More than three hundred intellectuals from forty countries have signed a petition for the Madrid City Council to revoke the decision to evict Casa Árabe from its headquarters at the Escuelas Aguirre.
The initiative, registered with the City Council, has been driven by the president of the World Forum of the Arabic Language (FOMLAR), Bahira Abdulatif, of Iraqi origin. It has garnered support from researchers, writers, educators, translators, Arabists, and creators from forty countries, mostly from the Arab world.
Among the political and diplomatic figures who have joined the request are former Jordanian Minister of Culture Salah Jarrar, former Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Hisham Ali Abdel Razek, and former Palestinian ambassadors Elias Sanbar and Muhammad Amro.
Academics have also supported the demand, including Iraqi professor Muhsin al-Musawi, Arabist Carmen Ruiz Bravo, and Iraqi researcher Waleed Saleh.
Additionally, personalities from literature and the arts have joined the petition, such as Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma, poets Qassim Haddad (Bahrain), Ali Jaafar Al-Allaq (Iraq), and Nouri Al Jarrah (Syria), Egyptian writer Khaled Al Khamissi, and Jordanian novelist Subhi Fahmawi.
The petition comes after Madrid's mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, announced on June 29 his intention to reclaim the building of the Escuelas Aguirre, which has housed Casa Árabe for twenty years, citing structural problems resulting from poor management and lack of maintenance.
The signatories highlight that, for two decades, Casa Árabe has played "an exemplary role as a bridge between Spain and the Arab world," promoting mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue, and academic, artistic, and scientific cooperation.
"At a time when misunderstanding, polarization, and exclusionary discourse are on the rise, institutions dedicated to culture and the meeting of peoples are more necessary than ever," they argue.
For the signatories, Casa Árabe in Madrid constitutes "a first-rate cultural asset" for Spain and the entire Arab world, as well as "an example of cultural diplomacy in the service of coexistence, respect, and mutual knowledge."
Therefore, they express their solidarity with Casa Árabe, its management, its professional team, and all the individuals who have contributed over these twenty years to making it "an internationally recognized institution."
They call on the Madrid City Council and other competent administrations to revoke the eviction decision and take the necessary measures to ensure the permanence of Casa Árabe in its headquarters at the Escuelas Aguirre, guaranteeing the continuity of its cultural work.
The deadline set by the City Council for the institution to vacate the building is September 1. The petition, registered with the City Council, seeks to halt that deadline and open negotiations to allow the institution to continue in its current location.
You may also like
