Take Them out of the Ball Game: Egypt's Cultural Players in Crisis

This article discusses contradictions inherent in Egypt's use of poets & other writers to seduce & control Islamists. Rapid changes adhering to political enthusiasm for, then rapid withdrawal of support from, cultural projects are described & exemplified by the sudden dismissal of figures like Literary Voices editors Muhammad al-Bisati & Girgis Shukri & General Organization for Cultural Palaces (GOCP) head Ali Abu Shadi. The dominance of fundamentalist Egyptian forces is stated to be an ongoing enemy of that country's attempts at free speech. A passage from novelist Yasser Shaaban, whose GOCP-subsidized work, among those withdrawn from publication, is quoted. The roles of Farouk Hosni & Hosni Mubarak in the ongoing debate are recalled. It is asserted that recent conflicts are consistent with a relationship that has grown since Muhammad Ali's artistically regenerative nahda. Evidence demonstrates the elitist nature of the conflict. A quote from Daoud al-Shuryan's editorial on Egypt's regional cultural politics is included. 2 Photographs. M. C. Leary