Farouk Hosny
Encyclopedia
Farouk Hosny , (born 1938 in Alexandria
) is an Egyptian
abstract
painter
who was Minister of Culture
from 1987 to 2011.
's School of Fine Arts in 1964 and upon graduation directed the Al-Anfoushi Cultural Palace for several years. An abstract painter, Hosny held exhibitions worldwide and won the Japanese Soka Gakai International University cultural and peace prize.
Between 1971-1978, he was Egypt's cultural attaché in Paris and from 1979 to 1987 served in the same position in Rome, where he also was the director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts.
, the Modern Dance Troupe and School, the Cairo History Rehabilitation Project (which included a number of Jewish synagogues), the Nubian Museum
in Aswan and the Alexandria National Museum
(under construction are the Grand Egyptian Museum
and the National Museum of Civilisation in Fustat) and the Cultural Development Fund.
In 2005, Hosny tendered his resignation to President Hosni Mubarak
in the wake of the Beni Suef Cultural Palace fire, in which 48 spectators were killed and more injured. Mubarak rejected Hosny's resignation, in response to the pleas of some 400 high-profile intellectuals.
Hosny is no longer the Minister of Culture in light of the 2011 revolution in Egypt. In March 2011, the interim government of Egypt appointed Cairo University professor Emad Abu Ghazi to the post.
headdress, calling it "regressive." He added that it is "a step backward for Egyptian women," and that "women with their beautiful hair are like flowers and should not be covered up." For his remarks, Hosny came under intense criticism, particularly by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood
, and 130 members of Egyptian Parliament called for his resignation.
in the Cairo International Film Festival
.
as Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and began a campaign to have him elected to the position. No Arab had previously held the position. Hosni was regarded as certain to win the September 2009 election, but his May 2008 pledge to burn Israel books in Egyptian libraries sparked doubts about his suitability for the position and strengthened opposition to his candidacy. Three Jewish intellectuals and activists—Bernard-Henri Lévy
, Claude Lanzmann
, and Elie Wiesel
—led a campaign to oppose Hosny's election. In a May 2009 open letter
to the international community, the three figures decried that Hosny's victory "would be an obvious provocation so transparently contrary to the proclaimed ideals of the UN that UNESCO would not recover." They implored, "We must, without delay, appeal to everyone's conscience to keep UNESCO from falling into the hands of a man who, when he hears the word 'culture,' responds with a book burning." On censorship grounds, Reporters Without Borders
also opposed Hosny, stating, "This minister of Hosni Mubarak
has been one of the main actors of censorship in Egypt, unfailingly trying to control press freedom as well as citizens' freedom of information."
Despite the opposition, Hosny was still expected to win by a large margin, receiving pledges of support from the Arab League
, the Organization of African Unity and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Months prior to the UNESCO election, the Israeli government ceased opposition to Hosni's candidacy following a May 2009 meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Mubarak. In the West, Mubarak's allies were publicly neutral but behind the scenes worked to diminish Hosni's support.
On September 22, 2009, Hosny lost the UNESCO election in a stunning upset in the fifth and final round of voting to Bulgaria
's Irina Bokova
, who received 31 votes to Hosni's 27. In the fourth round of voting, the two candidates were tied at 29 votes each. Hosny blamed his defeat on "Zionist pressures" as well as a conspiracy by "a group of the world's Jews who had a major influence in the elections..." He also attacked the US Ambassador at UNESCO, David Killion, for derailing his election and stated, "The north always has to control the south."
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
) is an Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
who was Minister of Culture
Ministry of Culture (Egypt)
The Ministry of Culture of Egypt is a ministry responsible for maintaining and promoting the culture of Egypt. The current Minister is Dr. Emad Badr El-Din Mahmoud Abu Ghazy.-Critics:...
from 1987 to 2011.
Early life and career
Hosny was born and grew up in Alexandria. He graduated from Alexandria UniversityAlexandria University
Alexandria University is a university in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1938 as a satellite of Fuad University , becoming an independent entity in 1942. It was known as Farouk University until the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 when its name was changed to the University of Alexandria...
's School of Fine Arts in 1964 and upon graduation directed the Al-Anfoushi Cultural Palace for several years. An abstract painter, Hosny held exhibitions worldwide and won the Japanese Soka Gakai International University cultural and peace prize.
Between 1971-1978, he was Egypt's cultural attaché in Paris and from 1979 to 1987 served in the same position in Rome, where he also was the director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts.
Tenure as Minister of Culture in Egypt
In 1987, Hosny was appointed the Minister of Culture in Egypt from his position in Rome. During his tenure, he expanded state-run exhibition spaces and initiated various cultural programs, including the Horizon One Gallery, the Palace of Arts, Gezira Arts Center, Alexandria Center of ArtsAlexandria Center of Arts
The Alexandria Center of Arts is an arts center, community exhibitions space and cultural center in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, overseen by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The center was officially opened on 29 October 2001, by Farouk Hosni, Minister of Culture, and then-President Hosni...
, the Modern Dance Troupe and School, the Cairo History Rehabilitation Project (which included a number of Jewish synagogues), the Nubian Museum
Nubian Museum
The International Museum of Nubia / The Nubian Museum is located in Aswan on an area of 50,000 square meters, 7000 of which are excluded to building, while the rest designed to be the yard of the museum. The building has three floors for displaying and housing, in addition to a library and...
in Aswan and the Alexandria National Museum
Alexandria National Museum
The Alexandria National Museum in Egypt was inaugurated the 31st of December, 2003 by Hosni Mubarak and it's located in a restored Italian style palace in Tariq Al-Horreya Street , near the center of the city.. It contains about 1.800 artifacts that narrate the story of Alexandria and Egypt...
