Media Center

17 March 2019 Ghassan Al-Shihabi & Ibrahim Bu Hindi Take Part, in Riyadh International Book Fair 2019
Ghassan Al-Shihabi & Ibrahim Bu Hindi Take Part, in Riyadh International Book Fair 2019

 

For the fourth consecutive day, Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, continues to present its unique and exceptional cultural program, which has turned out to be an important rendez-vous  platform for Saudi public to meet and interact with a selection of Bahraini  literary figures and writers. The event is organized in the biggest cultural manifestation in the region, namely  Riyadh International Book Fair, Saudi Arabia.

The Cultural Council welcomed 17 March 2019 , Bahraini writer Ghassan al Shihabi, during a session dedicated to shed lights on “ Arabic Language Amidst Challenges” discussion, which was attended by a selection of Saudi intellectuals.  

Al-Shihabi said that in recent years, the Arabic language has witnessed a gradual decline in the Arab world, adding that technological and scientific transformations, and the ensuing inventions and scientific advances in a multitude of fields, constitute a serious challenge to this language. This challenge is demonstrated through numerous aspects, he argued. Indeed, Shehabi said that the majority of new technological and scientific advances in the world are supported through languages other than Arabic; therefore, there is an increasing tendency in the Arab world to learn foreign languages, mainly English considering it is the language of science, and the language through which all forms of modern sciences can be learnt. Indeed, the scientific output in Arabic is almost non-existent in the fields of applied and experimental sciences, and very scarce in the fields of social sciences and the humanities. Moreover, publication activities in the Arabic language are very low when compared with other languages, Al-Shihabi said.

Al-Shihabi added that Arabic  language is a fundamental pillar of cultural identity  given that  we cannot maintain a cultural identity without maintaining the language, stressing the need to cooperate all efforts to modernize Arabic language to be retooled for the 21th century. 

The Cultural Council also hosted an evening of poetry on the same day, animated by Bahraini Writers' Guild chief poet Ebrahim Bu Hindi, on 17 March 2019, and presented by academician and writer, Dr. Rachid Najim. The evening of poetry, titled “ Poetic Readings’ Interpretations ” gathered also Saudi poets who dealt with many themes, amid enthusiastic interaction between the audience and the intellectuals.

During this evening of mixed literary classic Arabic poetry “ Fassih” and popular folk , poet Ebrahim Bu Hindi said as summarized for the nabaṭī poetic tradition by Holes, these are: amorous or lyric verse, boasting, encomium, gnomic wisdom and advice, descriptions of nature, hunting and elegy, the poem generally conveys many themes, making the poet moving from one emotional wave to another according to the subject-matter.

The lovers of culture in Riyadh will have another rendez-vous with Bahraini intellectuals tomorrow, 18 March 2019, meeting artist Balqees Fakhro who will give a lecture on status of plastic arts in Bahrain. Dr. Dheya al Kaabi will also give another culture0related lecture on the following day, 19 March 2019.