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Profile of Abbas Beydoun
I do not know, because I think that these [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know, because I think that these issues can not be achieved easily by just volition. I guess this question is simplified and it is rather good intention than being question.
We need miracle for that which is difficult [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Principally no, but we always do that. We always eat meat and trample on flowers. I think that this issue is bigger than just being moral, because it is the human system responsibility to achieve equalization between all lives. To achieve such a dream, to accomplish a system like that is impossible. Personally, I believe that animal life is equal to people's lives, because there is no rule that considers people's lives of higher value. I am not vegetarian even I ate fish today in the morning, so I contradict myself. Talking about equality of lives implies hypocrisy because we do not apply it.
I do not know... I think after capitalism [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know... I think that after capitalism will be capitalism. I don't guess that capitalism as a regime of disparity and the division of work and class division will end one day. I imagine that capitalism only produces more advanced capitalisms , so until today I have still not found anything that can be called post-capitalism. Of course, by the nature of things, I can only speak of developed capitalism, but non-capitalism seems to me to be something that I cannot imagine.
.. first of all by a regular and gainful [...]
Abbas Beydoun: There is no evidence that economic globalization means freedom and democracy. The meaning of economic globalization above all else is profit, functioning and profitable economic regimes completely free of political restraints. And if the restraints of workers' rights or general rights arise, then globalization opposes these rights. I do not believe that globalization is much concerned with democracy, except for on a formal level so that it can get a free space to play its role. I also think it does not care for ending dictatorships or care for the backward part which does not belong to its economic system. It does not care for weak peoples that can present nothing to it. Therefore I believe it will leave these peoples to themselves, and will not disturb dictatorships. Nor can we claim that economic globalization contains a particular message, globalization is too clever to be restricted by any one message.
I think that this question is simpler than [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that this question is simpler than it should be; because education can not stop crimes... there are many educated killers. I guess that the reasons for this problem are cultural, historical, economical and social. Of course young people in inner cities take the biggest responsibility and I do not want to justify what they do, but the society and the country generally take also part of this responsibility. Obviously, ethnic integration policies are now wrong in France and England, so new policies should be created.
To know when we should contend against the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: To know when we should contend against the law is a complex issue. Personally, I tend to follow the law because if we did not respect laws we will lose them. Of course I can think of reforming or changing the law, however, I would feel that laws are not holy. We should talk about laws if these laws in the country were respected, because in dictator regimes there are laws but they are not applied and the government itself does not apply them. The revolution or maybe the war would be legal in such a case.
The United States spends trillion dollars on [...]
Abbas Beydoun: The United States spends trillion dollars to remain as the strongest country not only morally or geographically but also above all else militarily.Should we think about whether the United States is necessary for the world and for keeping the international security. This is an interesting topic. There is so much evidence that the United States cares about the American people rather than caring about the international system. Even when it does interfere internationally, this interference becomes with time very bad.
I come from the Middle East and I thought [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I come from the Middle East and I thought many times of this question, so I am afraid of giving a simple answer to a very complex question. I think that countries in the Middle East are not convinced of peace because they do not trust each other. Until peace, there will only be peace back to back, so that peace is merely distance from each other, merely to be apart. The only peace now is false peace. Peace based on lack of trust. I believe that these countries should really believe in peace and Israel has to do that particularly because it alleges that it is democratic, but actually is the only state that does nothing for democracy or modernity but handles the others as uncivilized people deserving death and punishment and deals with them barbarically. I think that the west depends on Israel as a democratic state, so the west should require from it to behave democratically and modernly.
I think it is very complex issue, so I do [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think it is very complex issue, so I do not know how we can do that
There were permanently people, religions and [...]
Abbas Beydoun: In speaking of dignity, it should be said that it is a value that cannot be divided. I do not want to divide it into categories or divide it up into groups of dignities. Dignity is a value in itself, a value against humiliation, against disrespect and degradation and attacks on human life and sanctity and property. By this definition, dignity is a basic value. So why do we strip man of his dignity? This, I think, is the question. Human history has not taken place based on a respect for dignity, but rather on the humiliation of others and erasure of their dignity. Of course, to speak of any system based on dignity is to speak of a moral system for society, moral law for politics, and a moral law for social harmony.
