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Al Arabi Magazine: the Idea and the Reality
Al-Arabi magazine was and still is one of the most important Arab dreams for continuity between people who speak the same language. Its pages have contained expressions from their language, the seeds of their ideas, and features of their culture. Since the first issue of it was published in December 1958, it has helped to advance the national dream of which it has been the sincerest representation. In that year in the late 1950s Arab liberation movements were at their height. The union between Egypt and Syria was in its early days, the Algerian people were conducting their straggle against occupation, and Kuwait was searching for its personality and its affiliation. It seemed that the publication of a comprehensive Arabic magazine in Kuwait, which would cross all Arab borders and rise above all narrow political and intellectual disagreements, would represent a qualitative turning-point in Arab cultural conception. Kuwait at that time was still linked to Britain by a protectorate treaty, and had still not gained its independence. God sent it a group of leading thinkers during the reign of the Amir of Kuwait the late Shaikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, to present the Arab nation with a gift which was a new step in Arab cultural journalism for this type of magazine, after the demise of magazines of literary and scholastic weight like Al-Muqtataf, Al-Risala and Al-Thaqafa in Egypt.
The broad outlines for this magazine were drawn up, and its role was defined through the subjects specified in the Decree which established it. This was issued as an official document by the Press Department and published in the official gazette Al-Kuwait Al-Yawm, in its issue No. 168 of 30 March 1958 / 10 Ramadan 1377 AH: "The Press and Publications Department considers that it has a cultural duty which it must assume and fulfill to the rest of the Arab people as a national service devoid of any intention or goal that would corrupt the meanings of genuine national service. The mainstays of this cultural duty are concentrated on:
"The publication of a comprehensive cultural, social, literary, scientific magazine which includes in its pages, among other things, the gist of the ideas of thinkers, the essence of the experiments of top scientists, the masterpieces from the talents of creative poets, and above all these, it should be especially concerned with illustrated scholarly studies of each of the Arab countries, dealing with their inhabitants, crops and wealth, whether this be animal, vegetable, mineral or water wealth."
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A framework was drawn up for this magazine, derived from the most advanced experiments in journalism in the world, based on simplicity and arousing interest, which make knowledge available to the overwhelming majority of readers, and at the same time do not spoil the high standard that the most educated people love. It was also felt that pictures should have an important position in articles. Illustrated articles have had pride of place in every issue published of the magazine. In other words, this magazine will be concerned with everything related to culture and knowledge, particularly the following matters:
.1 - Literature, in its various art forms, like stories, poetry, traditional works, etc., and its various types, like ancient Arabic literature, contemporary world literature, and modern Arabic literature with its different trends and schools.
.2 - The Arts: research into the various arts in the Arab World and elsewhere: music, cinema, the theater, broadcasting, painting.
.3 - Social problems: a bold, scientific, objective way of dealing as much as possible with social problems in Arab society.
.4 - Illustrated articles on the various parts of the Arab World, dealing with its tribes, its grazing lands, forests, animals, agricultural, mineral and water wealth, its mountains, plains and valleys and other things which Arab readers need to know.
.5 - Science: (1) Articles on the most important things which interest scientists today, like the atom, rockets, artificial satellites, outer space and celestial bodies. (2) Scientific news on the most important inventions and discoveries in the various fields of science.
.6 - Literary Criticism: Criticism, comment and presentation of the most important books written each month.
.7 - Economics: At least one economic article.
.8 - Publication of Photographs or Paintings illustrating an aspect of Arab life.
The choice of a non-Kuwaiti Arab as the first Editor-in-Chief of the magazine was an indication of its aim. The Chief Editorship of this great magazine was awarded to Dr. Ahmad Zaki, a man of learning, literature, experience and expertise.
The choice of a personality with the weight of the scholar Ahmad Zaki was a new spirit in Arab journalism which cheered all parts of the Arab World, and brought Al-Arabi to every house, street and district in the Arab World. Dr. Ahmad Zaki had been Rector of Cairo University and a minister in the Egyptian government before the 1952 Revolution. He had gained his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in 1924 and a Doctorate of Science (DSc) in 1928. He had previously been Chairman of the Egyptian Cultural Union and a member of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo, the Scientific Academy in Damascus and the Scientific Academy in Baghdad. His independent personality was notable in his life. He never devoted himself to writing about politics or contacting political parties. This gave Al-Arabi an appearance of intellectual independence that brought people together rather than dividing them, in which general conceptions prevailed over trivial details, and the essence was presented rather than outward appearances.
