Address of president Mubarak inaugurating Bibliotheca Alexandria
Egypt, Education, 10/17/2002

Here follows is the address by Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak Inaugurating Bibliotheca Alexandria with the attendance of heads of states and world figures:

Your Royal Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ÊÊÊ We welcome you all here in Alexandria, the melting pot of civilizations, to witness this unique moment in human history and thought. Our greetings today are very special, because they come from a historical place that marks a turning point in human civilization. We greet you from Egypt, the meeting point of all human values, nobility, kindness, knowledge and culture. Today, we are celebrating the inauguration of Bibliotheca Alexandrina. By building it back in place, we are reviving human heritage in the area. Here, religions were revealed and prophets lived to sow eternal values of tolerance and coexistence. It was the launching pad of movements of liberation and enlightenment throughout history and time.

ÊÊÊ The old Bibliotheca Alexandrina was a melting pot of all civilizations, cultures and knowledge for all peoples.

ÊÊÊ The great value of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the recognition of its international role and the need to resurrect this value, especially at this critical moment of our history, drove in these diligent efforts to construct it back in its original place,where it disappeared 1600 years ago.

ÊÊÊ The old one was a monolith of diligent scientific research and collective cultural efforts. It was an epitome of persistent efforts to combine and integrate all cultures and civilizations and to unify the world as we all try to do now. It had always been a global source of information to all scholars, of all religions and from all over the world. It spread its spell over the Middle Ages, the Renaissance in Europe and then in the rest of the world. This unique historical event encourages us to talk about some noble human values, and we believe you would agree with us on the importance of highlighting them here.

ÊÊÊ First: Maintaining intercultural dialogue and interaction is the only rational way to eliminate violence and tension and build bridges among peoples using knowledge and peaceful coexistence as common bases of communication.

ÊÊÊ Second: asserting the unity of human heritage which was created by all religions, nations and cultures on sound grounds of understanding, cooperation and partnership, rather than clashes, discord and monopoly.

ÊÊÊ Third: Underscoring the effective role of the Arab Islamic civilization in building up human heritage. From the very first inception of human civilizations, knowledge moved forward in a historical sequence and order from the Ancient Egyptians to the Greeks, the Arab intellectuals and scientists and then to the European renaissance, in an intertwined process void of any conflicts or clashes. This is a clear-cut evidence that human civilization is a full-fledged process combining all civilizations and can never be created by a sole nation or civilization alone.

ÊÊÊ Fourth: Bridging the gap between the old and the new and linking the past accomplishments and experiences to the new scientific progress and technology. We hope that the modern technological leap would bring together and unify all members of the human global family. We do not want it to broaden the gap between them or isolate the rich from the poor. Fruits of the sweeping scientific progress should be fairly distributed among peoples and nations, in a bid to eliminate sufferings and build a better future and broader hopes for man.

ÊÊÊ
Your Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ÊÊÊ Egypt exerted strenuous efforts to build up Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is a message driven by civilization, written in new lines, with an international role and impact. Egypt was keen that the new Bibliotheca inherits the conceptual values of cultural bridging, intellectual diversity and radiation of knowledge and information from the old one.

ÊÊÊ Thus, it combined everything, research centers, art galleries, conference halls, thousands of valuable books and manuscripts and electronic databases in such a unique and great edifice.

ÊÊÊ Since it was born in the new century and in the age of information and technological revolution, thus, it was imperative that it applies the latest modern techniques to reach its goals. Consequently, it should open up to the rest of the world, display the Arab and Egyptian art and use multimedia technology to cross borders, time and space. The new means of communication connects the whole world together and channels information through the Internet to assist researchers and provide people with knowledge, culture and information in science and technology.

ÊÊÊ Modern technology empowers Bibliotheca Alexandrina to take its proper place on the world map of cultural and scientific institutions. It also enables it to work together with all the educational, cultural and scientific institutions in Egypt and in the whole world. The Bibliotheca is a rich source of information, science and services for our children.

ÊÊÊ Human expertise and modern scientific methods of management were indispensable in order to be able to deal with the other international cultural and scientific institutions. Thus, the organization of the Bibliotheca is rather unique and special. It is an Egyptian institution with an international dimension. It is sponsored by a World Council of Sponsors and run by an international Board of Trustees, combining both local and international expertise in drawing up its policies and setting out its programs.

ÊÊÊ The World Call voiced in Aswan in 1990 was a major support to our efforts from the very beginning. The appreciated response of the international governments and institutions, especially our brotherly Arab countries and the UNESCO was a further support. This was also fostered with the diligent efforts exerted in the Norwegian-Egyptian architectural design, the construction done by the Italian, British and Egyptian contractors, in addition to the successive gifts given by all countries in the world.

