Papers Of Dialogue 03-2014 English

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Minister Beatrice Lorenzin / Health in the Mediterranean Imam Yahya Pallavicini / Medicine of the Prophet Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo / New prospects of interreligious dialogue

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 Editorial Roberto Iadicicco Health

04 Health in the Mediterranean Minister Beatrice Lorenzin 06 Medicine of the Prophet Imam Yahya Pallavicini 10 Mental health services in the Middle East Valentina Marconi 13 Organ donation, a matter of life and death Nicole Hamouche

26 The other truth.

The late Italian writer and poetess Alda Merini Erfan Rashid 30 Youth unemployment, MENA’s biggest challenge 32 The beauty of everyday life Erfan Rashid

Cultures

16 New prospects of interreligious dialogue Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo

36 Jews and Muslims in Argentina Kamilia Lahrichi

22 Untold Stories. A unique visual delight Dareen Chbeir

Beyond time and space: 40 the legend of Umm Kulthum Layla Mustapha

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Minister Beatrice Lorenzin / Health in the Mediterranean

Papers of Dialogue no 3 - 2014

Imam Yahya Pallavicini / Medicine of the Prophet Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo / New prospects of interreligious dialogue

Roberto Iadicicco Daniel Atzori Marina Ranieri

HEALTH IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

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Editorial

by Roberto Iadicicco EDITOR IN CHIEF

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ealth is a topic on which the nations on both shores of the Mediterranean, just like all other European and Middle Eastern countries, should focus their efforts to find common strategies and solutions to the emergencies of our time and also create prospects for social and economic development. This was the focus of the “Health in the Mediterranean” Conference held in Rome on 27th and 28th October as part of the program of the Italian Presidency of the European Union. As highlighted on that occasion by the Italian Minister of Health, Beatrice Lorenzin, “Health is no longer a regional or national matter; it has to be approached from a global perspective”. In her speech, which we have published in this issue of Papers of Dialogue, Minister Lorenzin examines the key challenges that Mediterranean countries are currently facing. Also in this issue, in the health section, we take a deeper

look into the often neglected but very important subject of mental health. Iman Yahya Pallavicini, vice-president of the Islamic religious community in Italy (Co.Re.Is) examines the health subject from a spiritual angle. The “Culture” section includes an article by Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo - Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University - on new prospects of interreligious dialogue.

We have also remembered two of the most notable female figures of the 20th Century: the legendary singer Umm Kulthum and the great Italian poetess Alda Merini. Two very different women united by the depth and originality of their forms of artistic expression, for which they are still considered iconic figures in their respective fields: music and poetry. We then have a message of peace and hope: a story, in the form of images, of Jews and Muslims living together in Argentina.

Health is a topic on which the nations on both shores of the Mediterranean should focus their efforts to find common strategies and solutions to the emergencies of our time and also create prospects for social and economic development.

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Health

Health in the Mediterranean

Collaboration in the field of health care can be an exceptional opportunity and also serve as a driving force for socio-economic development in an area that is currently experiencing social, cultural, political and economic change.

Italy’s Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin

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The Minister’s contribution to the publication “Papers of dialogue” (AGI) Conference on “Health in the Mediterranean” Rome, 27-28 October 2014

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s part of the Program of the Italian Presidency of the EU, I specifically wanted to focus on health in the Mediterranean and a conference on this matter is also planned.

Italy’s central place in that geographical area represents an opportunity to promote integration and cohesion as the basis of a prosperous region with citizens in good health.

Collaboration in the field of health care can also serve as a driving force for socioeconomic development in an area that is currently experiencing social, cultural, political and economical change.

The focus will be on five aspects: 1. International Health Regulations1 2. Antimicrobial Resistance 3. Healthy Lifestyles 4. Health and Migration 5. Ministry of Health Projects in the Mediterranean The Conference aims to broaden mutual understanding of health systems and how they manage public health matters, to present and discuss best practices acquired through health care partnerships and cooperation between Italy, the EU and other Mediterranean countries, to promote further

A healthy lifestyle is key to the welfare of our citizens, who should be encouraged to make the right behavioural choices and avoid negative habits.

Conference on Health in the Mediterranean Rome, 27-28 Octobet 2014

Health synergies and to enhance the role of international institutions and the countries located in that area to achieve these aims.

In detail, the aim of the first session dedicated to the International Health Regulations is to check the progress made and promote the implementation of the Regulations in a global context by involving the participating countries and creating interconnections with similar programs like the Global Health Security Agenda.

In this respect, Italy is one the countries that will guide the entire initiative, as a member of the Steering Group, and it has also received important recognition in the field of immunization: for the next five years it will be managing the promotion of effective vaccination strategies across the world.

Today, antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health; and the phenomenon is expanding rapidly to different parts of the world.

The common causes that aggravate the problem of antimicrobial resistance include inappropriate prescribing of medicinal products, the lack of new antibiotics and excessive use of existing ones.

The consequences include the rising cost of treatments, mortality and an increase in the number of diseases and their duration and persistence at a global level.

Another reason I wanted to address this issue is to assess the state of the art and level of preparation to deal with this challenge and to provide health workers and citizens in the EuroMediterranean area with reliable and accurate information on the proper use of antibiotics.

A strategy in this regard can be implemented more effectively if the participating countries adopt a synergistic and integrated approach, which would also serve as the basis for joint actions and the sharing of best practices in this field.

A healthy lifestyle is key to the welfare of our citizens, who should be encouraged to make the right behavioural choices and avoid negative habits.

During a recent informal meeting of the European Ministers of Health, we had a long debate on how leading a healthy lifestyle can effectively help to prevent chronic diseases, including cancer, and the discussion also

Sir Alexander Fleming, (1881 –1955) was a Scottish scientist. His best-known discovery is the antibiotic substance penicillin

1 The International Health Regulations are legally binding instruments that aim to “ensure the maximum protection of people against the international spread of diseases, while minimizing interference with world travel and trade. The regulations contemplate stronger monitoring of infectious diseases in order to identify, reduce or eradicate the sources of infection or contamination, improving airport hygiene and preventing the spread of vectors”.

A health emergency in any country of the world can in fact have extremely serious global repercussions not only on health but also at economic and social level.

touched on the positive role of proper nutrition incorporating the principles of the so-called Mediterranean diet.

The Conference addresses all these issues and also aims to create the conditions for the formation of partnerships between the participating countries and to develop effective health promotion programs.

Of course, a conference on health in the Mediterranean cannot ignore the issue of the relationship between migration and health.

The session dedicated to this subject, starting from an operation that is unique and very significant in health and humanitarian terms, “Mare Nostrum”, examines - in the more general context of the migrant reception policy - the aspects of epidemiology, prevention, assistance to migrants and the organization of health services.

To conclude, I’d like to point out that the Conference is also a public occasion to offer an insight into the intense activities conducted by the Ministry of Health in the Mediterranean area and its focus on multilateral cooperation.

We will discuss several Euro-Mediterranean projects currently promoted and funded by the Ministry of Health with a view to building relationships between individuals and institutions, regardless of social, cultural and political background, for the common purpose of improving the level of assistance provided by the national health systems.

The Conference can also be an opportunity to promote the active role of Italy in relations with other Mediterranean countries, with a focus on solidarity, strengthening partnerships and promoting the common growth of the EuroMediterranean health systems.

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Health

Medicine of the Prophet

In Islamic teachings, the body which God has chosen for each creature was originally healthy.

Therefore, a Muslim’s focus must primarily be on his responsibility to keep the body in good health.

This responsibility forms the philosophical basis of medicine in Islam.

Imam Yahya Pallavicini

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n the introduction to his work, Medicine of the Prophet, as-Suyuti reminds readers of the principle of Creation and divine Revelation, when God teaches man what is good and what is bad. Following this principle, he reminds us that good health and illness are also the physical consequences of proper obedience to the divine order or disobedience to it.

If the believer observes the rules of the sacred science, applies the laws of his religion and obeys the ritual prescriptions, then he will be saved in the upper world and able to maintain and enjoy health in the lower world (ad-dunya - this world).

Should he instead choose to be negligent in respect of the means of spiritual communication, to abdicate from his duty as God’s creature and servant and rebel against the purpose the Lord has assigned him, then he will suffer the negative consequences of his pride and ignorance.

From the traditional Islamic perspective, illness is a signal that should always make man more aware and induce him to refrain from error and redirect his life in God’s grace. Illness is a reminder not to persevere in error but also a reminder of the fear of God. Indeed, if a man were to ignore this signal and then with greater awareness “turn his back on the sky”, the mercy offered as part of this signal would be exhausted, the discomfort would be reduced or lessened to the rank of an ordinary physical ailment and, once the pain also disappears, the man would see himself fall into a state of spiritual insensitivity and vainglory.

As maintained by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, an illness occurring in a human being may be caused by disorder in temperament, denial of the person’s true nature, deterioration of an organ or weakness of the faculties or the spirits. The cure will therefore involve increasing something that is lacking but that should not be in excess, identifying something that is in a confused state, enlarging something that is contracted or restoring an organ to the

If the believer observes the rules of the sacred science, applies the laws of his religion and obeys the ritual prescriptions, then he will be saved in the upper world and able to maintain and enjoy health in the lower world (ad-dunya - this world).

