The roots of truth remain a thirst, in need of springs that draw from honest and objective tributaries. The intellectual’s responsibility is a moral obligation in all that they write; their words and visions act as a warning siren to awaken people from their slumber against the threats encroaching upon the oases of culture, freedom, and security. Amidst the fluctuating repercussions post-2003, represented by a media and political compass, this compass may well become a commodity for the highest bidder.
Intellectuals' levels of understanding vary regarding their absence from the political scene. Some interpret it as a literal restriction and adherence imposed by the institutions they work for, while others translate it through the values of defending national constants. Opinions remain diverse amidst the loss of professional standards and the importance of the intellectual's role (that facts are sacred and comment is free). This is a principle that must not strip the intellectual of their right to diagnose the political reality and extrapolate from the presented data. Rather, moral and professional responsibility compulsorily drives them, without ulterior motives, to seek an impactful, on-the-ground presence, far removed from the politicians' sensors tied to their narrow interests.
The Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue / Baghdad Office held its dialogue forum under the title (The Absence of the Iraqi Intellectual's Role in the Political Scene) at the Mustafa Jawad Hall in the Baghdadi Cultural Center / Al-Mutanabbi Street. The panel was attended by a leading group of writers, artists, and academic and political figures. This included novelist Hassan Al-Bahar, novelist and journalist Khalid Al-Wadi, novelist Sadiq Al-Jamal, polymath and legal expert Tariq Harb, politician and former MP Fawzi Akram Tarzi, poet Ghali Al-Khazali, and director Ali Kadhim. It also included a select cadre from the Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue, represented by the writer Mr. Ali Al-Talqani, the Forum's Head; Mr. Haider Al-Jarrah, Director of the Imam Al-Shirazi Center for Studies and Research; Al-Nabaa News Agency envoy, journalist Khalid Salam; Director of Relations, Mr. Uday Al-Hajj; and journalist Mr. Falah Al-Husseini. Ideas and visions were cross-pollinated, and everyone contributed their perspective.
Session Moderation
Visual artist Fahd Al-Sakr, who moderated the dialogue session, commenced by welcoming the attendees on behalf of Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue, "for the active participation and broad presence within the cultural scene that everyone is striving to restore through similar dialogue sessions in the coming days to explore and uncover what is hidden." He continued, "Today we begin with one of the thorny issues, which is 'The Absence of the Iraqi Intellectual's Role in the Political Scene.'" He elaborated, saying, "Julien Benda, in his book (The Treason of the Intellectuals), states that true intellectuals constitute a truly rare class of scholars or educated individuals, because what they advocate for are the eternal standards of truth and justice, which do not belong to this world."
As for Antonio Gramsci, he mentions in his (Prison) Notebooks that "all men are intellectuals, but not all men have in society the function of intellectuals," and it is he who says: "Everyone who works in any field connected to the production and dissemination of knowledge is an intellectual." Al-Sakr added: "If we were to search for the word 'intellectual' in the Arabic title, we would find its meaning nebulous, hard to predict, and impossible to confine within a specific framework or slogan. Often, and perhaps deliberately, some seek to impose the equation or dilemma of (the politician and the intellectual) onto Iraq's working agenda, which is already crowded with legitimate and priority issues, using it as an illegitimate outlet for its proponents."
He clarified that "those who provoke or agitate the bonds of this equation are some of the intellectuals themselves, as if the politicians had usurped their thrones."
Perhaps the dilemma of the politician and the intellectual gains a justification for its existence in societies where the visions of both parties align concerning the future of their peoples. However, we do not believe it has any justification among us that warrants such a waste of time and effort in debating it, because there is no relationship between the tools, elements, and goals of the politician and those of the intellectual. The politician, even though most of their tools and rhetoric are colored with lies, deception, and private interests, is often able to settle the matter decisively, whether it be their personal stance or that of their people, sect, or party, through their insistence on change, which they often achieve when they pave their path with blood and souls. In contrast, although the intellectual's tools and elements of revolution are supreme ideals and moral theories, we have never witnessed or read that they were able to decisively resolve the stance of a people, let alone their inability to resolve their own personal stance. This is a truth corroborated by reality, as we have not witnessed throughout history intellectuals leading social or political revolutions to the extent that politicians do. We often see the course of events altered by revolutions spearheaded by the sword, not the pen.
Al-Sakr pointed out that "the concept of the intellectual is embodied in the individual who is conscious of their people's cause, whether that cause is the size of a crust of bread or merely a dream of freedom. In this sense, the politician is the intellectual. We in Iraq endured the ordeal together during the hateful Baathist era; we witnessed the prisons and what they were overcrowded with, and whose necks adorned the hangman's nooses. Perhaps not even intellectuals would disagree with me that they were overcrowded with politicians, and the nooses of injustice, out of fear, craved only heads carrying ideas of change." Al-Sakr recalled, saying: "The day Saddam decided, in a moment of death, to close the doors of life in everyone's face, most Iraqis set out to search for a chance at life beyond the borders. We can also agree that Iraq's borders were teeming with possessors of revolutionary ideas and pens for hire."