ÊÊÊ These facilities, properties and installations all around us are the fruits of our work together. The Bibliotheca Friends Associations have been sprouting everywhere in the world, since we started the construction process. Cooperation and international bridges of communication have also been intensified. All these efforts had a common goal to reach, which is , the success of this pioneering project.

ÊÊÊ This proves that reconstructing Bibliotheca Alexandrina was a dream for everybody. Thus, it is a meeting point for dialogue, communication, science and knowledge.

ÊÊÊ Today, while we celebrate the completion of work in this modern edifice, heading towards its greater mission, we reiterate our call to the whole world to continue and increase its support to this cultural bridge which ties all peoples together. We also stress the fact that the aspired for role of the Bibliotheca will never be achieved without strengthening international collective support to it and to its affiliated bodies.

ÊÊÊ We further emphasize that Egypt will continue its efforts in driving the Bibliotheca towards its future goals. We also call on everyone who believes in the Bibliotheca's mission to participate in this great work, so that we can pull together in the wake of the new millennium more fraternity, communication, knowledge and a global culture as much as our ancestors achieved.

ÊÊÊ
Your Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ÊÊÊ If we can say that the reconstruction of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a leap forward, in a bid to maintain noble values, then this means that the pioneers of scientific and cultural renaissance in our society should work hard on highlighting the common features of different cultures and societies. They should also try to promote cultural and intellectual dialogue and exchange and broaden the level of understanding among people of different creeds. This would help us perceive and unveil the unseen motives behind other people's thoughts and actions.

ÊÊÊ We should all realize that the current political disputes and steep differences in economic and social visions are primarily fed with negative feelings of frustration and despair and would finally lead to a vicious circle of extremism and violence that will spread its spell over all of us and we will all suffer from its dire consequences.

ÊÊÊ Thus, this unique historical event should motivate us and strengthen our political will in achieving justice and equality in its broader sense. A framework of both single and collective societal interests should permeate. It should also shun any attempts to hegemonize, either by using military force or economic pressure.

ÊÊÊ History has taught us that the only way to settle disputes is dialogue, based on a balance of equal rights and commitments and respect to other people's opinions, values and cultures. The attempt to enforce unjust settlements or situations would succeed at the beginning but in the end, it would sow the seeds of grudge and hatred in the hearts of the upcoming generations. It would further jeopardize the harmony, we are all seeking to achieve among ourselves.

ÊÊÊ However, our responsibilities as leaders of political, intellectual and scientific work should urge us to promote the values of justice and equality among our people. We should maintain the concepts of democracy, freedom and respect of other people's opinions. We need to spread tolerance and rapprochement among us to eliminate all reasons for hatred and tension and replace them with a Culture of Peace.

ÊÊÊ
Your Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ÊÊÊ The reconstruction of this monolithic Bibliotheca embodies all meanings of civilizational bridging and human coexistence. This calls on us to hold tight to just and comprehensive peace, refuse the logic of power and call for the respect of legitimacy which reflects and maintains human conscience. Our region has always been suffering from bloodshed and conflicts. Now it is time to put this to an end. This applies to all parties because human blood is equally valuable. Man is just the same everywhere and at all times. So, violence should stop now and security should be set back on track. Rights are the grips of power and not vice versa. This would drive everybody to the route of just and comprehensive peace.

ÊÊÊ This is a wholeheartedly call in such a majestic event and we hope it would reach out to all powers and parties. Innocent people are sacrificed, civilians are engulfed with fear, worries and tension. All these things are impediments against human progress in all fields.

ÊÊÊ The reconstruction of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a restoration of great human traditions and cultural approaches. It is a modern symbol full of the noble meanings of human coexistence and cooperation. It is a call to terminate violence, tension and all sorts of terrorism which is collectively refused by all civilizations, denied by all religions and nations.

ÊÊÊ
Your Majesties,
Your Excellencies,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ÊÊÊ This is Alexandria Call. Here, where we can witness the greatness of the past and the sublimity of history, we can all call for a world full of understanding, coexistence, peace and security, because this is what makes our children smile. This is what spreads happiness and builds up aspirations for the upcoming generations. Long live the noble values and meanings that the Bibliotheca resurrects today in its inauguration. It is here to voice them and to maintain them.

ÊÊÊ We hail and appreciate the efforts of all those who contributed in reconstructing this great edifice, as center of science, a pool of culture and a symbol of cultural international and civilizational bridges and communication.

ÊÊÊ We are honored to have you all here, participating with us in this historic event, which will always be a landmark in the history of this great city that will continue to be as such and a meeting point for all religions. It is the cradle of renaissance movements whether cultural or scientific, both in the past and in the present.

ÊÊÊ Finally, we wholeheartedly greet this majestic place and hail its future pivotal role in enriching human life and making it better for all our people and children and in helping peace to prevail in the whole world.

We invoke God to bless us and thank you

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