A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF GIBRAN’S WRITINGS NECESSITATES AN APPRECIATION OF HIS PAINTINGS – YOUSSEF G. RAHME, PRESIDENT, CEDARS INSTITUTE
Dr. Youssef G. Rahme is the President of The Cedars Institute and the brain behind the Study Abroad In Lebanon (SAIL) programme. The SAIL programme, a collaboration between the Cedars Institute (CI), Notre Dame University(NDU) Lebanon, and The Wole Soyinka Foundation (WSF) Nigeria, gives students the avenue to study World History and Dialogue through the eyes of Lebanon. In this Interview with Wole Adedoyin, Dr. Youssef G. Rahme shared with him his thoughts about Khalil Gibran, facts about The Cedars Institute and the future projects of the Institute on Khalil Gibran.
WA: PLEASE KINDLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF
YR: I was reared at The Cedars, Lebanon until the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) at which time I went to the United States to continue my education. I completed a B.A. in economics and an M.A. degree in Middle Eastern Studies and minor in economics at The University of Michigan (UM)—Ann Arbor. I finished my higher education by earning a Ph.D. in the Division of Social Sciences from The University of Chicago in 1994. Between 1992 and 2011 I was a full time faculty at the UM-Flint Campus. During that time I held various university-wide administrative positions including the Directorship of the International and Global Studies Program. At the end of 2011, for familial reasons, I resigned my tenured faculty position at the University of Michigan and returned to Lebanon.
In 2012, I founded with colleagues at NDU, The Cedars Institute, an academic NGO headquartered at The Cedars, and established the Study Abroad In Lebanon (SAIL) program with my colleague Dr. Edward J. Alam in 2013. From 2015 to 2019 we hosted numerous editions of the SAIL program. Finally, since 2014, I have been an adjunct faculty at Notre-Dame University teaching courses in philosophy, religion and sociology.
WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE KAHLIL GIBRAN TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT READ ANY OF HIS WORKS?
YR: Kahlil Gibran is a deeply spiritual and mystical person. His spirituality is rooted in his background and heritage (eastern Syriac-Christian heritage of Ottoman Mount-Lebanon within the context of an Islamic-Arabic Civilization), in his upbringing at the hands of his mother Kamila Rahme, and in his life-long trials and tribulations. It is truly an ecumenical spirituality that appeals to diverse cultural and religious traditions.
Despite the various tragedies that he experienced, Gibran’s oeuvre is optimistic, unlike that of some of his towering contemporaries such as the American-English poet T. S. Elliot (1888- 1965). It speaks to future generations.
Another point I like to make to his potential readers is that Gibran’s oeuvre is multifaceted.
In order to fully appreciate his lyrical prose and poetry, one should view his artwork, especially his paintings and drawings (most of which are located at The Kahlil Gibran Museum in his birthplace Bsharri), for Gibran was a painter before he became a writer. His writings complement his art. A full understanding of his writings necessitates an appreciation of his paintings. This is a point that was stressed to me by the previous Director of The Khalil Gibran Museum in Bsharri, the late Mr. Wahib Keirouz.
WA: IF READERS WOULD LIKE TO READ KAHLIL GIBRAN’S BOOKS, WHAT BOOKS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
YR: Obviously I would recommend first and foremost his magnum opus The Prophet to draw readers to the rest of his work. For once you read The Prophet you immediately become cognizant of the depth and wisdom of his thought, a book akin to other great works of world literature such as Nahj al-Balaghah of al-Imam Ali (601-661 CE), and the Analects of the Chinese social philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE).
WA: GIVE US THREE "GOOD TO KNOW" FACTS ABOUT YOU AND THE CEDARS INSTITUTE.
YR: I am a multi-lingual academic who lived most of his life abroad in major metropolises, and who resided in (not just visited) seven different countries on four continents. I currently live at The Cedars (ca. 2000m above sea-level) feeling truly privileged and blessed to live in such a holy, extraordinarily beautiful, mostly tranquil place (i say mostly because of the noise pollution generated by the unregulated All-Terrain-Vehicules—ATVs— and Ski-Doux, especially during week-ends) and in a relatively clean environment, being in my humble opinion the closest approximation of heaven on earth.
