Dubai, UAE: The modern Arab world can rise to the top of world, thanks to modernization, revival of culture and urge of exploring all avenues of possible development in all areas of common interest.
This was the crux of the key note speech of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal during the Arab Thought Foundation’s concluding day of the annual conference FIKR16 titled “Stabilization Challenges amidst Regional Turmoil” held in Dubai, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai. The three-day conference was concluded with a session titled “Towards a New Arab Citizen”, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal, President of the Arab Thought Foundation; Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League; and Dr. Ali El Din Hilal Dusuqi, Egypt’s former Youth Minister and professor of political science at Cairo University, and moderated by Professor Henri Al Awit, Director General of the Arab Thought Foundation.
HRH gave a speech, in which he said: “I will talk about the Arab person in general, not in particular, the modern Arab person. I will give an example about the start of the Islamic message, when Prophet Mohammed abandoned the forefathers’ worship of idols and took up the worship of God and his Book. With that, the Arab person proved that he is capable of renewal and of adapting to ways that are of benefit to himself. The Arab person became a participant in the world. I give an example of renewal, which is the rule of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, who appointed Omar bin Al-Khattab judge amongst the peoples, and since then the separation of judiciary from rule began.”
His Highness then added that Abu Bakr worked to develop administrations and employed the “diwan” system as employed by the Persian state, and this is how the Arab person began to develop—up until the Islamic nation became one of the strongest states and armies, spreading its culture and civilization to the West, and translating books. His Highness pointed out that “this is what the renewed Arab person is—someone who has transitioned from life as a nomad to becoming an intellectual capable of influencing the West, and of changing the westerners’ way of life.”
He talked about the current situation saying: “Since World War II, Arab states have been divided by the West into statelets, and they have been ruled by others. Then came what is called the ‘Arab liberation’ by some Arab officers, leading to military coups that seized Arab states—transformations at the behest of military leaders who desired revolutions to which the people had no claim. This is where the Arabs became frustrated and started becoming submissive; doing what is instructed of them without any due consideration. The choice to obey was made instead of questioning why—thus intellectual, cultural, and mental stagnation took over the Arab person. In recent years, this culture has changed, and intellect and awareness has shifted from subservience to thinking for oneself. This is why cultural and intellectual foundations and societies were established in the Arab world, such as the Arab Thought Foundation, which provides the opportunity for Arab thinkers to speak freely.”
His Highness added: “The situation in the Arab world is no longer the same, and the best example is the renewal in culture, thought, and styles of management. There are living examples that overthrow elements that managed to have gone unheeded, unspoken about, marginalized, and even labeled as regressive and subservient or ignorant. I mention two successful examples. We have one Arab unity that succeeded—the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which unified tribes and developed its societies. The people of the Kingdom went from being largely illiterate, to people who win global prizes in science and technology. When they talk about security and stability, they mention Saudi Arabia as an example.”
The second example is the United Arab Emirates, which we consider the only successful union.” He said: “Today, the Arab people are hastening to visit and work in the UAE—which reflects the strength and embodies the ability of the Arab person to strive for advancement. These two examples give hope that the Arab person is well, that thoughts and intellectualism are sound, and that the Arab administrations are running well.”
In conclusion, His Highness said: “We are up to the challenge, and we can rise to the top in the world. Saudi Arabia is one of the top 20 largest economies in the world, an achievement many states have failed to accomplish—a realization of the Arab person. Today, the United Arab Emirates is one of the most advanced countries in many aspects. We lack nothing but effective management methods, focus, and self-confidence. They shook our self-confidence in the past with armies, and today they also attempt to colonize intellect and culture. They want us to believe that we cannot advance unless we follow them in every way. But following is not advancement; it’s the essence of regression itself. Advancement lies in creativity and innovation.” He asked: “We have our principles and traditions, why not build upon them? Why don’t we renew our lives, our methods, and our times and benefit from the sciences and worldly experiences? We will accept to be the followers.”
