Sunday 23 October saw Anba Ermiya, Bishop-General and head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Centre; and Abdel-Wahab Ezzat, President of the Ain Shams University join Minister of Culture Helmy al-Namnam, joined in opening the Ain Shams University annual book fair “Egypt the Land of Religions”. The opening was widely attended by education professionals.
The 10-day book fair which aims by its very theme to promote tolerance, joins together during this round several cultural entities, such as the Islamic Research Academy, the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Centre, the Ministry of Culture, the National Archives, the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Egyptian General Book Authority. It includes books on a variety of topics such as culture, politics, arts and sciences. The fair also boasts a collection of porcelain and patchwork, crafts which are common among the majority Muslim/Coptic communities of Old Cairo and in the majority Coptic community of Zabaleen (garbage collectors) in Muqqatam east of Cairo.
Dr Ezzat pointed out that through such activities Ain Shams University is keen to root within the student community the culture of acceptance of the other, so that in time this would overflow to the public at large.
The fair’s lively atmosphere featured folk dances and patriotic songs.
Watani International
25 October 2016