By Nawab Khan
BRUSSELS, June 19 (KUNA) -- A number of Arab, Belgian and other European activists have joined forces with the famous cultural house BOZAR in Brussels to launch a project promoting Arabic literature, helping challenge anti-Arab stereotypes.
Kuwaitآ’s ambassador to Belgium, the European Union and NATO, Jasem Al Budaiwi, attended the opening ceremony of the project called "Lagrange Points," on Tuesday.
Speaking to KUNA, Al Budaiwi expressed his happiness about the project, describing it as a very important initiative.
This project will expose the true and rich culture of the Arab world, he said, ahead of a similar event in the new European Parliament next September or October to expose the positive aspect of Arabic literature and culture.
Hashim Ibrahim from Syria , one of the initiators of the project, said it aims to promote Arabic culture including literature , music , art and cuisine.
"We have to support cultural projects to make it acceptable to a wide range of people who are curious to know about Arabic culture and literature," he told KUNA.
Similarly, Tomas Van Respaille, who works at BOZAR's international department, of BOZAR said he hopes the project would change the narrative existing on the Arab world in Belgium.
"What you hear in the media and politics is totally different, so we want to show another side," he explained. According to a study released last year, 18 percent of the population in Brussels speak Arabic, he noted.
Over the course of three months, visitors will be able to discover the rich tradition of literature and books from the Arab world, with titles available in Arabic, English, French and Dutch.
The socio-cultural project creates a refreshing image of the Arab world as a counterweight to the often populist discourse that reaches us through a variety of channels, he added.
According to unofficial estimates, over 442,000 people of Arab origin, including Moroccoans, Algerians, Tunisians, among others, live in Belgium, which has a total population of around 11 million. (end) nk.nam