Mr Koichiro Matsuura                                                              London, 16th June 2008

Director General

UNESCO

7 Place Fontenoy

75007 Paris

France

 

 

Dear Mr Matsuura,

 

The AJE UK is a non profit making social and cultural Association established in 2001.  Its membership is made up of ex Jews from Egypt concerned with the preservation of the Community’s cultural heritage.  Our members were one time refugees from Egypt who were welcomed by the British Government and made a new life for themselves in this country.

 

We are writing to you because of the recent statement made by Mr HOSNI whom we note is a possible contender for your position.  His remarks have led to disquiet among our members and to a call for clarification on his part of the reported phrase: ‘I’d burn Israeli books myself if I found any libraries in Egypt’.  These are regrettably not remarks one would like to hear from a candidate for this important position. 

 

However, we believe it would greatly repair the damage done if you could convince Mr HOSNI to transfer the existing Archives and Registers of the Jewish Community in Egypt to the protection of UNESCO.  We hope of course that you would be agreeable to undertaking this important mission.  These Archives and Registers are absolutely fundamental to our ancient Egyptian Jewish identity and our collective memory of our time in Egypt. 

 

We are therefore joining together with our sister Associations the ASPCJE of Paris and the HSJE of New York, in respectfully submitting the above requests to you.   

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Maurice MALEH

On behalf of the AJE UK Committee

 

 

Contact:  tel: (0) 0785 455 989

   Email: and pmmaleh@yahoo.co.uk

   Postal address: 4 Folly Close, Radlett, WD7 8DR