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form and purpose it should naturally have in order to contribute to the person’s equilibrium.

According to a tradition passed down by atTirmidhi and reported by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet once said: “On the day of judgement, the first question put to a believer regarding earthly pleasures will be: Did we not give you a healthy body?”

The original condition of the body is that of health, but because of the fragility of its component parts and the dynamism of its temperaments, the body may fall into a state of illness or into other states that do not coincide with illness or health: convalescence or ageing.

God has entrusted to mankind “a healthy body”, intended as a receptacle able to preserve and bear witness to “His spiritual breath”. For Muslims, spirit and body are therefore the secret and the deposit which every believer must learn to properly manage in a unitary perspective, following for each one different but closely and hierarchically related rules: the rules of the mastery of the breath or “rules of the heart” and the rules of honouring the health of the deposit or “rules of the body”. The rules of the spiritual heart stimulate the proper functioning of the rules of the body in which the physical heart lies. In other

At the end of a man’s life, his health will return to God in the same state it was in when it entered the body, whilst the human body will manifest the signs of the man’s level of respect for that health.

words, the heart stimulates the body with its own rules and the rules of the body also guide the heart, thus contributing to the symbolic harmony of the natural cycle of creation.

It is interesting to note how, in Islamic teachings, the body which God has chosen for each creature was originally healthy. Therefore, a Muslim’s focus must primarily be on his responsibility to keep his body in good health. In fact, this responsibility forms the philosophical basis of medicine in Islam: to preserve and protect the deposit which God has entrusted to each creature in an excellent state of health and to prevent negativities that cause illness.

The starting point of traditional Islamic medicine is the responsibility of knowing and preserving the conditions of health that God has given to the human body.

When this responsibility is not wholly fulfilled, then the conditions for the onset of an illness will manifest themselves.

However, this state of illness follows on from a transitional state referred to by Muslim scholars as the “third state”, which is not the original state of health but a phase in which the illness is still not prevailing. This means that a man does not necessarily need to fall ill to realize that he is not obeying the rules on preserving good health; in fact, he can at any time find the right path to follow to avoid the misfortune of suffering the illness.

The cycle of life of a Muslim is a path of cyclic transition from the Other world to this world and from this world to the Other world. Likewise, before returning to his Creator, man must seek to rule his body with the help of the spirit and preserve the original state of health that God has given him. At the end of a man’s life, his health will return to God in the same state it was in when it entered the body, whilst the human body will manifest the signs of the man’s level of respect for that health. It is up to man to learn and reconcile and not to confuse or invent divine rules on managing the Papers of Dialogue | 07

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Health heart and the body, to become an intelligent instrument of the sacred science of medicine.

In his treatise on Medicine of the Prophet, Jalal ud-din as-Suyuti addresses the role of the physician and cites Hippocrates, remembering him as the noble founder of the art of medicine: “Hippocrates said: Upon the physician may there be the strength of Almighty God and obedience to Him and good council and an ability to remember the secrets of disease. He must neither give a deadly drug to anyone, or prescribe it or make a suggestion to this effect. He must not give a woman an abortive remedy. He must refrain from any contamination. He must not stare at women. He must not search for excesses, idling away his time in pleasure, sleep, eating and drinking or in play, but must be diligent in caring for the poor and those who have nothing. He must be gentle of speech, soft in talk and near to God”.

According to the teachings of Islamic scholars, any person who is authorized to treat illnesses should pay particular attention to the age, habits, function and profession of the patient. This is because certain universal principles of a spiritual and transcendent nature must be linked to the specific condition of the patient,

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Every man is a microcosm that encapsulates and, at the same time, is integrated into a macrocosm larger than him.

When a believer becomes aware of an illness and turns to his physician, he prays that the symptom of the physical ailment can be remedied by restoring an order that steers every function according to the harmonious and orderly direction of the divine science.

who must be helped to find in immanence that healthy, natural orientation he has momentarily lost or distanced himself from. Consequently, the complexity of the physician’s task lies in retaining the ontology of the human being as a reference point, exploring the methods used by the sacred science to verify the real condition of the patient and treating the illness whilst bearing in mind the patient’s specific situation, the context in which he and his illness exist and in which the patient is required to perform his day-to-day duties.

It is not easy, and sensitivity is required to make a diagnosis and treat an elderly or young person, a tired person or a public figure, a hypochondriac or a mentally ill person, a person who is physically weak or overweight, a person whose mind is clouded, a person who is suffering from an ulcer or a person who is depressed or suffers from anxiety.

Likewise, a drug will not produce the same effects at the same dose in all people, in all periods of the year or in the life of the patient and the outcome will also depend on how the medicine is taken by the patient. Before or after sleep, before or after food, in a small or large dose, in the warmth or in the cold, sweet or bitter these are all factors that will produce different effects in each person and imply different types of adjustments, on a caseto-case basis, which cannot be reduced to the action of a single medicine. The drug therapy should in fact be incorporated into a wider course of treatments, at different levels, able to restore the original state of health and prevent a relapse.

This is because, according to Muslim teachings, each creature preserves and manifests a multitude of interior and exterior signs, which express the incomparable and mysterious value of the act of the Creator when “He wanted to be known and created the world”.

Every man is a microcosm that encapsulates and, at the same time, is integrated into a macrocosm larger than him. The specific nature of an individual

Health believer is determined by the relationship he has with his own archetype and the relationship he manages to maintain with the whole of creation in its dynamic development and its temporal and formal characteristics.

When a believer becomes aware of an illness and turns to his physician, he prays that the symptom of the physical ailment can be remedied by restoring an order that steers every function according to the harmonious and orderly direction of the divine science. In other words, a symptom of an illness is an exterior signal that indicates a malfunction of a bodily part or system but which also highlights, more importantly, a misalignment or a faulty connection between one’s own microcosm and the sacred macrocosm.

The physician will therefore attempt to remedy the disorder or the ailment by restoring the natural order and the original state of health, with the added difficulty of having to intervene in a rapidly evolving situation, treating a patient while the cycle of the illness, of existence, of the world in which they exist together and the ongoing creation of the universe are in motion. A motion that is synchronized metaphysically, cosmologically, prophetically and at a personal level.

Of course, only God’s help and the medicine of the Prophet will enable the physician to resolve that case and others to come, but to do so, a Muslim physician must be, as Hippocrates said, “close to God” and the science of this closeness is a sacred science which, in Islam, is based on the study and recognition of signs of God in his creation and in his creatures.

The science of spiritual closeness is founded on the recognition of signs of the Revelation and the language of the Qur’an, in which every diacritic point, every speech mark, every letter, every word and every verse acts as a key and a different level of interpretation of the divine reality.

In the same way, every man or woman preserves and expresses a multitude of points, marks, letters and verses of the Revelation, which, if misrepresented or misinterpreted, will cause disharmony in

THE AUTHOR

Yahya Pallavicini Yahya Pallavicini is an Italian citizen of Muslim descent, Imam and Vice President of CO.RE.IS (Islamic religious community), member of the board of the Islamic Culture Centre in Italy (Rome Mosque) and ISESCO Ambassador for dialogue between civilisations. For five terms he has been an adviser on Islam in Italy to the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. He has worked with the Presidency of the European Commission for over ten years. He is a member of the European Council of Religious Leaders and one of the international Muslim scholars invited as a delegate to the Catholic-Muslim Forum of the Vatican (2008 and 2014). He is listed as one of the 500 most influential institutional Muslim figures in the world.

the body, the soul and the cosmos. It is up to the spiritual masters, the descendants of the companions of the Prophet and the learned physicians to identify this disharmony and find the right note to allow a correct interpretation and enable the rhythm of life, the earth and the universe to resume its course in a healthy, coordinated and harmonious manner.

Commenting on a prophetic tradition, the great jurist and imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi’i wrote: “There are two types and levels of knowledge (essential and complementary), knowledge of the body and knowledge of religion”.

The main goal of medicine is to preserve health, or, in the words of as-Suyuti, “to have health and to prevent the absence of health”.

To ensure this, medicine uses remedies, treatments, health care and medicines according to the prophetic tradition reported

by Jabir: “There is a remedy for every disease, so if the right treatment is used, the patient will be cured by the will of Allah”. Another prophetic tradition reported by al-Bukhari is “the medicine is the remedy”.

The health of a man is preserved to the extent that every aspect of his being is adequately safeguarded. This is dependent on how well the person uses what has been created for his benefit and avoids what has been forbidden to him. The preservation of this balance is the primary aim of the study and the actions of medicine in Islam.

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Mental health services in the Middle East

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by the year 2020 depression will be the second most frequent cause of disability. In particular, for people aged between 15 and 44 years, it already seems to be the number one cause, followed by alcohol consumption. The WHO's stand sheds light on a worldwide plight that needs to be urgently addressed, and the Arab world is no exception to this.

