September 24, 2017 23 Culture

Brussels exhibit tackles Islam in city scarred by terror

Vanessa Gera period when they ruled in the Ibe- rian Peninsula, today’s Spain and Portugal, for eight centuries. There Brussels they produced a rich civilisation and oversaw a long era in which or months after the Brus- Muslims, Jews and Christians lived sels extremist attacks of in peaceful coexistence, albeit with 2016 it seemed an exhibi- Jews and Christians as second citi- tion on Islam’s legacy in zens. Europe might never open The golden era is recalled in Is- Fin the city. At first, the creators and lamic architectural gems — castles city officials felt the time wasn’t and mosques-turned-cathedrals — right and then they struggled to find that dot Granada, Seville and other a location willing to host a show cer- parts of Spain, Portugal and even tain to be considered controversial. Sicily. The “Islam. It’s Also Our His- Jean-Francois Ravagnan, a visitor tory” exhibition at the city-owned from Liege, Belgium, said he found Vanderborght Building opened Sep- the exhibition a “chance to set the tember 15 and is telling a story of the record straight.” long Islamic presence on European “We no longer take the time to soil that shaped Western culture in look at our common history. We’re areas ranging from medicine, phi- no longer interested in the other, in losophy and architecture to diplo- their origins, in their traditions,” he macy, language and food. said. “We want to make clear to Euro- The show addresses difficult is- peans that Islam is part of European sues, including violent extremism civilisation and that it isn’t a recent and the problems that Belgium and Difficult issues. Visitors stand near an installation by US artist Gregory Green in which a mock bomb import but has roots going back 13 other Western European countries is held in a Louis Vuitton vanity case at the “Islam, It’s Also Our History” exhibition at the Espace centuries,” said Isabelle Benoit, a have faced in integrating large Mus- Vanderborght in Brussels. (AP) historian with Tempora, the organi- lim communities. sation that designed the exhibition. While stressing that integration is often a success, the exhibition puts including the large-scale migration it “very confrontational” that the He said society must grapple even blame on both native populations over the past few years and Islamic show “wanted to make a link be- with these difficult issues and that The “Islam. It’s Also and Muslim migrants for the times violence, are dealt with primarily tween Islam and what has been hap- while organisers and city officials Our History” integration fails and says building with artistic installations, some of pening recently worldwide.” She were hesitant to open the exhibition exhibition is telling a bridges requires accommodation on them provocative. was also upset that it was among soon after the 2016 attacks, the time story of the long both sides. To Muslim newcomers One installation — “End of the last objects in the show — giv- was finally right. Islamic presence on there is a pointed message delivered Dreams” by Danish artist Nikolaj ing it the power to linger in visitors’ “Slowly but surely everybody in a short video: Certain values are Bendix Skyum Larsen — is an ode to minds. started to understand that that’s European soil that “non-negotiable” in Europe, includ- those who died trying to reach Eu- In response to the criticism, or- the moment to do it,” Barnavi said. shaped Western ing democracy, individual rights, rope in dangerous voyages across ganisers said they intended to move “That precisely because of the strife culture. secularism and gender equality. the Mediterranean. Visitors find the installation to a different place and the violence and terrorism it’s A variety of traditional objects themselves in a dark room sur- in the exhibition hall to give it less important to have some kind of ped- Funded by the European Union and installations are used to tell the rounded by large videos of the sea psychological weight and would agogical approach, some kind of dia- and Belgian authorities, the show story of three major periods of Mus- bottom, with bundles on the floor probably add some textual context. logue; and the exhibition is meant to was conceived many years before lim presence on Europe’s soil: The evoking the small bodies of children They said they wouldn’t remove it do precisely that, to show that Mus- the deadly Paris attacks of 2015 were Arab conquest of Spain in the Mid- who drowned at sea. entirely. lims are very much part of Europe, carried out by a Brussels-based ex- dle Ages; Ottoman rule over south- Another section, in particular, Eli Barnavi, a historian from Tel that they belong here, that it’s a very tremist cell and the March 2016 at- eastern Europe starting in the 14th provoked Muslim schoolteachers Aviv University and president of the old presence on European soil, that tacks that killed 32 people in Brus- century; and the Colonial era, which from Belgium on a recent visit — a scientific committee that developed they had an important influence and sels itself. opened the way for Muslims from Louis Vuitton vanity case holding the exhibition, said that, while jiha- impact on this civilisation.” It tries to build bridges in an era the Middle East and Africa to begin a mock bomb, creation of US artist di extremism is an aberration in the The exhibition runs through Janu- of distrust and fear by showing the settling in Europe in the 20th cen- Gregory Green. long history of Islam, it’s a reality of ary 21. rich civilisation that Muslims helped tury. Nejia Adouiri, a 41-year-old pri- the current age that must be dealt establish in Europe in the Medieval The unsettled problems of today, mary school teacher, said she found with, too. (The Associated Press) First El-Gouna Film Festival looks to make history