(under construction are the Grand Egyptian Museum
Grand Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum , also known as the Giza Museum, is a planned museum of artifacts of ancient Egypt. Described as the largest archaeological museum in the world, the USD 550 million museum is scheduled to open in 2013...
and the National Museum of Civilisation in Fustat) and the Cultural Development Fund.
In 2005, Hosny tendered his resignation to President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
in the wake of the Beni Suef Cultural Palace fire, in which 48 spectators were killed and more injured. Mubarak rejected Hosny's resignation, in response to the pleas of some 400 high-profile intellectuals.
Hosny is no longer the Minister of Culture in light of the 2011 revolution in Egypt. In March 2011, the interim government of Egypt appointed Cairo University professor Emad Abu Ghazi to the post.
Positions
- Cultural Animator in the General Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture (1964-1969)
- Director, Anfoushy Cultural Palace, Alexandria (1969-1971)
- Cultural Attaché and Director of the Egyptian Cultural Centre , Paris, France (1971-1978)
- Director of Cultural Administration and Director, Children's Cultural Centre, Cairo, and Technical Advisor to the Minister of Culture (1978-1979)
- Deputy Director, Egyptian Arts Academy, Rome (1979-1982)
- Director, Egyptian Art Academy and Cultural Counselor, Egyptian Embassy, Rome (1982-1987)
- Part-time Professor of Aesthetics at the University of Soka Gakkai, Japan 1993
- Part-time Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University since 1999
Other
- Chairman, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt
- Chairman, Supreme Council of Culture, Egypt
Honors
- Prize, Cagne-sur-mer Festival, France
- Honorary Ph.D., Soka Gakkai University, Japan, 1993
- Culture and Peace Award, Soka Gakkai University, Japan, 1993
- Grand Official Award, Government of Italy, 1999
- Mediterranean Arts Award of the Lazio region for 2005
- Mediterranean Sea Award of Arts for 2006
- Grand Audio-Visual Award, International Council of Films, Television and Audio-Visuals, UNESCO Paris, July 2007
- Mediterranean Forum Peace Award, Lecce, Italy, 2008
Hijab controversy
In a November 2006 newspaper interview, Hosny criticized the hijabHijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
headdress, calling it "regressive." He added that it is "a step backward for Egyptian women," and that "women with their beautiful hair are like flowers and should not be covered up." For his remarks, Hosny came under intense criticism, particularly by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, and 130 members of Egyptian Parliament called for his resignation.
Censorship
Hosny has also censored some media and films, including banning of a heavy metal music concert and arresting its fans and banning the inclusion of the Israeli film The Band's VisitThe Band's Visit
The Band's Visit is an acclaimed 2007 Israeli film directed by Eran Kolirin.The Band's Visit was Israel's original Foreign Language Film submission for the 80th Academy Awards, but was rejected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences because it contained over 50% English dialogue...
in the Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
.
UNESCO candidacy
On July 30, 2007, Egypt nominated Hosny to succeed Koichiro MatsuuraKoichiro Matsuura
is a Japanese diplomat. He is the former Director-General of UNESCO. He was first elected in 1999 to a six-year term and reelected on 12 October 2005 for four years, following a reform instituted by the 29th session of the General Conference...
as Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and began a campaign to have him elected to the position. No Arab had previously held the position. Hosni was regarded as certain to win the September 2009 election, but his May 2008 pledge to burn Israel books in Egyptian libraries sparked doubts about his suitability for the position and strengthened opposition to his candidacy. Three Jewish intellectuals and activists—Bernard-Henri Lévy
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Bernard-Henri Lévy is a French public intellectual, philosopher and journalist. Often referred to today, in France, simply as BHL, he was one of the leaders of the "Nouveaux Philosophes" movement in 1976.-Early life:...
, Claude Lanzmann
Claude Lanzmann
Claude Lanzmann is a French filmmaker and professor at European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.-Biography:Lanzmann attended the Lycée Blaise-Pascal in Clermont-Ferrand. He joined the French resistance at the age of 18 and fought in Auvergne...
, and Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
—led a campaign to oppose Hosny's election. In a May 2009 open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to the international community, the three figures decried that Hosny's victory "would be an obvious provocation so transparently contrary to the proclaimed ideals of the UN that UNESCO would not recover." They implored, "We must, without delay, appeal to everyone's conscience to keep UNESCO from falling into the hands of a man who, when he hears the word 'culture,' responds with a book burning." On censorship grounds, Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
also opposed Hosny, stating, "This minister of Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
has been one of the main actors of censorship in Egypt, unfailingly trying to control press freedom as well as citizens' freedom of information."
Despite the opposition, Hosny was still expected to win by a large margin, receiving pledges of support from the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
, the Organization of African Unity and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Months prior to the UNESCO election, the Israeli government ceased opposition to Hosni's candidacy following a May 2009 meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
and Mubarak. In the West, Mubarak's allies were publicly neutral but behind the scenes worked to diminish Hosni's support.
On September 22, 2009, Hosny lost the UNESCO election in a stunning upset in the fifth and final round of voting to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's Irina Bokova
Irina Bokova
Irina Georgieva Bokova is a Bulgarian politician, incumbent Directors-General of UNESCO. She was member of the Bulgarian Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party for two terms, minister and deputy minister of foreign affairs in the socialist cabinet of Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, and was...
, who received 31 votes to Hosni's 27. In the fourth round of voting, the two candidates were tied at 29 votes each. Hosny blamed his defeat on "Zionist pressures" as well as a conspiracy by "a group of the world's Jews who had a major influence in the elections..." He also attacked the US Ambassador at UNESCO, David Killion, for derailing his election and stated, "The north always has to control the south."