Manama: A prominent Bahraini intellectual who believes that culture is the last line of defence for the survival of Arabs, has warned that holding an Arab cultural summit would be "a humiliation for Arab minds" if it did not result in concrete achievements.
"Honestly, if an Arab cultural summit is held merely to meet growing pressure from various quarters and issues pompous decisions that please the egos of intellectuals, but will remain dead letters, like the promises of common Arab market and joint defence, then it should not be held," Dr Jaber Al Ansari wrote in the Bahraini daily Al Ayam.
Challenges
"Such a summit would be a humiliation for all participants, Arab leaders, intellectuals and the millions of Arabs who would be following the event. It would be a source of regret rather than a reason for celebration."
Several Arab intellectuals floated the idea of holding a cultural summit, alongside the principles of the Arab economic summit held in Kuwait last year.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the head of the Arab Thought Foundation, last October called at a gathering of Arab intellectuals in Beirut to hold an Arab cultural summit to discuss cultural and civilisational threats and challenges to the Arab nation.
"The summit should look into ways of addressing Western intellectuals and thinkers and into rectifying the negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the Western media and literature," Prince Khalid said.
Prince Khalid told reporters — after a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa in Cairo — that the Arab League welcomed the idea.
However, according to Al Ansari, the summit would be a "total failure" if the ground was not sufficiently prepared.
Active involvement
"Competent Arab cultural organisations with rich experiences should be actively involved and, very significantly, should coordinate their efforts to prepare for the summit. They should avoid the deadly competition between them and distance themselves from projecting the idea that Arab culture began when they were launched," he said.
"Good intentions alone do not serve the purpose and achieve nothing. Actions and deeds are needed."
Writing in the London-based newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, Mshari Al Zaydi doubted commitments from all Arab countries.
"Perhaps the call to institute an Arab Cultural Summit... is overly ambitious, particularly with regards to Arab countries that lack a genuine desire to promote and develop their culture and discuss their problems..." he wrote.
