Sfax (INA) – The Palestinian Minister of Culture, Dr. Ihab Bseiso, and his Tunisian counterpart, Saniya Mubarak, signed today, Sunday (24 July 2016), a twinning agreement between Jerusalem, the permanent capital of Arab culture, and Sfax, the capital of Arab culture 2016. The signing took place in the municipality of Sfax, in the presence of the Wali of Sfax. And its mayor, and the coordinator of the general demonstration of Sfax, the capital of Arab culture, the day after the launch of the activities of the demonstration of Sfax, the capital of Arab culture 2016, with the participation of a number of Arab culture ministers. Minister Bseiso said at the signing ceremony: I am pleased to be among you today, first to participate in the celebration of Sfax as the capital of Arab culture, and also to sign this important and distinguished agreement for the twinning of Sfax with Jerusalem as a permanent capital with Arab culture. We came from Palestine, from the pinnacle of life and the pinnacle of hope, and from the utmost tiredness and hope because of the occupation, loaded with all our hopes and aspirations to open up to our Arab space and build cultural bridges with our Arab brothers in various cultural events. Bseiso added: We came to Tunisia with all the love for this brotherly country, which never hesitated to support our national rights, and to support Palestine as a national and humanitarian cause central to the Arab world. And the Minister of Culture continued: Here we are from Sfax, the historical city that resisted the sea of invaders, and did not resist the sea of goodness and civilization, so it withstood and resisted, and it was an inspiring experience throughout history from which we drew a lot and a lot .. Yesterday, when we were in front of the walls of Sfax, we witnessed the light scene that reviews the history of this city The ancients, we who came from Palestine said to ourselves that a day would come and there would be a light show on the walls of Jerusalem. This is not just a wish or a construction dream, as much as it needs a lot and a lot of work, we believe that it will come true, and we will witness this light show on the walls of Jerusalem, and review the history of Jerusalem, and just as Sfax resisted the sea of invaders, Jerusalem will resist the invaders and will regain its cultural, civilizational, economic and social status. Bseiso said that the signing of this agreement for twinning between Sfax, the capital of Arab culture, and Jerusalem, the permanent capital of Arab culture, represents the culmination of the challenge to the policies of the occupation, which tried to obliterate the cultural and national identity in Jerusalem and Palestine, pointing out that the suffering experienced by the Palestinian people, especially in Jerusalem, is a motive. Also to work, considering the agreement as a gift from Tunisia and its people and intellectuals to the Palestinian people and intellectuals in Jerusalem and all of Palestine. For her part, Tunisian Minister of Culture Sonia Mubarak said: The twinning agreement between the city of Jerusalem, the Arab cultural city at all times, and the city of Sfax, is the greatest evidence of our insistence on our belonging to this Arab world, and our conviction in the mother of issues, the Palestinian issue, which we consider the responsibility of all the countries of the Arab world. She added: Tunisia, with its special relations with the Palestinian people and their cause, will continue to work to deepen this strong relationship at all levels, and the twinning agreement between Jerusalem and Sfax will be a new starting point in building a cultural project, to continue even after the end of the Sfax demonstration as the capital of Arab culture 2016, through work To establish a Tunisian cultural center in Ramallah, and in Jerusalem, God willing, which is our dream, as well as a cultural center that radiates Palestinian culture, and the specificity of Palestinian cultural and artistic work in Tunisia. Minister Mubarak hoped that this agreement would be a reference, and actually translated on the ground, to get rid of marginalization at the international level that harms the important and vital cultural movement in Palestine, on all cultural and artistic aspects. (finished) oo
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