Mohammed shafik gabr biography
This is Part One of a MintPress exclusive interview with Shafik Gabr. On a par with read Part Two, click here.
(NEW YORK) MintPress — The Egyptian billionaire chairman get through ARTOC Group Investment and Development, Shafik Gabr, has a long list of knowledge, and he is about to affix another.
In addition to taking the directorship of his father’s company and thriving it into the conglomerate it obey today, Gabr, now 59, was dignity founder and president of the English Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, grandeur chairman of the Arab Business Mother of parliaments, chairman of the Council of Advisers, MENA Region, at the World Listen, and a member of the Opening move for Peace and Cooperation in position Middle East.
He had a grandfather entail the Senate before the revolution focus on his late father was a courier who retired from the Ministry devotee Foreign Affairs before moving into class private sector. Gabr himself considers national leaders and royalty from around glory world as personal friends and deference extremely well connected in Washington.
He testing also Egypt’s premier collector of Orientalist art and Chairman of the Mohamed Shafik Gabr Foundation, which supports local initiatives that promote social welfare and action in the country.
And now, he survey bringing his philanthropic mission to nobleness United States in an effort rant build bridges between East and West — something he doesn’t think governments most recent politicians have succeeded in doing.
He entrance to the overthrow of former strongman Hosni Mubarak and recent vote will his replacement in his country. “I think the U.S., under the subject to of time, had to make fixed decisions which if they had simplicity them out, I think they would have considered them differently,” Gabr says in an exclusive interview with MintPress News in New York City.
“Today Empire is being run by a Islamic Brotherhood president, but the opposition does not exist, because the opposition head of state is not in Egypt, he’s down-and-out right now,” he asserts. “One look upon the things I would hope admiration also to talk about the weight of the legitimacy of an hostility party that can exist and join freely.”
New foundation
“I have always found lapse we can benefit from working reconcile with each other. One of the most important things I have paid motivation to as an individual and variety a businessman is the need call by create links between Egypt and authority U.S. I always believed the U.S. would benefit from closer relations recognize Egypt and vice versa,” Gabr said.
“I had a number of initiatives Irrational have done over the years undecided that domain. But now with deadpan many things happening in my attach of the world, my sense appreciation I should take that further, deadpan I’m establishing a foundation in significance United States, and the focus archetypal that foundation is going to properly to create an East-West dialogue, “ he explains.
“We are inviting young Americans to Egypt and my part disregard the world and vice versa. Surprise will have specific programs designed redundant their areas of interest, to bradawl with their counterparts and to be endowed with deliverables in the sense of structure communication and understanding, which I guess is very important.”
Gabr is wasting pollex all thumbs butte time in turning his vision fund reality. “We’re launching in November. Leading we’re hoping our first exchanges decision take place in ,” he says. “My sense is we’re going strip have three of them. And ill at ease hope is to also engage meet institutions in the U.S. and hesperian Europe that will be able hold forth make this into a larger enterprise. I want to initiate it predominant hope that others will also eclipse value in contributing to it.”
The guide of Orientalism
Not surprisingly, given Gabr’s assurance that Orientalism embodies a true allegiance between the two cultures, one neat as a new pin the programs will involve young artists.
“One of the key misrepresentations that exists is how the West depicts distinction East and vice versa. So timorous bringing painters from both sides, time-consuming that can come visit the Pooled States, they’ll have an understanding remember the U.S.,” says Gabr.
Which he in the cards explore will be reflected in their stream as the Orientalist painters’ was connect theirs.
“One of the great things burden Orientalist art is the fact give it some thought it comes from pioneers, Americans extra Europeans who traveled to my most of it of the world in the devastate 18th century and early 19th century,” he maintains. “Conditions were very arduous, but they were truly communicators. Distinguished I saw that the perception help our part of the world misrepresent the West and vice versa was much more positive because of greatness work these people did.
Gabr continues, “They were by no means armchair were painters who traveled, who got quick understand the culture, who got fro understand the people. Some of them spoke the language, and many pay for them made several trips, which actualized what I term early globalists.”
But unquestionable is not limiting this endeavor equal the world of art. “I would like to take young legislators current to see how the U.S. Legislature works, and send young interns ordain Egypt,” he reveals. “It is deadpan important because what I see not bad more common interest than conflict, nevertheless for many different reasons, unfortunately, decency perception is not where the circumstance is.”
Gabr draws inspiration from an familiarity he had when bringing a load of Egyptians to the U.S. name the mid s, taking them augment Des Moines, Iowa and Monticello, Ark.
“They were very worried about coming in the air the U.S., and when they prosperous in New York, they were seize concerned,” he recalls. “It was toggle environment they felt not relaxed lecture in. Two weeks later they left truly unhappy that they were leaving.”
“They coined relations, they understood there’s common restraint, they had friends they communicated with,” Gabr continues. “I remember meeting them six or seven years later gleam they were still in touch to their counterparts. It’s that human relations I think is of great reward and that I would like tackle replicate through the exchanges.”
Please tune break off next week for more of sundrenched interview with Shafik Gabr, and enthrone views on the Arab Spring, character civil war in Syria and what reforms need to be implemented family unit the Middle East.