After the Nobel Prize 1989-1994: The Non-fiction Writing of Naguib Mahfouz, Volume IV

Naguib Mahfouz, the Arab world's only Nobel literature laureate, is best known internationally for his short stories and novels, including The Cairo Trilogy . But in Egypt he was equally familiar to newspaper readers for the column he wrote for many years in the leading daily Al-Ahram , in which he reflected on issues of the day from domestic and international events, politics, and economics to historic anniversaries, inspirational personalities, and questions of cultural freedom. This volume brings together the 285 articles he wrote between January 1989 and the near-fatal knife attack in October 1994. In carefully crafted short texts, his social conscience is revealed as he highlights political shortcomings, economic injustice, and corruption in Egypt and the wider Arab world. His philosophical sensitivity comes to the fore as he contemplates the meaning of a historic events, contributions of an influential people, and what is required to lead a good life. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the Oslo peace accords, the spread of terrorism, the Cairo earthquake, the passing of Louis Awad, Yusuf Idris, Yahya Hakki, the third term of Hosni Mubarak, climate change, and more come under Naguib Mahfouz's fine scrutiny. For any fan of Mahfouz's fiction, this collection opens a window on a different side of his intellect, and it offers insights from one of the region's greatest modern minds. Cover Page 2 Halftitle 2 Title 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 7 Introduction 16 Translator’s Note 26 Towards a Society Not Based on Violence 30 A Long-Term Treasure 32 Work is a Sacred Trust 34 This Democracy 36 Towards a better World 38 Reason in Everyday Life 40 A Squall from the World of Darkness 42 Towards Integration and Civilisation 44 Cultural unity 46 On Production 48 Fame 50 War and Peace 51 A Call to Self-Defence 53 A Revolution in Education 55 The Sporting Spirit 56 Between Defence and Reform 58 Facing up to Problems 60 Science and the Cave 61 The Anxieties of Youth 63 Preaching in the Modern Age 65 Builders and Destroyers 67 The Meaning of Stability 69 A house of Wisdom 71 A Quiet Word between Brothers 73 Towards a Better Scientific Life 75 Work is Life 77 The Aims and the Reality of the July Revolution 79 To Have a Civilised Life 81 The Prize for innovation 83 No Escape from the Inescapable 85 Saad Zaghloul and the Return of the Spirit 87 For Democracy, Ever and Always 89 The Workers 91 Crime in the Media 93 Illegitimate Legitimacy 94 Art and history 96 The Sixth of october 98 On the Intellectual Path 100 Art and freedom 102 Your health 104 The People’s assembly 106 Nobel 1989 108 Leave hopelessness behind and get on with it 110 Storm in the arab Teacup 112 A Complaint to the Discerning 114 The Scheduling of Problems 116 Towards a global World 118 Gifts to Celebrate 120 Our Hopes for the New Year 122 Terrorism and Cleansing the Country of Corruption 124 Examples of the Age 126 The government’s Path 128 A Disease Called Dictatorship 130 An Essential Plan 132 Diagnosis and Treatment 134 A Call to Those Who Care about the Political Centre 136 A National Project 138 Description de l’Égypte 140 National unity 142 On Culture 144 In Defence of Serious Culture 146 The Arab World Facing the Times 148 The Lifeline 150 A Call to Self-interest 152 Sectarianism, Real and Transient 154 Looking again 156 The Summit of hopes 158 A Call to hope 160 Our True Wealth 162 A New Era 164 A Call to the Crooked 166 Driving Out the Spectres 168 Elections 170 Developing the Achievements of the 1952 Revolution 171 The Electoral System 173 A Return to Loyalty 175 Electoral Memories 177 Inspired by Reality 179 The Crime and the Mission 181 Arab hopes 183 The arab Road 185 The Passing of the Professor 187 The War of human Shields 189 War 190 War and Peace 191 Hard Lessons 193 Who is the Culprit? 