Bibliotheca Alexandrina and fostering Arab dialogue with all nations
Egypt-Regional, Culture, 4/15/2002

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is the one of most important Egyptian cultural accomplishment of modern times.

The ambitions and hopes pinned on the library especially with its forthcoming official inauguration require the concerted efforts of the intelligentsia.

The library promises an unlimited potential of cooperation between Egypt, the heart of the Arab World, and the West, said the poet Mahdi Bondoq.

Such library is worthy of becoming a live embodiment of cultural dialogue between East and West.

With the positive context of culture-dialogue much is to be expected of the library, noted Bondoq. Besides conferences and periodical circulars dealing with Arabic creativity at large, Bondoq suggests large prizes.

Bondoq believes that the library will be expected to allocate prizes on the regional Mediterranean level in literature, art and human sciences. Most importantly, said Bondoq, the library has to establish modes of cooperation between cultural organisations and other institutions of the civil society in order to consolidate the principle of democratic culture.

As for Dr Magdi Yussef, he wishes for public symposia that observe absolute democracy in topics related to society issues. Such panels, he went on to say, should also make an analogy between different societies and cultures provided that elements discussed are not extracted from their original cultural and social contexts in order to come out with a clear vision.

Dr Yussef also expects from the library a consolidation of the inter-Arab dialogue then Arab-African, Arab-Asian and Arab-Latin American dialogue, which are usually given marginal importance in favour of Arab-Western dialogue.

He, moreover, suggests that the library hosts at reasonable prices, meetings and forums held by Egyptian, Arab or foreign associations, societies or whatever entities.

The media expert Abdul Meguid Shukri prefers to call the Bibliotheca the cultural , technical and scientific house of the Arabs in analogy to the Arab League which is dubbed as The House of the Arabs.

Alexandria is entitled now more than ever to restore its leading cultural role which old Alexandria had assumed under the Ptolemies and the Romans. The old library of Alexandria with about 700,000 volumes was the greatest in ancient times.

Dr Ramsis Awad finds it of utmost importance to address the West in their mentality rather than addressing them in a soliloquy-like way. The themes selected for discussion at such an esteemed cultural establishment have to raise the interest of the West so as to be able to convey to them our viewpoints concerning different issues.

Dr Ramsis believes that the library has to present the human aspect of the Arab and Islamic civilisation and should employ the best translators to offer well-phrased versions for Western thinkers and researchers.

In this connection, Dr Awad cited the example of the American University in Cairo, which managed to acquaint the West with the literature of Naguib Mahfuz through excellent translations of his works.

The revival of the library, as the novelist Hosni Labib says, is a revival of human culture at large. The library indeed gives hope for a modern role, the reason why we have to seize the opportunity to prove to the whole world our ability to run the place as best as possible and enrich it with treasures of human knowledge, he said.

However, Mr Labib urges the library administration to establish a translation centre which would convey to Arabic foreign publications on Egypt and at the same time translate masterpieces of Egyptian culture into foreign languages.

The poet Samir Abdul Baqi said that the technological facilities available for the library should entitle the bibliotheca for a complementary role to the Darul Kotob in Cairo by preserving historic and cultural studies representing the memory of the nation.

"I hope that the library would not ignore certain literary genres as folk literature and colloquial poetry," said Abdul Baqi.

He also expressed hope that all sorts of publications be made available for readers offering the same facilities of the Congress Library.

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