Questions & answers on the Arabs’ reality (2-3) [Archives:2006/952/Opinion]
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb
The first part of this article reviewed some of the matters affecting Arab reality and answers the writer thought could provide solutions. In the second part of this three-part series, he touches upon grievances that should be rejected and other significant questions.
The writer says that the primary of grievances that should be rejected is the violation of human rights. The human rights violation practices are no longer acceptable to continue at the time we are living beginnings of the twenty-first century in the world of globalization and open boundaries. Injustice, torture and imprisoning people for their opinion, terrorization of people and sowing seeds of seditions and skepticism and mistrusting the citizen and the homeland must not continue. It is inevitable to have justice, equality dominate and to stop racial and religious discrimination. There must be dissemination of the essence of love and democracy and opening of doors and windows to atmospheres of freedom which a nation cannot survive without them and no construction can be erected in their absence. We have to apologize to our peoples for the improper practices done against them, especially during the armed struggle or establishment of power, as we repeatedly claim.
What are the ways of creating rapprochement between peoples and their rulers? The answer is by realization of the aspired for goal embodied in justice, freedom, democracy and equality so that to later proceed to practical application through ensurance of actual participation of all in taking the decision and drawing up the general policy. Then, we bear the full responsibility. There would be no freedom without free people, no democracy without democrats and no institutions without men of the state who shoulder the responsibility and defend the right and prove their aptitude in any position they assume. It is no longer acceptable to monopolize power and control destinies of the people: their present and future and the destiny of their sons. The realm or era of the one unique individual, who takes the decision of war and peace and acts freely with the nation's wealth without any accountability, has to end.
The most significant reason for uniting the nation is the destiny. It is the destiny of all the states and peoples and individuals. If the Arab ship sinks, none would survive neither a ruler or a governed everywhere in the Arab homeland. Otherwise, when the ship is saved and reaches the shore safely, all would enjoy safety and optimism prevails. We are confronted with a hard ordeal of Iraq, Palestine and Iran, either to be or not to be. That is our contemporary question and issue that we must not escape from facing. As for optimism it is destined by God's ordain, the inevitability of history and the lessons from our ages of renascence that we implore God to be repeated in our days.
With regard to the nation's economy and poverty issues the cure is difficult and takes a long time because the legacy is very heavy, accumulation is heaped up and solutions are lacking. Is it possible to start from the present situation? The surpluses of oil prices and how to invest them in works of development and modernization in capitals and to give what could be possible to others on condition they would be used for implementation of plans and projects of development and construction is another question to ponder.
Decision makers have committed many mistakes and sins against their nations such as squandering and plundering and corruption. In addition they have perpetrated unreasonable experiments as well as bribes and embezzlements. Therefore, if we wanted to start with an initial step there must be a putting an end to corruption and corrupts. After that solutions could come successively to rectify the crooked situation and reform the march. If the Islamic law had been implemented literally and soundly in this regard there would not have been poverty, not only by avoiding corruption but also by justly distributing the money of Zakat (charity tax) and every human would have borne his responsibility in this regard.
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb is an economist and a professor of Political Science. He is the head of a number of professional associations, such as the Arab Group for Investment and Development.
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