JEDDAH, 31 May 2006 — You might think the World Economic Forum is all about business and economy, that it is a club of the super rich, that it has nothing to do with the issues of unemployment and poverty that torment half of the globe. What does it have to do with democracy, imposed or otherwise, or gender equality or water wars or freedom or education? Those were the questions that came to my mind on the way to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh last week to cover the event.
My ideas underwent a complete metamorphosis during the first session on the first day. The Council of 100 or C-100 — the brainchild of Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US — was discussing the role of dialogue in bridging the gap between East and West. In the audience were some of the prominent personalities who have dedicated much effort and personal resources toward bridging the differences between the Muslim world and the West.
There was a spirited debate on the efficacy of dialogue — which is strongly advocated by Prince Turki — in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Princess Lolwah Al-Faisal, Lord Carey of Clifton, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena. That set the ball rolling for three days of thought-provoking debates and discussions.
For a journalist, such a gathering is an incredible opportunity. At no other place will you find so many interesting people at one time. Most importantly, you can meet them at leisure and they are usually more than willing to talk to you in a very relaxed manner, far from the madding crowd.
One morning, we caught up with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. He was having his coffee in the conference center’s VIP lounge. Moussa was outspoken as always. “Reform is necessary in the Arab world. All countries and societies want to move ahead and have their own views on how to move ahead,” he told Arab News. He, however, felt one has to be cautious because of the fragility of the security situation and uncertainty on the international scene. “We need stability in the Middle East in order for reform to succeed.”
At one session at which former Israeli Premier Shimon Peres spoke, Palestinians blasted Israel for besieging the population of the Occupied Territories and punishing the Palestinians for having made a democratic choice in electing Hamas. Unemployment and poverty, they said, were the outcomes of Israeli occupation. That session closed with the moderator, Lamees Al-Hadidi of Egypt’s Al-Alam Al-Youm newspaper, frankly admitting, “We have not reached any solutions.”
The highlight of the forum for me personally was the special interfaith event at which Princess Lolwah was one of the speakers. In a soft measured voice, she said: “All religions champion basic human rights and promote the observance of human dignity. It is the clear duty of all believers to expand ties across cultures to overcome ill-will and negative feelings.” She felt this was the only way universal justice and harmony could be established.
The purpose of the session, as the master of ceremonies Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf pointed out, was to affirm the value of dialogue. He was clear: “Although some people may not want it, religious voices must be included in discussions of public policies. And especially on divisive issues, if they are to be effective.”
At the same session, Chief Rabbi David Rosen, who is the president of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Relations in the United States, was applauded when he said: “It is essential to draw on the beauty in all religious traditions. The key message from God passed down through the Torah is ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ People often shape their behavior according to the way they have been treated, but the truly religious must strive to break away from this mindset and act toward others as they would like others to act toward them. Abraham, the common father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, set an example in this sense.”
Lord Carey of Clifton, the former archbishop of Canterbury, was equally articulate and to the point. “Religion is crucial for the peace of the world — it can either consolidate it or destroy it.” According to him, followers of one tradition can always learn from other faiths, and sometimes learn of the terrible things done to other people in the name of one’s own religion.
There were some interesting notes on democracy in the Arab world. At the opening plenary, Shafik Gabr, chairman of the Arab Business Council, said democracy, peace and security were interconnected. “You cannot have democracy if you have occupation of the mind or physical occupation of territory.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the same thing in a different way. “Nothing can work if democracy is imposed. It has to be home grown.” For Massouma Al-Mubarak, Kuwait’s planning minister, democracy is not just about choosing a member of parliament and having elections every few years. Democracy has to be supported by people.” Most importantly, she said, no democracy can work without women’s having a fair share in the process.
It is not every day that you can have a free-wheeling conversation with Young Global Leaders such as UN Goodwill Ambassador and MBC’s “Kalam Noua’em” anchor Muna Abu Sulayman, poet Nimah Ismail Nawwab and artist Shahzia Sikandar or intelligent debaters such as Nima Abu-Wardeh (BBC) or Scott Macleod (Time Magazine), Riz Khan (Al Jazeera International), Nik Gowing (BBC) and Roula Khalaf (Financial Times). They were all there and so was Mustafa Ceric, the grand mufti of Bosnia. There were big businessmen too. But they were busy cutting deals and networking.
What about the beaches of Sharm El-Sheikh? Frankly, no idea. You go to the beach to refresh and to unwind. So much was happening at the forum, we hardly had time to visit the beach. Naama Bay was the only place we went to. But as Almaeena remarked: “Naama Bay is Sharm El-Sheikh.”
One last point: The security was omnipresent and pervasive. The area was attacked just a month ago and there were huge security concerns. One night, when we were returning from the Four Seasons Hotel after an interesting discussion with four journalists on life in Saudi Arabia, there were no taxis. A security guard at the Four Seasons requested a van to drop us at our hotel. The driver left us off far from our destination. We literally had to walk three kilometers in the dead of the night with no ordinary soul in sight. Every meter though, a plainclothes officer emerged from behind the bushes lining the pathway to check our security badges. One particular officer frightened us. He was armed and short and stocky. We asked him how far our hotel was but he didn’t utter a word — just pointed in the direction with his finger. We kept on walking and then met dozens more security personnel. That is when we realized the full extent of the security arrangements.
Such conferences are not new and it is understandable that often they are viewed with skepticism. It may be difficult as yet to point to specific action that has resulted from these meetings, although of course “To Do” lists have been drawn up by many. One prominent leader of a Middle East NGO said in fact that he rarely came to such events looking for a particular outcome. What he did explain, however, is that he always hopes to gain “energy and ideas” from interacting with so many thinking people. It is certain that his goal was easily met last month in Sharm El-Sheikh.
