In response to the published article entitled “Jacob Sanua, the pioneer of Egyptian cartoons… the slanderer is dead and alive,” I say: I have no time to waste responding to matters that I have previously killed in writing, research, and refutation, and to which “all” specialized researchers in the whole world have yet to respond. From foreigners, Arabs and Egyptians with any “evidence” or “document” away from sophistry, possibilities, interpretations and justifications that did not present anything new during the “25 years” which is the life of the Yaqoub Sanua case with me!! Nevertheless, I will respond to the published article in a simplified way, so that it becomes clear to everyone!
Dear reader of “The Seventh Day”: The author of the article says that I have been waging a campaign for three years against honoring “Jacob Sanua” as the pioneer of Egyptian caricature, as he was the first to introduce caricature into the Egyptian press through his magazine “Abu Nazra Zarqa”, whose first issue was published in Cairo on the 25th. March 1878.
In response to that, I say: James Senua did not introduce any caricatures into Egypt, did not draw any caricatures in Egypt, did not publish any caricatures in Egypt, and did not publish any magazine containing caricatures in Egypt!! And his magazine “Abu Nazra Zarqa”, published in Egypt in 1878, is completely devoid – in all its fifteen issues – of any caricature or non-caricature!! The reader of the seventh day “now” can search for my page on Facebook and go to my post on March 12th, to find “70 clear and readable” pictures, which are “all” pages of the issues of the “Abu Nazareth Zarqa” magazine published in Egypt in 1878, to see with his own eyes that they are empty. All of them from any cartoon!! Accordingly, I ask: What is the relationship of “Jacob Sanua” with the art of caricature in Egypt?!! It is strange that the author of the article wants to make him a “pioneer” and celebrate this leadership in Egypt, and he wants us to participate in this historical forgery.
The author of the article claims that officials of the Ministry of Culture honored Sanua as a pioneer of the Egyptian theater!! This did not happen “at all”, and it was just an idea that some employees failed to implement – in one of the Egyptian theatrical festivals – when they were “unable” to prove the Egyptianness of James the Englishman – or Jacob Sanua – and his alleged leadership of the Egyptian theater, so they deleted the name “Jacob Sanua” from the celebration. And they contented themselves with putting the phrase “150 years of theatre”!!
The strange thing is that the author of the article does not research or read about its topic, because if he read and researched, he would discover that the Ministry of Culture did not celebrate Sanua “at all”, so why did he write this claim?!! He wrote it in order to deceive the readers and delude them into thinking that the Ministry of Culture had a contradiction in its position, as it celebrated James or Sanua as a pioneer of theatre, and did not celebrate him as a pioneer of caricature!! Here, the reader of the seventh day would like to notice that the Ministry of Culture prevented the holding of any cartoon exhibition in which the Egyptian nationality would be granted to James the Englishman, and his installation as a pioneer of Egyptian caricature!! And for your information: The Ministry of Culture prevented this forgery and canceled holding the cartoon exhibition – which the author of the article tried to hold – three times: the first during the reign of Minister Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem in March 2021, and the second during the reign of Minister Dr. Nevin Al Kilani last March 2023. And the third, during the reign of Minister Dr. Nevin Al-Kilani, also on May 6!! The reason for preventing the installation of Yaqoub Sanua as a pioneer in caricature – by the Ministry of Culture – is to prevent falsification of Egypt’s history and the pioneering of Egyptian caricature.
To the readers of the Seventh Day and to the readers of the whole world, I say: All the writings that were written about “James Sinwa or Jacob Sanua” in Arabic, English, French, or any other language, are all “transferred” from Sanua’s writings in his newspapers, and from the writings of his contemporary friends in France, and from “Sanoua’s Memoirs” published by Dr. Ibrahim Abdo in 1953!! No matter how hard you try, dear reader, to find a source, reference, research, or article on Sanua, you will find what is in it quoted from Sanua’s own writings in his newspapers and diaries!!
“Conclusion”: James Sinwa or Yaqoub Sanua wrote his own history about himself, and everyone who wrote about him believed these memoirs and walked behind them and transmitted them as if they were “truth”!! And when I proved this in my writings 25 years ago, and “everyone” is panting behind the refutation of this shocking fact, but they have all “failed” so far!! I ask you, dear reader, to try by yourself to find a source or reference for Sanua with any information outside of Sanua’s writings and memoirs.. Perhaps you will succeed where specialists have failed for a quarter of a century!
