Thinking for the nation

It is the sacred duty of a country's intellectuals to tell the bare truth, despite the risks, writes Samir Sobhi

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Liberalism is the way of the future. These are the words former local government minister Mustafa Abdel-Qader uses to commend intellectuals and their role in society. Borrowing from Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci, the minister said that intellectuals are not a class of their own, but rather emerge from every social stratum.

In 1894, a French officer of Jewish origins, Alfred Dreyfus, was arrested and later convicted of spying for Germany, thereafter sentenced to life imprisonment in French Guiana. Two years later, his friends and family produced evidence of his innocence. Intellectuals in France, including Emile Zola, rallied behind his cause and French society was split on the matter. It became a cause célèbre that is remembered to this day. That's only one example of how powerful the intellect can be. Intellectuals should act as the conscience of society. They should dedicate their research and knowledge to the good of the many. That's the type of intellectuals we need in our part of the world.

In his book Intellectuals in Arab Civilisation, Mohamed Abel Al-Jabiri says that intellectuals have been historically influenced by three factors. One was the development of cities. Another was the translation of science and philosophy from Arabic to Latin. And a third was the appearance of intellect-based careers, such as writing and academic life.

Zaki Naguib Mahmoud once argued that freedom starts with the fight against ignorance. Mahmoud, who wrote extensively on objectivism, was an ardent student of Descartes, just like Taha Hussein. The latter wanted "people to start looking at any problem as if seeing it for the first time".

Abdel-Qader, who served for nearly 50 years in our police force, says that freedom is our best recourse in this country. Here is a man who travelled across the globe, met international figures and discussed state matters with politicians far and near. He says he is optimistic because intellectuals have tried throughout 2007 to connect with the problems of their society, thus providing us with insight and hope. But he is afraid that the momentum may dissipate. He hopes that the year 2008 brings more intellectual drive into our lives.

Intellectuals are not a supporting cast in this vast human drama. They are the conscience of the nation. And they should tell us the truth, however hard it may be to swallow. Otherwise, they would be abandoning their sacred mission. What use is art unless it brings insight into our life? And what use are intellectuals unless they tell us what is really on their minds?

The writer is deputy editor-in- chief of Al-Ahram .