It is not only national sentiments that prompt Egyptian intellectuals to support Farouk Hosny in running for the UNESCO Secretary General post, simply because the other candidate is a good Moroccan lady whose nomination, or even victory, does not hurt our national sentiments or evoke any negative feeling. Morocco is a sisterly state, like any other Arab country. Sisterly countries complement each other and do not detract from one another. Morocco in particular is a sisterly country to count on because it is big, has a rich history and diverse culture both deep-rooted and contemporary, along with a growing and maturing experience in economic growth and political reform.

What Egyptians say about their Arab brethren, is just what the other Arabs say about their Egyptian brothers. Egypt's position in the history of the region and of the world as well as in the culture of the region and of the world is well recognized and is a source of pride not only for the Egyptians but for all Arabs. We may say with adequate confidence that those who welcome and support Farouk Hosny as a candidate to head the UNESCO, primarily keep this symbolic consideration into account.

Farouk Hosny does not represent himself only – credited as he is with many traits and achievements - because he represents Egypt and the entire Arab people.

He dedicated his whole life to art and culture since he decided to study plastic art in Alexandria, and as manifest in what he did at the Culture Palaces, the Egyptian Cultural Center in Paris and the Egyptian Academy in Rome. With a life in art and culture spent, Farouk Hosny represents the Arab culture with its different milieus and ages.

Those who reduce Arab culture to religious studies and related linguistic sciences isolate it from its ancient and modern sources and confine it to a certain age. Thus they do not only exclude secular studies but also exclude much of the influences of the traditions of the nations that embraced Islam or interacted with Islam and Moslems in enriching the religious studies as well. This give-and-take process made Islam transcend mere provisions and rituals to fundamentals, branches and philosophies. How can we isolate Greek philosophy, Indian mysticism, Persian arts as well as the cultures of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Amazigh, Nigros and Chinese from the Arab Islamic cultures of the Middle Ages? How can we isolate the Western culture from it in the modern age?

This is to say that Farouk Hosny does not represent an isolated country or culture but epitomizes this creative dialogue of cultures. He represents legitimate human aspiration for a free, fair, advanced and diverse world standing together in solidarity and built by the entire human community. Accordingly, Farouk Hosny is not a rival to anyone, nor does anyone rival him. He is the representative of all and at the service of all.

I know that not everyone would share me similar views of Farouk Hosny. The fundamentalists in Egypt, for instance, charge him with normalization with Israel for no apparent reason except his broadmindedness which makes him champion freedom of thought and expression - as much possible - and abstain from adopting a fanatic rigid stand in one direction in particular. We have seen how some people are picking at Farouk Hosny and lying in wait for any opportunity to launch one campaign after the other against him. On one occasion, they opened fire at fiction works published by the Culture Palaces which are bound to be rated and understood differently. On another occasion it was a statement he said about the hejab (Islamic head cover). They got it out of context and emptied it of its cultural and social implications in an ill-intentioned aggressive manner to make of it a sensational issue and to blackmail public opinion. Another row, which is definitely not the last, was over a poem he did not write or publish and which includes nothing worth the hue and cry except if the reader has an Inquisition-like bent of mind.

To fundamentalists and advocates of inclusion, Farouk Hosny is constantly charged with breaking out of norms and normalization with Israel. To the Israeli radicals, he is accused of anti-Semitism on the grounds of a phrase he never meant in its literal sense.

If we were to take the views of these two apparently contradictory extremists of Farouk Hosny, we can conclude that he is not for normalization with Israel nor is he against Semitism. In fact he is against the extremism of both sides, a matter which makes him the common target for both. No surprise: Birds of a feather flock together! Hence, we, the Egyptian intellectuals are standing by the side of Farouk Hosny in his battle against extremism, which is ours too.

In the final analysis, we highly appreciate Farouk Hosny's contribution to Egyptian culture and Egyptian intellectuals for the 20 years he spent at the helm of the Ministry of Culture and is still contributing more. Suffice to consider his efforts to protect Egyptian monuments, set up libraries and culture palaces and sponsor conferences and gatherings.

However, if we are entitled to criticize some negative aspects and differ in our assessment of some results, we need to remember that culture is not the product of the efforts of one person or a single institution. It needs the efforts of all. Above anything else, it needs a congenial environment and winds that blow in the right direction. But as the Arabic common saying goes: winds sometimes do not blow in the direction ships wish!

Let us we the Egyptian intellectuals stand by the side of Farouk Hosny in his endeavor to win the UNESCO General Secretariat post. Let us hope that all who share us an identity of views on what Farouk Hosny epitomizes shall join us.