As for The Cedars Institute, it was established in 2012 to promote and support academic activities: hosting conferences and seminars, organizing and managing the SAIL program, supporting academic projects that focus primarily on any of the following themes broadly conceived: Religion, Migration, and the Environment.
In March 2014 I was able to invite, through the good auspices of Dr Ernest Emenyonu my colleague and friend at UM, Professor Wole Soyinka, the first African recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature, to The Cedars Institute and Notre-Dame University in commemoration of the first anniversary of the death of the founder of modern African literature, Chinua Achebe. The fruits of this event culminated in the publication of a volume entitled, Honoring Chinua Achebe: A Lebanese-Nigerian Celebration in the Company of Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka, edited and introduced by Edward J. Alam (NDU Press, 2016).
WA: WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? ARE THERE ANY AUTHORS (LIVING OR DEAD) THAT YOU WOULD NAME AS INFLUENCES APART FROM KHALIL GIBRAN?
YR: Currently I am reading David Christian’s Origin Story: A Big History of Everything (Little, Brown Spark, 2018), a book that I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone interested in understanding the history of the universe, life on earth, and the human condition. It is truly a must-read to anyone yearning to understand the emergence of complex life on planet earth. To my knowledge, Dr. Christian is the first serious academic to tackle universal history and to place human history in a universal context.
I am also currently reading the novels of R. K. Narayan, an outstanding and distinguished 20th Century Indian author, introduced to me by my fine friend and colleague Dr. Edward J. Alam.
Reading Narayan is akin to feeling with your bare hands a rich, intricate and colorful tapestry woven with an eye for exquisite details. I concur with the words of the British author and friend of Narayan —Graham Greene that “Narayan...wakes in me a spring of gratitude, for he has offered me a second home. Without him I could never have known what it is like to be Indian.”
As for authors or thinkers who have influenced me, there are many but I shall restrict my comments to one author in particular, the German-British economist E. F. Schumacher to whom I was introduced by Dr. Karl Deutsch, a visiting professor of political science from Harvard University while I was an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. Schumacher’s book Small is Beautiful (1973) went against the then dominant current in academic economic thought. Schumacher emphasized the importance of nurturing sustainable development and satisfying one’s needs with the least consumption of resources, an outlook that I have appropriated ever since.
WA: WHICH KAHLIL GIBRAN’S BOOK INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE — AND WHY?
YR: Probably “The Madman” (1918), a story that influenced me as a young idealistic young man. Its depiction of the corruption in Mount-Lebanon is deeply moving. One realizes that true peace within and among human societies cannot materialize without genuine justice.
Of course certain themes from The Prophet shaped my outlook on life. In particular the chapters on children and giving resonated with me when I became a father. Gibran’s words of wisdom will echo through many generations to come.
WA: IF READERS WOULD LIKE TO READ UP ON KHALIL GIBRAN’S WORKS, ARE THERE ANY BOOKS APART FROM THE PROPHET YOU WOULD RECOMMEND?
YR: Of course, other than The Prophet and The Madman i would recommend The Broken Wings ( الاجنحة المتكسّرة , written in Arabic in 1912, transliterated as al-Ajnihah al-Mutakassirah), a book that some scholars of modern Arabic literature consider the first novel in the Arabic language. It is a tragic love story that stresses religious corruption and the dismal condition of women. Here I advise readers to read the translation done by University of Michigan professor, Dr. Juan Cole, Broken Wings: A Novel by Kahlil Gibran. (Translation of the Arabic novel, al-Ajnihah al-Mutakassirah. Ashland, Or.: White Cloud Press, 1998).
WA: WHICH CHAPTER OF THE PROPHET WAS THE MOST PERSONALLY INTERESTING TO YOU?
YR: This is a demanding question. Many of the themes about which Gibran wrote are timeless and most relevant. It is hard to narrow one’s choice to one theme. Be as it may, the first theme that al-Mustafa speaks about is one of my favorites—Love, the central value of Christianity. It is no coincidence that he began his book with it.