Valentina Marconi

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ssessing the amount of Arab governments’ investment in developing mental health services is a difficult task as lack of data is widespread. Indeed, estimates of mental health expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure exist only for three countries: Qatar (1%), Egypt (less than 1%) and Palestine (2.5%). Out of 22 countries in the Arab League, six are not provided with a mental health legislation and two have no mental health policy.

The distribution of psychiatrists per capita vary greatly from country to country with the highest number concentrated in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, while seven Arab countries (among which Iraq, Libya, Morocco and Syria) have less than 0.5 psychiatrists per 100.000 population.

Despite the poor and often discouraging official data, over the last decades mental health awareness in the region has been on the increase and services are evolving towards a more decentralized and accessible model, where psychiatric units are not anymore confined to large mental hospitals but are gradually spreading also within general hospitals, district hospitals and smaller peripheral units.

In addition, training programs have been increasingly implemented for educating general practitioners and health personnel working at primary healthcare level, the first to be asked for help from people experiencing psychological distress. Over the past 40 years, Arab universities produced 2213 academic articles on a wide variety of mental health-related topics such as mood anxiety and substance use disorders. By the last decade, this scientific production increased eightfold in comparison with the first two decades, especially thanks to the work of universities in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon.

Despite those improvements, chances are still quite slim that people in need

Out of 22 countries in the Arab League, six are not provided with a mental health legislation and two have no mental health policy.

Sources: Ahmed Okasha, Elie Karam, Tarek Okasha: Mental Health Services in the Arab World (2012) http://www.globalhea lthmiddleeast.com/a ccess-to-mentalhealth-care-in-themiddle-east/ http://www.syriatroja nwomen.org/

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private with religion playing a strong mediating role in coping with mental health issues. For some, it is not considered to be acceptable to discuss family problems with an ‘outsider’.

Women will often go to primary care physicians to report psychosomatic symptoms […] as it is much easier and more socially acceptable to admit that there is something wrong with the body then it is to admit that they need help coping”, explains Dr Saliha Afridi, Clinical Psychologist at The LightHouse Arabia, a community psychology and psychiatry clinic based in the United Arab Emirates.

According to a 2005 study carried out in Jordan, depression is most commonly experienced by patients exposed to difficult circumstances such as poverty and/or marital and family dysfunctions. Polygamy, for example, was frequently mentioned by the research participants as being a common “source of family dysfunction leading to depression”.

Interestingly, although major motives for depression in married persons were to be found in marital or financial issues, in younger people, causes of psychological disorders seemed to vary between the sexes. In women, lack of autonomy played a pivotal role, whereas for up to 90% of young men, unemployment represented the prominent issue.

will know how to access care because many physical and social barriers persist. To name but a few, financial constraints, poor coordination between the mental health and primary health segments, preference of traditional healing over scientific methods of treatment and social stigma.

“The Arab and Asian world is very

Vincent van Gogh's 1890 painting Sorrowing old man ('At Eternity's Gate')

Endangered communities: the threat of post-traumatic stress disorder Over the past few years many Arab countries have been swept by waves of extreme violence that forced people to flee their homes trying to resettle in safer areas. According to the UNHCR, the “largest regional increase in the number of internally displaced people in 2012 was in the Middle East and North Africa”, where 2.5 million had to escape wars and conflict.

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Health danger, they still carry that danger inside them [...]. And one of the main triggers of their fears is uncertainty about the future. This is all tied into the loss they have suffered in the process of experiencing revolution, war and displacement”, a Syrian psychologist involved in the project explains.

According to him, 20% of the refugee population need psychological support and 10% proper clinical care. Moreover, a special attention needs to be dedicated to refugee children as they are more likely “to be responsive to intrusion and disruption” and often unable to find a safe area within “traumatized” families. According to UNICEF, up to two million Syrian children need psychological support or treatment and many suffer from a wide range of psychological symptoms such as suicide attempt and selective mutism.

Displaced people represent a high risk category, particularly vulnerable to posttraumatic stress disorder. Therefore, they urgently need psychological support and, sometimes, treatment.

In Amman, an interesting initiative named “the Syrian Trojan Women project” was launched in autumn 2013 to help refugee Syrian women address anxiety and depression through drama projects. These women and the creative team behind the project put on a theatrical production of Euripides’ antiwar tragedy “The Trojan Women”.

“The general problems [refugee women face] are anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. Despite the fact that they have moved away from 12 | Papers of Dialogue

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The Scream, Edvard Munch

THE AUTHOR

Valentina Marconi Valentina Marconi is a freelance journalist and prospective PhD student, also involved in social work with refugees in Italy. She obtained an MSc in Arab World Studies from Durham University with a dissertation on parliamentary gender quotas in Tunisia and Iraq.

Delivering change through a holistic approach For mental health services in the Arab countries to take up the challenges ahead, actions need to be taken on a number of different levels. An update of undergraduate psychiatry curricula is necessary as well as strengthening training programs for primary care physicians and family physicians to recognize and treat common psychiatric disorders. Studies exploring cultural concepts of mental illness needs to be carried out, as well as nonstigmatizing approach to mental illness developed. All the Arab countries have to be provided with adequate policies on mental health and national legislation needs to be approved in order to guarantee protection and care to the mentally ill. Finally, social stigma needs to be fought as it still represents one of the major obstacles to access treatment, often forcing people to cope with challenging thoughts and emotions alone.

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Organ donation, a matter of life and death

Organ donation is a sign of evolution and science but also of the spirit, since organ donation is a form of giving oneself that does not happen automatically. However, cultural barriers are still strong, plus there is a lack of awareness and information among the general public on the issue.

Nicole Hamouche

Noëlle Chatelet

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think it’s an amazing idea that in this human chain that we form, coming into the world and then leaving it, there is perhaps a way of making death less complete and changing it into something that is part of life” said Noëlle Chatelet on the issue of organ donation, the subject of her book Le baiser d’Isabelle, which recounts the adventure of the first face transplant, which took place in 2005, at Amiens University Hospital Centre. The idea of “making death less complete and changing it into something that is part of life” also represents a glimmer of hope in a Middle East, where death is still hugely commonplace. The spread of organ donation is a sign of evolution, of science but also of the spirit - because organ donation is a form of giving oneself that does not happen automatically, especially in societies still dominated by religion such as Middle Eastern societies.

In fact, in Lebanon for example, many potential donors hold back due to fear of religious condemnation. NOD Lb, the national organization for organ transplants and donations, has been careful to consult the sheiks and the clergymen, aware of their influence, who confirm that neither Islam nor the Church is opposed to it. Indeed, Judaism and Islam have laws that prohibit the desecration of the human body. However, both specify that the prohibition does not apply when it comes to saving a life. Thus, Jordan issued a fatwa in 1986 on the subject, which applies in Muslim countries, and Kuwait, the forerunner, established a system back in 1979.

The NOD Lb slogan is also powerful on this subject: “what religion and politics separate, donation brings together“. A Muslim will be able to see thanks to the cornea of a Christian; and a Christian will be given a new life thanks to the heart of a Muslim… Life and death are not a matter for confession. Recently in Beirut, a deceased Syrian refugee kindly donated her organs: six Lebanese people benefited from her heart, liver, kidneys and corneas, respectively. The family of the refugee had given her consent for the donation. While this Syrian refugee had decided to donate her organs in the welcoming country, not all

The spread of organ donation is a sign of evolution, of anche science but of the spirit - Because organ donation is a form of giving oneself that does not happen automatically.

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Health Syrians have this freedom of choice.

According to The Syrian Observer, Der Spiegel and other online media, many injured people are stripped of their organs on the ground, by battle-hardened gangs - who head straight to the scenes of explosions or huge massacres implying that there is an international network, also operating off the hospital ships active in this area. That most noble and sacred of things, organ donation, is thus dehumanized for organ trafficking. A liver may cost, for example, tens of thousands of dollars, according to the negotiator’s abilities; a person becomes a commodity just like any other in this faceless conflict, which has become an excuse for all kinds of barbarities.

This information should however be taken with a pinch of salt as regards the scale of the phenomenon, given what we know about the complexity of the process (all the requirements in terms of time, quality and compatibility) and the fact that it takes 13 to 15 hours to remove a major organ. Above all, organ trafficking must not be allowed to overshadow progress in the Middle East, with well-established and sophisticated organ donation systems set up in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, and even in Iran where the donation rate is 7 per million inhabitants, much higher than any other country in the region, and where progress on the consent rate is particularly significant: 5%

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That most noble and sacred of things, organ donation, is thus dehumanized for organ trafficking.

The South African cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard (1922 –2001) performed the world's first successful human-tohuman heart transplant

in 2003 with an expected rate of 96% in 2015 for a population of 10 million inhabitants. In Lebanon, however, the latter rate remains very low.

