The doctor Fatima Al Temany writes about School for the Revival of Intellectual and Cultural Heritage Cleopatra Brand IS Cultural Heritage Revival School for Advancement and Educationحر

The doctor Fatima Al Temany writes about
School for the Revival of Intellectual and Cultural Heritage Cleopatra Brand
IS
Cultural Heritage Revival School for Advancement and Education:
 
https://ar.everybodywiki.com/School_for_the_Revival_of_Intellectual_and_Cultural_Heritage_Cleopatra_Brand
 
At the heart of time and space, amidst the whirlwinds of history and its profound transformations, the idea of the school was born, founded by the Armenian artisan Nassem Al-Sayegh. He was a man whose hands touched precious jewels, but whose mind grasped something far more valuable: knowledge and thought. Together with his son, who was close to rulers and sultans, they were not just engaged in crafting gold and diamonds; they also shaped thoughts and dreams, weaving them through their fingers and imaginations. They were the craftsmen of kings and traders of wisdom, engaging with thinkers and writers, sitting with poets and intellectuals who were lost in literature and thought, such as Mustafa Sadiq Al-Rafi'i, Tawfiq Al-Hakim, Ahmed Shawqi, Mahmoud Mohamed Mustafa, Bairam Al-Hariri, Hafiz Ibrahim, Salama Moussa, Al-Aqqad, Taha Hussein, and other great figures.
 
In 1955,Nassem Al-Sayegh established the School for Cultural Heritage Revival, aiming to be a beacon that lights the paths of thought and culture. The school was not just for the revival of Armenian heritage; it was a bridge connecting cultures and civilizations, where different philosophies and diverse religions met. Thanks to his business in diamonds and gemstones, which took him around the world—from Russia to Iraq, from Iran to Syria, and from Lebanon to Palestine—Nassem Al-Sayegh. gained a rare intellectual vision. He carried in his heart the concerns of the people and worked diligently to develop thought within his community, defending the poor and the oppressed, and elevating the importance of culture and education.
 
Nassem Al-Sayegh. was not only a diamond merchant but also a piano player, holding a prominent place among writers and artists such as Youssef Wahbi, Naguib Al-Rihani, Zakaria Ahmed, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and Farid Al-Atrash. He also had close friendships with many intellectuals and artists, such as Nizar Qabbani Aba Tawfiq, understanding that culture and thought are the strongest weapons against the forces of ignorance and backwardness.
 
He and his son, Faik Al-Sayegh, who was also a philosopher, mystic, and thinker—a maestro of the orchestra and a guitar player—stood against the forces of darkness, spreading literature, thought, culture, and advancement with their orchestra.
 
But the light they ignited did not last long. The school began to face smear campaigns, being accused of missionary work and promoting atheism at the same time, despite the school radiating intellectual enlightenment and fighting ignorance and backwardness. The consequence of this enlightened thought was the closure of the school in 1975, following a painful incident involving Nassem Al-Sayegh.. A staged elevator accident caused him severe injuries, and then restrictions were placed on both him and his son, Faik Al-Sayegh, preventing any political or intellectual activities. His blood was spilled.
 
Despite the oppression he faced, his granddaughter, Professor Mariam Al-Sayegh, carried the torch of thought and enlightenment, reviving the cultural heritage that her grandfather and father had started. In 2000, she founded the Association of Secular Creators and established the Arab Creativity Development Foundation in 2001. She also re-launched the School for Cultural and Intellectual Heritage under the name "Cleopatra Brand," turning it into a platform for intellectual publishing, reviving heritage, and teaching arts. She introduced handcraft industries such as jewelry, furniture, traditional carpets, and clothing, with a focus on funding intellectual activities.
 
"Cleopatra Brand" became not only a beacon of thought and creativity but also a source of income for women, the poor, and the marginalized. The school took on an active social role, supporting social, developmental, and intellectual activities, fighting human trafficking, poor labor, and providing relief. It contributed to improving the conditions of marginalized communities and fought for the freedom of peoples and human rights.
 
In 2001, she also established the Creativity Center, adding new dimensions to the school’s intellectual offerings, including yoga, ballet, writing, vital energy, and meditation. The school was not just a place for learning; it became a symbol of enlightened culture, aligned with the long history of the Armenian family, which descended from the kings of Armenia who were displaced by genocide.
 
