<p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"><span lang="ar">A state of sadness prevailed in the Arab cultural and artistic community following the passing of</span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%89"><span lang="ar">the Lebanese writer and thinker Elias Khoury,</span></a> <span lang="ar">who passed away a few hours ago at the age of 76, after a journey full of giving and creativity in various fields.</span></p><h2 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187,48%,51%);"><span lang="ar">Hend Sabry: We left and Gaza was being destroyed</span></span></h2><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span lang="ar">The star Hend Sabry mourned him on her official Facebook page, and Hend wrote a comment on a photo she published of Elias: “Elias Khoury left us while Gaza was being destroyed.. sadness upon sadness.. I will never forget his beautiful company and his young revolutionary spirit when he headed us on the jury of the Carthage Film Festival in 2010.. Peace be upon you and upon you, Elias.”</span> </p><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.facebook.com/yousry.nasrallah/posts/10161288039430862?ref=embed_post"></oembed></figure><h3 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187,48%,51%);">Youssef Nasrallah: <span lang="ar">Our love for life, truth, beauty and Palestine brought us together.</span></span></h3><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span lang="ar">Director Youssef Nasrallah was keen to bid farewell to Elias Khoury, and Youssef Nasrallah wrote on his Facebook account, mourning him: “We have known each other for 46 years, we have been friends since then, we worked together, discussed and made a film together, and I was always keen to know his opinion on my work, and he was keen to know my opinion on his work.”</span></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span lang="ar">Yasser added: "Our love for life, truth, beauty and Palestine brought us together. Goodbye, my love, Elias. All my love to Najla, Abla and Talal."</span> </p><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.facebook.com/yousry.nasrallah/posts/10161288039430862?ref=embed_post"></oembed></figure><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span lang="ar">While the Moroccan critic and academic Ahmed Al-Madini wrote: “A sad day for the Arab novel and Arab writers in Lebanon and everywhere, with the passing of the committed writer and unique novelist Elias Khoury,” while</span> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%89"><span lang="ar">the Kuwaiti writer Saud Al-Sanousi</span></a> <span lang="ar">wrote: “He opened another door to the sun...there, farewell Elias Khoury.”</span> </p><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:330/494;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/2ae95079-526c-4065-8613-4dece4f31215.jpg" ></figure><h4 style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span style="color:hsl(187,48%,51%);"><span lang="ar">Who is Elias Khoury?</span></span></h4><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> <span lang="ar">A playwright, novelist and critic, he is considered one of the most important writers in Lebanon. He has presented several artistic and theatrical works, including three plays that were performed in Paris, Beirut, Berlin and Vienna. He also participated in writing two films, and the novel Bab al-Shams is one of his most famous works.</span> </p><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:659/465;" src="https://cdn.sbisiali.com/news/images/4723e5cd-225f-4065-b7f8-8be3f96907b0.jpg" ></figure>