Arab Healthy Water Association

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ADVISOR AHWA

PROF. ELIAS K. SALIBA

Ph.D. Medical Entomology & Parasitology, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., USA

Former Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences University of Jordan,
Amman, Jordan

P.O. Box 13057
Amman, 11942 , Jordan

Tel: 962(6) 5-155-255 Home
Fax: 5-167401 Home

http://www.philadelphia.edu.jo/sci/elias.html

salibaek@go.com.jo
eliasks@hotmail.com

AHWA LEGAL ADVISOR

MR. MAHMOUD SALAH EDDIN SAFWAT

Member, BAR Association, Egypt
APPELLATE
Legal information services in non profit, NG organizations
Represent AHWA's interest in the legal communities
Management and legal consultancy in water industry
Telefax: +203-4272172
Mobile: 0101370842
Alexandria, Egypt

AHWA CULTURAL ADVISOR

Can Cultures escape the healthy beat?! Marine picture courtesy of http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/water.htm, and of http://www.nooran.org/EN/EnQ3.htm

"Where the Two Oceans Meet" Courtesy of the Art of Mr. Ahmed Moustafa, (http://www.fenoon.com/artist/artist.html), who, inspired by the Qur'anic verses 19-21, chapter 55 of the Holy Qur'an {Chapter of the Most Merciful/AL-Rahmaan}, has entitled his artistic work "Where the Two Oceans Meet" MORE BELOW

DR. JAMAL FOU'AD RASHED EL-'ATTAR

Doctor of Philosophy, (The University of Edinburgh, 1996)
M.A., B.A. (American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 1989 and 1980 respectively),
Independent postdoctoral researcher in Arabo-Islamic, Cross-Civilizational, Perception-management (Self + Other), and Inter-faith Studies,
Assistant Professor of Arabic, at C and E AUI, http://www.candeau.edu.lb
UCI Scholar for Spring term, 2004; http://www.aub.edu.lb/~webuci/
Fax: 00-9611 375636 (Lebanon); from USA dial 011-9611 then 375636

Online articles:
"Pearls of Civilizations"
"Al-Jahiz's Original View of 'Arabic' in Relation to the Holy Qur'an"
"East-West Healthy Cultural Relations"
"Melodious Messages from Mountains of Light"
"Perpetuators of the Power of Peace:
When Languages, Arts & Literature Cross-Culturally Unite & Altruistically Please!"

CV of Dr. Jamal el-'Attar (last updated 2002; will be updated soon)

Dear dedicated AHWA and HWA members.

Happy new 1427 Hijra year with many healthy and fruitfully peaceful returns for all AHWA and HWA dear dedicated members!

I saw our coordinators's nice pictorial online page at http://www.mgwater.com/ahwa/hanihome/hanidaas.html It's a feast for the senses!

May I invite you to read the following article from http://english.daralhayat.com.

Where The Two Oceans Meet

Jamal el Attar     Al-Hayat     03/01/06//

The Qur'anic calligraphy [above] corresponds to verse 19 in Surat 55 (al-Rahmaan), in Arabic, stating exactly: Maraja-l-Bahraini Yaltaqiyaan, i.e., "God Has been allowing the two converging (neighboring but non-merging) seas/oceans to face and neighbor each other"- this is written in Arabic upwards and downwards; end of quotation - that is without merging their different degrees of salinity, even though they look similar in color, taste, etc., when "there cometh forth from both of them the pearl and the coral-stone" (verse: 22 of the same Sura). How?

This is by keeping a buffer zone "Barzakh" in between which deters each from altering the chemical composition of the other: see the verse which follows immediately (20): Baynahuma Barzakh-un Laa yabghiyaan: in spite of the salty seas being mixed - we learn they do in a state of turbulence - they nevertheless do not transgress but mix very slowly by virtue of the barzakh/barrier. One scholar says: "Marine biologists after the progress of modern science have now discovered the following: There is a moving barrier between the two converging seas that marine biologists call 'the frontier'. This makes each sea maintain its characteristics that Allah has decreed for it and at the same time makes suitable for its living creatures. Mixing between the two seas is very slow and makes that amount of water that moves from one sea to the other, acquire those characteristics of that sea into which it is moving without affecting the original water. Marine biologists discovered in 1873 that there is a difference between salty waters in the degree of saltiness, density and kinds of living creatures. This was the outcome of a three year research. These moving barriers between the seas were photographed by Satellite."

A similar situation exists this time between sweet and salty waters, i.e., rivers and oceans. This is stated in another verse (53) of Surat 25 (al-Furqaan):

"And it is He (All-Mighty God), the One Who has let loose/sent the two kinds of waters / two entities of oceans and rivers, whilst creating a complete partition (third entity) of a very tasteful and palatable sweet zone which buffers between the very salty and very sweet waters." The same scholar adds: "Modern science discovered that there is a third area of water, different in characteristics from the two converging oceans, and separated between the two seas, that differ in degree of saltiness, temperature, density and even living creatures..."

Such is the lot of civilizations/humanity who has been similarly sent by God, in various languages, colors, and achievements; they are equally unique but different, exactly as the waters are unique and different, but from each comes benefits: "Wa Min Kullin Ta'kulouna Lahman Tariyyan Wa Tastakhrijouna Hilyatan Talbasounahaa...", verse 12 in Surat Faatir (35)", i.e., from each type of water you may eat tender meat (fish) and get pearls for ornamentation, and in each civilization there are ample jewels and treasures reflective of the secrets of the surrounding waters. This is interestingly and healthfully globe-bound: where the two "oceans" of any respecting cultures meet before the sweet door of mutual tolerance, there is no fear from any intruding globalization; when civilizations really meet, they need not transgress - "La Yabghiyaan", verse: 20 of Surat al-Rahmaan (55) - but can co-exist beneficially by allowing a fresh breeze of respect to and tolerance of their specially endowed cultural and civilization features in a state of equilibrium resembling that secret of the (sweet) waters neighboring/within the oceans while maintaining peacefully their respective compositions, fruitfulness and cultural identities.

Should civilizations be in a state of "cultural" turbulence when they meet? Is cultural erosion inevitable and necessary between triumphant and marginalized nations? The meeting waters have been prevented from spoiling the composition and characteristics of each other. Verily, we can do the same! 3

The waters have been made able to produce pearls, coral stones and furnishing us with real food for thought; can't cultures produce more?

P.S. In 1997, in recognition of Doctor Ahmed Moustafa's international renown in the field of Islamic art, and his special position as a British Muslim artist based for so many years in England, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II presented a specially commissioned composition by Ahmed Moustafa entitled "Where The Two Oceans Meet", as a gift to the Nation of Pakistan to mark the occasion of Pakistan's fiftieth anniversary.

This masterpiece of multi-layered Islamic calligraphy, presented by Her Majesty in Islamabad at an exhibition entitled "Traditions of Respect - Britain and Islamic Culture" and sponsored by the British Council, reflects the paramount importance Ahmed Moustafa attaches to building cultural bridges of mutual respect and understanding through the medium of his art. (Kindly see Mr. Ahmed Moustafa's webpage at http;//www.fenoon.com/home/home.html)

DR. JAMAL FOU'AD RASHED EL-ATTAR
Doctor of Philosophy, (The University of Edinburgh, 1996)
M.A., B.A. (American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 1989 and 1980 respectively).