It is an honor for me that the newspaper 'Al-Shorouk' has opened its opinion page to me. I was delighted that this modest contribution serves as a reminder or a resumption of communication between various Arab countries, even if only on paper, which affirms the unity of our cause and enhances dialogue—even with differing opinions—about the developments our countries are experiencing in the transition from absolute dictatorship to a climate of free speech that heralds a different era whose dawn we have long awaited.

This is a collection of articles published in 'Al-Shorouk' over the past two years, with the encouragement of a dear friend, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Moallem, the owner of Dar Al-Shorouk, a pioneer in the Arab publishing world, and the publisher of 'Al-Shorouk' newspaper in Cairo on the eve of Egypt's blessed revolution. The great writer and friend, Jamil Matar, was instrumental in encouraging me to write regularly every week, 'so that we may restore communication… were not the Levantine writers among the founders of the press in Egypt?' I hope these articles are a step on this path.

Talal Salman

• Publishing House: Dar Al-Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
• Number of Pages: 352
• Year of Publication: 2012
• ISBN: 9789953718248