Tadween Roundup: News and Analysis in Publishing and Academia from the Arab World

News and stories with a focus on the publishing industry, education, and technology from across the Arab world.


Al-Aqsa Arabic Manuscripts Going Online
(Tabsir)

Fearing environmental deterioration and poor security of the historical manuscript collection at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Library in Jerusalem, the British Museum will sponsor a project to digitize all of the library’s Arabic manuscripts. The archives can be accessed here.

Egypt: Who is Afraid of the National Archives?
By Khaled Fahmy (Ahram Online)

In an op-ed for Ahram Online, historian Khaled Fahmy sheds light on the recent struggle between Egyptian intellectuals and the new minister of culture, Alaa Abdel-Aziz, over the national archives. Activists and the new head of the archives, Khaled Famhy (no relation to the author), have both endorsed army protection of the archives for different reasons. Activists fear that a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated minister might lead to infiltration of the archives’ documents by the Brotherhood, while the minister claims that protecting the archives is a matter of national security. Fahmy argues that granting full, public access to the archives is the only way to secure their contents.

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here
By Asmaa Abdallah (Jadaliyya)

A new collection of poems and stories edited by Beau Beausoleil and Deema Shehabi, Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here: Poets and Writers Respond to the March 5, 2007 Bombing of Baghdad’s “Street of Booksellers,” brings together a variety of individuals committed to literary activism. Amidst the plethora of literary propaganda in Baathist Iraq, Al-Mutanabbi Street was a place for writers and readers to collect their thoughts, debate, and argue. Remembering the bloody attack on Al-Mutanabbi Street in 2007, a group of writers reflect on the purpose of literary freedom in all aspects of life and politics.

Arab Stereotypes: How One Academic Fights Them
By Rasha Faek (Al Fanar)

The growing population of Arabs living in the United States is increasing the need to rid Americans of long held stereotypes about Arabs and the Arab world, claims Greta Scharnweber, associate director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University. “As educators, teaching our students how to read and understand the stereotypes presented by media is a task of enormous importance,” said Scharnweber at the annual meeting of Nafsa: Association for International Educators.

Towards Digital Media Literacy in the Arab World
By Bayan Itani (Your Middle East)

The Media and Digital Literacy Academy of Beirut (MDLAB) is a new initiative that aims to help media scholars and academics develop curricula that promote digital media literacy in the Arab world. Organized by the American University in Beirut, the academy aims to reduce the dependency on western resources and increase academic material on digital media literacy in Arabic.

DCMF Leads Charge in Middle East/Africa Media & Information Literacy Plan
By Magda Abu-Fadil (Huffington Post)

Qatar has developed a plan that will incorporate media and information literacy in public and private schools throughout the Arab Gulf region. Magda Abu-Fadil writes that the Doha Center for Media Freedom (DCMF) is leading the campaign, having conducted training programs on media and information literacy in Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Arts Education in the Arab World Deserves More Respect – And Resources
By Maysa Jalbout (Brookings Institution)

Arab governments must support art education in order to promote an innovative and creative society, argues Maysa Jalbout. Jalbout posits that three new initiatives in art education in Finland, South Korea, and Singapore could provide inspiration for art education in the Arab world.