"Yes, everyone fled, let us say that. But among them were those who decided they must one day return. And when the hour of return struck, we saw who its pioneers were and how they returned, whether in a British (Coaster), an American (Kia), a regional (Sattota), or on the back of a Trojan horse. Meanwhile, most intellectuals found beyond Iraq's borders a sanctuary commensurate with their love for life; they assimilated into it, indifferent to a people who had come to inhabit mass graves."
"We are not against anyone to the point they would claim otherwise about their reality or substitute their tools and goals for baser ones. We are against the doctor when they substitute the scalpel for a dagger; against the engineer when they substitute the laws of engineering for the principle of (your eye is your scale); and against the intellectual when they abandon their (den) for a queue at a politician's door, or for an unequal competition with them."
Finally, "we see no justification for competition between the politician and the intellectual, especially when the intellectuals themselves have begun to refute it through their recent attempts to forge new idols out of new politicians. Let each of us look at the weapon in our hands to choose a battlefield commensurate with the size of our weapon." Following this introduction, Al-Sakr presented these questions for the attendees to debate at the Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue roundtable.
Highlighting the Intellectual's Role
The Director of the Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue, journalist and writer Ali Al-Talqani, stated, commenting on the forum's theme, that it was necessary to highlight the intellectual's role, break out of the circle of neutrality, and engage with the political scene. This coincides with discussions about the Iraqi elections scheduled for next September and the transition of power in Iraq: "The discussion about the role of educated elites arises so they may contribute to development and participation in the political process in Iraq." He added, "Therefore, the Forum held its monthly symposium titled The Absence of the Intellectual's Role in the Iraqi Political Scene, with the participation of political, cultural, and grassroots elites, to encourage an atmosphere for dialogue among these segments." Al-Talqani further stated: "The Forum possesses a deep faith in the intellectual's role and their capacity for the change sought by the reform process introduced by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, as well as what the religious authority in Iraq has emphasized." He pointed out that the dialogue forum aligns with current events, at a time when Iraq has been witnessing demonstrations for a year, also demanding reforms. Hence, the participants affirmed the importance of a genuine role for the educated elites.
The Dialectic of the Social Contract
Novelist Hassan Al-Bahar said during his participation in the dialogue discussions: "At the beginning of our talk, we will speak quite frankly about the cultural scene and the intellectual's role within it. Was their voice liberated from the intentions and complexes of political parties? Is thought independent and in possession of free will? Was their conscience present, not absent from events, to diagnose the areas of quasi-darkness? The state is called upon to activate the social contract as a document of reconciliation to meet the desires of the contracting parties in peace and civic coexistence, as well as to support other political bodies that carry an integrative program capable of attracting the balances of power. This leads us to say that the intellectual carries a burning ember of suffering and sighs in their heart over the state's politics. We believe there is an ongoing dialectic between what the intellectual offers to the sons of their nation and society, and the attempt to isolate them and marginalize their role. This is a policy adopted and pursued by parties of all designations in the Iraqi political scene. We affirm once again, through international experiences, including France and the United States of America, that the secret of their strength lies in the social contract, steering clear of partisanship, and avoiding the instrumentalization, containment, or factional division of state institutions, which is what matters have devolved to here."
A Culture Contrary to Reality
For his part, director Ali Hussein, a graduate of the College of Fine Arts / Theater Department, asserted that theater culture has become feeble. Its scripts rely on a language that mocks the viewer and their artistic taste. The reality we have observed is that it eagerly chases money by addressing issues completely detached from the manifestations of cultural, political, and social reality. Another issue lies in the scarcity of plastic arts festivals. Hussein called upon the three presidencies for material and moral support, and to appoint competent specialists who are far removed from any abhorrent sectarianism.
The Cloak of Roles
In the same vein, poet Ghali Al-Khazali believes that "the culture of opinion and listening to the other's opinion has not differed from the past fifty years, as it seeks to recruit intellectuals. This took on a vast scope during all the wars fought with neighboring countries. This, too, is a repressive policy that has curtailed and marginalized the intellectual's role, erecting a barrier and a security cordon that no intellectual can cross except with a passport of murder and displacement. The cloak of roles does not differ from its predecessor except in the dye of the color they wear. Therefore, culture and intellectuals here are under the threat of a bullet for expressing an opinion; 'if you are not with us, you are against us.' That is an unspecialized culture that is difficult to communicate with. The flaw lies in the absence of the role of successive governments and their lenient laws regarding thieves and murderers, within which the intellectual's voice is lost. Even if it is resounding, it is not louder than the sound of bullets and the corruption entangled within the shackles of society."