Al-Misrī al-Yawm talks to the head of the National Center for Translation, Dr. Jābir ‘Asfūr, about his new book, titled “Criticizing the Culture of Backwardness.” ‘Asfūr says Egypt is like an ill person and that society suffers from the culture of backwardness that he writes about. He denies the existence of a fitnah tā’ifīyah and claims the impossibility of there ever being one because Egypt’s civil state roots are too deep.

Key Words: Dr. Jābir ‘Asfūr – Fārūq Husnī