When Kuwait established this great cultural project, which was the beginning of its cultural participation in the service of Arab culture, it presented it as a gesture of its duty towards the Arab nation.
Behind this great work was a group of leading thinkers led by the late Shaikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait at that time, Shaikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, then head of the Finance Department, Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, then Director of the Press and Publications Department, Mr. Badr Khalid Al-Badr and Mr. Ahmad Al-Saqqaf.
In 1957 contacts began to be made with Mr. Muhammad Bahjat Al-Athari the Senior Arabic Language Inspector in the Iraqi Ministry of Education, Mr. Faisal Al-Hassoun the owner of the Iraqi newspaper Al-Hurriya, Dr. Yusuf Izzuddin and his colleagues the professors in Baghdad University's Faculty of Letters, notably Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Douri and the well-known author Harith Taha Al-Rawi. All these praised the idea of the project and helped to ensure it was achieved. Two candidates were proposed for the Chief Editorship, the scholar Fuad Sarrouf from Lebanon and the scholar Ahmad Zaki from Egypt.
In Beirut contact was made with Messrs. Mahij Othman, Munir Baalbaki, Dr. Nicola Ziadeh, Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Najm, Dr. Jibrail Jabbour, Professor Fuad Sarrouf, Dr. Nabih Amin Faris, Dr. Amin Fraiheh and Dr. Suhail Idris to present the project and discuss it with them, and won their support and strong enthusiasm for it. From Beirut to Damascus where the project was explained to Shaikh Ali Al-Tantawi in the Higher Court of Cassation, Professor Shafiq Jabra the Dean of Damascus University's Faculty of Letters, Dr. Amjad Al-Tarabulsi, Professor Said Al-Afghani and many others. Professor Said Al-Afghani suggested seeking the co-operation of Dr. Salahuddin Al-Munjid, the Director of the Institute of Manuscripts at the League of Arab States, since he was a specialist in manuscripts. Everyone extolled the serious thinking in the project for an outstanding cultural magazine and promised to provide it with articles.
After that, the discussions and arrangements shifted to Cairo, where contacts were made with Dr. Ahmad Zaki, Dr. Al-Munjid and Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Najm. They also all praised the project. Life in Kuwait at that time (1957) was difficult for big city dwellers used to luxury. Dr. Ahmad Zaki knew Kuwait, as he had visited it to take part in the cultural season in March 1955. He asked for a week to decide on the offer which had been made to him to move to Kuwait to be Editor-in-Chief of the magazine.
Dr. Ahmad Zaki agreed to accept the offer, and immediately afterwards a contract was signed with the photographer Oscar Mitri and the technical director Selim Zabbal. They were then both working for Akhbar Al-Yawm whose Editor-in-Chief was Mustafa Amin. From Beirut Mr. Qadri Qalaaji was proposed for the post of Editorial Secretary of the magazine. HE was proposed by Mr/ Ahmad Naaman (Yemen), Abdullah Al-Qusaimi and Hamad Al-Jasir (Saudi researchers and scholars) and Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Zubairi (a Yemeni author and poet).
But Qalaaji was unable to participate due to personal circumstances. So a contract was signed with an alternative from Egypt, Mr. Mr. Abdulwarith Kabir. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Samra, who had been working in Kuwait as a teacher, also joined the team as Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Newspapers published an advertisement from the Press and Publications Department about a competition for the name of the magazine. The name Al-Arabi was chosen, and the first issue was published in December 1958.
God sent this beacon of culture the pick of cultural figures in the Arab World. After the scholar Dr. Ahmad Zaki who was Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arabi magazine from 1958 to 1975, Mr. Ahmad Bahauddin took over the Chief Editorship from 1976 to 1982. He was a veteran political writer who realized, after many failed experiments in Arab unity, that culture is our remaining unity, and that it alone qualifies us to be able to dream.
Today, after more than forty years in the life of Al-Arabi, we all dream that Al-Arabi will continue uninterruptedly with its readers throughout the world, with its printed paper copies or in its electronic form which is available to those of its readers who prefer to read it and deal with through the Internet, on which it now occupies a cultural site that is culturally more comprehensive and broader than its paper copies. Its dear reader will find plenty of space for dialogue, discussion and expressing an opinion about everything that is published in it each month. We hope that we will be able to achieve more of that dream that was behind its publication, that it should be an oasis where Arabic speakers can meet, to discuss, argue, disagree and agree about everything that may improve their cultural status and advance their civilization and the honor of their Arab nation.
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