In Lebanon, NOD is a good example of cooperation between civil society and the public sector. It was created in 2009 by the Ministry of Health and the Medical Association, in association with a committed group of nurses and doctors – including Farida Younan, the coordinator of the organization and head nurse for twenty-six years at Rizk Hospital. Younan had accompanied many patients in their journey to the hereafter and many others in their return to life thanks to the organs donated by the former patients. NOD has provided training in Arab countries on the subject, with the aim of further cooperation between Lebanon and the other countries. This is necessary given the lack of organs, which is not a local but a universal problem. A joint venture, the Middle East Transplant Coordinator Organization, has been set up with the aim of creating a Middle Eastern register for organ sharing. The infrastructure is still to be deployed. If on a macro level the intention is there, there is still much to be done on a micro level; cultural barriers are still strong, there is a lack of awareness and information among the general public on the issue and a very low donation rate of 2.5/million inhabitants in Lebanon, for example. This is despite the high reliability of the underlying structure, particularly since the application of the 2012 Law of Medical Ethics. And in spite of a well-established system, in many of these countries there is still difficulty acknowledging brain death.

Most of these countries record far more living donors than deceased donors: the latter account for only 20 donors per million inhabitants in Lebanon. This difference in behaviour is a clear reflection of mentality: generosity is generally confined to close family circles. These circles also exert a huge influence on the destiny of their members even after their death, supported by the law which requires

Health

the relatives’ consent. Furthermore, even if an individual registers with the national register as a donor, when the doctor and hospital practitioners ask the relatives for their consent for organ removal, they are sometimes just given a flat refusal. Is this a result of simple selfishness or does it represent a more primitive reaction, connected with ghosts and the archaic fear and suspicion of everything related to death? “The opponent is simply fear” said the philosopher Noëlle Chatelet; “It’s the religious sanctification of the individual that, by taking the individual to mean everything, considers that when he dies, his organs die with him” according to philosopher Raphael Enthoven.

If organ donation has not developed as it could have done in the region, particularly in Lebanon, for example, where the death rate due to road accidents – especially among young people – is astronomical and not revealed by the authorities, and where there are excellent practitioners, it is due to economic interests. The operations are extremely expensive - for example, USD 100,000 for a liver, USD 30,000 for a kidney, and are only reimbursed up to 20% by the Ministry of Health. Also, the rates used were established in 1985 and have not been reviewed since; they are therefore not remotely in line with 2014 standards.

In Lebanon, NOD only has six salaried employees who are fighting on all fronts with a very limited budget, allocated with

CHU, Centre University Hospital Amiens-Picardie, France

THE AUTHOR

Nicole Hamouche Nicole Hamouche contributes to several publications of the Lebanese L'Orient-Le Jour press group, among them L’Orient Littéraire, a monthly literary supplement of L'Orient-Le Jour.

severe delays. This is not the case in other countries in the region. In Saudi Arabia, the state pays the donor and the price is legalized; Qatar also has a rich and sophisticated organization and the Shiraz Centre in Teheran is the top establishment in the world for the number of liver transplants. Being ostracized by the international community and therefore unable to call on external donors, Iran has equipped itself with a particularly high performance system, where it should be noted that 81% of the donors are postmortem donors, showing a more evolved mind set compared to the rest of the region.

The huge problem of bone marrow transplant remains in a country like Lebanon where leukaemia is very widespread and many children are affected by it. The first transplant of this kind was performed in Lebanon about ten years ago and is currently practiced in two hospitals: the American University Hospital in Beirut and Makassed Hospital; but the main problem is now the lack of a national register of voluntary bone marrow donors in Lebanon but also in all the Arab countries. So many Lebanese patients waiting for a bone marrow transplant have died… due to not having found a donor in time. The earlier the transplant is performed, the more capable the patient is of receiving and accepting it.

Patients waiting for transplants have both hope and despair: hope as they know they could be saved if a compatible donor is found; despair that the donor may not be found in time or not at all... And bone marrow compatibility is highly connected with geographical area, which is not the case for other organs or tissues; someone from the Middle East may only be compatible with another person from the Middle East. Hence the need to establish a system of regional cooperation – undoubtedly a good thing in a region currently torn apart by conflicts and wars. Meanwhile at the Pasteur Institute in France researchers have managed to cultivate stem cells taken from deceased people up to seven days after death, thereby opening up the route towards great therapeutic progress, and you can now look for a kidney or a liver in the UK and the USA on Facebook.

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New prospects of interreligious dialogue In our time, dialogue between Christians and Muslims is extremely important. It is therefore essential that we take a fresh look at elements of common ground that unite Christianity and Islam, such as, for example, the centrality of the person and the person’s role in the cosmos.

Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo King Abdullah II of Jordan and Pope Francis

C

hristianity and Islam are today the two largest religions in the world.

Dialogue between Christians and Muslims is therefore extremely important, especially at a time as complex as the one we are experiencing.

Seeking new prospects of dialogue does not necessarily mean inventing different ones. By new prospects we mean the

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Dialogue between Christians and Muslims is therefore extremely important, especially at a time as complex as the one we are experiencing.

enhancement of the journey already made, continuing to find each path from the experience we have of God. An aspect these two religions have in common, and which may help us find points of contact and thus continue the fruitful dialogue, is the centrality of the person and the person’s role in the cosmos.

The person and the cosmos - two points of

We are aided along this path by religious experience, which the Scripture and Qur’an teach.

contact on which to focus our joint efforts.

We are aided along this path by religious experience, which the Scripture and Qur’an teach. The Revelation of God and the illumination of man certainly help to rehabilitate the dignity of the person, often marred by a life that flows on without self-awareness: in reality, the person remains planted in a flow, in which Papers of Dialogue | 17

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faith in God provides real answers to the meaning of life, its goal and the way forward.

So the prospect of new interreligious dialogue stems from a desire within the human being, who continues to ask himself questions but is also willing to listen to anything that can help him regain his own dignity and that of the whole human race, always desirous of a life lived to the full, a life full of meaning.

In her speeches to members of the Islamic religion, and to Christians also, Chiara Lubich has reminded us that the Gospel of Matthew and the Qur’an share a common passage, which should serve as guidance for the dialogue between the two religions: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (modern version “do to others what you would have them do to you”)” (Matthew 7.12).

This golden rule is also found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It says that moral action must always take into account the dialogue between two parties - I and the other - hence, a real relationship which aims to protect the dignity of both: a relationship that could never be founded on reductive solipsisms or individualistic stances, but 18 | Papers of Dialogue

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Chiara Lubich

Both religions Christianity and Islam possess a quality of universality.

Discourse and dialogue is therefore essential if we wish to avoid a war of religions.

instead looks at the other as the only way to continue the experience of the divine.

But why - we may ask ourselves - is there religious conflict if the religious dimension is, at heart, universal? That is the great enigma of most religious experiences and of their varying interpretations and to which the key to understanding cultural diversity is also linked.

Both religions - Christianity and Islam possess a quality of universality. Discourse and dialogue is therefore essential if we wish to avoid a war of religions.

Living together in Europe, in the Middle East and in many other parts of the world, Muslims and Christians have the opportunity to learn about and respect their different religious and spiritual traditions. Globalization can hence lead to the emergence and development of new and extraordinary opportunities for interreligious dialogue. In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, regarded as the pastoral program of the Pope, Francis writes: “Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and fully become a part of society.

We must never forget that they “profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day”.

The sacred writings of Islam have retained some Christian teachings; Jesus and Mary receive profound veneration and it is admirable to see how Muslims both young and old, men and women, make time for daily prayer and faithfully take part in religious services. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God. They also acknowledge the need to respond to God with an ethical commitment and with mercy towards those most in need” (No. 252).

The Church therefore acknowledges that there are deep elements of common ground and closeness between Christians

Cultures and Muslims, united in the worship of the one God. Unfortunately however, incidents of violence and intolerance are on the rise, often the result of lack of knowledge of the deep common roots and values that unite religions worthy of the name and, more generally, all the great spiritual traditions of humanity. As affirmed by Pope Francis: “In order to sustain dialogue with Islam, suitable training is essential for all involved, not only so that they can be solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they can also acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands and shed light on shared beliefs. We Christians should embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition. I ask and humbly entreat those countries to grant Christians freedom to worship and to practice their faith, in the light of the freedom which followers of Islam enjoy in Western countries! Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalisations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence” (No. 253).

These words are an important starting point to overcome the logic of the “clash of civilizations” and instead explore the dimension of interreligious dialogue.

The appeal for interreligious dialogue is also strong within the Islamic world. One of the most important proclamations in this respect, known as “The Amman Message” was delivered in 2004 by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan. The Amman message, endorsed by many politicians and scholars of Muslim faith, explicitly states: «The origin of divine religions is one, and Muslims believe in all Messengers of God and do not differentiate between any of them. Denying the message of any one of them is a deviation from

Sincere dialogue between Christians and Muslims would bring immense material, cultural and spiritual benefits to the world in which we live.

1 http://ammanmess age.com/index.php? option=com_content &task=view&id=16&I temid=30.

Islam. This establishes a wide platform for the believers of [different] religions to meet the other upon common ground, for the service of human society, without encroaching upon creedal distinctions or upon intellectual freedom» 1.

It is precisely to working together to consolidate this “common ground”, where believers can meet “for the service of human society”, that men of good will of all religious traditions must devote their efforts.

In this context, it is important to reiterate that interreligious dialogue between Muslims and Christians is not in itself a new thing but the continuation of a long-standing cultural tradition, as ancient as the first meeting between the two religions.

