Howeidy: Freedom Is The Key To Renaissance

In a lecture titled “The Role of Media in Arab and Muslim Intercommunication” held on Monday night, October 27, in the Center for Civilization and Cultural Dialogue Studies in the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences, Islamic intellectual Fahmy Howeidy emphasized that freedom is what guides people to wisdom and mature expression whereas despotism leads to vulgarity, according to Al-Kawakiby.

Howeidy further explained that every regime generates the opposition that it deserves and inculcates in its people the values of tolerance or suppression by means of the cultural and political atmosphere it creates.

Moreover, Howeidy accused the media of being a tool for escalating conflicts rather than improving communication stressing that it has become a major part of politics in the Arab nation, hence the necessity to honestly assess its impacts.  Howeidy also described the media as experiencing a situation of commotion which can be avoided through societies” immunization in their institutions, values, and regimes.

Howeidy also clarified that media technology has weakened the role of political parties giving the example of the internet which has enabled people outside political parties to gather for a cause.  Howeidy pointed out that more and more people, especially businessmen, are turning to the media for its increasing influence which has made it a source of power.  Howeidy considered the media”s addressing of the Sunni-Shia issue an example of its strong influence as it drew people”s attention away from the vital issues of despotism, development, dependence, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.