Does History Get Distorted and Sacred Things Stolen While We Are Alive and Hold the Documents?" Dr. Fatima Al Temany, Director of the Arab Creativity Development Foundation, Questionsحر

Does History Get Distorted and Sacred Things Stolen While We Are Alive and Hold the Documents?"
Dr. Fatima Al Temany, Director of the Arab Creativity Development Foundation, Questions
 
Through the books of Mariam Al-Sayegh and the life history and works of the Al-Sayegh family, a pivotal existential question is raised regarding the fate of history:
"Does history get distorted and sacred things stolen while we are alive and hold the documents and evidence?
" This question reflects Mariam's personal struggles and her family’s long experience with facing historical, political, and cultural shifts, where some seek to distort or change history to achieve political goals.
Through narrating her family’s documented history, in history, films, and political, intellectual, and cultural life, we understand the significant role that her grandfather,
,Nassem Al-Sayegh, played in cultural and intellectual life during the period from 1955 to 1975, and the significant impact he had on society, before her family encountered a sudden change in the course of events in the 1970s.
 
,Nassem Al-Sayegh: The Armenian Goldsmith and Horseback Riding Aristocrat Founder of the Intellectual and Cultural Revival School in 1955
 
The Personal Biography of ,Nassem Al-Sayegh:
 
,Nassem Al-Sayegh, considered a central figure in his family’s history, was born into an Armenian noble family of royal descent, known for their high-quality horses and trade in diamonds, gold, and precious stones, before the Armenian genocide and deportation. He traveled with his father to Iraq, Iran, and the Levant before settling in Egypt. Nasim hailed from an aristocratic family descended from Armenian kings. He was known for his excellence in several cultural and artistic fields. He was a skilled pianist, trained in Russia, where he immersed himself in its high culture. Not only was he adept in art and music, but he was also a jeweler specializing in gold, diamonds, and precious stones, which elevated his social and artistic standing.
 
He built relationships with kings and sultans, becoming a teacher for royalty and nobility in taste, etiquette, and sophistication.
The History of His Cultural and Economic Struggle
 
,Nassem Al-Sayegh became a prominent figure in social and intellectual life. He married the daughter of one of the nobles and acquired wheat and cotton farming fields,
becoming one of the major investors in agriculture. He played a major role in financing the 1952 revolution and became a close friend of Egypt’s late President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
He also founded an intellectual school in 1955 to revive cultural and intellectual heritage, known as the "School of Intellectual and Civilizational Revival for Elegance.
" During this time, Nasim and his children were among the prominent figures contributing to the cultural renaissance.
His writings and reports, notably "The Trials of Wheat,
" which chronicled the events he witnessed and studied, became part of his intellectual struggle against social and economic injustice during that period. All these activities made him an important intellectual figure,
recognized among thinkers, writers, and artists, and his personality was depicted in films and works celebrating his legacy.
 
The Impact of Political Shifts on the , Al-Sayegh Family:
 
Closure of the Intellectual School:
 
In 1975, at the height of the ,Al-Sayegh family’s intellectual activities, they faced intense political pressure due to their intellectual openness and rejection of extreme political currents.
During this time, the extremists took steps to reduce the influence of independent cultural figures. This led to the closure of the intellectual school that
,Nassem Al-Sayegh founded in 1975, and the family was accused of promoting atheism, immorality, and the preaching of a religion that contradicted the state’s official doctrine, significantly affecting their ability to exercise their political rights.
His son, Faik , Al-Sayegh , who participated with his father, Nassem Al-Sayegh , in his intellectual and cultural school, was a musician, maestro, philosopher, and a scholar who compared religions. He was prevented from exercising his political rights.
Decline in Political and Enlightenment Activities:
 
After the death of Jessica, Mariam Al-Sayegh grandmother and with the political activities of the family under increasing pressure,
the , Al-Sayegh family turned to charitable and developmental work. Their grandmother Maroula played a significant role in implementing these activities, establishing many charitable projects in Port Said and focusing on community development and the care of the marginalized.
 
Reviving Cultural and Enlightenment Heritage:
 
Writings and Cultural Projects:
 
In 2000, the writer, poet, and novelist Mariam Al-Sayegh published her famous book "Family of Noble Horseback Riders," which chronicles her family’s history and documents the cultural and intellectual events they experienced.
Later that year, Mariam Al-Sayegh published her book
" Koki Stories ," which was released by the Family Library. The highlight of the year was the establishment of the Secular Creators Association, which aimed to gather thinkers and creators seeking to promote secular and enlightened thought in the Arab world.
 
In 2001, she founded the Arab Creativity Development Foundation, which focused on providing support for impoverished creators, single mothers, and people with disabilities. This coincided with the revival of the School of Cultural Heritage through projects like "Cleopatra Brand," which aimed to highlight the importance of intellectual and cultural heritage in the Arab world and provide educational opportunities for new generations.
 
She also established a Creativity Center for meditation, yoga, ballet, gymnastics, music, painting, travel, and development. She focused on sustainable development and aiding marginalized and impoverished communities, as well as legal activism against human trafficking and supporting single mothers through developmental projects at Cleopatra Brand School. This initiative promoted the revival of Armenian, Phoenician, and ancient Egyptian heritage through the creation of gold, diamond, and precious stone crafts, as well as traditional furnishings, carpets, and clothing.
 
Mariam also contributed proposals for the Women’s Council and a comprehensive project to uplift women and families, as well as a project to combat human trafficking, women’s issues, and poverty. She also contributed to Egypt’s tourism development and the "Know Your Country" initiative, and was honored for her efforts in promoting tourism.
 
She contributed to the development of political, media, and economic cadres and established a full code of ethics for refinement, etiquette, and media protocols. "Koki’s Stories" was also adapted into a television program for children under the same name. Mariam founded the Creativity Academy and became a trainer for politicians, royals, and media, political, and economic figures.
 
The Al-Sayegh family’s experience serves as a prime example of how individuals interact with history and political and social challenges.
While some seek to alter history and distort facts, the family did not just preserve historical memory but worked on reviving and documenting it through writings and cultural projects, serving as a resistance to attempts to falsify history.
 
The question we pose as an institution with Mariam Al-Sayegh remains:
Can history be changed while we are alive and hold the documents?
The answer, surely, is no, as long as there are those who cling to the facts and strive to preserve their cultural and intellectual memory supported by documents and inscriptions in history.
Dr. Fatima Al Temany, Director of the Arab Creativity Development Foundation,