WA: WERE THERE ANY FACTS OR THEMES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO INCLUDE, BUT KHALIL GIBRAN DIDN'T MAKE INTO THE BOOK?
YR: Yes, one theme in particular comes to mind that of forgiveness. For love and forgiveness are two of the main pillars of the temple of the Christian faith. Forgiveness is the companion of Love.
WA: WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE BOOKS BY KHALIL GIBRAN —AND WHY?
YR: The Prophet (1923), The Madman (1918), and The Broken Wings (1912) for reasons stated above.
WA:WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT YOUR READERS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CEDARS INSTITUTE AND YOUR FUTURE PROJECT ON KHALIL GIBRAN?
YR: The Cedars Institute is delighted to inform The Khalil Gibran Society in Nigeria that the Institute has began to make preparations for the celebration in 2023 of the one hundred year anniversary of the publication of Gibran’s Prophet in 1923. We are in the process of embarking on an ambitious set of programs and activities. Most importantly, thus far, we have already commissioned the translation of The Prophet into most of the major languages of Nigeria, including Bora, Fulfulde, Hausa, Ibo, Kanuri, Nupe, and Yoruba. This will make Gibran’s masterpiece accessible to millions of Nigerians in their native languages! This translation effort, spearheaded by Nigerian scholars, will culminate, God Willing, in the organization of a conference and roundtable around it. Other programs and activities are being organized for the Centennial.
We will keep you abreast of our initiatives as we proceed!
WA: WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU GIVE TO KAHLIL GIBRAN READERS AND LOVERS?
YR: My heartfelt message to those who like to discover and delve into Gibran’s writings is to visit his birthplace and hometown, Bsharri/The Cedars and its surrounding areas. Such a visit should enable the Gibran reader to appreciate the sources of Gibran’s inspiration: The Qadisha (Holy) Valley, one of the oldest centers of Christian eremetic and monastic traditions in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site, the Biblical Cedars of Lebanon in particular the majestic Cedars of The Lord grove (another UNESCO world heritage site) nestled under the highest peaks of the Lebanon mountain chain, and finally the divine scenery and panoramic views from multiple vantage points.
In addition, the interested Gibran reader or scholar would be able to appreciate first-hand Gibran’s art work at the Kahlil Gibran Museum in the town of Bsharri and visit Gibran’s restored home in the town’s main public square.
WA: THE STUDY ABROAD IN LEBANON (SAIL) PROGRAM, WHICH THE CEDARS INSTITUTE, WOLE SOYINKA FOUNDATION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY ORGANIZED, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO COME IN CONTACT WITH KAHLIL GIBRAN, CAN YOU TELL US LATEST DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM?
YR: The SAIL program was started in December 2013 when we (I and my colleague Dr E. J. Alam) signed in São Paolo a memorandum of understanding with the Rector of one of the foremost Brazilian universities: Universidade Federal de São Paolo (known by its acronym UNIFESP). This happened through the good auspices of our mutual friend, Ms. Denise Milan, a distinguished and accomplished world-renowned Brazilian visual artist of Lebanese descent.
Since 2014 we had many editions of SAIL program hosting scholars, high-ranking university administrators, students, and professionals from Brazil, Nigeria, and Ukraine. The last edition of SAIL was in Summer 2019 when we hosted Nigerian students and professionals. Here let me state in unequivocal terms: The Nigerian editions would not have been possible without the generous support of Dr. Habib Jafar and the collaboration of The Wole Soyinka Foundation.
Since then, the conjuncture of global events—the COVID pandemic and ensuing global economic recession, with local developments in Lebanon (the upheaval of October 2019, economic collapse, and the tragic explosion on August 4, 2020) have scuttled and derailed our plans to host SAIL programs in 2020 and 2021.
Nevertheless we are hopeful to resume the SAIL program in 2022. For more information on the SAIL program and its previous editions, please consult our website at www.cedarsinstitute.org
Thank you for your attention.
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