The 'Countering Terrorism with Culture' campaign aims to increase artistic activities and introduce them to deprived areas.

Culture Minister Abdelwahed El-Nabawy's recent announcement was made during a meeting held at El-Samer theatre in Agouza, Cairo, last week.

El-Nabawy added that the campaign will see cooperation with the Supreme Council of Culture and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, as well as the support of several other ministerial bodies.

"The ministry is ready to work towards the preservation of this country and protect it from backwardness and terrorism, with culture as its main weapon," El-Nabawy underlined.

In response to the minister, Abou El-Fadl Badran, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Culture, expressed his readiness to intensify cultural activities, adding that this campaign will be the first close cooperation between the Council and the General Authority for Cultural Palaces (GACP).

Badran described the Council as "the culture incubator," a home to many intellectuals who are ready to spread culture to Egypt's villages.

The outreach can become effective through the GACP which has under its umbrella 559 cultural palaces, houses and libraries scattered across all Egypt's governorates, a number revealed by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) for 2012. Only some of the palaces are fully operational.

The detailed programme 'Countering Terrorism with Culture' is yet to be revealed.