A Syrian Journalist On The Lack Of Learning Atmosphere In The Arab World

Hussein Al-'Awdat, a Syrian journalist and writer appeared on the national Syrian TV channel and criticized Arab regimes. Following are excerpts from his comments, aired June 8, 2004:

Hussein Al-'Awdat: If we use no tools or don't have tools to research a phenomenon, how can we research it? How can we find a solution to the illiteracy problem without studying the reality, the number of illiterates, the conditions of development, the learning conditions in schools and so on. The same goes for political matters.

For example, the war brother 'Omar mentioned, the aggression of '67, what we did, why it broke out, what the results and possibilities were. All these require real research in the existing reality.

We, unfortunately, still? This happens because we are still captives of an ancient culture, and especially, the culture that began in the fourth century of the Hijra. This culture after the collapse of the Arab culture, based itself on deceit, on pleasing the ruler, on pleasing the decision makers, and not on serious research.

As a person, there is no doubt that the Arab has a mind just like all people, and a culture just like all people, but since he has no tools he does not succeed at anything. This, because he has no atmosphere of liberty, and has no path. All this is missing.

For example, in the Arab countries, there is not one research center. There is a minor center in Al-Ahram, but no good research center, comprehensive, and large that will research all the economic, political, social, and cultural phenomena you spoke of. We do not even have an Arab information center. We base ourselves on these information centers abroad. The Arabs lack all these tools.

Another thing is the atmosphere. The atmosphere of learning is always harmed by control, social pressure, and narrow, fundamentalist social ideology. The Arab has no atmosphere allowing him to initiate, imagine, and have discourse; whether because of the regimes or the existing social reality in this country or another. All this does not exist.

How then can the Arab mind create? If he does not know the truth about what is going on in his country, if there is no accessible research and no atmosphere of discourse, how can he reach true and reality-based results?

?In our countries the regime oppresses, it oppresses society and life. It is not a regime that is neutral towards the society, and national institutions and the various organizations; it is the omnipotent oppressor. I will give you examples, in our schools, the teaching methods and manner in all the Arab countries, to some extent, do not encourage creativity; moreover, they prevent it. The atmosphere at school, the schools' curricula? No extracurricular activities. All the activities are focused on achieving a diploma and enabling the student to obtain any position he wants. The research centers cannot research whatever they want freely which would give them the aspiration to reach real results. There is no access to information. What researcher claims he can access information? If so, let him research.

Moderator: Is there a decision preventing access to information?

Al-'Awdat: There is a reality. There is no need for a decision!