Second only to the role of the family, Sheikh Al Issa spoke about the importance of education when considering the influential aspects of mass media—a multifaceted medium that leads public opinion in avenues that affect even cultures and customs. “In this deeply integrated system,” he said, “change must come from within.” As such, Sheikh Al Issa discussed the need to formulate a national project that seeks to identify and support public interests when formulating cultural systems. “This will usher forth a more prosperous future through developing clear, transparent, and strategic plans built upon the criteria that demands that we keep pace with progression—while also considering and learning from any failure,” he said.
In order to implement these changes, Sheikh Al Issa noted three requirements: First, and foremost, the objective must be fair and impartial to any personal or private interests. Second, and without exception, the plans in all integrity must be carried out with full transparency. Third, each plan must be equipped with sound vision, goals, and timelines for completion—all of which should be available to the public to monitor as they desire.
Moving forward, Sheikh Al Issa also discussed the notion of thought and ambition throughout the Arab world. “The Arab person shares the same concepts and motivations as anyone else. He or she, however, has been stifled throughout our history and has witnessed several detours that impede ambitious actions in support of research or innovation,” he said – noting that the root cause leads back to the governments in charge that have focused more on emigration. “Europe, for example, went through many long periods throughout a phase in which it was closed-in on itself,” he said. “Personal interests and political intersections were accompanied by a mixture of radical hegemony and carried religious connotations, which is why the reaction in some of those states was sharp and often opposing, resulting in the separation of religion from the state. Such reactions were also accompanied by the migration to what some have coined as ‘The New World,’ which indeed benefitted from the concerted efforts to transcend narrow interests—hence the formation of the people and the call for the civilized state. This transition spurred the sciences and intellectual thought, which makes me say that perhaps the Arab person opposed this phase.”
For his part, Dr. Ali El Din Hilal spoke about the rule of law, state institutions, and citizenship, saying that institutions are a group of individuals, and states are comprised of rulers, elites, and subjects. “Any reform or progress can only be achieved by the people,” he said. “The human being is both the goal and the methodology behind progress. The states are distinct from one another not only by their resources, but also through their human and social capital—their citizens’ skills, capabilities, and intelligence.”
He added: “In the fifties and sixties, there emerged the term “creating a new man” which meant formulating people in ideological, partisan, and political forms as constructed by the governing rulers. This certainly isn’t our goal, nor what we are talking about, and there is no hope of creating identical people or people who believe in one thought, one political movement, and one ideology. What we are talking about,” he said, “involves the notion that a person belongs to his society, his homeland, his nation, and his religion.” As for those with strong senses of nationality and pride, Dr. El Din Hilal cited Syrians, Saudis, Lebanese, and Algerians among others, including those who identify as a part of a larger cultural and civilized circle—the Arab circle. “This is the starting point, for a person who belongs to a social framework and cultural identity,” he said.
He said that this new Arab person is based on three elements: imagination, science, and cooperation. First, imagination – namely innovation – is the art of being inquisitive and of questioning reality. “For someone to be imaginative, this means that they have a real desire for renewal and modernization. They seek new solutions for themselves, their families, their societies, and their homelands.” He continued by saying that the new Arab person will not be confined by the molds fastened by their fathers or ancestors. “They must seek to be open minded about the world and to be a participant instead of a consumer.” Second, science; no progress has been achieved without the aid of science and scientific research. “This cannot be achieved as long as our general culture does not respect science,” he said; “and our governments currently do not respect science or scientists, because the value of science is in the society itself.” He affirmed that science establishes the basis for freedom, pluralism, and better methodologies to achieve results. “Science, in its comprehensive meaning, is natural and includes social sciences,” he clarified. Third, the Arab person must be cooperative and realize that if God Almighty had wanted to make all people of one religion, color, ethnicity, or mold, he would have done that. “Pluralism is God’s law,” he said; “the pluralism of religions, sects, opinions, etc. And if this is God’s law, and God created us into peoples and tribes, then how can any of us or any group of us claim absolute wisdom or monopolize the truth?”
