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Censorship Clouds Ancient Library's Rebirth

Dale Gavlak reports from Alexandria, Egypt
***A modern verson of the grand library of Alexandria, which was destroyed 1,600 years ago, is nearing completion in Egypt. Gemini News Service examines its progress and discovers a repressive atmosphere that would have cramped the style of the ancient scholars.***
***In January, censors banned 14 newspapers and newsletters, including one published by the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights. The head of the organisations, Hafez Abou Saeda, says the clampdown may be linked to the group's report on Al-Kosheh, a vilalge in Upper Eypt in which 23 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians during the Christian New Year.***
A protect to recreate the fabled grand library of ancient Egypt is nearing Iruition — just when growing censrship in the contry has led to book banning.
Thousands of people are working round (he clock, putting the finishing touches to a spectacular new cylindrical structure on the city ol Alexandria's Mediterranean shores.
t.inrarianss and archlevists. meanwhile, are busily collecting materials ready lor the opening ol the Bibliotheca Alexandrian, expected later this year.
Hanging over the $200 million research library is the recent atmopshere ol intolerance in Egypt, linked partly to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the slate's struggle to contain it. Financial constrains! also pose problems.
But project manager Dr Mohsen Zahran disniiss.es doubts, saving: Is it fair to Jaudge a baby at its birth whether or not is a genius?"
He argues that international assistance can help the library recapture its illustrious psi as one of the greatest-ever centres of learning.
The original library was established 2.290 years ago by Prolemy I. ol the Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt after the Pharaoh*. It is said to have housed the largest collection ol knoweldge of I lie time, together with a museum and the first university in the world. Revered scholars, such as Euclid and ARchimedes. were drawn to it.
Many of its 500.000 manuscripts were burnt in a great fire in 47 BC. The remaintier was destroyed during civil strile four centuries later under Roman rule. The American as Ironomer Carl Sagan once said that the library's loss set civilisation back 1.500 years.
Ils modern namesake seeks to be i serious research facility, but is startign from relatively modest beginnings. So far. the Bibliotheca Alexandarian ahs gathered about 400.000 conventional and electronic titles, with a capacity to house eight million Most scholars agree that an effective research library needs al least one million lilies.
The materials focus on (he Mediterranean region and include the history, culture and civilisation of the Arab and Islamic worlds, as well as those ol ancient Egypt. Greece and Italy.
Dr Zahran sees the Bibillo theca Alexandrina as a lighthouse ol knowledge to los-(ci social and economic devel opincni and peaceful co-operation In the region".
However. Dr Mustafa el Ab
badi. a classics professor al Alexandrina University who helped inspire the project, says the costs may prove prohibitive: "The acquisition of books will cost a great deal and will require highly qualified librarians in technical fields and in managing such a complex li-
Abbadi recalls being teased more (han a decade ago by the former head of the Uiiited States Library of Congress. Dr Daniel Boorstein. who com mcnled: "So you want to build a great library? America can't even build another Library ol Congress because of the costs.'
Today, (he Congress library’s Middle East acquisitions department hopes to cooperate with the Biblioth^a Alexandrina by exchanging
Greece has provided materi-
als and support, including busts of all the renowned scholars associated with the original li-
Madrid has provided works by Arab scholars from the era vdien Spain was under Moorish rule. Turkey has presented 10.000 volumes on Ilie Ottoman Empire, and Oman 6.500 books. Fiance ami Canada have iraiend librarians and Italy has offered instruction in conservation methods.
A descendant ol the renowned Roman general. Mark antony — who gave his lover. Egypt's Queen Cleopatra, a gift of 200.000 volumes tor the ancient library — has donated private collection ol 17th and 18th century manuscripts.
To reach its lull potential, however, the library nerds more money as well as assurances that the authorities will
not interfere in its acquisitions policy. Although it is an independent facility, and has received support Irom UNESCO (the United Nations Educational. Scientific and Cultural Organisation), it is government-owned.
For the moment, both Zahran and Abbadi stress that no restrictions are imposed. Abbadi points out that research materials do not come udner the state censor's watchful eye.
Such has not been the late of the private, liberal arts American University in Cairo and its library. Egypt's largest English-language research facility.
Censors recently asked to see 800 titles out ol a shipment of 8.000 books destined for the university. Eighty were banned. A handful were core to the university's curriculum, including Islamic Political Thought by Montgomery Watt and Muslim Extremism in Egypt by Gilles Kepel. Other works, including Maxim Rod in son s Mohammed and Al-Khubz Al-Hafi (For Bread Alone) by Mohamed Shukri. were banned because of material consdiered blasphemous to Islam and sexual refer-
However. several of the bans were lilted an appeal by the university president John Gerhart.
"From the university s point of view, banning Ixioks is counterproductive and unnecessary. he said. But from the legal point of view, there is no question that the government has the right to do this, and I here s no question that we have to comply with it."
In January, censors banned 14 newspapers anti newsletters, including one published by the Egyptian Organisation tor Human Rights. The head of the organisations. Hafez Abou Saeda. says the clampdown may be linked to group s report on Al-Kosheh. a vilalge in Upper Eypt in which 23 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians during the Christian New Year.
Besides state censorship. Sunni Islam's pre-eminent centre. Al Azhar, in Cairo has prohibited 200 books in recent years, and removed publications from various bookshops around the country.
The scholars and free thinkers who gathered at the ancient library ol Alexandria would find themselves cramped m such an atmosphere.
— Gemini News
The author is a print and radio Journalist who specialsies In social and political Issues. She has lived in the Middle East for more than a decade, mainly In
Egypt and Jordan