I postpone to the next
week what I started tackling regarding what I called the salafist serpent which
produces the terrorists whom they call themselves Jihadis, the thing that
appeared the most in the confessions of those accused of killing policemen in
the massacre that took place in Helwan and who were arrested. Those accused
said they started by adopting the salafist ideology and later they changed into
what they called the Jihadi ideology.
I will publish some
comments I received regarding that issue including some that I think they
represent an important addition to what I wrote and also reveal a deep
understanding and awareness of the subject. I will also point to the laws
applied by the state of the United Arab Emirates regarding discrimination of
all kinds and what has to do with accusing others of blasphemy. My friend Mr.
Ghassan Tahboob, the journalist and Arab thinker has generously acquainted me
of the Emirati law regarding this aspect.
As for today, we talk
about the current debate regarding the cultural discourse and renovating it.
This discourse which I think is the stem holding all other branch discourses
whether Dawaa, political or sociological since culture, in the broad meaning of
the word, exceeds literature and arts to all aspects of life. I here say and believe
we shall not expect any renovation in the cultural discourse unless we settle
the matter concerning those responsible for the cultural aspect here in our
country!
It’s logical that we
here mean those working in the ministry of culture and its agencies in the
first place. However, they are not the only responsible; they represent a part
of what we call the cultural domain and so there are other parties that can be
added to the ministry along with its agencies to have a complete responsibility
and at this point I mean all civil society institutions including political
parties, communities, syndicates and clubs. Adding to all this are private
gatherings where some people concerned in a specific matter meet to talk about
the public interest like cultural saloons which have turned into a social style
where elite people of the society seek to join and brag of those whom they host
as periodic guests!
Now, someone may say:
“you widened the circle, sir and so no one will claim responsibility”. I say
what I really care for is comprehensive renaissance in the society; meaning to
work hard to achieve what other nations and societies could achieve before
through ages and we also tried to achieve in previous eras; I’m calling for the
living social forces which proved to be still alive and capable of moving to
move again, like what happened in the two revolutions of January 25th,
June 30th, in between them and before them; at least since 1972; those
living social forces which massed and took to the streets to achieve a
deep-rooted comprehensive renaissance in the Egyptian reality from bottom up.
When we ask about those
who orchestrate such perceivable comprehensive renaissance and coordinate
between the entities I mentioned before, my answer is: definitely, not the
ministry of culture which I claim I know a little bit about its head; meaning
the minister whom I met and knew and may be knew him very well since he was an
editor in a specialized magazine and seeking to move to another one more famous
and wide spreading. I also claim I know some about its grassroots; meaning
those professionals who can easily combine between intellectuals’ gibberish and
nastiness of bureaucrats and profiteers! I wish someone have the courage to
open the black box of that ministry in Egypt and who can also detect all its
accomplishments, positive points, negative ones, and defaults in order to find
the right way to participate in achieving the comprehensive renaissance we
seek.
I also believe that the
whole matter begins when the whole society and nation is willing to adopt such
spirit seeking comprehensive renaissance, so that we can all know that we have
one common target which we all seek to achieve despite our diversities,
differences and ideologies. For example, in Israel, the society has one clear
target; that is “Israel, the strong advanced and excelled state over all its
neighboring countries”… everyone there works hard to achieve that goal even if
they appeared to be disagreeing and clashing to the extent of hating each other
in that society! But when it comes to the state and how strong and developed it
is… they all unite in one.
Some of our elite
intellectuals have already gathered all their experiences, mental power and
knowledge they have with every one of them coming out with a written project
depicting the prospected cultural renaissance; meaning they all could diagnose
the illness and write prescriptions along with all the details associated and
required for the culture well-being. However, it didn’t work out and I think
the reason is very simple; no matter how clever and well-updated to the latest
in his field the physician is, he will not be able to cure his patient unless
the latter is ready for this and is situated in an environment that can help
him recover.
In our national history,
we had no specific “cultural prescription” that was adopted and followed by
Tharwat Okasha for example when he was minister of culture. However, we had
that spirit to achieve renaissance that prevailed in all elements and parts of
the society when Fawa’aliya[1], technicians and engineers
responded to the challenge and worked day and night in the construction of the
High Dam. Others also worked in Iron and Steel industry… in Steam Boilers … and
so on until we reach the grassroots’ level in public yards and cultural palaces
….
That spirit that made
Salah Jahin write songs dreaming of marble statues overlooking small canals of
the River Nile… with Kamal et-Tawil, Muhammed el-Mogi, Ali Ismail, Abdel-Halim
Hafez composing and singing… whatever you think of what happened and whether it
led to the catastrophic defeat in 1967 or whether this war was waged to put an
end to such spirit… you can never but agree that the idea of the collective
high spirit prevailing in the society was the main point, like what happened
earlier after the 1919 revolution. It was not a written prescription that
inspired Mahmoud Mukhtar and the rest of the pioneers in novel, poetry,
scientific research, and even pushed in the way of renovating ideas whether
liberal or Marxist and later the nationalist ideology… it was that spirit that
also pushed in the way of discussing what was considered taken for granted
heritage phenomena like the Caliphate and others… It was the spirit prevailing
in the nation bottom up!
There have been a lot of
examples and models that have proved once this renaissance spirit prevails,
what I call the renaissance attitude is the first to be achieved… meaning all
trivial side disputes disappear and desire to meet and integrate gets stronger…
crime disappears… people watch each other’s back… people care about cleaning
the streets and squares… people prefer each other in food, drink and smoking
too!! It’s what we all have witnessed when this spirit was evident during the
revolutions of Jan 25th and June 30th.
The question still
persists: who is the one responsible for calling such spirit and how can we transfer
and spread this in the whole society?!
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
Translated into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This
article was published in Al Ahram newspaper on June 16, 2016.
To
see the original article, go to:
#alahram
#ahmed_elgammal #Egypt #culture
[1] Fawa’aliya:
(Arabic: الفواعلية) people working in simple
construction tasks that needs no skills like smashing down a wall or lifting
demolished buildings’ wreckage or rubbish. These people suffer very bad
conditions in Egypt as they have no medical or social insurance. They have no
syndicate to represent them or advocate their rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment