In embodiment of the vision of the Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, in enhancing the presence of the Arabic language at the global level, the Emirate of Sharjah opened before the Italian community and institutions a new opportunity to learn about the depth of Arab culture and the aesthetics of its language, as the Sharjah Book Authority sponsored the activities of the “International Language Festival.” and Arab Culture », organized by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in the Italian city of Milan, in appreciation of the status of Arabic among the languages of the world and the influence of its creators and thinkers on the European civilizational renaissance.
The activities of the sixth session of the festival, which will be held this year under the slogan “Bridges of Babylon”, and discuss how translation contributed to building civilizations, kicked off with an official opening ceremony, during which the Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, Ahmed bin Rakad Al-Amiri, spoke in the presence of the Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting and Television Authority, Muhammad Hassan Khalaf, and the Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, Dr. Ahmed Safi Al-Mostaghanemi, President of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Franco Anelli, Director of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Mario Gatti, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Foreign Languages at the university, Giovanni Jober, and Professor of Language, Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies at the University, Dr. Wael Farouk.
Al-Amiri said in his speech during the opening ceremony of the festival: “I have the honor to convey to you the greetings of Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr. The rapprochement between civilizations and nations.
He added: «We are proud that we are the children of the Arabic language, as it is the language that provided humanity with great sciences and immortal literature, and its intellectual and cognitive output was a pivotal station in the history of the development of civilizations during more than a thousand years ago, as it provided the world with the foundations of algebra, geometry, astronomy, and navigation sciences, And architecture, and its library constituted the first reference for all the innovations that we enjoy today, starting from the plane, to the camera and the phone, to the Internet.
Al-Amiri appreciated the festival’s choice of translation this year as the focus of its activities, and said: “Sharjah, with the visions of Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, believes in translation as a central engine to show the human commonalities that bring together the peoples and civilizations of the world. That is why the Sharjah Book Authority launched the Sharjah International Book Fair Fund grant for translation and rights, And launched the largest award in the world dedicated to translation, which is the (Turjuman) award, and many Arabic and Emirati books have been translated into various languages of the world.
In turn, the Director of the Catholic Sacred Heart University, Mario Gatti, said: “We thank the Emirate of Sharjah, represented by the Sharjah Book Authority, for its great efforts in sponsoring the festival, and its keenness on its success. We did not find more support in this regard than what we found from Sharjah and its ruler, Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi, and we look forward to this year's session revealing the depth of the impact of translation from the Arabic language on the civilizational renaissance that the world witnessed, and revealing the impact and importance of the Arabic language on human knowledge in general.
For his part, Dr. Wael Farouk, Professor of Language, Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies at the University, confirmed that Sharjah has succeeded in its great efforts that reached various countries of the world in presenting the aesthetics and richness of Arab culture and its language, and for this reason it was the first destination for the Catholic University, to present a project and festival that highlights the status of language and domination. Light on Arab culture and the size of its contribution to literature, science and art in the world.
During the opening session of the festival, Giovanni Jober, Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages at the university, spoke about the importance of translation and its role in achieving rapprochement between the peoples and cultures of the world, as he indicated that communication with the other begins with understanding him, and this is achieved by reading his knowledge, literary and artistic productions, and said He said: “The task of translation is not only evident in this context, but also in the framework of understanding the difference between us and other cultures. Translation calls us to reject universalism.” He addressed a message to translators: “Do not alienate the texts. We must look for translations that unite us, not translations that swallow us up.”
In the festival, which is the largest celebration of the Arabic language on the European continent, the authority presented a vivid picture of the reality of translation from and to the Arabic language, and the major central events in the Arab knowledge industry, as it presented the importance of creative production in the Arabic language, and opportunities to open a broader horizon for the people of European culture. To get acquainted with the essence of Arab culture, where a selection of works of Emirati and Arab writers and writers were previously translated into Italian, including poetry, novels, theatre, history and criticism, at the initiative of the Commission.
The festival is co-organised by the Arabic Language Research Institute (CARA), the University Language Services Center (SeLdA), affiliated to the Catholic University of Milan, and the Sharjah Book Authority. Over the course of 3 days, several sessions are organized around several sessions and discussions about the importance of translation and its impact on the reality of peoples. In various fields, the festival also witnessed the organization of a number of cultural performances and activities, in addition to an exhibition dedicated to the Arabic book.
Saleh Shabrag (Jeddah) @shabrag1
