HIS HIGHNESS Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Tunisian Cultural Days in Sharjah at a ceremony held at the Sharjah Art Museum last evening.

The six-day festival, described as “a meeting of brothers”, is a celebration of Tunisian culture, including painting, photography, literature, poetry, theatre and cinema.

Dr Sheikh Sultan was accompanied by Dr Abdul Baqi Al Harmasi, Tunisian Minister of Culture, as he toured the exhibition halls at the Art Museum and viewed works of 12 Tunisian artists as well as works by Tunisian writers.

While calling for a stand in defence of Arab culture, he urged Arabs to follow the example set by France in defence of their culture. He called for a firm stand against the merciless torrent that threatens Arab culture.

“We do not claim that our culture is our property; this culture is the property of all of humanity. This culture was bequeathed to us by many cultures; to it we added what was good and spread it to the rest of the world. European culture itself springs from Arab culture,” Dr Sheikh Sultan said.

Dr Sheikh Sultan said that talent needs to be nurtured to grow and develop and said that children must be the priority in this regard, as their natural creativity and talent must be nurtured and developed, adding that such efforts will further help bolster Arab culture.

Asked about those who vilify Islam and Arabs and who claim one culture is superior to another, Dr Sheikh Sultan said: “We do not curse the darkness, but in these times we shall light a candle to guide the way.”

Source : Summarized from Khaleej Times, Sep 30, 2001