In order to help you, dear reader: I ask you, while searching, to ask yourself these questions while searching, apart from what Sanua says and his memoirs: What are the Egyptian newspapers that wrote about Sanua’s theater and his caricatures?? How many advertisements did you find and read about or see his picture of plays and performances made in Egypt?! What are the names of the members and representatives of the two theater troupes in Egypt? How many critics watched Sanua’s performances and wrote about them in Egyptian newspapers? How many celebrities and notables of the nineteenth century in Egypt knew Sanaa, sat with him, read about him, wrote about him, or mentioned his biography in any books, notes, or newspapers? How many contemporary Egyptian cartoonists were affected by his alleged caricature drawings? How many contemporary Egyptian cartoonists have written criticisms, descriptions, or explanations of their alleged cartoons? How many contemporary journalists, critics, or artists of Sanua’s in Egypt wrote about his magazine “Abu Nazareth Zarqa” until we are convinced that it is a magazine that has an impact on readers?!! When you ask these questions and do not find answers to them, be convinced that you have begun to think and you will arrive at a convincing justification, that we have been exposed to a “major hoax” and we have participated in its promotion!!
Refutation of evidence
Based on the foregoing, I can respond to the author of the article in his allegations, when he says that Sanaa is Egyptian and was born in Cairo, and cites his “Egyptianness” in the book “The Rebel Journalist” by Dr. Ibrahim Abdo, issued in the Golden Book series, by the Rose Al-Youssef Foundation in 1955!! My response to that is that what is found in the book “The Revolutionary Journalist” is literally copied from “Sano’s Memoirs”!! Also, the book “The Rebel Journalist” is a “simple summary” of the huge book “Abu Nazara” that Ibrahim Abdo published in 1953, and it is the main book that included “Sanua’s Memoirs” in all the writings on Sanua that were published from 1954 until now!! And these memoirs were taken by Ibrahim Abdo from Sanua’s daughter in Paris, “Lolly”, who deceived him in some way to publish them in Egypt!! The wonderful thing is that Ibrahim Abdo questioned the memoirs, being fake and untrue, with explicit statements in his book, and I wrote about them in my book, which the author of the article did not read, and he does not know anything about him, although it was published in 2001 and is titled “The Trial of Jacob Sanua’s Theater”, and the entire fifth chapter is about Dr. Ibrahim’s book slave!! An article was also published in the issue of “Our Theater” newspaper, No. 710, dated 5/4/2021, entitled “Lolly Sanua deceived the most important researchers.”
The trial of Jacob Sanua theater
Made Zionism
The author of the article says: “With regard to Sanua and the Zionist movement, there are no documents or compelling evidence of this disgraceful accusation with which Dr. Sayed Sanua was accused. Sanua died in 1912 before the establishment of the occupying state!” Here, the author of the article proves that he did not read about his subject before writing it, so I say to him: Read my book “The Trial of Jacob Sanua’s Theatre,” published in 2001, in which you will find a collection of articles published by Sanua in his newspaper in France in 1898 encouraging the migration of “European Jews” to the Ottoman kingdoms to settle there. Including Palestine!
I also published new evidence of Sanua’s Zionism in an article published in “Our Theater” newspaper, entitled “The Case of Jacob Sanua is Still Continuing: Between Freemasonry and Zionism,” Issue “708,” dated 3/22/2021. The evidence is: the book “Secrets of the Jews” published in Egypt in 1911 by its author “Nassim Mullul”, which is considered one of the most important books for promoting Zionism in the world!! It is strange that Jacob Sanua wrote an introduction to this book in the form of applause, praised by the author of the book and published it!! As for the publisher of the book, it was the “Israeli Renaissance Association”!! The author wrote the following: “…the Al-Nahda Association put together this book pursuant to one of its basic principles, which is defending and upholding the Israeli nation. We did not expect that the respected scholar and distinguished professor “Sheikh Abu Nazara” in Paris would be at the forefront of our supporters in this project. Dangerous!! Not only did Sanua praise the book and encourage its ideas, but he made himself a distributor and seller of the book in France!! On the last pages of the book, the author published the places of his sale, in which he stated: “…and in Paris, at Sheikh Abu Nazara Shaer al-Malik, on Riche Street, No. 43.” In general, if this evidence is not sufficient, let the author of the article refer to my previously mentioned writings to find more!!
It is clear that the author of the article does not read anything about his topic – as I said – and does not have scientific evidence or a research methodology, so he resorted to making accusations – which will soon bring him under the law – saying: “Unfortunately, Dr. Sayed played on the Jewish Sanua to gain the sympathy of the followers For him, he forgot and did not mention to the reader and to the followers of his page the difference between Jews and Zionists, and that the Jews were and still are one of the components of Egyptian society, and they played an important and influential role in all aspects of Egyptian life in the modern era. religious sects in Egypt.
