{{short description|Egyptian abstract painter (born 1938)}} {{Infobox person | image = Mubarak's Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni وزير الثقافة المصري فاروق حسني.jpg | image_size = | name = Farouk Hosny | native_name = فاروق حسني | native_name_lang = ar | caption = The Zamalek Art Gallery, 2007 | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1938}} | birth_place = Alexandria, Egypt | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Abstract painter, Minister of Culture | website = {{URL|http://www.faroukhosny.com}} }}
'''Farouk Hosny''' (or '''Hosni''') ({{langx|ar|فاروق حسنى}}; born 1938) is an Egyptian abstract painter who was Minister of Culture from 1987 to 2011.
==Early life and career== Hosny was born and grew up in Alexandria. He graduated from Alexandria University's School of Fine Arts in 1964 and upon graduation directed the Al-Anfoushi Cultural Palace for several years. An abstract painter, Hosny held exhibitions worldwide and won the Japanese Soka Gakai International University cultural and peace prize.<ref name=interview>{{cite web |title=Farouk Hosni: Politics of temperament |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/761/profile.htm |date=22–28 September 2005 |work=Al Ahram |publisher= |access-date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917203514/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/761/profile.htm |archive-date=17 September 2009 }}</ref><ref name=biography>{{Cite web |url=http://www.faroukhosny.com/AboutFaroukHosny/Biography/tabid/319/Default.aspx |title=Official Biography |access-date=2009-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825123547/http://www.faroukhosny.com/AboutFaroukHosny/Biography/tabid/319/Default.aspx |archive-date=2009-08-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Between 1971-1978, he was Egypt's cultural attaché in Paris and from 1979 to 1987 served in the same position in Rome, where he also was the director of the Egyptian Academy of Arts.<ref name=interview/><ref name=biography/>
== Tenure as Minister of Culture in Egypt == In 1987, Hosny was appointed the Minister of Culture in Egypt from his position in Rome. During his tenure, he expanded state-run exhibition spaces and initiated various cultural programs, including the Horizon One Gallery, the Palace of Arts, Gezira Arts Center, Alexandria Center of Arts, the Modern Dance Troupe and School, the Cairo History Rehabilitation Project (which included a number of Jewish synagogues<ref>{{cite web |title=Clearing the debris |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/962/eg3.htm |date=27 August – 2 September 2009 |publisher=Al Ahram |access-date=24 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011095938/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/962/eg3.htm |archive-date=11 October 2009 }}</ref>), the Nubian Museum in Aswan and the Alexandria National Museum (under construction are the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Civilisation in Fustat) and the Cultural Development Fund.<ref name=interview/>
In 2005, Hosny tendered his resignation to President Hosni Mubarak in the wake of the Beni Suef Cultural Palace fire, in which 48 spectators were killed and more injured. Mubarak rejected Hosny's resignation, in response to the pleas of some 400 high-profile intellectuals.<ref name=interview/>
Hosny's term as Minister of Culture ended as a result of the Egyptian revolution of 2011. In March 2011, the interim government of Egypt appointed Cairo University professor Emad Abu Ghazi to the post.
==Career==
===Positions=== * Chairman of Farouk Hosny Foundation for Culture and Arts<ref>{{cite web | url=http://faroukhosnyfoundation.org/about/board-of-trustees/ | title=Board of Trustees – Farouk Hosny Foundation }}</ref> * Cultural Animator in the General Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Culture (1964–1969)<ref name="biography"/> * Director, Anfoushy Cultural Palace, Alexandria (1969–1971)<ref name=biography/> * Cultural Attaché and Director of the Egyptian Cultural Centre, Paris, France (1971–1978)<ref name=biography/> * Director of Cultural Administration and Director, Children's Cultural Centre, Cairo, and Technical Advisor to the Minister of Culture (1978–1979)<ref name=biography/> * Deputy Director, Egyptian Arts Academy, Rome (1979–1982)<ref name=biography/> * Director, Egyptian Art Academy and Cultural Counselor, Egyptian Embassy, Rome (1982–1987)<ref name=biography/> * Part-time Professor of Aesthetics at the University of Soka Gakkai, Japan (1993)<ref name=biography/> * Part-time Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University (since 1999)<ref name=biography/>
===Other=== * Chairman, The Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt<ref name=biography/> * Chairman, Supreme Council of Culture, Egypt<ref name=biography/>
==Awards== * Prize, Cagne-sur-mer Festival, France<ref name=biography/> * Honorary Ph.D., Soka Gakkai University, Japan, 1993<ref name=biography/> * Culture and Peace Award, Soka Gakkai University, Japan, 1993<ref name=biography/> * Mediterranean Arts Award of the Lazio region for 2005<ref name=biography/> * Mediterranean Sea Award of Arts for 2006<ref name=biography/> * Grand Audio-Visual Award, International Council of Films, Television and Audio-Visuals, UNESCO Paris, July 2007<ref name=biography/> * Mediterranean Forum Peace Award, Lecce, Italy, 2008<ref name=biography/> * Lifetime Achievement Award, Joy Awards, January 2026
==Honors== * border|class=noviewer|50x50px Grand Cross of the Order of Merit ({{Flag|Egypt}}) * Grande ufficiale OMRI BAR|50x50px Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ({{Flag|Italy}}, 1999)<ref name=biography/> * Al-Hussein Medal for Excellence|50x50px Al-Hussein Medal for Excellence ({{Flag|Jordan}}) * Order of Lifesaving (Morocco)|50x50px First Class of the Order of Intellectual Merit ({{Flag|Morocco}})
==Criticism==
