Egyptian academic considers Islamic calligraphy as ritual

KUWAIT, March 21 (KUNA) -- Islamic calligraphy distinguished with Koranic and poetic verses is a form of rites, opined a visiting Egyptian academic. Dr. Heba Barakat.
Dr. Barakat, in a lecture about Islamic art at Kuwait University, narrated the historic story of assembling the Holy Book, the Koran, since times of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Seddeeq, indicating that the wording of the holy book signaled a new stage in documenting the Arabic composition and grammar, noting that the first dictionaries were intended to preserve the Holy Book and make it easy for ordinary people to fathom its explicit and illicit interpretations and meanings.
The professor was speaking at a seminar, organized by the Egyptian Cultural Office, in cooperation with the National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters, as part of celebrations marking Kuwait as the Islamic Cultural Capital.
Ordnance and tools used in the old wars were adorned with Koranic verses to empower the combatant with high morale, she said, noting that "La Ilaha Illallah" (There is no God but Allah) was engraved on a wide scale on the old arms and military pieces.
Kuwait was proclaimed the Islamic Cultural Capital during the seventh conference of the Islamic ministers of culture. (end) mdm.rk