includes Al-Hilal's usual supply of articles, reviews and interviews, with highlights including Ahmed Mustagir on life after the genome, Mohamed Abul-Ghar on Egyptian writer Radwa Ashour's last novel and Nasir Shamma on Iraqi music.

Wujhat Nazar, monthly review of books, issue no.54, July 2003, Cairo: Egyptian Company for Arab and International Publication In the most recent issue of the prestigious Cairo review of books Mohamed Hassanein Heikal's opening article discusses "America, Iraq, Palestine". In the context of the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq, Yehya El-Rakhawi discusses American decision-making, Ahmed Youssef writes on privacy and hope and Mohamed Abdel-Fadil assesses conflicts over the future of Iraq. The rest of the articles in this issue range from reviews of recent books on Lebanon and on Washington's role in the Middle East, to articles on Alzheimer's disease, Egyptian football fans and "the supermarket wars". Ayman El-Sayyad provides a thoroughly researched reading of "the new labyrinth confronting the Palestinians", while a host of writers, including Salama Ahmed Salama, keep up with the latest in the world of literature.

Adab wa Naqd, monthly magazine, issue no.215, July 2003, Cairo: Tagammu' Party From Oscar Wilde on the "spirit of socialism" to Atef Ahmed on historical materialism, the articles in the current issue of the left-leaning Cairo cultural monthly deal with a broad variety of perspectives on current world conditions. Among the more literary contributions are Sameh El-Mougi on the criticism of Egyptian critic Gaber Asfour, Mohamed Rafiq Khalil on cultural identity in the face of globalisation and Mohamed Idris on the presentation of the Arab-Israeli in the contemporary Israeli novel. This issue's "small diwan", or collection, concentrates on Badr El-Deeb. The issue also includes Adab wa Naqd's usual array of literary texts and reviews.

Sutour, monthly magazine, issue no.80, July 2003, Cairo: Sutour Publications "Armageddon" is the title of the main folio in this issue of the Cairo magazine Sutour -- an assessment of current world events with an emphasis on Washington's fundamentalist Christian orientation. Abdel-Khaleq Farouk wonders whether America has really won the war, Fouad Fawwaz offers a report on the state of citizenship rights and Said Awad explores "the masks of misery". The magazine offers a preview of the late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's book on television and the press, to be published shortly in Arabic translation. Abdel-Moneim El-Baz discusses the state and the citizen, and Ezzat El-Qamhawi speaks of "the taming of identity". Palestinian film, the work of Syrian sculptor Mustafa Ali and an interview with the Syrian-American film producer Mustafa Al-Aqqad are other highlights.

Ruwaq Arabi, occasional book, issue no.29-30, spring- summer 2003, Cairo: Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies In the opening article of this issue, editor Mohamed El-Sayed Said points to the ongoing resistance to Coalition forces in Iraq as the basis for a new national project following the Anglo-American occupation of that country-- an interesting, if optimistic, reading of current regional conditions. In his study of democratic transformation in Bahrain Mohamed No'man Galal points out that modernisation is the principal challenge facing any regional regime. Such reform, as Sayed Ismail Diefalla indicates in his article on Egyptian luminary Omar Makram, rests on the awareness of citizenship that developed hand in hand with the Arab renaissance in the early 20th century. In a different ideological context, Ali Mubarak and Abdallah Hamoudi discuss the dynamics of "waiting" and of revolution. Abdel-Khaleq Farouk provides a report on human rights in the Arab world, while Ghanem Jawwad explores the justice being meted out by the current government in Iraq. Two further discussions of human rights and Iraq complete the issue.

Books

Asas Al-Balagha (The Fundamentals of Rhetoric), Abul- Qasem Al-Zamakhshari, Cairo: General Organisation for Cultural Palaces (Dhakha'ir Series), 2003. 2 volumes: pp514 and 564, respectively This is one of the most important dictionaries in the history of the Arabic language, concentrating on the use of words in a wide range of contexts. The author, Al-Zamakhshari (1057- 1144), did not rest content with giving a definition of each word, but rather gave examples of its use, underlining the subtle changes in signification it exhibits in each context. Structured in the way most Arabic dictionaries are, with each word being reduced to its three constituent root letters, the dictionary covers the vast majority of Arabic words, including those shared with other Semitic languages but excluding those introduced into Arabic through translation.

Dirasat fi Ilm Al-Ijtima' (Studies in Sociology), ed. Ahmed Zayed, Cairo: Cairo University Centre for Sociological Studies and Research, 2003. pp561 This book is dedicated to the Egyptian sociologist Mustafa El- Khashaab, the 20th anniversary of whose death coincides with its publication. The 19 academics who contribute to the book all acknowledge El-Khashaab's influence as a pioneer in Egyptian sociology, providing what amounts to an outline of sociology in the context of the Egyptian academy. The book includes four principal sections, the first examining the contributions of historical figures such as Ibn Khaldoun and Qasem Amin, the second being dedicated to the study of sociological forms and the third to issues of culture and education. The book's fourth section is a comprehensive study of the life and work of El- Khashaab as the founder of modern Egyptian sociology.