Christians and Muslims share a common heritage and there have been many occasions to meet over the centuries, aided also by our cultural affinity and geographical proximity.

A particularly profound and fertile matrix of interreligious dialogue is the spirituality of the mystics, whose deep breath reveals the common source, the seeds of Truth present in every religious tradition.

Indeed, as maintained in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council regarding the seeds of Truth that exist in other religions: “the Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.

It regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones it holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men” (Nostra aetate, No. 2).

Sincere dialogue between Christians and Muslims would bring immense material, cultural and spiritual benefits to the world in which we live.

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and spiritual traditions of humanity, could defend their common values and, through mutual understanding, take an active role in the creation of a more just and inclusive society. True believers should be first in line to eradicate all prejudices and stereotypes that prevent a real understanding and a genuine encounter with the other.

To conclude, I would like to provide a stimulus for thought, which I believe is useful to steer the dialogue towards the dignity of the person and that - if approached with sincerity - can help us to become peacemakers. I am referring to the values of the person and his inalienable rights.

What is at the basis of human rights?

The dignity of the person. This principle is shared by all Member States of the UN and it is based on this fundamental assertion that all human rights have been enshrined since the middle of last century. And there is no doubt that the protection and promotion of human rights is the road to peace building, one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century.

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Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

THE AUTHOR

Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo Monsignor Enrico dal Covolo is the Archbishop of the town of Eraclea, and the Dean of the Pontifical Lateran University (Pontificia UniversitĂ Lateranense).

At an international level, in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed the inalienable rights of human beings, without discrimination as to race, culture, religion and age. It is considered an extremely important event in the collective conscience of different societies since it publicly and officially proclaims the value of the person and his right to life, to a family, to religion and to freedom. Equally important is that the Italian Constitution has done the same, associating the enforceability of these rights with the obligation of solidarity and subsidiarity between people.

The Church has intervened several times on the rights of people, regardless of their situation, calling for respect for rights and obligations, denouncing injustices and conflicts and urging their solution. According to John XXIII, the foundation of a true and lasting peace among men is the effective recognition of the “universal, inviolable and inalienable� rights and obligations of every person, which derive directly from his nature; John Paul II, on common ground with Paul VI, pointed out that man, created by God in his image and likeness, is the measure and protagonist of development through solidarity and justice; and twenty years ago, at the World Day for Peace, he also placed particular emphasis on the recognition of the rights and obligations of minorities, as a way to build peace.

I believe that promoting and securing these rights may represent the ideal platform for the mutual commitment between Christians and Muslims. So, together, they may demonstrate - in a peaceful yet effective manner - that working together is possible.

The dignity of the person and the profession of an authentic religion, not a fake one, actively call for a similar commitment.

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Untold Stories.

A unique visual delight

The Emirates Fine Arts Society’s annual public exhibition gathered artists coming from many countries such as the Emirates, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, the United Kingdom and Italy. Beautiful harmony and a clear diversity of textures and ideas permeated this extraordinary exhibition.

Dareen Chbeir

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Ismail al-Rifai

O

nce again, the Emirates Fine Arts Society’s annual public exhibition has succeeded in living up to its top-notch reputation. Artists from many Arab and foreign countries such as the Emirates, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, the United Kingdom and Italy have come together to present their latest works.

Now in its 32nd year, the exhibition, entitled “Untold Stories”, was launched at the Sharjah Art Museum. The exhibition’s curator, Nasser Nasrullah, chose the keyhole symbol as it denotes both mystery and suspense, piquing one’s curiosity about what is behind the door, a common theme in literary stories and fables of old.

The participation of 29 artists from numerous countries resulted in a rich tapestry of 130 separate works. The live and individual works included contemporary visual contributions using techniques ranging from drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video art and printing to various other media.

The live and individual works included contemporary visual contributions using techniques ranging from drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video art and printing to various other media.

Cultures Among the participating artists renowned for their work are Mohammad al-Qassab, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Khalil Abdulwahid, Abdulrahim Salim, Khalid al-Banna, Majida Nasreddin, Karima al-Shomely, Muatasim alKubaisi, Mohammad Ahmad Ibrahim, Ammar al-Attar, Patricia Millns, Ismail al-Rifai, Rashid alMulla, and more.

Harmony and Diversity Beautiful harmony and a clear diversity of textures and ideas permeated the exhibition. The stories told through the works were not limited to the brush and colours. They refused to be traditional, going beyond the framed drawing and speaking to the mind and emotions. The viewer is transported on a journey to the world of memories; “objects” become infused with the scent of ancestors, the residue of laughter and tears, the fragrance of personal messages, and items reflect the soul with the help of corporeal “objects”.

In the “Tomb” by the artist Tulip Hazdar, travel tickets, coins, electrical wires, eyeglasses and dentures are scattered around, honouring the collectibles of her grandfather, two grandmothers and uncle, the dear ones she lost and the things she loves. By arranging these objects, she succeeds in telling stories and disentangling the puzzles hovering in her imagination.

The chair placed by artist Khawla Darwish, with its strings dangling from the corners, emits the “memories of loved ones”. The work lays out the details of eight months of suffering while her now deceased father lay ill in the hospital. Files and CDs filled with information describe his health condition.

With the viewers she shares the empty medicine strips and plastic name bracelets,

Wedad Thamer

The viewer is transported on a journey to the world of memories; “objects” become infused with the scent of ancestors, the residue of laughter and tears, the fragrance of personal messages, and items reflect the soul with the help of corporeal “objects”.

telling a story of tears and laughter and everything in between through all these “objects”, illustrating situations she faced and sharing the myriad of emotions with the willing viewer.

Almond Memory Through her work “Almond Heartbeats”, Huda Saeed recalls her childhood gathering almond leaves. She weaves a tale of time through this tree that symbolizes her memory, at times returning to the past and at others moving into the future in a series of paintings.

Fatima Saeed Lawtah uses her “Letters from a Friend” to tell a story of imaginary personalities that she brings alive in full detail. These personalities touch upon reality through the artist’s presentation of personal objects that she imagines each character using. She has created a mailbox, evoking a fondness for days past and transforming her work into that of a postman with the standing of an artist.

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Fatma Saeed Lootah

In his work “Musings”, Nasser Abdullah invites people to contemplate scenes, stories, and events, whether major or minor. In his musings he focuses on the link between contemplation and constructing stories, contemplation being the building block of human thoughts and values. Although his centre of attention was on the ant colony beneath his house, he created a copious visual base that could not have appeared in the absence of contemplation.

Innovation was a clear element of the artists’ works. The exhibition’s curator, Nasser Nasrullah, extolled this spirit of Huda Saeed Saif

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THE AUTHOR

Dareen Chbeir Editor of a specialized Palestinian journal concerned with arts and social affairs. She started her career at the Emirates newspaper, the Gulf, in 2008 and currently works at Al-Bayan Emirates newspaper in the Culture and Variety department.

She has a degree in management from Ajman University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates.

Member of the Emirates Journalists Association.

innovation, noting that the theme of the exhibition inspired many to produce new stories and underlined the use of a variety of media, from video to drawing to sculpture and interactive installation works. The variety of textures and materials that the artists used also kindled a distinct and unique feast for the eyes.

Titles All corners of the exhibition carried new titles and revealed stories never before told. Examples are Ebtisam Abdulaziz’s “My telephone memoirs 2014”, “Revelations” by Ismail al-Rafai, “Silent Stories” by Patricia Millns, “Hanging Threads” by Khawla Darwish, “Alphabet” by Reem Valkanaz, “Absent”

by Salim al-Mansouri, “Friendly Colours” by Abdulrahim Salim, “The Bride” by Laila Jumaa, “A Situation” by Majida Nasreddin, “Story of [Al-Juffair] and his transformations” by Mohammad al-Qassab, and many other titles by which the artists formulated images holding deeply aesthetic meanings and reflected their inimitable visions and creations.

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“P

oets stir up a clamour greater than the golden dome of a sky densely populated with stars”.

The other truth The late Italian writer and poetess Alda Merini Considered one of the most important poets of the twentieth century, Alda Merini is famous both for her tormented and difficult life and for her creative production. She was subject to all kinds of pain, punishment and humiliation at hospitals and mental asylums that fed into the words of her outstanding poetic creativity.

Erfan Rashid

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From the “land of Love” “The truth is ever thus: it is the wickedness of men that brings you down and builds you a shrine of hate behind a half-closed door.

But the love of the poor shines brighter than any philosophy.

A poor man gives you everything and never reproaches you for meanness”.

your

Da “Terra d'amore” La verità è sempre quella, la cattiveria degli uomini che ti abbassa e ti costruisce un santuario di odio dietro la porta socchiusa.

Ma l'amore della povera gente brilla più di una qualsiasi filosofia.

Un povero ti dà tutto e non ti rinfaccia mai la tua vigliaccheria.

These are the words of the Italian poet and novelist Alda Merini who was born in 1932 and died in Milan in 2009. This is an excerpt from her poem Terra d’Amore.

Alda Merini is considered one of the most important poets of the twentieth century, both for her tormented and difficult life and her creative production. Both were affected by her dire health, social and economic condition, and the mental illness she suffered. As a result, she was subject to all kinds of pain, punishment and humiliation at hospitals and mental asylums that fed into the words of Merini’s outstanding poetic creativity.