My response to that is my previous response that the author of the article did not read anything about its subject!! Because I did not mention Sanua’s religion, and all my words are purely scientific and based on evidence and documents in everything related to banned cartoon exhibitions, and in the matter of Sanua’s leadership in caricature!! I challenge the author of the article to come up with one phrase or one line throughout the three years that he traces me – the author of the article – in which I mentioned the religion of Sanua!! This means that this false accusation was mentioned by the author of the article after he despaired of carrying out his plan by appointing Sanua as the pioneer of caricature and granting him the Egyptian nationality!! The religion of Sanua mentioned by the author of the article is intended to remove the topic from being a scientific research, and this I will not allow the author of the article until I put it in its true place in the art and history of caricature, and show the true purpose of his project in falsifying the history of Egypt and pioneering caricature!!
The funny thing is that the author of the article says: “For more details about Sanua and the Freemasonry movement, you can refer to the book “Jacob Sanua, the Pioneer of Theater and His Unknown Plays”!! The fact that he published documents copied from a group of articles published before the book was published without referring to its owner!!And the owner of the original documents who was previously published wrote an article about this book and published it in the newspaper “Our Theater” under the title “In response to “Jacob Sanua, the pioneer of Egyptian theater and his unknown plays.” The book responds On my research with my discoveries!!”!! And this article, since its publication in the issue of “644” on 12/30/2019 until now, “trends” the newspaper and the website, as the number of its readers so far has reached “10612”!!
Sanua’s grave
The author of the article says: “Sanua was the first to raise the slogan “Egypt for the Egyptians,” and put it in the header of Abu Nazara magazine. This slogan was then adopted by Ahmed Lotfi Al-Sayyid as a slogan for his party in 1907. And he replied: I did not mention that because I am a researcher!! Despite this, I will mention two reasons for it: the first is that this slogan was drawn up, published, and written about in nine volumes for the first time in Egypt by “Salim Khalil al-Naqqash” before 1884!! As for Sanua, he took it after that in his newspaper, which was published in France, not in Egypt!!
As for what the author of the article said: “Dr. Sayed did not mention that Sanua’s tomb is the only tomb among the Jewish cemeteries in France that is decorated with two Egyptian obelisks??!!” The response to this was published in my article – previously mentioned – “The case of Jacob Sanua is still continuing: between Freemasonry and Zionism.” This is part of what I said in this regard: “…it is sufficient that his tombstone in Paris since his death until now bears two Masonic symbols: the first is his tombstone The same, which is the “Pharaonic obelisk” that symbolizes eternal life in the Masonic concept, which some interpreted as a symbol of Sanua’s adherence to his pharaohism.The other symbol is the branch of the “acacia” plant – located on the obelisk – and symbolizes the bond of brotherhood and union among the members of Masonic societies, which some thought was An “olive branch” symbolizing peace!! This means that Jacob Sanua lived a Freemason and died a Freemason, and was buried in a Masonic grave, sponsored by Freemasonry until now, as is evident from the picture of his grave!!
Conclusion
There is nothing left for the author of the article except for inaccurate words that are not relied upon in scientific research, but rather on sayings and words from here and there, and all this in order to try to approach the topic of Sanua’s leadership in Egyptian cartoons!! Made in Egypt.. He did not draw or publish a cartoon magazine!! As for Sanua in France – as an Englishman away from Egypt and not in exile – he published a magazine containing cartoons by French artists, especially the painter “Paul Dubinier”, who drew “all” the drawings of Sanua’s magazine in France since Sanua’s arrival in France until 1886, and these drawings were collected by the painter In the book “Abu Nazra’s Album” issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in 2009, from which the author of the article took “all” the old photos displayed in his last exhibition, without the ministry’s permission, and this will inevitably place him under penalty of law and accountability very soon, as he violated intellectual property, And he committed a violation of scientific dishonesty for a book published in the Egyptian Ministry of Culture!!
My last tip
To the author of the article: Leave this suspicious subject..because your insistence on it has put you in the “circle of suspicions” after the Ministry of Culture rejected it three times in two years on Egyptian soil, until you carried it out “secretly” on French soil – the fact that the French Institute in Mounira is affiliated with the French embassy And with the sponsorship and support of “David Sadoulet,” the French cultural advisor in Egypt.. Do you want more suspicion than this!!
