He described the new museum as “a temple of knowledge and, to some extent, a temple of spirituality.”
“Spirituality and dialogue have always been part of Egyptian culture. Egypt is a great nation with an immense history that is recognized worldwide,” he said. “I recall François Mitterrand, at the very end of his life, wished to visit Egypt. When I visited Egypt, I found coming to the tombs of the kings very peaceful; it gives you a sense of relativity and the sense of essence, which is very present in the Quran. That is why I believe we must get inspiration from the Oriental world.”
De Gaulle said he had been reading the Quran, which he described as “giving me strength and the sense of the relativity of the human condition in front of God. It’s very inspirational—another way of looking at destiny.”
He proposed that Egypt could build on the success of the GEM by creating “a kind of interactive museum for Islam” to help non-Muslims better understand Islamic culture and thought.
“It would be a great achievement for Egypt to create a kind of interactive museum for Islam — to open paths for non-Muslim people to explain the Muslim world and the Quran,” he said. “You could use modern interactive elements, like holograms, to create a path from tradition to modernity. I think you could benefit from the GEM experience to explain the Muslim world to international visitors.”
De Gaulle said he had raised similar ideas with other Arab countries, but believes Egypt could take the lead. “This would be a very strong contribution for the union of culture and inter-religious dialogue. It’s a hand given to other cultures, helping non-Muslim people to have a better knowledge of Muslim culture and of Islam in this new multipolar world of justice and dialogue.”
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