Optic Art Lives on Such Means Be Blamed? We Now Live in an Era of Open Skies Where All and Every Information Is Just a Click of a Mouse Or Key Away
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Correction 8 May 2016 Watani International 2 In Watani International's issue 8 May 2016 Chairman of the Board of 1 May, Page 1 included a story 30 Baramouda (Parmoute) 1732 and under the title 'Voice 1 Shaaban 1437 Editor-in-chief of the Voiceless'. The Issue 795 story missed the Youssef Sidhom name of the writer: Year 16 Lucy Awad. Watani apologises for the error Editorial Problems on hold Social media as a minefield Youssef Sidhom I have repeatedly resisted the urge to challenge public opinion forming elements in Egypt, be they a wide wilful swath of the media or a by and large unruly social media. Both these sectors have been thriving on spewing unsubstantiated, unconfirmed material from dubious sources—that is if they bother to quote any source at all. I placed my bet on the educated people in our community, whom I thought would have the perception to critically assess whatever material is dispatched by the media or social media, and would not be easily led into believing what can amount to no more than rumour or questionable stuff. Today, I apologise to my readers: I lost my bet. It has become obvious that even the educated among us rush to swallow false information without bothering to check whether or not it is true or possibly credible. Even on the level of our paper, Watani, I painfully Moussa, Helene; Explore St Mark’s Coptic Museum, Ontario – Canada, An admit that many of our reporters have had the tendency Illustrated Introduction; St. Mark’s Coptic Museum, 2015 to follow leads or cues that had gone viral on social media but had no credible backing. We would direct these reporters to substantiate the leads first, upon which they would discover in nine cases out of ten that the information they had picked from the social media was totally untrue. If this is the case with journalists, who have at their fingertips all the means to check the validity of data, how can the general public that has no optic art lives on such means be blamed? We now live in an era of open skies where all and every information is just a click of a mouse or key away. The hazard lies with the receiver who would C Coptic Studies (ICS) in Cairo. The St Mark’s Museum icon collection includes post offices were established by Europeans living in Egypt under the name take in without question whatever comes up on screen. Perhaps the last thing one would expect to Reviewed by Sherine Nader until the Islamic era. The collection at St four icons by Isaac Fanous (1919 – 2007), the first chairman of the department ‘Poste Européenne’. The service was bought by Khedive Ismail in 1864 and But worse, that receiver would rush to share the find in Toronto, Canada, is a Coptic museum. Mark’s includes clay objects dating back of Coptic art at ICS, and pioneer of modern iconography. The icons were drawn became a government service in 1965. The first Egyptian stamps were issued in material with as many others as he or she can reach, A grand Coptic museum has existed in Cairo from the fourth to the 21st centuries. especially for the museum in 1964 and represent the four evangelists. Dr Fanous 1866, and depicted images of the pyramids and the sphinx; they soon evolved to probably proud to be the first to know the ‘news’. I since 1910, and Coptic art is displayed in many museums over the There are terracotta oil lamps from different regions in Egypt, used a neo-Coptic cubic style in which he blended contemporary iconography display images of rulers and commemorate political and social events. have become increasingly worried lately that those world, but a museum in Toronto dedicated to Coptic art might come but there is insufficient information to determine the date of each with tradition. The stamp collection at St Mark’s includes stamps from 1866 up to the present seen as well-educated and widely-cultured in our as a surprise discovery. one. Small flasks carried away as souvenirs by pilgrims to the The artists Youssef Nassif (1920 – 2013) and Bedour Latif (1921 – 2012) were day and marking important events in Egypt’s history. The collection includes community have taken to that practice, no surprise There is a story behind the St Mark’s Coptic Museum in Canada. shrine of St Menas (Mina) from the fifth to seventh centuries are a married couple who worked together on icons and signed them jointly. Their five of the stamps issued by the Egyptian government which have Christian then that others would willingly take what these post The idea came to life a few years ago at the hands of a group on display. It is interesting to note that such flasks