(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian poet Abdulrahman Matar has been awarded the annual Empowering Communities Prize by the Multicultural Festival in the Canadian city of Toronto, the former political detainee told Zaman al-Wasl on Tuesday.
Matar, originally from eastern Raqqa city, was given this honor due to his interest in organizing cultural activities in Canada- in cooperation with other writers- through the Mediterranean Syrian Cultural Forum, which he has run for years. Equally impressive is his role in promoting the cooperation between cultural organizations, his participation in community-based programs, his effective contribution to cultural empowerment, as well as his role in creating opportunities for dialogue and communication between artists from multiple cultures.
Matar expressed to Zaman al-Wasl his deep appreciation of, and pride in this award and described the important moral and symbolic value it represents.
According to Matar, the prize honors the earnest efforts of the Syrian artists to reestablish and enhance cultural identity within a multicultural society.
Matar, has been living in Canada as a refugee since 2015. He is a member of the Canadian Pen Association and the Writers Union in Canada. He is, also, a member of the executive office of the Syrian Writers Association. In the past, he has, unfortunately, been exposed to numerous arrest experiences in Syria as well as Libya.
Matar considers the Art Commitment Award as a tribute to all Syrian and Arab writers and artists, whose positive and serious participation helped in bridging the gap between the Syrian-Mediterranean Cultural Forum and the Canadian public and attracted respect and appreciation toward the Syrian culture, aesthetics and art.
The Canadian-Colombian writer and lawyer, Paola Gomez, who is the founder and director of the festival, indicated that the commitment of the poet to promoting Arab cultures, and celebrating their specificities, can hugely contribute to the cultural and artistic scene in Ontario. His participation in the Canadian Pen Association and the Book Exile Committee, and his various contributions to cultural life, all improve the multicultural harmony that Canada seeks to establish.
Matar has successfully created a space for arts and culture, in which he facilitated the integration of Arabic speaking artists in the Ontario cultural landscape. He also promoted and celebrated many other cultures, welcoming them into the artistic melting pot that he has created.
In the spirit of gratitude to Matar’s efforts, the Multicultural Festival awarded him the Empowering Communities prize for Commitment to Arts for the year 2020.
The Multicultural Festival is the most prominent festival that deals with the cultures of immigrants and refugees in Toronto. It encompasses a various range of cultural and artistic activities like poetry, theater, composition, music and dance, and it is widely supported by competent and specialized Canadian institutions, such as the Canadian Arts Council, the Pen Association, And by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself.
By Faris al-Rifai
Zaman Al Wasl
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