CAIRO: Officials and cultural circles in Egypt and worldwide mourned the loss of one the greatest writers of modern times following the death Wednesday of Naguib Mahfouz. Leaders stressed the Egyptian novelist s commitment to peace and dialogue between civilizations, while friends and artists praised the pioneering nature of Mahfouz s works and his simple kindheartedness. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, who is currently on a Middle East tour, is saddened by the passing of this very eminent writer, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York. It is a great loss for the Arab world, and the world of literature as a whole for a man who has brought so much and done so much for Arab culture, the spokesman added. A prominent figure of world literature, a man of peace, tolerance and dialogue has passed away, French President Jacques Chirac said in a statement. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said Mahfouz s work and life will remain a constant encouragement and an example of refusing to bend to intimidation. U.S. President George W. Bush said the writings of this extraordinary author of novels, short stories and film scripts transcend all stereotypes and show the deepest insight into the lives of Egyptians and of all mankind. Mahfouz was an exceptional writer, an enlightened and creative thinker, an author who brought Arab culture and literature to the world s attention, a statement from President Hosni Mubarak s office said. His novels represented values that are common to the whole of humanity and his works helped values of tolerance, opposed to extremism, the statement added. Mahfouz, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1988, died Wednesday of heart failure, several weeks after his condition abruptly deteriorated. The universal reach of his novels, including the celebrated Cairo Trilogy, the seven-decade span of his career and his position as the patriarch of modern Arab literature made him one of the most prominent writers of the past century. The death of Naguib Mahfouz is a huge loss for the Arab world and the entire world. His works spread way beyond national boundaries and will continue to influence future generations, Culture Minister Farouq Hosni told AFP. In a telegram to Hosni, Israeli Culture Minister Ophir Pines called Mahfouz a great writer and recalled his support for the peace process with Israel and the price he had to pay – a reference to attacks against him in his home country. With the death of the late author, we have lost a great creative mind and one of the most prominent pillars of Arab literature, Jordan s King Abdullah II said in a message of condolence. In Berlin, a statement by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany mourns a great thinker and extraordinary writer who many times used the force of words to clamor for justice, liberty, love and the well-being of all people on this planet . Abdou Diouf, the secretary general of the International Organization of the French-speaking world, also paid homage to a great novelist, the first Arab laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature and the only one to this day, who made a mark on his times with his works and his convictions. Virtually every artist in Egypt looked up to Mahfouz and messages of condolence poured in from disciples, friends and fellow writers who have been influenced by the late novelist s writings. Sonallah Ibrahim, probably the most prominent Egyptian in Mahfouz s absence, told AFP Mahfouz should be considered the master of the Arab novel. Each one of his novels was a new experience. Naguib Mahfouz is to Arab fiction what the pyramids are to Egypt, he said. The author s entourage voiced unanimous admiration for Mahfouz, who was notorious for being a very disciplined writer, mourning a dedicated friend and an unrivaled source of inspiration. Mahfouz was a very disciplined worker, Egyptian poet Gamal Kassas was quoted as saying by the official MENA news agency of Mahfouz, who also worked as a civil servant for much of his life. He would write for three hours every day after work, write again in the evening but always stop at midnight, Kassas said. There is no doubt he was one of the greatest in the Arab world and his Nobel prize (in 1988) was really deserved. On a personal level, he had a simple manner and was very kind to people, said novelist Mohammed Al-Bosati. Naguib Mahfouz loved life and for him, writing and creating were a way to fight against oblivion and death, said Youssef Al-Qaid, a novelist and close friend.
Egyptian director Yousri Nasrallah paid tribute at the Venice Film Festival to Mahfouz.
We lost Naguib Mahfouz, a man who was a role model for an entire generation, and who made us understand modern Egypt, Nasrallah, who is on the jury for the Horizons section of the festival, said Wednesday.
Mahfouz was for us a guide, fighting until the end the closed-mindedness of a certain Arab world, he said. Agencies
