Is Farouk Hosni worthy of leading UNESCO?
UNESCO will choose its new general director this evening. It’s Farouk Hosni, Egyptian Culture Minister since 1986, who looks set to succeed Koïchiro Matsuura at the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. But will the man who pledged to “burn” Israeli books really fit the bill? Hosni’s anti-Semitic accusations weigh heavily on his chances for the appointment. Last year for example, he responded to a query about Israeli books appearing in an Alexandria library by saying “Burn these books; if there are any there, I will burn them myself in front of you”. They are declarations which Hosni now regrets saying. Writing in French newspaper Le Monde on Wednesday, he expressed “solemn regret” but asked his critics to “focus on the 27 years of public service devoted to culture, (…) mankind, creation, The Book and books in general”. We asked our respective Egyptian and Israeli Observers if UNESCO should have looked elsewhere.