Alda Merini was involved in creative production from the early age of 15. In her adolescence she experienced what is called “the first darkness that overcasts the mind” and was sent to a mental asylum for one month. That one month was enough to make the life of this peerless artist fluctuate between periods of illness and lucidity, during which she would continue to

Alda Merini

Cultures produce poems and stories. Her friendship with the Nobel Prize for Literature-winning poet Salvatore Quasimodo was the main way in which she was able to remain within the literary milieu in Milan.

“I am crazy for you, my love, Searching in the past these broken toys moulded from my words I would give you everything If you wanted it For I am just a child Full of poetry Whose face is covered in salty tears All I dream of is falling asleep on the bank of the starry sky And becoming a sweet wind of love songs sung to you”.

Alda Merini was born into a modest family and studied at the technical institute in Milano. She tried to enter the famous Manzoni secondary school but failed the entrance examination for Italian. At the same time, she started to learn the piano, the instrument she loved more than others.

In 1950, she published her first collection of poems and in 1951, following a suggestion by the Nobel Prize for Literature-winning poet Eugenio Montale and the poetess Maria Luisa Spaziani, the publisher Scheiwiller included two unpublished poems by Alda Merini in the anthology Poetesse del Novecento.

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Among Alda Merini’s many works were her collections of poems Delirio amoroso and Magnificat and the books Terra Santa and Tu Sei Pietro.

Eugenio Montale

Her last works were published in 2006 under the title La vera novella.

The famous Italian singer Milva selected some of Alda Merini’s poems and sang them.

Child “Child, if you find the kite of your imagination tie it with the intelligence of your heart.

You will see enchanted gardens spring up and your mother will become a plant that will cover you with her leaves.

Make your hands into two white doves that bring peace everywhere and order to all things.

But before you learn to write look at yourself in the watery mirror of emotion”.

Bambino Bambino, se trovi l'aquilone della tua fantasia legalo con l'intelligenza del cuore.

Vedrai sorgere giardini incantati e tua madre diventerà una pianta che ti coprirà con le sue foglie.

Fa delle tue mani due bianche colombe e portino la pace ovunque e l'ordine delle cose.

Ma prima di imparare a scrivere guardati nell'acqua del sentimento

Salvatore Quasimodo

With sweet tunes They, poets, appeal to the Lord from the grave Although poets, with their silence stir A greater clamour In the golden dome of a sky densely populated with stars”.

Among Alda Merini’s many works were her collections of poems Delirio amoroso and Magnificat and the books Terra Santa and Tu Sei Pietro.

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THE AUTHOR

Erfan Rashid Erfan Rashid is the Head of Agi Arab desk.

Merini’s most intense and tragic works were produced during her terrible experiences at the Taranto asylum in 1979 and 1986. Shortly after that, she produced her book of prose L’altra verità: diario di una diversa. This book was followed by two other successful books Fogli bianchi and Testamento.

Alda Merini died in Milan on 1st November 2009 from bone cancer.

“The poet collects pain and smiles And gathers all of his days In a palm that is ready to give, Because he sees the pulsating heart of the Lord.

Cultures But the city is sad As it occurs to no one That the poet’s flowers Bloom to live for longer Among the twists of the paths of delicacy”.

Love's Dream If I had to invent the dream of my love for you I would think of us greeting with fiery kisses the sight of a broken horizon and a dog licking its wounds under the table.

But I see nothing in our love

that matches the perfection of a joyful embrace...

Alda Merini died in Milan on 1st November 2009 from bone cancer.

Sogno d’amore Se dovessi inventarmi il sogno del mio amore per te penserei a un saluto di baci focosi alla veduta di un orizzonte spaccato e a un cane che si lecca le ferite sotto il tavolo.

Non vedo niente però nel nostro amore che sia l’assoluto di un abbraccio gioioso...

Navigli, an historic neighborhood of Milan

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ROLA DASHTI

Youth unemployment, MENA’s biggest challenge

“Extracted from the World Economic Forum’s Outlook on the Global Agenda 2014 Report.”

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he Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the region of superlatives: though its workforce has grown at the fastest annual rate in the world (2.7% in the past 10 years), youth unemployment is also the highest, at around 25% of the population. The latter is a persistent problem, and has been identified by our respondents as the biggest challenge MENA faces, alongside the management of political transitions and societal tension.

Dr Rola Dashti, former Kuwaiti Minister of State Planning and Development Affairs, attributes youth unemployment to a dysfunctional education system, inherent skill mismatches, labour market rigidities, and a growing labour force.

“Unfortunately, this demographic asset has become a demographic burden,” Dashti explains. “We need to start working on lowering that growth rate because it’s not going to be affordable – not only in terms of job creation, but also in terms of the quality of life.”

Reforms have so far failed to target a more dynamic private sector to jump-start the economy; state institutions currently employ most of the region’s youth. In Jordan and Egypt, the public sector accounts for about 35% of the workforce. In Dashti’s assessment, adequate reforms should ensure sustained job-intensive growth, refocus education and training, and enhance labour market flexibility.

“You need to create opportunities for

Dr Rola Dashti, former Kuwaiti Minister of State Planning and Development Affairs, attributes youth unemployment to a dysfunctional education system, inherent skill mismatches, labour market rigidities, and a growing labour force.

Cultures

Dr Rola Dashti, former Kuwaiti Minister of State Planning and Development Affairs

entrepreneurship and be more supportive of small and medium enterprises,” she says.

“We need to have policies that support the growth of private sector investment and ensure this growth is distributed to the masses.” MENA’s authorities must find a way to foster entrepreneurial spirit – but to do this, the public must be convinced that they will directly benefit from a healthier private sector. As things stand, many citizens believe that private sector growth will come at their expense.

“In general, the people of the region are not seeing a bright future. They’re seeing a lack of opportunity to succeed, lower strands of quality of life, and then this is causing society to become more broken.”

Dashti further believes that there is a direct correlation between this social despair and the rise of sectarianism across the region.

“Our societies are becoming more fragmented, and this needs to be targeted in the form of social and political reforms that need to be worked in conjunction

While countries across MENA have their own specific issues to confront, Dashti also notes the tendency for problems in individual nations to spill over and affect their immediate neighbours, as seen recently in Syria and Iraq.

with policies of economic reform.”

While countries across MENA have their own specific issues to confront, Dashti also notes the tendency for problems in individual nations to spill over and affect their immediate neighbours, as seen recently in Syria and Iraq. She is therefore in favour of complementary region-wide initiatives encouraging socio-political stability and regional trade.

“While internal reforms remain an important issue, regional investment trade and projects will help support the stability of nations. Projects that are shared among regional countries are important because these are huge investments which can prolong and create jobs at the same time as creating mobility of wealth and resources.”

These initiatives could ultimately create the stability that MENA needs.

“We’ve already seen revolutions in some countries, and others are at stake,” says Dashti. “If we do not take serious actions of reform, social unrest will follow.”

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Cultures MASSIMO PACIFICO

The beauty of everyday life The Italian photographer Massimo Pacifico affirms: “I travelled and photographed the world looking for the beauty of everyday life”.

Erfan Rashid

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At

the moment, I’m very involved in my new editorial project. After 40 years of journalism, photo journalism on paper, for the first time I am editing an online review and it’s a great experience to be in contact with the world.

In any minute of the day there is something emotional that keeps your energy renewed.

It’s sort of a challenge for me but I’m very, very happy to start this and hope that the world will like this project.

You called it a personal project that you’re working on alone so it’s your own job, but you say that you are now open to the possibility of involving young photographers and young journalists in this project. How will this come about and who are those you are examining now?

This is really something very new to me to be in the field of journalism and have one job. It is quite strange, this new technology opens up new possibilities. But I’m not really alone! I have an English editor; a lady who was an old friend of mine and takes care of the English, and a young man who is a sort of webmaster that introduces me to new technologies. The magazine is 95% made up of my work, of my recent work and of my files, my big archives of 40 years

Massimo Pacifico Born in Sulmona in 1951, he studied classics and obtained a degree in Political Science, then became a professional photographer in 1977.

Working first in experimental theatre, cinema and advertising in the high tech and furniture sectors, he then started an as yet uninterrupted career working as a freelance for picture magazines (Italian, German, American and Japanese news, travel and lifestyle magazines), producing hundreds of articles covering all five continents.

Since 1991 he has worked as a professional journalist.

He also holds exhibitions of his works and publishes illustrated books which receive international recognition and appreciation. He has held one man shows in Prato, Pisa, Algiers, Florence (at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale – 1996, Museum of Anthropology - 2000), Boston (Public Library - 1996), Lowell 1996, Milan (Libreria Sozzani -1997) Modica 2010, Noci - 2011, Forte dei Marmi - 2014.