Ahmed Megahid industry in the Middle East. There is also hope in Egypt that the festival will shine an interna- Cairo tional spotlight on El-Gouna. The Red Sea resort, just north of Hurgha- rganisers of the inaugu- da, was founded and developed by ral El-Gouna Film Festi- Sameh Sawiris and has seen major val have high hopes that development in the past 20 years. the eight-day event will The festival’s organising commit- become a fixture on the tee invested nearly $5 million to put OMiddle Eastern cultural calendar. the event together, including secur- The international festival, spon- ing an all-star list of actors and direc- sored by Egyptian business tycoons tors to head its advisory board. The Sameh and Naguib Sawiris and to names include Oscar-winning actor take place in the Red Sea resort of El Forest Whitaker, German actress Gouna, aims to promote peace, tol- and film-maker Margarethe von erance and co-existence, organisers Trotta, Tunisian producer and dis- said. tributor Tarak Ben Ammar, French- “This message is very important Important message. (L-R) Egyptian actress Bushra Rozza, El-Gouna Film Festival (GFF) director Afghan writer and film-maker Atiq now, given what we see everywhere Intishal al-Timimi, GFF founder Naguib Sawiris, Egyptian actress Yousra, Samih Sawiris and CEO of Rahimi, Egyptian actress Yousra and around us,” said Amr Mansi, the fes- the organising company Amr Mansi at a news conference in Cairo, on August 27. (AFP) Palestinian actress, writer and direc- tival co-founder and the CEO of the tor Hiam Abbas. Whitaker is to be awarded a life- company organising the event. “We love and piety. goals. If achieved, these goals can time achievement award at El-Gou- are trying to throw light on cinemat- The festival features films from help the world to become a better na. ic works that impart this message more than 15 Arab and Western place,” said Amir Ramses, an adviser The festival will hand out more and encourage works that prove that countries. The festival’s closing film, to the festival organisers. “Cinema is than $200,000 in cash prizes to films cinema as an art form is capable of to be shown September 29, will be a very important media that can ef- competing in feature narrative, fea- bringing about the aspired peace Chinese film-maker Ai Weiwei’s fect change.” ture documentary and short catego- The festival aims to turn and coexistence.” “Human Flow,” which looks at the The El-Gouna Film Festival could ries. into a chance for people Perhaps this is the reason the fes- global refugee crisis. inspire a region where cinematic Young directors in the region see from around the world to tival’s Programming Committee se- Those working with Mansi to output has suffered. Several re- the film festival as a rare opportu- lected “Sheikh Jackson,” a film writ- make the event a success said the gional film festivals have had their nity to showcase their work. Egyp- unite around a number ten and directed by Amr Salama, to El-Gouna Film Festival only accepts schedules curtailed or have been tian film-maker Haitham Dabour, a of goals. be screened at the festival’s opening films that promote cultural interac- cancelled altogether in recent years. 31-year-old journalist who wrote the ceremony September 22. tion, foster awareness of different The Marrakech International Film script for “Photocopy,” one of five “Sheikh Jackson,” which is Egypt’s cinematic voices by encouraging Festival will not be held this year. Egyptian films participating in El- entry for the Best Foreign Lan- dialogue and build bridges of crea- The Abu Dhabi Film Festival was Gouna, said that film festivals like guage Film at next year’s Academy tive intellect. scrapped in 2015 and prior to that this help Arab film-makers reach a Awards, tells the strange story of a The festival offers regional film- the Doha Tribeca Film Festival was wider audience. conservative Islamic cleric having a makers the opportunity to meet with cancelled. Important features of the “True, the festival is held for the crisis of faith when he hears that his international peers. Representatives annual Cairo International Film Fes- first time this year but its organisers childhood idol, Michael Jackson, has from major film festivals, including tival have been cut due to a lack of think big,” Dabour said. “This way of died. Venice, Rotterdam, Sundance and funds. thinking is actually shared by every- The film, which stars Egyptian Toronto, are expected to attend. The sponsors of the El-Gou- body participating in the event.” actor Ahmed el-Fishawy, offers a “The festival aims to turn into a na Film Festival said they hope Amir Ramses, an adviser to rare mix of religion and art, the Is- chance for people from around the their event will turn into an an- Ahmed Megahid is an Egyptian the festival organisers lamic and Western cultures and world to unite around a number of nual must-see event for the cinema reporter in Cairo.