Culture key for Arab nations progress

Culture plays a key role in promotion of Arab nations at the intellectual, literary and scientific levels, two prominent Kuwaiti writers have affirmed. Dr. Mohammad Al-Rumaihi, a well-known Kuwaiti writer, veteran intellectual personality and former chief editor of Kuwait's top magazine, Alarabi, touched in an address at a seminar, held late on Wednesday, on Egyptians' contributions to the "Kuwaiti cultural march in various spheres since early last century." He singled out the late theatrical pioneer, Zaki Tulaimat, who came to Kuwait in the 60s last century and helped in development of the national theatrical movement, along with other number-one dramatists, namely the director Karam Mutawe', Saad Arshad, the Egyptian theatrical director Ahmad Abdel Halim, along with Dr. Ahmad Zaki, credited for playing a major role in Alarabi magazine's success. Dr. Al-Rumaihi, moreover, recalled the great Egyptian novelist and thinker, Dr. Taha Hussein, and his reception of the first Kuwaiti educational expeditions to Egypt. Taha Hussein (1889-1973) was one of the most influential 20th century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the Arab Renaissance and the modernist movement in the Arab World. Egyptian culture "is a soft but effective power," influence of which is sensed across the Arab cultural arenas, Dr. Al-Rumaihi said, alluding to mass circulation of books by Egyptian writers, diverse intellectual works, along with widely-watched Egyptian movies. Dr. Al-Rumaihi, who was speaking at the seminar, held as part of the ongoing Cairo International Book Fair, touched on local political conditions, praising recent steps, namely adoption of a new constitution, hoping the nation would witness presidential and parliamentary elections, within framework of the "road map" for the transitional phase. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti novelist, Ismail Fahad Ismail, who was speaking at an intellectual gathering, also held on the margins of the event, warned against "tampering with the cultural and literary heritage because it constitutes part of the history." He called for bids to produce cinematic movies, based on Arab novels, and urged for translating the Arab literary works into various languages for sake of promoting the Arab culture internationally. Eminent Kuwaiti poets, writers and intellectual figures are taking part in the Egyptian cultural event.