A dialogue on culture scheduled to take place among Egyptian intellectuals was postponed due to the participation of cultural figures who worked with ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s regime, the event’s organizers said on Sunday.
The dialogue, called for by Bibliotheca Alexandrina director Ismail Serag Eddin, was rejected by Ezz Eddin Shukry Fesheir, secretary general of the supreme council for culture, who refused to take part.
“The future of culture in Egypt is determined by culture producers, not former regime figures,” said Fesheir in a statement. He called on everyone who worked with Gamal Mubarak and the National Democratic Party’s policies secretariat to follow their leader’s example and step down.
When Fesheir’s statement was published, an official from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the cultural national dialogue sessions set for Tuesday were postponed indefinitely.
Serag Eddin had invited around 52 intellectuals to the sessions, that were originally called for by the ruling military council.