195 The Security forces 197 The Line between Peace and War 199 A Desirable Step to Peace 201 The Struggle of Good and Evil 203 Comparing the Two Solutions 205 A Call to the Greater Cause 207 A Journey into the Future 209 Dreaming for an Hour 211 Contemplating a Vision 213 From the Negative to the Positive 215 On the Latest Elections 217 The independents 219 A President for All Seasons 221 The Birth of a New World 223 Egypt’s Battle 225 A Day Unlike Others 227 The Intellectuals 229 Late-Night Confessions 231 Interests and Ideals 233 Know Thyself 235 The Hero of the Stalls 237 The Gate of Hope 239 The Wailing Wall of the Arabs 241 The Tragedy, Real and Imagined 243 The Tragedy 245 The Battle for Peace 247 Returning Home 249 Tomorrow Is a New Day 251 The Highest Aim 253 Pessimism and Optimism 255 Leadership Suicide 257 Examining Memories 259 The Bush Initiative 261 The Parties 263 Towards a New Vision 265 In Defence of Liberty and Dignity 267 A Picture of the Arabs 269 The Reality and the Dream 271 Coming of Age 273 The Late Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahab 275 Changing Positions 277 Excitement and Worth 279 Reading for All 281 Clarity 283 Egypt the Safeguarded 285 ‘When One Is Tested...’ 287 The July Revolution and 1991 289 An End to the Nightmare 291 Towards a Modern Education 293 Farewell Yusuf Idris 295 Between Love and Hate 297 23 August 299 Gorbachev 301 A Return to Cultural Invasion 303 The Sacred Trust of Democracy 305 The Model of the Age 307 The Russian People 309 Progress, Power, and Liberty 311 In Search of Lost Time 313 Honouring Those Worthy of Being Honoured 315 A Period of Transition 317 The Greater Nation 319 The Inescapable Battle 321 What the Years Promise Us 323 Life without Duress 325 The Guide in the Darkness 327 The Other Side of the Picture 329 The Devotees of Zionism 331 The Right Way of Life 333 Balance 335 Algeria’s Experience 337 The Importance of Peace 339 The Lifeboat 341 The Right and the Left 343 The Road of Justice 345 How to Preserve Our Identity 347 Thieves and Thieves 349 Talking about Disasters 351 A Sacred Struggle 353 Smog in the Cultural Air 355 Religious and Secular Debates 357 Towards a Better System 359 Violence 361 We Share Your Sorrows 363 Western Civilisation 365 The Arab Road 367 Protection 369 Playing with Fire 371 A New Birth in the Embrace of Democracy 373 The hoped-for Change 375 A Valuable Youth Experiment 376 The Coming Citizen 378 Economic Reform 380 To the Scholars 382 A Difficult Birth 384 A Dream 386 Below the Poverty Line 388 A Salute to Those Who Bring Happiness 390 On the Freedom of Thought 392 Tomorrow Is Another Day 394 The Dream Needs Work 396 The July Revolution and the Golden Age 398 Survival or Extinction? 400 Opening the Blocked Road 402 A Just freedom 404 The Wafd School 406 Days of Steadfast National Unity 408 The National university 410 Sporting Success: The Reality and the Dream 412 The Past and the Present in a Changing World 414 Cultural Concerns 416 Daydreams Mood and Violence 418 Mood and Violence 420 A blessed Movement 422 Cultural Independence 424 Between War and Civilisation 426 The Struggle 428 The Whole Story 430 The Other Side of the Coin 432 A Threat Response Centre 434 Tourism, Religion and Politics 436 Yahya Hakki 438 How Are We to Confront Terrorism? 440 The Path of Life 442 A New Year 444 War and International Legitimacy 446 Egypt and Sudan 448 Strength in the Service of Principles 450 We Want a Pure Awakening 452 The Arabs in the World of Tomorrow 454 A Return to the New World 456 The Role of the Intellectuals 458 Suggesting a New Loyalty 460 A Thorough Review 462 A New Vision 464 The Price of Peace 466 A Certificate of Good Behaviour 468 The Audience and the Play 470 Role Models 472 Crime in the age of innocence 473 Let Us Make the New World 475 When Will We Truly End Terrorism? 477 What Is Proper and What Is Not 479 When We Resolve to Build the future 480 The Map of Those Who Strive 482 Kindly Requested 484 Towards a New Life 486 The Universality of Arabic Literature 488 The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow 490 The New Reality 492 Freedom and Justice 493 Respect 494 The Principal Enemy 496 Priorities 497 The flood once More 499 From Self-Sacrifice to Reason 500 on Culture 502 Catastrophes on the Scales 504 A Hymn to the New Year 506 The Letters and the Ministers 508 Sorrow and anger 509 Thought, Creativity and Freedom 511 The World at Your Fingertips 513 Identity 514 Comprehensive Peace 516 The Required Mission 517 A Dialogue with Violence 519 A Dialogue with Corruption 521 The Voice of Progress 522 Do Not Lose hope 523 The Chart of Culture 525 The Reader and the Writer 527 A Conspiracy against Islam 528 In the Press 530 A Difficult Birth! 532 Morals 534 Essential Qualities 536 The Near future 538 Secrets of Life 540 Love of the homeland 542 The Noble Thief 544 The Future of the Nation 546 An old Comic Song 547 Terrorism and its Kin 549 The Demands of the Young Generation 551 The Work Ethic 553 The Message and the Preachers 555 The Working Spirit 557 Fear of Freedom 558 Between Freedom of Thought and Freedom of Expression 560 Tomorrow Is Another Day 562 The Sovereignty of the Law 563 The People’s Dream 564 The Patriotic Value 565 Universal Defence 567 Good Morning to the World 568 From Enlightenment to Comprehensive Reform 570 Pathological Tensions 572