have been found creations are typically Coptic and reveal obvious characteristics of Egyptian themes: the 1,400th anniversary of St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai (1966); the or share as unquestionable fact. of visionary Diaspora Copts headed by Father Marcos the first in archaeological digs around the Mediterranean, indicating that folk art. The museum displays several of the icons they created such as The Matariya Tree (1967); The return of St Mark’s relics and the establishment of the Among the most recent posts that went viral on social Coptic priest commissioned to shepherd North America’s Coptic the cult of St Menas was widespread and that many pilgrims came Burial of Christ (1988) and St Thudros (St Theodore) (1987). Cathedral at Abbasiya (1968); the bicentennial commemoration of the Advent media was one that concerned the visit of US Secretary Orthodox congregation in 1964. Fr Marcos wished to establish a from all over the old world to visit his shrine in Mariut, west of Seham Guirguis was a disciple of Fanous, who moved to Canada in 2001. Her of the Holy Family into Egypt (2000); and the 2013 commemorative stamps of of State John Kerry to Cairo on 20 April. Mr Kerry Coptic museum that would depict the “colourful ‘tile’ of Coptic Alexandria. works at St Mark’s Museum include icons of saints not widely represented in H.H. Pope Shenouda III. was on his way to Riyadh to join President Obama art and culture in Canada’s multicultural mosaic”. For 25 years, Modern works include pottery and figurines from Garagos, a Coptic iconography such as St Helena, and St Joseph and the Christ Child. The collection includes the first stamp by a Coptic artist, Fadi Mikhail, issued the following day in an American Saudi Gulf summit he spearheaded work to collect Coptic artefacts from the four village in Upper Egypt renowned since ancient Egypt for its pottery Another renowned Coptic artist shown at the museum is Victor Fakhoury by the UK Royal Mail for their 2013 Christmas stamps and depicting an icon to discuss US Saudi relations and the hot issues in the corners of the world, and the museum project was launched on 27 creations and which continues in production until this day. On (born 1960), who mixes the traditional elements of Coptic iconography of the Theotokos. The highlight of the collection is the collectors’ stamp album region. The spokesman of the Egyptian presidency November 1996 by Pope Shenouda III and opened to the public on display is also a round plate made in 1968 by the peasant spontaneous with touches from ancient Egypt such as lotus flowers and papyrus boats to of the Treasures of Tutankhamun (38 gold foil engraved stamps) issued by the described the Cairo meeting as cordial, and said that 9 July 2000. Pope Tawadros II visited the museum on 4 September artists of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Harraniya, Giza, emphasise “the roots of Egyptian Christianity”. Fakhoury created six icons that British Museum in 1979. President Sisi had confirmed the strategic relations 2014 and, according to the museum’s volunteer curator Helene to commemorate the manifestation of the Holy Virgin on the domes depict the events of post-Arab Spring Egypt, a first in the history of Coptic between the two countries. He also said that Mr Kerry Moussa, “he wrote a lovely message in our guest book.” of her church in Zeitoun, Cairo; and sculptures by Isaac Guirguis, Explore St. Mark’s Coptic iconography. Among the collection of St Mark’s is his Martyrs of Maspero, Weaving for children had stressed the commitment of the US to support Egypt A recent publication by the museum, Barsoum including a fish sculpture and a clay vase. Museum, Ontario – Canada 2011, which represents the 28 peaceful Coptic protestors who lost their lives in The book takes a good look at Coptic tapestry. Textile art flourished in the in her battle against terrorism and in her security and , cites the aim of the museum as to The book shows part of the museum’s coin collection, helping October 2011. His latest icon, the Martyrs of Libya, 2015, depicts the 20 Coptic Coptic era. ‘Coptic textiles’ usually refer to fabrics from the Roman, Byzantine economic challenges, Egypt being a country that carried depict “the continuity of Coptic artistic expression throughout the visitors to trace much of the history of Egypt and the various and one Ghanaian Christians beheaded by Daesh Libya in February 2015, and is and early Islamic eras. They were made either at home or in workshops using a pivotal role in bringing peace and stability to the centuries and to the present day ... and to highlight the contributions dynasties and rulers that reigned over it and their ideologies and the museum’s most recent acquisition.