Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, Board Member of the Mohmmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, expressed his delight at hosting the “Taha Hussein Days” event, stressing the influence of the Dean of Arabic literature and his prominent role in the modern Arabic cultural and literary movement through his contributions to the Arabic language.
Dubai, UAE: The Mohammed bin Rashid Librrary (MBRL), in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, organised “Taha Hussein Days”, to celebrate the legendary writer’s birthday and legacy that attracted a large audience.
Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, Board Member of the Mohmmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, expressed his delight at hosting the “Taha Hussein Days” event, stressing the influence of the Dean of Arabic literature and his prominent role in the modern Arabic cultural and literary movement through his contributions to the Arabic language.
Al Mazrouei highlighted the strategy and social role of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library in preserving and promoting Arabic literature, culture and heritage, and introducing new generations to the history and thought of its creators, and their unique vision.
The event featured lectures and discussion panels that shed light on Hussein’s thought and creative and literary criticism including a discussion panel of his book “Al-Ayyam” (The Days) and a mini-exhibition in the reception hall that featured a collection of his books.
In the first discussion panel on the life of Taha Hussein , Dr. Omar Abdel Aziz, stressed that the most important thing that Taha Hussein did was to make critics and writers in the Arab World aware of new literary genres other than poetry.
The disccussion was moderated by Dr. Maryam Al-Hashemi,
He added that Hussein was influenced by the different literary genres that he was introduced to in France, especially the novel, and he wrote influential works to promote these new literary genres such as the novel and theater, where he is considered the first to translate classical Greek works that influenced all Western literary production into Arabic.
Commenting on Hussein’s accurate description of the things around him despite his blindness, Dr. Abdel Aziz said: “his wife, Susan, was the eyes with which he saw. Nevertheless, Hussein had also a different type of eye, an eye that could see into the heart and soul and transcend physical perceptions.
The “Taha Hussein Days” event featured a cinematic screening of Hussein’s masterpiece “Doaa Al-Karawan” (The Nightingale’s Prayer), a discussion panel, and a performance of the soundtrack of the movie “The Days”.
The event also shed light on women in the life and literature of Taha Hussein, where Dr. Laila Al-Obaidly, Professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Sharjah, interviewed the Bahraini writer, Dr. Parween Habib, on her new book “I Saw With Her Eyes.”
Dr. Parween Habib started by addressing the relationship of the Dean of Arabic Literature with his wife, Susan, saying, “This small woman was strong in character and sometimes authoritarian, according to the testimony of those who knew her or worked with her, but she was also a woman in love who tried to monopolize the one she loved, and she fought fiercely for that.”
Dr. Parween concluded that the dean of Arabic literature portrayed oriental women in his books as they were, so that they might see the truth and revolt, and even gave them defiant model, such as Amna, in “Doaa Al-Karawan” (The Nightingale’s Prayer), who changed her name to Souad more befitting her new personality.
For further information and details about MBRL’s upcoming events please visit: https://www.mbrl.ae/ar/web/guest/about-the-library
“Taha Hussein Days” event is part of the MBRL’s year-round unique programme of entertaining and educational events, lectures, and workshops, to raise scientific and cultural awareness among all members of society.
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