In the etiquette of friendship

These messages were not written with the intention of publishing them in the first place. As is the case with some of our famous literary correspondences. They were decided to be published after the death of Abdul Rahman, thanks to the kind initiative of Suad Qawadri Muneef and Marwan. And I have no doubt that Abdul Rahman would have agreed if asked. These correspondences are a story of friendship. A friendship that predates the start of the correspondence. To friendship, these messages form rare testimonies about the process of literary and artistic production and their relationship. The two friends fall silent and the correspondence between them is interrupted for months during the American invasion of Iraq. Abdul Rahman breaks the silence explaining the reason: sadness and frustration. Abdul Rahman takes refuge in the popular wisdom "If it’s broken, it won’t be built." And Marwan strengthens himself with Saadallah Wannous's saying "We have been condemned to hope." A final scene: Marwan in his new studio waiting for the light to dispel the stubborn clouds of Germany: "The important thing is the light," he says. Spring 2011. The light came to us. Mohamed Bouazizi fulfilled Nizam Hikmet's saying: "If I do not burn / and you do not burn / and we do not all burn, how can darkness turn into light?" Spring 2011. The flood came to us. Fawaz Tarabulsi