Egyptian MP underlines importance of cultural centers

MP Abubakar Gharib, a member of the Egyptian parliament, threatened the Minister of Culture Hilmi al-Namnem, to submit an interrogation against him under the parliament because of the latter's shortcoming in his duties.

The Egyptian parliamentarian accused the minister of ignoring the cultural arena during the current critical period, saying that he does not perform any role to save the country’s cultural life. He stressed that Egypt’s cultural organization should bear the responsibility of increasing public awareness during the current period to confront the extremist ideas.

He stressed that the ministry did not perform any role to confront the extremism or to face the extremist groups that use social media networks to promote their ideas, saying that the Ministry of Culture should launch campaigns to promote the moderate ideas and to increase public awareness over the danger of extremist ideas.

He stressed the need for activating the role of cultural centers and cultural palaces in Egypt’s different governorates, saying that it is the only way to allow the ministry performs a role to combat extremism and to eradicate the strange phenomenon witnessed in the Egyptian street during the recent period.

He blamed Egypt’s Minister of Culture for ignoring the cultural centers in different governorates, saying that they lack serious cultural activities during the current period. He underlined the importance of the role that such centers could perform during the current period, saying that they can increase the awareness of Egypt’s youth of the dangerous of extremism and ideas promoted by extremist groups.

He added that the cultural palaces in Egypt must be a platform for young people and a fertile place for art and high-class creativity, away from the obscurity and falling songs that filled the Egyptian streets with noise.