(Sharjah) – Arab intellectuals should play an important role in raising awareness and spreading knowledge and culture and not be silent during the critical times that Arab world is going through, H.H. Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah said while opening the 34th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).
Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah were present.
The Ruler of Sharjah noted that Sharjah has been playing a role in supporting Arab culture and intellectuals through the difficult times that the Arab world is going through by organising events such as the recently held 3rd Arab Publishers’ Conference.
He praised the efforts of his daughter Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the Emirates Publishers Association and her role in supporting and developing Arab publishers to allow their publications to gain global reach and in doing so encouraging them to become part of the International Publishers’ Association.
Speaking about the importance of books in raising awareness and the importance of facilitating access to books, he said that the Sharjah Book City was established as a free zone in which all books are brought in and are not released before all mistakes are rectified. He added that the Sharjah Book Fair allows all books to be sold except those that attack people or religious values.
During his speech, he invited Arab intellectuals to hold a conference titled “The Arab Democratic Cultural Conference” which would combine all schools of thought in the Arab world and which would result in an agreement that would be signed by all attendees.
Sheikh Sultan gave a generous donation of AED2.5 million to purchase books from the publishing houses participating in the 34th Sharjah International Book Fair as a contribution towards the support of book publishing and investment in human intellectual development.
The SIBF 2015 is being held from November 4-14 with the participation of 1,546 publishing houses from 64 countries from all over the world.
(Courtesy WAM)
