CULTURAL NEWS

"Ode to Emir Abdelkader," book shedding light on Algeria, Poland historical ties

ALGIERS- "Ode to Emir Abdelkader," a work inspired by a laudatory poetic text written by Polish thinker Cyptian Kamil Norwid for Emir Abdelkader for having saving, in the XIX century in Damascus, thousands of Christians from certain death, has been recently published in celebration of the bicentenary of this poet's birth, as part of the Algeria-Polish cultural exchanges.

Published by Dalimen, this 77-page work with a preface by Minister of Culture and Arts Malika Bendouda, is inspired by a poetic text of Cyprian Kamil Norwid, entitled "To Emir Abdelkader in Damascus," in which he idealized the universal spirit and deeply humanist of the Algerian Nation's father, who opposed in 1860 the pogrom of the Druze targeting the Christians in Damascus, who protected and received them in his estate at that time.

A work which constitutes a cultural and historical bridge between Algeria and Poland, ideal for the celebration of the bicentenary of the great Polish thinker's birth, which is due to last until the end of current year.

This work sheds light on the intelligence of two great tolerant persons who, without ever meeting each other, had had epistolary exchanges via interposed media, succeeding in transcending their religious, civilizational and cultural differences to enable the meeting of two different monotheistic worlds, and noting thereby, their convergent thinking on human beings and the right to life.

Initiated and supported by Poland's Foreign Affairs Ministry, under the leadership of Polish embassy in Algiers, "Ode to Emir Abdelkader" comes in response to the International Day of "Living Together in Peace," adopted on 8 December 2017 by a resolution of the United Nations, and on a proposal made by Algeria and celebrated on 16 May of each year.