The director of the Culture and Arts Association in Abha, the intellectual and artist Ahmed Al-Sarwi, has gained a great position in the cultural and creative scene, and has accomplished several projects on a personal and practical level. Here, aspects of Ramadan’s biography are explored through this collaboration:
What does Ramadan mean to you, and what do you remember about it?
•• Ramadan is a renewed story with its details and stories, and before that with its value and spirituality that we always feel.
• What is left of the memories of the first Ramadan, his silence?
•• My mother (may God forgive her), as she was the first teacher of life.
• How did you fast, break your fast, and eat Suhoor?
•• I lived with my parents in a military environment. The family was a cooperative participant. The duties and tasks are known to all, and each of us has special tasks. Sometimes we may participate, even a little, in making the iftar or suhoor table.
What is your favorite character in Ramadan?
•• My father (may God protect him), from whom I am still learning the basics of life in Ramadan and at other times.
What do you read during the month of Ramadan?
•• I try to be very keen on reading the Qur’an and some of the other sciences that are available, although I am very keen in Ramadan to try to finish my book that documents the theatrical movement in the Asir region during a quarter of a century ago.
What is the favorite dish on the table?
•• The constant that does not always change is soup and samosas..
• What TV program are you keen to follow?
•• Talk shows I try to follow up and schedule in case I return to them and I am interested in documentaries.
Who do you invite to breakfast with you?
•• Family and relatives.
• What do you miss in Ramadan?
•• The great loss and sadness that is still inherent to me is the loss of my brother Walid (may God have mercy on him), whom I see in the details of Ramadan and its nights.
What would you like if all people adhered to?
•• Everything that is beautiful.
• Which television work is hard to forget?
•• Dream nights and do you forget..!
Tell us about literature, culture and art in Ramadan, and is dealing with it different from the rest of the months?
•• I think that Ramadan this year in particular was different in terms of cultural and artistic work, as we presented many activities this year according to the Ajaweed initiative launched by the Emir of the Asir region. You can imagine that we presented more than ten activities that included theatre, photographic and plastic arts, and seminars, and in The general outline of Ramadan is its privacy and its memories, and I do not think that there is anything that distinguishes work in it from the rest of the months.
• As an intellectual, you and Ramadan have difficult, joyful, or embarrassing situations. Tell us what you want?
•• So far, there is no difficulty or embarrassing situations in Ramadan, and praise be to God.
• What event occurred or took place in Ramadan and experienced it, and who are its heroes and symbols, tell us about it?
•• Every moment in Ramadan has its events, time and people, and the beginnings of fasting may have situations when I was young that are still in memory with friends, school and the things around you and football, which was the first present through Ramadan sports tournaments and our team to which we belong, and the military city in Tabuk including Some of the memories are still fresh in the mind, especially the various programs and events that were presented in some halls and gyms.
• What is the message that intellectuals always send in Ramadan?
•• I hope that the message will always be subject to dualism (love and loyalty).
Sayyaf Al-Shahrani (Abha) @sayaf98544