[missing part of the video].. the west and [...]
Abbas Beydoun: [missing part of the video].. the west and we can blame the rich people and the rich societies and countries for not providing help for the poor people. There are even poor and hungry people inside the rich countries. Hunger is a shame and immoral and I think that mankind can not be proud of itself and it will not have a good future if there are still hungry people.
Yes, when this government represents all [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Yes, when this government represents all people like poor and rich or weak and strong, why not? When this government treats all people equally without discrimination, why not? United Nations was a dream in the past, but it is difficult to talk about equality or justice as long as there are differences between rich and pool people for example.
All economic systems suffer from corrupt, [...]
Abbas Beydoun: All economic systems suffer from corruption, indeed it is said that corruption is an essential part of these systems, and it is said too that corruption is necessary for these systems. How should we judge this, how can we get rid of this? I have no answer.
Exactly that happened some days ago in the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Exactly that happened some days ago in the war in Lebanon... what Israel has done was considered to be self-defence and legal war but what Hezbollah has done was considered to be terrorism. Killing hundreds of civilians and children and destroying a country was considered to be legal war, but on the other hand, kidnapping two soldiers and killing 8 Israeli soldiers - which is of course very bad thing- was considered to be attack. Nobody asked why that is the case just because Israel is a state and Hezbollah is an illegal militia. Of course, what Hezbollah has done is extremely condemned, but I wonder why we forget when Israel kidnaps ministers, assassinates and kills civilians and destroys the whole country. I also wonder why we make differences when use force is used by a state or by militias... one description should be found for both of them.
What we should call killing civilians? Is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: What we should call killing civilians? Is not that terrorism? Should we consider it as a secondary result of just and democratic wars? This carelessness toward civilians is really terrifying and it makes us to believe that topics are mixed and we still did not achieve moral laws for wars and other cases.
The person who asked this question must be [...]
Abbas Beydoun: The person who asked this question must be European. This question is strongly posed in the societies where there is liberty, so security could damage liberty in these societies. In other societies where there is neither security nor liberty we do not know which worry we should have. Should we worry about liberty? Or should we worry about security? In these societies both cases cooperate with each other where people live without liberty and security. Generally in these societies it is said to people that dictatorships can guarantee the stability but without liberty.
This is extremely difficult question. First [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This is extremely difficult question. First of all there is internal culture which is threatened and there is also a social system which is threatened in the countries where there is no democracy. In such countries not only politics plays a role and most of these countries belong to non-western cultures. Of course the regimes in these countries take the responsibility of that in order to defend their existence and to create a culture of fear from the west and from any other attacking culture. We should also draw attention to the historical side of this issue, because the west was not always fair with the other nations. The west colonized these nations and destroyed their culture and create dictator regimes, so the reputation of the west is not really good in these countries, because there is an internal feeling that the west did not really care for the future for these nations and the west preferred dictator regimes on democratic governments.
Abbas Beydoun:
Of course there are many social obstacles in [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Of course there are many social obstacles in culture and education which minimize the importance of women in the society. Societies are still dominated by men and feminism is a dream that we are all looking forward to achieving, but we can not because there are new differences that are continuously created and feminism looks easy to achieve but practically it is difficult to get. We should struggle for better situation of the women, more respect for them and for a culture of equality. It is not bad thing that there are no women in the power, because I personally believe it is kind of respect for women and women generally do not like to be in power on the contrary to men. Women can live depending on the others which is a great advantage that we should keep.
?Religions and tradition are not based on [...]
Abbas Beydoun: ?Religions and tradition are not based on human rights. Human rights are relatively a new creation which contradicts the religions and the known systems in the world. Human rights are now the current and human religion which has more respect than any other religion or tradition they should have the priority. So, I think Human rights are more valuable than any other system.
We should dream that world progresses so [...]
Abbas Beydoun: We should search in history and, in fact, in the present...this backwardness is of course not due to the mind of Africa, and is not necessary to Africa. We should dream that that the world progresses so that Africans, Asians and all other less developing nations progress too. This is a big dream and maybe imaginary or does not match the reality, for the backwardness does increase but for all that we should not stop dreaming and hoping
This is a proposal question, because it [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This is a proposal question, because it proposes a global organization of decent people and their global solidarity. That is happening in our world now, because there are some minorities that think in a global way. I think it is very good thing to think how we should help weak people wherever they are to get justice. Decent people are now a minority, so they have to struggle as a global organization and they should make efforts to create a power. People think exactly as the countries of their private benefits.