Cleopatra, the lover of her homeland, who wove poetry, stories, and tales, was not just a symbol of culture but was present in every intellectual article, every enlightening idea, and every scientific research. She influenced the cultural life with thousands of political, economic, and literary articles. With each publication, there was an intellectual seminar, and every idea was a call for change, to renew thought and transform reality. Cleopatra launched many cultural, social, and charitable initiatives, such as Cleopatra's tourism initiatives and relief efforts, to raise social awareness and encourage community participation.
 
The school transformed into a cultural and intellectual institution, based on a long history of nobles and thinkers of the age, and became the cornerstone in the revival of cultural heritage, thought, and creativity—an endeavor that will never die, regardless of the challenges, threats, bloodshed, theft, distortions, confiscations, and accusations of proselytizing, conversion, and spreading atheism at the same time. How could this happen?
 
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Closing the School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage for Advancement: A Deep Look into the History of Cultural Politics
 
In the 1970s, specifically in 1975, an important event occurred in the history of cultural and intellectual life. This event was the closing of the School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage for Advancement, a school that had been a stronghold for national thought, refined education, and free culture. Founded by Nassem Al-Sayegh. of Armenian descent, this school was not just an educational institution but a vibrant center reflecting a deep understanding of national identity. The founding of the school was not ordinary but occurred within a pivotal period in the history of politics and culture, coinciding with the rise of the extremists and their increasing influence on political life after the 1970s.
 
Nassem Al-Sayegh: The Cultural and Intellectual Symbol Who Was Marginalized
 
Nassem Al-Sayegh. was not just a jeweler; he was known for his wide connections with the ruling and intellectual elites, as he crafted jewelry for kings and princes. Despite his Armenian roots, Nassem Al-Sayegh was able to forge influential relationships with figures from national movements across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt. He was one of the strongest supporters of Gamal Abdel Nasser during the 1952 revolution. His support was not limited to financial aid; it also included intellectual and cultural support. Due to the respect he commanded, he had a significant impact on the national movement and the idea of building an identity independent of colonial occupation and foreign powers.
 
Over time, Al-Sayegh was the one who proposed ideas calling for the revival of cultural heritage, focusing on national awareness and free intellectual education, aiming for advancement away from narrow partisan ideologies. The School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage was Nassem Al-Sayegh’s dream of achieving this vision by building a generation of Egyptians proud of their national identity and independent of external influences.
 
The Intersection of Politics and Culture: How Extremists Contributed to the School's Closure
 
In the 1970s, President Anwar Sadat began presenting himself as "the pious president," calling for the revival of religious values in society, while extremists began to infiltrate state institutions. This period was one of significant transformations in political life, where internal and external changes posed major challenges to cultural and intellectual forces that aimed to modernize and develop society away from religious ideologies.
 
During this period, the extremists began to strengthen their influence within state institutions, including the military, security, and education. Although they presented themselves as a reform movement, their positions were generally in opposition to the civil and secular thinking represented by figures like Nassem Al-Sayegh., especially given their adoption of the idea of applying Sharia law in all aspects of life.
 
Al-Sayegh, who supported the revolution and embraced the values of national culture, was seen as an intellectual threat by the extremists because his vision contradicted the political Islamic ideas they sought to impose. The School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage played a crucial role in building an independent civil consciousness away from religious currents, which made the extremists feel that the school posed a threat to their agenda.
 
The School’s Closure and the Attempt on Nassem Al-Sayegh’s Life
 
In 1975, the extremists had gradually begun to dominate the political scene, leading to a reduction in cultural and intellectual freedoms. The culture of dialogue and intellectual pluralism that many thought had been achieved after the 1952 revolution began to erode. The government began to take measures against cultural institutions that did not align with the prevailing discourse. The School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage was one of the most prominent institutions targeted, and it was closed during this period due to pressure from the extremists and their allies in power.
 
During this time, Nassem Al-Sayegh was subjected to an attempted murder in a mysterious incident inside an elevator in downtown Cairo, which was seen as a political assassination attempt. This was a reaction from political forces who saw Al-Sayegh as an intellectual threat to the religious current gaining ground within the state.
 
Faik Al-Sayegh: From Suppression to Isolation
 
Not only Nassem Al-Sayegh, but also his son, Faik Al-Sayegh, who followed in his father's footsteps by adhering to national and cultural values, was prevented from engaging in political activities or even participating in public affairs, which led him to complete isolation. This isolation was a reflection of how the regime treated individuals who embraced civil and secular ideas at a time when the state was gradually heading towards a more Islamized and radicalized policy.
 
