Sheikh Nasser: Kuwait is regional hub for culture, arts

His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said that Kuwait in its modern history has always been a regional hub for culture and the arts and has opened its doors to learn from other cultures. "Francophonism seems at a first glance to refer to speaking in French, but it goes beyond that," he told people gathered to celebrate the International Francophone Day - which falls on March 20 - at the Embassy of Switzerland in Kuwait on Wednesday. "For those who are native speakers or who have chosen it (the French language) for educational or business purposes it is a wide door through which they may learn about modern-day Western civilisation." "Through the French language, rules theories and ideologies have been discovered; novels, plays, dramas and poems have been published; and constitutions, laws, agreements, treaties and conventions have been formed. "In addition to that, French has played a large role in every form of knowledge known to mankind, like philosophy, religion, politics, law, literature, art and science," he added. He went on to pay further homage to the language, adding "Europe's renaissance has been ongoing since the 17th century, and French since that time and until the 20th century has led in the field of diplomatic work." Francophone has become an ideology, a form of expression and a lifestyle by which mankind can maneuver through diverse ethnic, religious and national boundaries, he said. Additionally it is a tool of dialogue between various cultures, he said, adding that celebrating the Francophone culture carries with it an assurance of this cultural diversity in the modern world and an insistence of the continued quest for knowledge assumed by languages. In conclusion, Sheikh Nasser expressed his delight at attending the event, stating that he had nothing but feelings of respect and admiration for all French-speaking nations, mentioning, in his praise, the ambassadors of Switzerland, France, Canada, Belgium and Senegal. At the event, Sheikh Nasser had taken a stroll amongst an exhibition of photographs taken by Jean Mohr depicting the victims of armed struggle on the occasion of the sesquicentennial, or 150-year, anniversary of the International Red Cross.