Much behind and much still to do

Fifteen years after the launching of Al-Ahram Weekly, Galal Nassar takes a lateral look at the regional scene, its challenges and promises

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Al-Ahram Weekly celebrated its 15th anniversary yesterday; with the start of the Weekly' s 16th year one finds that much of the scene around in the Middle East region, Egypt included, has not changed. States, regimes, kingdoms, and ideologies east and west have fallen, and yet we in this region remain caught in a vicious circle facing the very same issues and problems again and again. When the Weekly published its first issue in 1991, the repercussions of "Operation Desert Storm" were still ravaging the Gulf region, and both Iraq and Iran were in a face-off with the West.

Palestine is still under occupation, as the case has been for more than half a century. Sudan is bleeding in the south, and the violent brand of political Islam has been increasing since they got off to a strong start in the Arab Maghreb. The region has continued to be characterised by curtailed freedoms and false democracies, while impoverished development rates persist.

As we begin a new year at the Weekly, all these facts lead us to ponder the reasons behind this stagnancy, despite claims that there is progress towards change. This attempt to understand the region, reading closely its developments is an essential prerequisite to understanding the new role media outlets such as the Weekly, should play, a role different in form and content from that played over the past years.

Such analysis must begin with observation of three fundamental elements that distinguish the Arab region. The first is its geographic location, which has always made of it a central focal point between East and West. Despite advancements in communications technology, this location continues to be of prime importance.

The second element is the immense reserves of oil and gas in the region. Due to many political and economic developments, this oil is a first-rate "strategic commodity". Oil is turning our region to a vast market for increased investment, whether through new petrodollar profits (as a result of ever-rising prices of oil) or anticipated returns of Arab capital in the Gulf.

The third and final element that distinguishes the Arab region is its historical spiritual symbolism, particularly of the Semitic religions. Although international political analysts do not address this issue, the region is the cradle of the three monotheistic religions, making it the locus of attention for tens of millions worldwide. The future of Jerusalem, for example, not only concerns the Palestinians but also millions of Muslims, Christians and Jews the world over. It is the same case in Iraq, where holy sites do not concern only the Shias of Iraq but Shias throughout the world. The same situation applies to the two holy sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina, which serve as a direction of prayer for Muslims in all the world's continents.

This spiritual heritage, in addition to the region's central location and oil and gas reserves serving as the fuel of human civilisation, create an important fact: our region means much more to the world than we realise. Since our ability to protect this region is weak, its positive points lose their value and become neutral, or even points of weakness. In other words, the imbalance between the importance of our region and our own failures are behind much of the foreign intervention with the aim of controlling our symbolic capital and oil reserves.

This moment in history is characterised by the region's weakness and its submission to future scenarios drawn out by foreign powers. And at present there seems to be a new polarisation of powers between those seeking to change the status quo and those seeking to maintain it. The forces of change include the United States and Iran, while the forces of inertia include Arab regimes, Turkey and Israel.

This new polarisation heralds two shining examples of eye-catching irony. First, the United States remained guarantor of stability and security in the region for about 60 years, yet since 11 September 2001 it has sought change in the region, its maps, and its balance of power, although the actual intent of this change remains clouded in ambiguity, contradiction and fluctuation.

Second, the turning of America and Iran from powers supporting stability in the region to ones seeking change places us before a truth that cannot be overlooked, particularly in the Arab world. The status quo is no longer fit to withstand outside pressure. A transformation in our ability to understand change and deal with it, equipped with a strategic vision, has become prerequisite for our survival. Otherwise, what is currently taking place in Iraq in terms of atomisation and sectarian strife will recur in most countries of the region.

By extension many media outlets such as the Weekly, which has weathered many changes and developments, also will have to adapt to the new changes or face extinction. Our newspaper was created 15 years ago to put forth a form of journalism different from that of its regional peers in presenting the myriad stripes and colours of politics in Egypt, the Arab region, and the world. It does so through an outstanding network of discerning correspondents and opinion writers who report, monitor, and analyse what takes place around us. They are backed by a unique and professional group of editors who cover domestic events.

Now that the world has grown more complex, issues of journalistic orientation and the necessity of development while coping with the many variables on the world arena represent challenges that the Weekly must take head on or else risk disintegration. It is a challenge that necessitates the pooling of all available resources in order to understand more the reality of what is taking place around us and its impact on us. The mission of the Weekly in the coming stage is even more pertinent than ever; at the very least in terms of continuing to present our issues from our own perspective using English as a kind of international lingua franca that the world around us understands, with increased professionalism, specialisation, and technical skill.