WATANI International
2 January 2010
Coptic art
The General Egyptian Book Organisation (GEBO) has brought out an Arabic translation of Christian Antiquities in the Nile Valley, a Contribution towards the Study of the Ancient Churches, with maps and plans by Somers Clarke. This is a huge, detailed study of early Christian architecture in Egypt with detailed architectural plans, diagrams and sketches of churches and monasteries. The work has gained wide reputation since it was first published in England in 1912.
Clarke wrote that Coptic art carried many of the characteristics of ancient Egypt. The inscriptions, paintings and images used express Christianity during its first centuries were influenced by Greek, Roman and Byzantine art. The translation is by Ibrahim Salama.
New power
Al-Qarn al-Asyawi…Al-Seen Tughayyir Maizan al-Quwwa al-Alamiya (The Asian Century…China Changes the Balance of World Power) by Atef al-Ghamri is the latest book published by Nahda. The author takes an observant look at China’s phenomenal progress and the huge changes in global economic, social and political charts it has led to.
Eye on the world
Sayed Amin Shalabi has been recording changes in international regimes and political relations between such nations as the United States and Iraq since the 1980s. In his new book, Ru’ya Alamiya (Global Vision), he analyses specific policies, strategies and challenges manifested in international relations during the tenure of George W. Bush.
Shalabi’s visions include the relations between the US and Russia; Iran, and whether it represents a threat to the US; and comparative studies by prominent intellectuals on the differences between the terms of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Shalabi does not preclude China’s great shift in world influence in the last decade, and adds his vision of a future when China’s international power becomes an irresistible fact.
The book concludes with a chapter about the changes in the international system that have taken place since the end of World War II. Ru’ya Alamiya is published by GEBO.
Searching for love
Mohamed Bilal has compiled 16 of his satirical commentaries under the title Uridaki Untha (I Want You A Woman), published by Sarh House. “Before you read my words and think I am one of those stupidly optimistic people in this world; here is my opinion, in the society of fools to which I belong, and which has deformed my principles, tortured my poems and left me desperately trying to find love. I wrote these articles only to show my hopeless attempts to find love,” Bilal writes in his introduction.
Hole in the window
The General Organisation for Cultural Palaces has published Ashraf Abdel-Fatah’s new collection of 31 poems, Thukb Sagheer fil-Nafitha (A Small Hole in the Window). The poems include “Leisure”, “Brother”, “Absolutely”, “Her Husband”, “Cairo” and “Maybe”. In his poem “I could have been”, Fatah says:
I could have been
Another
But
I was quite sure
That the other, whoever he is,
If he is,
Will be keen
To be another
Arab satellite channels
A compilation of six chapters on media wars, radio channels, satellite channels and specified channels in the Arab world makes up Sayed Ghadban’s latest book Al-Fada’iyat al-Arabiya … Malaha wa Ma Alayha (Arab Satellite Channels… Pros and Cons).
Published by Safeer House, Ghadban’s book explains many of the most important media concepts and their definitions to make it easier for the lay reader to comprehend some complicated points and scientific theories.
Ruling by Islam
Kayfa Nahkum Bil-Islam Fi Dawlatin Asriya (How to Rule by Islam in A Modern State by Ahmed Shawqi al-Fangari has been reprinted for a fourth time by GEBO. Fangari explains the way the Islamic principles and teachings of the Prophet Mohamed can be interpreted to suit contemporary life.
The author reviews studies by Muslim intellectuals on Islamic rule in such states as Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Afghanistan. Fangari stresses that the principles of Islam include democracy and shura (consultation), and that these are the most important concepts for any successful political regime. The book leads the reader to conclude that the ideal answer to political, economic, social and scientific backwardness is a return to Islamic rule.
At the end of the book Shalabi calls all Muslims to apply Islamic jurisprudence and principles in all fields of life, and to aspire to the correct modern interpretation of the religion.
Since the book blatantly calls for a religious State as opposed to a secular one, Watani will be printing a review of the book shortly.
Published after 50 years
Robier al-Faris
“Greek words in the Coptic language” is the title of the thesis presented by Waheeb Atallah Girgis—later Anba Gregorius, Bishop of Studies and Scientific Research (1919 – 2001)—in May 1955 for a PhD degree from Manchester University. After more than 50 years since this monumental work was first written, the study has been translated into Arabic and printed as a book by his student Mounir Atallah.
The supervisor of the study was the German Professor of Coptic Studies Valter Tel who told Atallah while he defended his thesis: “Had I not seen you personally write this thesis, I would have never believed that you did it in a mere three years. It would have normally required at least ten years to be completed”. Atallah got the PhD with honours.
Atallah used nine languages in the study: English, Greek, Coptic, German, French, Latin, ancient Egyptian, Hebrew, and Arabic. The study was hand written because at that time there was no Greek or Coptic typesetting. Atallah used to work for 18 hours a day and wrote five copies of the thesis.
“It is a thought-provoking study in which Anba Gregorius deeply explored both Greek and Coptic and revealed the intimate, intricate relation between them”, said Professor Girgis Bushra Hanna who translated the thesis. “Coptic language was the natural extension to the ancient Egyptian language but was written in Greek script after adding several letters to the Greek alphabet.”