Jamal Khashoggi

By : Jamal Khashoggi

This article was co-authored by Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati academic and professor of political sciences, and chairperson of the Arab Council for Social Sciences.

Researchers, ambassadors, and maybe former members of intelligence services representing countries involved in the Syrian crisis, gathered in Beirut for two days at the invitation of the Middle East Institute, which receives American and Arab support. The first day’s sessions were discouraging – we blamed each other, some insisting on adopting their government’s position and justifying the unjustifiable, such as bombing and killing civilians in Syria.

Discussions heated up on the second day. One of us shouted at an Iranian researcher who equated Wahhabism to Nazism. In the final session, the American-Lebanese moderator asked us to think about the future with utmost boldness and freedom.

One of us replied: “Let’s assume that wars are over, that crises have magically disappeared, that the Arab Gulf countries are on good terms with Iran, that the situation in Iraq and Syria has stabilized, that Egypt has recovered its strength, and that concerns about Turkey have disappeared. Let us imagine all of that across a large, stable, prosperous, cooperative Middle East, from Iran in the east to Mauritania in the west, and from Aden in the south to Istanbul in the north. Let us dream of a happy Middle East, and think together on how to develop the capacities and potential of its countries and people to achieve this dream.”

This vision diffused a positive energy, prompting us to get carried away with our thoughts despite them being utopian. “No dream is impossible when it’s accompanied by long-term strategic planning,” said an American-Lebanese researcher.

The dream of a happy Middle East stems from the womb of a distressed, dark, sad reality. If we give in to the many obstacles and constraints, the dream will disappear along with the quest to achieve it

Jamal Khashoggi

An Iraqi colleague proposed that his country provide food and water to the Gulf countries via the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A Turkish researcher considered his country as a passage for Iraqi and Gulf oil and gas toward international markets. Elderly researchers regained their youth, as if they were students in a virtual laboratory where they discovered a promising future for the region.

The Emirati spokesman tried to reconcile between utopia and reality, suggesting the replacement of rivalries with “complementary functional relations,” meaning that for example, the countries of the region might discuss, with the support of friendly international powers, the water crisis that threatens the existence of some states and is no less dangerous than political conflicts and extremism.

Had the current warring states put their differences aside, seeking solutions to their water and food problems and addressing the concerns of their youth, they would have been much happier today.

Learning by example

A former American ambassador in many Arab countries reminded participants of the Helsinki Accords, which constituted the start of unprecedented cooperation between the two sides of the Cold War.

The agreement was based on “non-intervention in internal affairs, equality, the respect of citizenship rights and political and civil freedoms, national sovereignty, the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes and refraining from the threat or use of force, the right of peoples to self-determination, the consolidation of cooperation manifestations, and the fulfillment of international commitments and pledges in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of international law.”

If the countries of the region had applied these principles, the Middle East would have been in a much better situation than it is now (being the most violent region in the world). This dream seems far-fetched for the Middle East, but why should we not dream?

Europe emerged very weak from World War II, and began its journey of change with a dream of unity. The past 70 years have been the longest period of prosperity in its history. The same applies to Asia, which was immersed in crises and extreme poverty, but started its journey with a dream of economic development, turning the continent into a new economic center.

The dream of a happy Middle East stems from the womb of a distressed, dark, sad reality. If we give in to the many obstacles and constraints – such as the lack of democracy, the monopolization of power, corruption, sectarianism, hypocrisy, and political and ideological disputes – the dream will disappear along with the quest to achieve it.

We are certain that we are not the only ones dreaming of a happy Middle East. Half a century ago, then-ruler of Dubai Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed dreamt that his city would become like Basra, which used to be called the Venice of the East. He was able, with much effort and planning, to achieve his dream.

As if he was present with us in Beirut, his son and current ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, tweeted to his 5 million followers: “Our Arab region needs wisdom to dismantle its political bottlenecks, governance to manage its human and financial resources, and active governments that can lead a real development.”

This tweet came from someone with an Arab success story that started with a dream of a city ranking high on the list of the world’s happiest cities. That dream can be enjoyed by the whole region, away from violence, extremism, misery, tyranny and corruption. We can turn this dream into reality.

Jamal Khashoggi is a Saudi journalist, columnist, author, and general manager of the upcoming Al Arab News Channel. He previously served as a media aide to Prince Turki al Faisal while he was Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States. Khashoggi has written for various daily and weekly Arab newspapers, including Asharq al-Awsat, al-Majalla and al-Hayat, and was editor-in-chief of the Saudi-based al-Watan. He was a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan, and other Middle Eastern countries. He is also a political commentator for Saudi-based and international news channels. Twitter: @JKhashoggi

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the Column section are their own and do not reflect RiyadhVision’s point-of-view.

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