Dialogues of Naguib Mahfouz: Past and present By Mohamed Salmawy Visitors often ask Naguib Mahfouz about the relevance of his work to current affairs in Egypt and the region. A foreign critic who recently visited the novelist was interested in that topic. Critic: You took more interest in Pharaonic history than any other Egyptian writer. At the beginning of your career you wrote three novels about ancient Egypt: Rhadopis of Nubia, Thebes at War, and Khufu's Wisdom. Then again in the 1980s you wrote Akhenaton: Dweller in Truth. Researchers say that you're always talking about the present, even when you're writing about the past. They say that Thebes at War was a metaphor for Egypt's struggle in the 20th century against British occupation and that Akhenaton: Dweller in Truth was about Anwar El-Sadat's life. Mahfouz: Writers always write about the present. This is the difference between the novelist and the historian. A novelist goes back to history to shed light on the present. A historian examines history for history's sake. Critic: Does anything remain in Egypt from ancient times? Mahfouz: Egypt's present is a natural continuation of its past, the Pharaonic as well as the Islamic and Coptic eras. Other periods have also left their mark, the Graeco-Roman era and modern Western civilisation for example. You may find it odd, but there are traces of ancient vocabulary in our modern day dialect. We still use some ancient words. And we have customs that go back to Pharaonic times. The most important thing, however, that ancient Egyptian history bequeathed to us is religion. Egyptians are a very religious nation and always have been. The humanity of ancient Egyptian lives on in our modern psyche. We're averse to cruelty and violence and we hold human life sacred. Islamic extremism, with its obsession with violence and terror, is an aberration, the outcome of extraneous circumstances. Critic: Egyptian writers and intellectuals have criticised you over your wanting Al-Azhar to approve Children of the Alley before it goes to press. Mahfouz: As I said before, I respect Al-Azhar. If Al-Azhar disagrees with one of my works, I wouldn't want to upset it by publishing it. This is a purely moral standpoint. Some of Al-Azhar officials have said that they would reconsider the matter if I asked them to. But I wouldn't do that, for I do not wish to set a precedent. I don't believe writers should consult the clergy about their creative work. Critic: Still, some writers think that you're seeking Al-Azhar's approval, something they find upsetting. Mahfouz: This is just one-upmanship, and it happens a lot in our cultural life.