===Hijab controversy=== In a November 2006 newspaper interview, Hosny criticized the hijab headdress, calling it "regressive." He added that it is "a step backward for Egyptian women," and that "women with their beautiful hair are like flowers and should not be covered up." For his remarks, Hosny came under intense criticism from hardliners, particularly by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, and 130 members of the Egyptian Parliament called for his resignation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Religious scholars slam Farouk Hosny for anti veil remarks |url=http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4033 |date=19 November 2006 |work=Daily News Egypt |access-date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314215729/http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4033 |archive-date=14 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=In Egypt, a New Battle Begins Over the Veil |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/weekinreview/28slackman.html |date=28 January 2007 |work=The New York Times |access-date=23 September 2009 | first=Michael | last=Slackman}}</ref>
===Censorship=== Hosny has also censored some media and films, including banning of a heavy metal music concert and arresting its fans,<ref name=bookburning>{{cite news |title='Hebrew book-burning' minister Farouk Hosni is front-runner to head Unesco |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6391201.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930141036/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6391201.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2009 |date=30 May 2009 |work=The Times |access-date=23 September 2009 | location=London | first=Charles | last=Bremner}}</ref> as well as banning the Israeli film ''The Band's Visit'' from being screened at the Cairo International Film Festival.<ref name=bookburning/><ref name=burning>{{cite web |title=Burning issue |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/899/eg3.htm |date=29 May – 4 June 2008 |publisher=Al Ahram |access-date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004191054/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/899/eg3.htm |archive-date=4 October 2009 }}</ref>
==UNESCO candidacy== On July 30, 2007, Egypt nominated Hosny to succeed Koichiro Matsuura as Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and began a campaign to have him elected to the position. No Arab had previously held the position.<ref>{{cite news |title=Egypt starts campaign for culture minister's UNESCO post nomination |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6232323.html |newspaper=People's Daily Online |publisher=Xinhua |date=6 August 2007 |access-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> Hosni was regarded as certain to win the September 2009 election, but his May 2008 pledge to burn Israel books in Egyptian libraries sparked doubts about his suitability for the position and strengthened opposition to his candidacy. Three Jewish intellectuals and activists—Bernard-Henri Lévy, Claude Lanzmann, and Elie Wiesel—led a campaign to oppose Hosny's election.<ref name=washpo>{{cite news |title=Wrong Man For Top Job At UNESCO? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/08/AR2009090802084.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=9 September 2009 |access-date=26 September 2009 | first=Edward | last=Cody}}</ref> In a May 2009 open letter to the international community, the three figures decried that Hosny's victory "would be an obvious provocation so transparently contrary to the proclaimed ideals of the UN that UNESCO would not recover." They implored, "We must, without delay, appeal to everyone's conscience to keep UNESCO from falling into the hands of a man who, when he hears the word 'culture,' responds with a book burning."<ref>{{cite news |first=Bernard-Henri |last=Lévy |author2=Claude Lanzmann |author3=Elie Wiesel |title=UNESCO: The Shame of a Disaster Foretold |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernardhenri-levy/unesco-the-shame-of-a-dis_b_206585.html |newspaper=Huffington Post |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> On censorship grounds, Reporters Without Borders also opposed Hosny, stating, "This minister of Hosni Mubarak has been one of the main actors of censorship in Egypt, unfailingly trying to control press freedom as well as citizens' freedom of information."<ref name=washpo/>
Despite the opposition, Hosny was still expected to win by a large margin, receiving pledges of support from the Arab League, the Organization of African Unity and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Months prior to the UNESCO election, the Israeli government ceased opposition to Hosni's candidacy following a May 2009 meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mubarak. In the West, Mubarak's allies were publicly neutral but behind the scenes worked to diminish Hosni's support.<ref name=washpo/>
On September 22, 2009, Hosny lost the UNESCO election in a stunning upset in the fifth and final round of voting to Bulgaria's Irina Bokova, who received 31 votes to Hosni's 27. In the fourth round of voting, the two candidates were tied at 29 votes each. Hosny blamed his defeat on Zionist pressures<ref name=blame>{{cite web |title=UNESCO row as defeated Egypt candidate blames 'Zionist' lobby |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gVaKeLQJZzZU5-d2Ck0onQY-3y4g|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928221948/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gVaKeLQJZzZU5-d2Ck0onQY-3y4g|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2009|date=23 September 2009 |publisher=AFP |access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref> and a group of influential Jews,<ref>{{cite web |title=Egyptian minister blames Jews for UNESCO loss |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ivWBeREr1QQ2p0Q6QOrwehcu2K9AD9AT54MO3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928040042/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ivWBeREr1QQ2p0Q6QOrwehcu2K9AD9AT54MO3|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2009|date=23 September 2009|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> possible referring to Lévy, Lanzmann, and Wiesel who strongly opposed him. He criticized the US Ambassador at UNESCO, David Killion, for derailing his election and stated, "The north always has to control the south."<ref name=blame/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.faroukhosny.com Farouk Hosny's official website]
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Ahmed Heikal}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Culture of Egypt |years=1987 – 2011}} {{s-inc}} {{end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hosny, Farouk}} Category:1938 births Category:Egyptian painters Category:Alexandria University alumni Category:Culture ministers of Egypt Category:Living people Category:Artists from Alexandria Category:Egyptian artists Category:Egyptian diplomats