14 - 20 December 2000
Issue No.512
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 14 - 20 December 2000 Issue No.512 |
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Arabian bytes
Centuries ago, the Caliph of Baghdad was said to have walked the streets disguised as a merchant in order to know his people better. Last week, Dubai Crown Prince and Defence Minister General Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum gave this legend an upgrade.
Some 45,000 netizens from around the world logged on to the site where Sheikh Mohamed let his guard down -- literally. Arabia.com, a Web portal based in Dubai's Internet City, provided the moderated chat room through which he made contact with ordinary people from around the world in a live question-and-answer session on 25 November.
The event, which lasted over two and a half hours, was the first of its kind involving an Arab leader.
The idea behind the "open" chat session was to reiterate the UAE's commitment to freedom of the press in the soon-to-be-launched Dubai Media City, and the federation's tolerance for, in Sheikh Mohamed's words, "all opinions, views and even if opposing to our points of view." Sheikh Mohamed answered questions ranging from the issue of Arab unity to whether or not he smoked.
Over 4,000 questions were screened by the arabia.com moderator "to ensure they were decent and relevant." Out of the 80 questions submitted to Sheikh Mohamed, some were startlingly brash, probing into his family life, his financial assets, his eating habits, his literary preferences, his sleeping patterns, his mental state and his beauty ideals. Others covered a number of more serious topics including the Intifada, the impact of sanctions on Iraqi children, trade relations with Syria, economic progress in Jordan and democracy in the UAE.
Formalities were brushed aside and chatters addressed Sheikh Mohamed as if he were just another surfer on the Net. Only 11 users were expelled from the site for using indecent language, for flooding the chat room, or for attempting to sign in under Sheikh Mohamed's name.
On the present lack of Arab unity, Sheikh Mohamed commented that this "abnormal situation" would soon correct itself as traditionally there have been "those who tried to weaken the Arabs." He said he sees "a light at the end of the tunnel when Arab unity will exist."
A chatter nicknamed Hizbollah asked the sheikh for his opinion on the Intifada. "The Intifada is brave, but we want peace," was the reply. "The Intifada is a means of communication. We do not want this to continue, nor do we want Israel's hostility to continue. [But] the Intifada will continue if we do not arrive at a fair and comprehensive peace."
In regard to the suffering children of Iraq, he expressed hope "to remove the embargo on Iraq, help rebuild it and provide all assistance to the people of Iraq," making no reference to the Baghdad-bound commercial flight "Nada Al-Sharq" that was denied clearance last week.
The sheikh's relationship with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad prior to the latter's take-over was revisited. "We have been friends," he commented. "We exchange ideas and thoughts."
A doctoral candidate writing his thesis on Arab political leadership took advantage of the occasion to recruit a first-hand source, asking Sheikh Mohamed his view as to why it has been so difficult for other Arab leaders to consolidate "a common defence, or a common economic market or a federal Arab state the same as the UAE."
An American chatter asked about the prospects of democracy in the UAE and the sheikh challenged the questioner to first present him with a definition of the term. "Look at Russia. Look at China and how things are evolving. Local democracies are what work rather than any that is imported," he urged.
"To me, [democracy] is about freedom, individuality and respect of one's own space. Free in his beliefs, work and environment, one should live in comfort and peace of mind."
On the issue of elections in the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed said: "People in the UAE are always able to speak their minds and voice their opinions. We do not find that there is a void here. We are here to serve the people."
Another chatter asked how traditional Islam can cope with so much foreign influence in the UAE. "We are an open land; however, we adhere to our culture, religion, traditions, etc..." he said, adding, "We will learn the positive from visitors and foreigners."
As the chat progressed, Sheikh Mohamed seemed to become more at ease with the medium and switched from making grandiose philosophical statements to witty remarks. He also started to use net lingo, forsaking spelling for greater spontaneity. It later emerged he was not the one actually typing -- an employee of arabia.com was assigned the task of transcribing answers dictated directly by Sheikh Mohamed.
In the course of the evening, chatters learned that Sheikh Mohamed is a non-smoker, has 16 children, likes to sit by the sea when he is angry and that he checks his own e-mails personally.
Asked to describe a typical day in his life, Sheikh Mohamed replied: "I wake up, wash, pray, have breakfast, go to work and come home for lunch..."
Asked about his "NET worth," he replied: "Cash is weak, goodness is plenty." One ventured so far as to psychoanalyse the sheikh by asking what he would wish for if stranded on a deserted island. "A hunting tool, a vehicle for transportation and someone to love."
What sets him apart from his father, HH Sheikh Rashid Al-Maktoum? "I think the resemblance is that we both have beards," quipped Sheikh Mohamed.
"If you were not crown prince of Dubai and minister of defence, what would you like to be?" asked someone from Abu Dhabi. "A dedicated citizen under the rule of a true leadership," was the automatic response.
Questions broached a wide array of topics, but Sheikh Mohamed reacted best to those on literature, family, horses and his poetry. There were many who complained that "more potent" questions were not even submitted by the moderator, or the sheikh's answers at times circumvented the topic.
Whatever the case, according to arabia.com, this was the largest chat event they have hosted to date. No plans have yet been announced for a repeat with another Arab leader.
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