Princess of Sulaibikh
When the name Naguib Mahfouz appeared on the Nobel platform in 1988, announcing it as the first Arab writer to be crowned with this international award, it was like a dreamer of vigilance in a sunny afternoon! No one expected the Arab world to obtain this global honor, even after a thousand years, but it is preserved, and the best seizure of this value is smart in a smart way to communicate the voice of the Arab citizen to the whole world from which he was waiting for a word, as his expressive words were what brought him to the world. Although he was not going to receive the award due to his health conditions, what he said in the words of the writer Muhammad Salmawi was worthy of applause for a few days, his speech was not just a celebration, but rather revealed the identity of a homeland, a civilized vision, and a humanitarian message.
From the depth of the third world to the conscience of the world, Mahfouz stated with words that came out with force and enthusiasm from the depth of two civilizations who married, as he said: Pharaonic and Islamic, and highlighted the concerns of the Arab citizen: hunger, poverty and deprivation. His words originated from a noble and deep anxiety when he said: “It is not reasonable and does not accept that human beings fade into a vacuum.”
Nevertheless, after 37 years, we are still watching the same tragedies, especially in Gaza, where he besiege innocent, bombed homes, kills children, women and animals in a suspicious international silence. Mahfouz was not describing a temporary situation, but rather spoke about a chronic tragedy, and a common human responsibility, which exceeds the limits of politics and geography. The principles he advocated are authentic human rights: justice, freedom, dignity. It is not just the wishes of a writer, but rather basic demands for every human being.
Naguib Mahfouz’s speech was re -read, and I find it closer to a will for future generations: that the word remain alive, and to carry the voice of the oppressed on the shoulders of literature, art, and thought. Today, we live in a world where news is accelerating, and justice is slowing down, it shows the importance of adhering to the flame of hope that Mahfouz lit up, and we continue to walk with it, each of its location.
Despite the noise of evil, as he said, goodness remains the origin, and it is the one who has triumphed over, as if he wanted to tell us: Evil may dominate the scene, but good is what makes history.
The words of Mahfouz are not from the past, but rather from the future, holding a responsibility that is still upon us all, which is to hear the whine of humans and work for them all.
