‘From good reading good men emerge’
IN AN INSIGHTFUL INTERVIEW TO JOHN BRITTAS, EDITOR OF KAIRALI TV, DR SHEIKH SULTAN OPENS UP ABOUT HIS LIFE-LONG LITERARY MISSION AND PLANS FOR MORE INVESTMENTS IN KERALA
His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, recently visited Kerala where he accepted an honorary doctorate in Cultural Relations and Education, conferred on him by the University of Calicut. In an interview to Kairali TV, Dr Sheikh Sultan praised the Indian state of Kerala and the warm welcome accorded by the state government and Indians to him. Dr Sheikh Sultan stressed the role of reading in bringing up children as better human beings. Excerpts from the interview.
Q. Your Highness we are extremely privileged and honoured to have a special interview. As you have concluded the first official visit to Kerala, what could be your feeling?
A. First of all we are very happy the way we have been received by the honourable governor, chief minister and beloved people of Kerala. We were far away, now after this visit we are very close. We have realised the feeling of the people. We should be close not only here, but also there in Sharjah. This beginning can give us a chance to be good friends.
Centuries back we were together, there were plenty of cultural and trade exchanges between Arabia and Kerala. Your Highness, do you believe that such exchanges can be revived?
Of course, we can. The situation in the world has changed. All have become busy. If we think about each other, we can establish a good relationship. We have good manpower, good land, good water, good resources like oil, gas, fertiliser etc and without going to the international market we can exchange all these. We are ready to invest in Kerala. The government of Kerala has taken a position in favour of investment. We can exchange our resources. We can build a good relationship also.
Everyone who knows you speaks about the warmth and cordiality. They see you as a distinct personality. I was part of the Kerala delegation when our chief minister visited the UAE. It was amazing to see the way you had received the chief minister holding his hand and leading him to the Majlis. You spoke about many things including books, literature, art, culture etc... all of us were amazed by your personality.
That is part of our custom. We know how to receive a guest. The chief minister was not an ordinary guest. We only follow the custom. Next time when the chief minister comes we will keep him for more days. His visit (to Sharjah) made a lot of difference. That is why I have come here. I hope to come back to Kerala in an year and in that visit we would have more projects. I will also give an interview to you at that time.
Your Highness your love for books is famous. Nobody can separate you from books. I have a Malayalam translation of one of your books now.
Yes, yes... this is my book, My early life.
Many say that you know a bit of Malayalam.
I can’t speak Malayalam, but I can follow. When your chief minister spoke in Malayalam, I immediately understood it. He was referring to those people jailed in Sharjah. That is how we acted to release them all. I was very happy to take that decision. Not only the Malayalees but also other Indians have benefitted from this visit. An old Arabian proverb says, ‘a book is a garden carried in the pocket’. You are the true manifestation of this proverb. I see books as a boat that will take you to different places. Though you are sitting in your room, you will be taken to different countries and lands. You will see and also feel. We have television now and also cinema, but they can’t replace books. Viewing or hearing can never replace reading. I have selected reading. I wish people read books. From books and good reading good men will emerge.
The Sharjah International Book Fair, launched three and a half decades ago, has become a huge success. Even Malayalam publishers get an opportunity to be part of this. Your Highness, what was the inspiration behind such a project?
You may have noticed one thing. Europeans are ahead of us in art, publishing etc. We are far behind them. We need good books and many more books. That is why we started this book fair and I write in such a way that common men understand. Even if I am writing history, that would be simple. Even small humour also will be part of the writing.
True. I have read couple of your books. There are interesting titbits. This book, My Early Life, has beautiful narration about your childhood. A nine-year-old boy studying in palm leaf thatched school observing the surroundings. It gives so much of insights into the Arabian society in that time.
Yes, that was my childhood. I have given about all I experienced. Our people now don’t read much. Reading should become a habit. Our children are being brought up away from books. I am trying to see that every child grow up reading. A pregnant woman reads not only for her but also for the child growing in her. That is a big thought. The knowledge women get will pass on to the child also. Europe and other developed regions publish millions of books. Compared to this we do a little only. India also should publish more books.
I know many Malayalees who work at the Sharjah Palace. Many of them speak volumes about the way you are engaged in reading and writing. Many said you get up at 4 in the morning to make sure to read at least 600 pages daily. Even if you are off on a vacation in London, the by-product would be two books.
Our brain should be devoted to storing good thoughts. We should not fill it with rubbish. Now a days, media is very important. But it also misleads us and at times dangerously too. Media should be for good things. But I emphasise that reading is more important. Students should be attached to books.
Your affinity towards art, culture and books makes you distinct. You have authored more than 50 books. Many underline the versatility. You are a historian, playwright and even a painter. Even the emblem on the Sharjah government’s letterhead has been designed by you.
I don’t like the media to focus too much on me. Many times the colour given by the media is not good. When I study, write and speak about what I learn, people listen. This is what I like to do more. When I visit places, I like to research on those places. Once I visited Jakarta and wanted a manuscript from an archive, they didn’t allow me and they asked me to bring a letter from a university. For three days I went there. If I had got that, it would have been beneficial for the people. I have started a centre for preserving Arabic manuscript. First I gave my own collections. Then I started a centre for Holy Quran. We established an Islamic museum and I have given 5,000 items. I contributed 360 paintings to the Sharjah Art Museum. Even the value of one painting is $9 million. I don’t keep them for me. I want them to reach out to the people. I want information and knowledge to reach maximum people.
I have visited Sharjah many a time. Sharjah was declared Centre of Arabian Culture by Unesco in 1998. In 2014, Sharjah became the cultural capital of entire Islamic world. Sharjah has more than half of the museums in the entire emirates. Your Highness your vision has made Sharjah achieve such a feat.
This has been a big effort. The world is observing us. People should be transformed as better human beings. That is our aim. Life is very short, nobody gains by quarrelling.
The prologue on your website says, ‘proper education is a safeguard against destructive ideas and misguided groups, A stable family background contributes effectively to the nation–building’. This is a very relevant quote in the present global political scenario.
I view politics differently. I want education to redeem society from darkness to light. Our effort is in this direction. Wherever I go, I speak about the importance of education. This, I did in Delhi and Mumbai. Now I did it in Kerala also.
Majority of Malayalees in the UAE are living in Sharjah. The safety and security must be the main factor behind this?
Sharjah is a family home for all. It is peaceful. Everyone gets dignity and security in Sharjah. Many countries define their identity through atom bombs and weapons of mass destruction. However, Sharjah defines its identity through culture and education. Islam means peace,
but now international political scene is murky. Violence is unleashed in the name of religion. How do you view this situation?
When I see such news on TV, I ask them to switch it off. Why should I fill my brain with such rubbish. We should think good only and for the betterment of the people. Anyway I want good relation between Sharjah and Kerala.
We hope you had a pleasant stay in Kerala.
Yes, I wish good things to happen to Kerala and India. Let the country succeed in all fields.
I see books as a boat that will take you to different places. Though you are sitting in your room, you will be taken to different countries and lands. You will see and also feel. I can’t speak Malayalam, but I can follow. When your chief minister spoke in Malayalam, I immediately understood it. I want education to redeem society from darkness to light. Our effort is in this direction. Wherever I go, I speak about the importance of education. The world is observing us. People should be transformed as better human beings. That is our aim. Life is very short, nobody gains by quarrelling. A pregnant woman reads not only for her but also for the child growing in her. That is a big thought. The knowledge women get will pass on to the child also.