He took part in the Venice Biennial in 1995 in the exhibition by the Alinari brothers dedicated to a century of portrait photography in Italy and was in the first and last group of photographers selected by the Province of Milan for the ten year project to document the local area (1987/1997) “Archivio dello Spazio” (Space Archive) In 2005 he founded a magazine, Verve, which he managed until 2010 and then, in 2011, a second magazine, Bogart. His works are kept in public archives and private collections.

of photographing around the world. But I want this as a possibility for young talented photographers and journalists. I have already published some of the stories produced by young photographers. The only rules are that quality must be top notch, the photos must be excellent. And then there is another problem, this review is made just for the fun of it, so the terrible result is no fee, no pay. We have no support through advertising because we want to try to make a free voice, a free voice for the world by publishing stories from all over the world with the intent that knowing different cultures would help spread peace in the world.

From your photos I discovered or noticed that the lives of people who are the main feature of your photographic works also signify death and destruction and misery.

In your photos you tried to discover the lives of the people in their simplicity. How did you choose your subject? How did you

I haven’t travelled the whole entire world but luckily last year I was in Japan, which has been one of my targets for many years and I was not disappointed at all.

choose the angles and corners of the photos?

I haven’t travelled the whole entire world but luckily last year I was in Japan, which has been one of my targets for many years and I was not disappointed at all. A choice I made at the very beginning of my career 35 or 40 years ago, was to show the bright side of the earth. Photo journalism is more and more prized when describing misery, wars, catastrophes. Every day, every single day all these pictures are awarded in the world press and shown on all the media. What I tried to do is to show the very normal everyday life of the world. Actually I was not aware in the last three decades of producing street photography, what is now called street photography - we old photographers used to call it reportage - and for me it’s very important to show something that is not exceptional, something that is found in the everyday life in the world. I don’t want to cry, I just try to remind myself and Papers of Dialogue | 33

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Cultures to cross the Nile, most of them were English. Antonio spoke English for sure and produced thousands of pictures of old Egyptian monuments. This was a sort of small factory and he sold pictures to tourists as souvenirs. At that time not very many tourists had cameras and his business was quite good.

You remind me of Alvise Orfanelli, the Italian guy who went to Egypt and who began the cinema in Egypt. The first film, Egyptian film or films are made by Alvise Orfanelli, so, this is a kind of Italian contribution in the Arabic culture?

For sure, well, Arabs gave so much to Italian culture during the centuries, especially as is well known in Sicily, so I can call it a sort of giving back something to that culture with the technology, the modern technology of those times.

show the people who have the patience to look at my photos what happens normally in big cities as well as in small villages in the world.

Now you are opening your new magazine up to new talents, young talents, but in one of your trips, you discovered or you visited an old Italian photographer awarded in Egypt.

Yes. Tell me something about that!

I feel you want me to talk for a while of the quite famous pro photographer “Antonio Beato”. We don’t know much about his life, but it was quite adventurous. We don’t even know exactly where he was born! It is assumed that he was born in the area of Venice. With his brother Felix or Felice, they started to take pictures in what we now call the “Middle East”. Then they went together to India and after this, Felice went to Yokohama, Japan where he opened a studio and produced some of the most beautiful interesting photos of everyday Japan, even in his studio. These pictures are well known for the quality of the colors that he used, also black-and-white, sepia, and water color compositions. Antonio went to Egypt and in Egypt discovered something very new! Tourism. It was at the end of the 19th century and tourists began 34 | Papers of Dialogue

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Germany succeeded in its very, very complicated project of rebuilding the country and so I travelled for about more than 10.000 km all over this big country; it took me four summers to do this.

You are working now on a new project, this time in Europe, in Germany. Can you tell me something about it?

Well, I’ve been travelling in Germany for about 40 years, and I must tell you that I like this country, a country that’s little known to the rest of the world. When people think of Germany they think of Munich, of beer and short pants. What I’m trying to do at the moment, 25 years after the German reunification, is to show, first of all to myself and then to the world I hope, what Germany has to offer in terms of art, in terms of a good everyday life, a good standard of life, in terms of museums, in terms of beautiful cities. Very many of them in the former east part of the country were quite completely destroyed, as actually also happened in the west part during World War II. Germany succeeded in its very, very complicated project of rebuilding the country and so I travelled for about more than 10.000 km all over this big country; it took me four summers to do this and now after shooting more than 30.000 pictures I’m editing them in order to try to have 1000 good pictures.

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Why did you choose the name Barnum?

Barnum in America was one of the 1940’s biggest circuses. I very much like the life at the circus and I say that in the circus anything is possible. So the name sounds very good and I chose it as I want to be the director of a big circus of communications, and I hope it will be like this.

Massimo, if I say the world retires, do you know what I mean?

Well, I think I know! Very many people work all their life long to be able to enjoy retirement. I don’t think that the journalist will ever be able to retire! Journalism is a fantastic job and to be a good journalist I think you have to be curious. I don’t actually find myself a good journalist, but I’m certainly curious and I don’t think I will retire.

So what is the next step?

Ah, who knows? Who knows? First of all, I

I don’t actually find myself a good journalist, but I’m certainly curious and I don’t think I will

would like to improve the quality of Barnum and would really like the opportunity to teach young journalists this job and to share my experiences. I was so lucky that many publishers and editors-inchief believed in me and sent me worldwide to try to understand the planet.

I’d like to share these experiences with young journalists and even with old ones.

Now you have so many visitors on Barnum from all over the world! Two from Saudi Arabia and one from Iraq, how did you feel when you saw that?

That’s very strange because we didn’t promote the Review there, but now you can check and control the statistics, so I’m very happy and proud. I’m just telling the truth, when I see a new country appearing on the map and we now have readers from all over the world, even the name Iraq appearing on the screen these days, has made me satisfied and happy.

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Jews and Muslims in Argentina

B Kamilia Lahrichi

UENOS AIRES – More than 7,000 miles away from the war-torn Middle East, Argentina’s Jews and Muslims have lived in peace and harmony.

They are the largest Muslim and Jewish communities in Latin America. Muslims are mostly descendants from Syrian and Lebanese origin. They immigrated to the South America country in the 1850s.

Jews – about 75% of them are Ashkenazis– mainly came from Spain following their expulsion in the 1880s. There was a second wave of Jewish immigration in the mid-19th century, especially France.

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The attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994 – both attributed to Islamic organizations linked to Iran – are exceptionally violent events in a country that values tolerance and multiculturalism.

Emblematic of the cohesion between all faiths, the Argentina pope Francis brought together the religious leaders of the two communities, Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Omar Abboud, who hugged each other in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem in May 2014.

“Buenos Aires is a very multicultural place but people are very ignorant about Islam,” says Selma, a Muslim Argentine who lives in Pilar, a town about one hour away from Buenos Aires.

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THE AUTHOR

Kamilia Lahrichi

The temple Libertad on Buenos Aires’s Libertad street.

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Kamilia Lahrichi was the news editor of the Middle East and North Africa desk at The Daily Star newspaper in Beirut, Lebanon. She lived in Casablanca, Jerusalem, Amman and Beirut. She graduated from New York University with a M.A. in International Relations and from l'Ecole SupĂŠrieure de Journalisme of Paris with a Master in Journalism. Her research interests include Middle Eastern and North African politics and international affairs.

The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Centre houses a mosque, a library and a college.

Argentina’s Muslims were 784,000 in 2009 according to a Pew Research Center’s mapping of Muslims worldwide.

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Beyond time and space: the legend of Umm Kulthum

The singer Umm Kulthum is the great example of a woman who, from an early age, did not stand on the sidelines as a mere spectator. She burst into many arenas – cultural, artistic, literary, and political – to attain a high standing in history. Her songs became a sublime form of literary art and her achievements bypassed the boundaries of time and space.

Layla Mustapha

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T

ime stopped before the lofty edifice that is the ancient Colosseum when I heard the sound of Umm Kulthum’s voice singing above the magic and fragrance of history, performing the best of Dr. Ibrahim Nagi’s poem “Al-Atlal” [Vestiges of the Past]: My heart, ask not where love has gone It was a citadel of my imagination that has collapsed Pour me a sip and I will drink of its ruins Tell the story on my behalf as long as the tears flow How dare time continue to pass without travels in strange lands and the pains that accompany it?

The tunes accumulated in my imagination as I set off to sail through a deep dark night, leaving my soul in empty space to greet the endless world of Umm Kulthum and drift through the joys and aches of today’s Arab Spring.

Umm Kulthum: Journey between legendary success and a woman’s struggle…

How and what does one write about Egypt’s noble legend, a virtual pyramid of its musical heritage? I promised myself to shed some light in this article on some distinctive aspects in the life of this Arab girl who was able to prove that artistic creativity and success do not only depend on God-given talent, but are also the result of diligent work and continuous efforts to produce something new and original. Her personal journey is indisputable proof that a woman can, of her own volition, overcome obstacles and contribute to building bridges around change, leading each generation to look forward to a better future without renouncing their heritage, identity, and Arabic language.

Umm Kulthum, the singer, is a unique example of such a woman who, from an early age, did not stand on the sidelines as a mere spectator. She burst into many arenas – cultural, artistic, literary, and political – to attain that high standing in history merited by someone who

Umm Kulthum combined the talent of a performer and the genius of a woman in one vessel. Her path was not strewn with roses. Her mature thinking and superior mind led her to grasp early on the importance of knowledge in her life as a means of advancing herself and her ideas. This was the cornerstone on which her talent and glory were built, achieved through tireless effort and solid determination that never dipped in spite of the difficult conditions she faced throughout her life.

