Ivory Coast hosts Arabic Poetry Forum

emirates7 - Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Republic of the Ivory Coast hosted the fourth edition of the Arabic Poetry Forum in the capital, Abidjan.

The event was organised by the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture, with the participation of ten poets.

The Arabic Poetry Fora in Africa are in line with the directives of the Ruler of Sharjah, which seek to build a bridge of communication for the Arabic language and spread it throughout the world. They also seek to instill the language and a love of the word, and provide promising opportunities to showcase poetic talent.

The forum was attended by Dr. Konaté Haroun, President of the Islamic University of Africa; Dr. Diaby Moussa, Dean of the College of Arabic Language at Al Furqan Islamic University; and a number of poets, researchers, academics, writers, intellectuals, and lovers of Arabic poetry and the word.

The forum's coordinator, Dr. Bamba Issaka, introduced the event, extended his thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for his great interest in the Arabic language, both globally and in Africa in particular. He added that the continent is currently witnessing a global, cultural, and literary movement in nine countries under the umbrella of the fourth edition of the Poetry Forum.

These fora represent a platform for poets from all over the world to showcase their talents.

Issaka confirmed that the festival would not have seen the light of day without the grace of God, and then the meticulous planning and continuous follow-up by the Sharjah Department of Culture.

Dr. Diaby Moussa, Dean of the Faculty of Arabic Language at AL Fourqane Islamic University of the Ivory Coast, said at the forum that participants are united by their love of words and the magic of eloquence. The Arabic language is not merely a means of expression; it is the strings of the heart and the echo of history as it is narrated.

Moussa added that at the heart of this language resides poetry, the anthology of the Arabs, the sweetest utterance of the tongue and the most refined inscribed by the conscience. It is the art that has been able to express humanity in all its states.