"Guernica" and Gaza: There's no comparison!
Ahmed Abdel Aziz
Man is the only creature chosen by the Almighty Creator with the ability to diversify methods of expression, which vary from one person to another. To the extent that man has the ability to express himself in a unique way, he has positioned himself among the category of creators, which is the most influential category in society.
Drawing is one of the earliest forms of expression, signaling the presence of humans in a particular location. Without this method of expression and the art forms that stem from it, we would have little knowledge of the history of past civilizations.
Drawing is an idea, like "speech," that revolves around a specific meaning (emotional, tangible, or imaginary) in the artist's mind. This idea is then organized according to certain rules within a certain area and becomes a work of art. This work of art preserves the meaning for a certain period of time.
The Muslim artist is known for his creativity and unique artistic style. To bring beauty into his life, he follows the standards of "halal and haram." This is a standard that artists from previous and contemporary societies, including Muslims, unfortunately, have not always considered. As a result, the arts have often been associated in the minds of the public, particularly the religious, with moral decadence. However, this association is arbitrary and unsystematic. It's important to note that the corruption of the artist does not mean the corruption of art as a method of expression.
"Guernica" and Gaza
The painting "The Scream," created by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in a very spontaneous style in 1893, is one of the most famous works that expresses fear. The painting did not attract much interest, artistically or popularly, for about forty years, until the outbreak of World War II, which claimed the lives of approximately 62 million people.
The large number of victims reminded critics of the painting "The Scream". They talked about it a lot, and since that time, it became a symbol of protest against killing, bloodshed, and spreading fear and panic among the safe. It's interesting to note that "Munch" painted this piece after an epileptic seizure, as he suffered from psychological disorders.
The important piece to remember is the giant mural "Guernica" (3.5m x 7.75m), painted by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in mid-1937. The government of the Second Spanish Republic commissioned it to commemorate the bombing of the city of Guernica in the Basque Country.
"There are similarities between 'Guernica' and Gaza, but these similarities seem insignificant when compared to the enormous differences between them. This includes the duration of the bombing, the area affected, the reasons for the bombing, and the number of victims."
In the early 20th century, a civil war erupted in Spain between the Republicans and the Nationalists. Hitler intervened on behalf of Franco, and German planes bombed the Spanish city of Guernica, a stronghold of the Republican resistance movement, for a reported duration of "two hours," or "four hours" according to another account. AArab Gaza has been bombed for a year by American planes flying the flag of the Zionist entity, using American, British, French, German, Italian, and Canadian bombs and missiles. Not a single Arab government intervened on behalf of Gaza. Instead, the governments of the Arab countries closest to Gaza chose to be in the position of an "ally" of the Zionist enemy, even if they claimed otherwise. The number of victims of "Guernica" is controversial.
The Basque government estimates that about 1,654 people have died, while a Spanish study suggests the number is closer to 126. In Gaza, the number of casualties has surpassed fifty thousand, with a majority being children and women. This includes both the deceased and the injured, and the conflict is ongoing.
"Inspired by Steadfastness" Exhibition
Many members of the Muslim Brotherhood are unaware that I graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts. My involvement with art was primarily through political caricature and some other forms of applied art. Due to my other commitments, I never considered holding art exhibitions.
Months ago, I started creating several artworks that represent the emotions and experiences of the people in Gaza. These artworks embody a mix of determination, resilience, and a refusal to leave the land, despite the "scorched earth" policy enforced by the Zionist enemy to forcefully displace them. They also reflect feelings of disappointment, anger, and reproach. My colleagues in the Egyptian Media Association Abroad suggested that I hold an exhibition of these works titled "Inspired by Steadfastness". You will find some of them featured in the article.
This exhibition is an open invitation to artists around the world to document a part of the "Gaza epic" in drawings. This epic was created by the besieged and defenceless people of Gaza, who rely on their faith in God and a few thousand resistance fighters who made their weapons. They are confronting seven superpowers on their occupied land, and these superpowers possess arsenals of the deadliest weapons. These weapons are in direct conflict with the human being's "right" to life and security, which they have been talking to us about, that right that evaporates in the blink of an eye (along with other rights) if this “human being” is Arab or Muslim!