No Arab woman had ever before excelled over her male colleagues in the way the unique Umm Kulthum did. She bypassed the boundaries of time and space, speaking with modesty and tact to the emotions of her fans, who listened to her with respect because she was, and remains to this day, their shining star.

Cultures Umm Kulthum

deserves all her titles. She was the “Star of the Orient”, the “Lady of Arabic song”, the “people’s performer”, and the “beautiful melody of Egypt”. She was devoted to her talent, her fans, and her art, to the extent that she sat alone on the throne of Arabic music and song, having used her voice to perform some of the grandest poems ever written. Her songs became a sublime form of literary art that respected the listening mind and psyche. They never approached any form of indecency of action or naïve meaning.

The songs she performed included the masterpiece of the Poet of the Nile, Hafiz Ibrahim, entitled “Egypt”, including the memorable line: All of creation stopped to see how I built the foundations of glory on my own

The builders of the pyramids of long ago spared me their rhetoric when challenged

Umm Kulthum is rightly credited for fostering the spread and preservation of fine literary heritage through the songs she selected throughout her extensive artistic journey of more than half a century

The noble performer and her humble artistic upbringing Tamay ez-Zahayra in Dakahlia is the name of the humble village where Umm Kulthum was born. In that year, 1902, no official documentation or birth certificates were issued. This is the first environment where she had her roots and grew and flourished until she moved to Cairo in 1923. Her father, the muezzin of the local mosque, Shaykh Ibrahim, chose the name Umm Kulthum, the name of one of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) daughters, hoping it would bode goodness and blessings. Her mother was the virtuous Fatima ElMeligi, who insisted that her daughter be Papers of Dialogue | 41

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Umm Kulthum with Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muhammad Anwar El Sadat

educated at El-Kuttab, the Quran school, although this was contrary to common practice in Egyptian villages at the time.

Umm Kulthum described her as a model mother who lived simply and taught her children the importance of truth, humbleness, and faith in God – glory be to Him. This family faced rough financial times; in her memoirs, Umm Kulthum wrote “I never knew how or from where my father would earn the cash needed.”

Umm Kulthum’s talent showed itself from an early age when she proved able to memorize large portions of the Glorious Quran. She also excelled in singing litanies along with her brother Khalid in the group that her father formed. He sensed his daughter’s brilliance and encouraged her to join the group. Even though she was the only girl, her father, Shaykh Ibrahim, 42 | Papers of Dialogue

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Umm Kulthum’s talent showed itself from an early age when she proved able to memorize large portions of the Glorious Quran.

decided that she should wear the same uniform as her brother in order to conceal Sidone Ruins her femininity, due to his extreme observance of traditional customs.

With her rural nature and extraordinary intellect, this young girl understood that these social conditions would be the launching point of her struggle. She resolutely memorized spiritual litanies without fully comprehending the strict concepts espoused in religious chants. In fact, she began to sing these words with the farmers, naturally and unpretentiously. She pronounced each word correctly and with ease as if she were singing to herself. From this early age she was able to impose a new conception of the female performer, firstly, and of women, secondly, based on respect and esteem, all within her strict surroundings and among her listeners.

Cultures Preserving the artistic heritage of classical Arabic The religious and literary cultural upbringing that Umm Kulthum received in her youth left an indelible imprint in the words of the songs she performed, having been an apprentice under her father’s friends, Shaykh Abul-Alaa Muhammad and Shaykh Zakaria Ahmad.

She relished combining the intricacies of the classical Arabic language with the sounds of Egyptian folklore, so it was natural that she would sing one of the most beautiful musical poems written by a great sheikh of Al-Azhar, Abu Ahmad Gamaluddeen El-Shabrawi, including the verses: O thee of beautiful countenance, when will I see you content, and this anger depart??

In you I witness staggering beauty taking me to that pinnacle of rapture The passion for the Arabic language – the language of the noble Quran – grew in Umm Kulthum’s soul day after day. It was the language of “dād” 1 that she loved and studied, delving deep into the rules of tajw d [grammar and correct recitation of the Quran] from an early age. It was quite a gamble for her when she decided to sing religious and nationalistic, and even romantic, themes in the classical Arabic language, but she succeeded in making it the language of communication and shared history for the whole of the Arab world, not just Egypt.

Umm Kulthum is rightly credited for fostering the spread and preservation of fine literary heritage through the songs she selected throughout her extensive artistic journey of more than half a century. Over those years she worked with some of the most prominent composers and poets, including Ahmad Rami, Bairam El-Tunisi, Riyad El-Sanbati, Muhammad AbdulWahhab, and Muhammad El-Qasabgi, and many others. She played a major role in popularizing Arab musical heritage among the younger generations. Her effort was, in her own words, “to present the pioneers of classical Arabic poetry from across the ages and rouse the spirit of a new Arab revival of

References 1- Umm Kulthum.

“The Umm Kulthum Nobody Knows.”

Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak. Ed. Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Basima Qattan Bezirgan. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1977. 135-165.

Excerpts from Umm Kulthum Allati la Ya’rifuba Ahad, as told to Mahmud ‘Awad.

Kitab al-Yawm series.

(Cairo: Akhbar alYawm, 1969). Trans.

Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Basima Qattan Bezirgan.

Autobiography of a famed Egyptian singer.

2- Lohman, Laura.

Umm Kulthum: Artistic Agency and the Shaping of an Arab Legend, 1967-2007, Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2010.

3- Danielson, V. The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society, in the Twentieth Century, Chicago. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1997.

4- Sahhab, E. Umm Kulthum: As-Sira, Beirut: Musiqa alSharq; 2003.

PhootNotes 1 “Dād” [‫ ]ض‬is a letter that exists only in Arabic. [translator’s note]

song and musical arts” in a period during which Arabic culture in Egypt had stagnated in the face of the prevailing Western culture in Egyptian society.

• She sang the words of the “Prince of Poets”, Ahmad Shawqi, specifically from his poem using the letter hamza exalting the Prophet [Muhammad]. A sample of its verses: Guidance was born, illuminating all creatures The lips of time smiled and uttered praises The spirit and angels thronged about him bringing good tidings for both the worldly and the sacred • Another poem she sang was by Omar AlKhayyam, the famous “I heard a voice calling”: I heard a voice calling before dawn Calling out of the unseen to the sleeping souls Awake and fill the cup of hope Before the palm of fate fills the cup of life • Dr Mustafa Mahmoud said of her: “Umm Kulthum is to song what Taha Hussein is to literature... She presents fine classical Arabic... in the performance and correct syntax of the sung words... in the richness of her voice and melody... The pureness of her oriental tone reminds one of the heritage of high-bred Arabian horses, prancing with pride as such horses do with pomp and majesty and splendour.

“The Voice of the Nation” Umm Kulthum lived through periods of ideological, political, and economic upheaval in Egypt. She witnessed two revolutions, the first in 1919 and the second in 1952, but this did not stop her from pursuing her art. Even at the height of her success she mustered all her capacities to serve her beloved nation. Her songs spoke of glorious Egypt and its leaders, such as the head of the Wafd Party, Saad Zaghloul and President Gamal Abdelnasser, who awarded her with a medal of the highest merit; he was among the biggest admirers of her voice.

In 1967, dubbed the “year of the setback”, Umm Kulthum staged concerts inside and Papers of Dialogue | 43

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The funeral of Umm Kulthum

outside Egypt to mobilize donations for the war effort and the rebuilding of the Egyptian army. Her strong identification with and love for her country through thick and thin was just the right environment for her to offer her best patriotic song “Biladi, biladi” [My country, my country] by Sayid Darwish, as well as “Oh how long ago, my weapon” which became a national anthem following the triple aggression against Egypt in 1956.

Nationalist par excellence, she was the first female performer to attribute new meaning to patriotism, or love of one’s country.

Brimming with genuine nationalist sentiment, she evolved into the “Voice of the Nation”. On the first Thursday evening of every month, every Egyptian, no matter what social class they came from, would 44 | Papers of Dialogue

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THE AUTHOR

Layla Mustapha Layla Mustapha was born in Beirut and moved to live in Rome in 1990.

She graduated with honours from Sapienza University in Rome with a degree in the history of religions and Islamic sciences.

She is currently finalising her dissertation to obtain a doctorate in Islamic civilization at the Institute of Eastern Studies at Sapienza University.

await her appearance. The streets of Cairo would be emptied of all passers-by, sucked inside in front of their television sets to hear the sweetest and finest words. Her Egyptian fans shared their affection with her and sang along in a nationalist concert distinguished by boundless love and giving.

Together they were able to fulfil the dream that all contemporary political approaches failed to satisfy, that of “Arab Unity”.

She sang many poems written by the poet who catered to the tastes of the youth, Ahmad Rami. His poems conveyed both romantic and nationalistic themes, including the famous poem that begins with these words: Egypt on my mind and on my tongue My love for her runs deep in my soul and in my blood.