Naguib Mahfouz, the Arab world's only Nobel literature laureate, is best known internationally for his short stories and novels, including The Cairo Trilogy. But in Egypt he was equally familiar to newspaper readers for the column he wrote for many years in the leading daily Al-Ahram, in which he reflected on issues of the day from domestic and international events, politics, and economics to historic anniversaries, inspirational personalities, and questions of cultural freedom. This volume brings together the 285 articles he wrote between January 1989 and the near-fatal knife attack in October 1994.In carefully crafted short texts, his social conscience is revealed as he highlights political shortcomings, economic injustice, and corruption in Egypt and the wider Arab world. His philosophical sensitivity comes to the fore as he contemplates the meaning of a historic events, contributions of an influential people, and what is required to lead a good life. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the Oslo peace accords, the spread of terrorism, the Cairo earthquake, the passing of Louis Awad, Yusuf Idris, Yahya Hakki, the third term of Hosni Mubarak, climate change, and more come under Naguib Mahfouz's fine scrutiny. For any fan of Mahfouz's fiction, this collection opens a window on a different side of his intellect, and it offers insights from one of the region's greatest modern minds.

Naguib Mahfouz, the Arab world's only Nobel literature laureate, isbest known internationally for his short stories and novels,including The Cairo Trilogy. But in Egypt he was equallyfamiliar to newspaper readers for the column he wrote for manyyears in the leading daily Al-Ahram, in which he reflectedon issues of the day from domestic and international events,politics, and economics to historic anniversaries, inspirationalpersonalities, and questions of cultural freedom. This volumebrings together the 285 articles he wrote between January 1989 andthe near-fatal knife attack in October 1994. In carefully craftedshort texts, his social conscience is revealed as he highlightspolitical shortcomings, economic injustice, and corruption in Egyptand the wider Arab world. His philosophical sensitivity comes tothe fore as he contemplates the meaning of a historic events,contributions of an influential people, and what is required tolead a good life. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the Oslo peaceaccords, the spread of terrorism, the Cairo earthquake, the passingof Louis Awad, Yusuf Idris, Yahya Hakki, the third term of HosniMubarak, climate change, and more come under Naguib Mahfouz's finescrutiny. For any fan of Mahfouz's fiction, this collection opens awindow on a different side of his intellect, and it offers insightsfrom one of the region's greatest modern minds "Naguib Mahfouz was familiar to newspaper readers across Egypt for his column in the leading daily Al-Ahram, in which he reflected on issues of the day, from domestic and international events, politics and economics to culture. This volume brings together his articles written between January 1989 and the knife attack in October 1994 that almost ended his life. In carefully crafted short texts his social conscience is revealed as he highlights political shortcomings, economic injustice, and corruption in Egypt and the wider Arab world. His philosophical sensitivity comes to the fore as he contemplates the meaning of a historic event, the contribution of an influential person, or what is required to lead a good life. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the New World Order, the Oslo Peace Accords, the spread of terrorism, the Cairo earthquake and even climate change - these and more come under Naguib Mahfouz's fine scrutiny." -- Publisher's description Naguib Mahfouz is one of the most important writers in contemporary Arabic literature. Winner of the Nobel Prize in 1988 (the only Arab writer to win the prize thus far), his novels helped bring Arabic literature onto the international stage. Far fewer people know his nonfiction works, however - a gap that this book fills. Bringing together Mahfouz's early nonfiction writings (most penned during the 1930s) which have not previously been available in English, this volume offers a rare glimpse into the early development of the renowned author