The political transformations of the 1970s and the interplay of various ideologies greatly contributed to the marginalization and figurative assassination of cultural and intellectual figures like Nassem Al-Sayegh, who represented the national symbol defending free culture. Closing the School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage was not merely the closure of an educational institution; it was the closing of an intellectual and cultural movement that called for the revival of identity free from political and religious interventions.
 
From Nassem Al-Sayegh to Faik Al-Sayegh and Then Mariam Al-Sayegh: A Journey of Persecution and Bloodshed in the Face of Enlightened Thought
 
With the death of Nassem Al-Sayegh, this was not the end of the persecution of his thought; it marked the beginning of a long struggle fought by his granddaughter, Mariam Al-Sayegh, who decided to revive the memory of her grandfather and father and bring back the school’s cultural and intellectual project. Through the Secular Creators Association she founded in 2000, to the Arab Creativity Development Foundation in 2001, Mariam's efforts were not limited to preserving her family's intellectual heritage but also developed this heritage to include support for marginalized communities and underserved social groups, such as orphans, women heads of households, and people with disabilities.
 
Mariam Al-Sayegh became a rock upon which the ambitions of political forces aiming to silence the voice of enlightened culture and opposition to extremist religious currents broke. While Mariam Al-Sayegh tried to revive Egypt’s traditional industries, including Armenian, Phoenician, and Pharaonic gold jewelry, crowns, scepters, and furniture, her efforts were met with attempts by extremists to silence her, viewing her work as a threat to the religious discourse they sought to propagate.
 
Accusations of Proselytism and Apostasy: The Double-Edged Accusation and Political Struggle
 
In an incomprehensible contradiction, Mariam Al-Sayegh was accused of both apostasy and proselytism, as had been the case with her father, who was accused of proselytism because of his playing the guitar, his interest in classical music, and hymns. This reflected the ongoing struggle between rationalism and religious zealotry, which the extremists sought to cement. Faik Al-Sayegh was treated as a direct threat to the religious discourse that was widely supported by the ruling power at the time. Many saw his art and culture as a threat to the fundamentalist ideology promoted by the extremists, including the revival of classical art and religious classical music.
 
Mariam Al-Sayegh was treated in a similar manner, and her blood was declared forfeit in 2004. Despite being a representative for women and advocating for human rights and fighting human trafficking, she faced a vicious campaign aimed at tarnishing her image, linking her to accusations of proselytism or apostasy. This suppression and increased pressure on her were not merely media campaigns but part of a systematic political operation aimed at eliminating any opposition to the religious ideologies promoted by extremist groups. Faik Al-Sayegh was later assassinated in a mysterious incident, seen as a political assassination. This assassination coincided with long periods of relentless persecution by extremists, which had started in 1975, the year Nassem Al-Sayegh. passed away.
 
His assassination at that critical political juncture was a culmination of a long-term campaign. His efforts to modernize thought, promote human rights, and combat religious extremism made him a perpetual target for extremists who could not accept the enlightened visions of reform he championed. The attempts to eliminate him began in the early 1980s.
 
A Continuing Legacy of Struggle and Resistance
 
Mariam Al-Sayegh, carrying her family’s legacy, walked in the footsteps of her grandfather and father. She established the Secular Creators Association in 2000, followed by the Arab Creativity Development Foundation in 2001. She revived the School of Revival of Civilizational Heritage for Advancement, adding the Cleopatra Brand and incorporating social development activities. She also revived traditional industries from the three civilizations—Armenian, Phoenician, and Ancient Egyptian—such as gold jewelry, Pharaonic crowns and scepters, furniture, rugs, and traditional clothing, using proceeds to fund activities for women heads of households, orphans, people with disabilities, and people with extraordinary capabilities. Despite these efforts, Mariam Al-Sayegh’s blood was still declared forfeit in 2004, and she continues to face suppression. Even though she was a representative for women, opposed human trafficking, and defended human rights, her media presence was blocked, and she was marginalized in the media under accusations of apostasy and proselytism, all because she symbolized secular leftist thought and national culture that conflicted with the extremists’ ideologies. She remains a continuous target of repression and threats, navigating the struggle between cultural change and the political and social control imposed by various factions.