Al-Askar fi Jibbat Al-Shuyoukh (Soldiers in Sheikhs' Cloaks), Talaat Radwan, Cairo: Cairo Centre for Human Rights Studies, 2003. pp176 This book discusses the relations between the leaders of the 1952 July Revolution -- military personnel who took political power -- and Egypt's religious leaders. When political parties were abolished in Egypt in the 1950s, the Muslim Brotherhood was the only political organisation to remain in existence. Yet, within months members of that organisation had made an attempt on the life of President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, and the Brotherhood was subjected to one of the worst persecution campaigns in its history. The book also explores the historical relations of "soldiers to sheikhs" since the arrival of the Muslim reformer Jamaluddin Al-Afghani in Egypt towards the end of the 19th century. It draws a link between religion and the nationalist spirit both before and after 1952, the book including illustrative excerpts and commentary from the work of writers like Mustafa Mahmoud, Naguib Mahfouz and Mohamed Sid-Ahmed.

Fada'at Ruwa'iya (Narrative Spaces), Mohamed Berrada, Rabat: Moroccan Ministry of Culture, 2003. pp249 In his introduction to this valuable book, Moroccan critic and novelist Mohamed Berrada points out that much modern Arabic literature contains dreams of liberating the intellect and the body, resisting objectification and oppression and reassessing relations with both the past and with other societies. Of all the genres of such literature, he says, the novel is perhaps the most vital and engaged, and the first part of this book is devoted to the novel as an example of "pluralistic discourse", Berrada stopping at points in the development of literature over the past 100 years. In the second part, Berrada applies the hypotheses he has derived to individual works from a variety of generations and countries.

Koufeya Souf lil-Shita (A Woollen Scarf for Winter), Bahaa Jahin, Cairo: Miret for Publication and Information, 2003. pp143 The writing of prose poetry in colloquial Arabic emerged in Egypt a decade ago, those poets who adopted the style showing that while it is true that vernacular verse is usually dependent on rhyme and rhythm, prose too can be a fascinating medium for poetry. Yet, Bahaa Jahin, one of the most prominent voices in colloquial poetry, has chosen to swim against the current in this, his latest collection of poems, demonstrating how rhyme and rhythm can be used not to recreate the sound and feel of the poetry of the past but to fashion new and vital poetry that is as relevant to the present as anything written in prose.

Rashhat Al-Hamraa (Effusions of Red), Gamal El-Ghitani, Cairo: Dar Al-Shurouq, 2003. pp153 This, Gamal El-Ghitani's most recent novel, constitutes the last volume of his Dafatir Al-Tadwin (Books of Chronicle) trilogy. Through a series of encounters with women, the narrator provides visions of inability, frustration and miscommunication, starting from a childhood spent in Upper Egypt and progressing to contemporary life in many of the world's major cities and ports. Unlike El-Ghitani's last, more popular books, such as Hikayat Al-Muassasa and Al-Khabi'a, this book is complex and profound, employing an inward-looking idiom that shows a serious understanding of the language and a sense of poetry. Yet, the prevalence of the meditative at the expense of narrative does not make the book any less compelling.

Anbiaa Israel Al-Judud (Israel's New Prophets), Abdel-Ghaffar Al-Douik, Cairo: Miret for Publication and Information, 2003. pp448 The concept of religious "fundamentalism" is all too often applied to certain Muslim and Christian orientations, or perspectives, on the world, but it is seldom applied to Judaism, even though fundamentalism played an essential role in the emergence of the Israeli state. This book examines the historical roots of Jewish fundamentalism, which continues to play a vital role in present-day Israeli society, the author supporting his ideas with political and sociological perspectives on Israeli life. Not only theory, but also concrete examples of the activities of Jewish fundamentalists and fundamentalist Jewish religious movements, both past and present, are presented: a very revealing read.

Aathar Al-Bilad wa Asrar Al-Ibad (The Country's Heritage and the People's Secrets), Zakariya Al-Qazwini, Cairo: General Organisation for Cultural Palaces (Folklore Library Series), 2003. 2 volumes: pp286 and 453 respectively Among the most important historical Arabic books on geography, this edition of Al-Qazwini's Aathar Al-Bilad is affordable enough to be read by all. A comprehensive survey of the cities and provinces of the Muslim empire, the book discusses each city individually, outlining its principal features with intensive brevity. It also includes anecdotes and legends that qualify as folklore. Al-Qazwini manages to sum up a vast amount of prior and contemporary knowledge, demonstrating the extent of Arab civilisation's historical variety and openness. Books is a monthly supplement of Al-Ahram Weekly appearing every third Thursday of the month. We welcome contributions and letters on subjects raised in this supplement. Material may be edited for length and clarity; and should be addressed to Mona Anis, Books Editor, Al-Ahram Weekly, Galaa St., Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt; Fax: +202 578 6089; E-mail <m.anis@ahram.org.eg> For advertising call +202-5780233; Fax +202-3941866.