I guess that this question is very old and [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I guess that this question is very old and classic and continuously asked. There has been always fight between personal freedom and social responsibility. It is a moral issue which demands high moral manner. But there are no rules for this moral sense. This manner can replace the standard which is law and constitution. Law distinguishes always between personal freedom and social responsibility.
That is unfortunately what is happening now [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This in unjust and illegitimate, but it is a fact. It is of course important to pose this issue on the level of morality, but it is also important to pose the issue practically,to look for some mechanism or system or project to lessen this disparity.
I would like to answer the next question [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I would like to answer the next question which is: can one choose where to live, because I anticipated it. I would say that theoretically one has the right to choose freely where to live, but that is not happening practically. People are born in a country where they learn the language, grow up there and feel somehow that they are connected with this country. Language is main and essential thing in the culture of people, so it is not objective to talk about language being simple and changeable. That can be found out be reading poems and literature of the language. Another example is human being that has no belonging and does not own private thing. Is that good? Globalization tries to spread that, does not it? Some people believe that we should defend our names, culture and belonging because this is the essence of the diversity and without it we can not achieve the equality between the people.
I think that dignity is a value that should [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Religions and tradition are not based on human rights. Human rights are relatively new inventions which arose in conflict to the religions and inherited systems. Human rights are now the modern religion of man and it marches over any other religion or tradition and we should give it the priority. We cannot simply speak of discrimination or individual power without speaking of human rights, it must take precedence over preceding traditions and abrogate them.
I guess that the right question should be [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I guess that the right question should be „what will come after democracy?" rather than "Is something better than democracy?". Maybe Democracy will not be virtuous but nothing comes after democracy.
Holy war does not need to be justice, [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Holy war does not need to be justice, because it gets its legality from laws, people or from God and religion. Justice war has to depend on human law, United Nation and justice, however, we still do not exactly understand what justice war means and I think it is difficult that such a war exists. Even the defensive war can be changed into barbaric and aggressive war. As long as war used violence, it will not be easy to control. The humanitarian intervention is an important issue and that what happened in my country "Lebanon" where the United Nation intervention was really very necessary, because my country suffers from weakness and there is power which is stronger than the government itself. We can notice this phenomenon in the 3rd world where it is easy for a company, a family or a tribe to be stronger than the whole society, so in this case the humanitarian intervention would be justice.
This question is compound by 3 questions... [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This question consists of 3 questions. I am going to answer them sequently. can change happen without victims? Surely not. Victims are not only killed people, but also victims in other forms. There are groups and classes that are harmed because of this change and some of them must even lose and take losses. There are always victims of the change. The second question: Is there a way for America to lose its standing as the most powerful nation on this planet without that disrupting the entire planet? Nobody asked America to relinquish its role as the most powerful country, but we just asked it to play this rule fairly and to consider the international issue exactly as it considers its own issues. We must always think about a global vision, global interests, and global future. The last question: Can power ever relinquish power? Never up to today. Power is not a choice, but it is position. When we have power we can be nothing else.
I think no one is profiting from terrorism [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think no one is profiting from terrorism even the terrorists themselves are not profiting, because the need to terrorism has no relation with gain and profits. I mean, when terrorism is just like drug-smuggling or money forgery then it is sort of Mafia. Terrorism as ideology fails because it has no goals. On the other hand, we should not call everything terrorism, because nowadays the USA classifies the people into terrorist and non-terrorist without any differences. This classification which is naive and ignorant blinds the people seeing the essence of the reality.
Yes, brands can be more powerful than [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Yes, brands can be more powerful than governments in many times, which means that the brands themselves are like independent states.
I also do not know exactly what courage [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I also do not know exactly what courage means.Courage is not something independent and absolute, it is only in relation to a specific situation. Sometimes I believe that courage is simply when one takes a decision which contradicts with his own advantages and makes him sacrifice dearly. This is a simple definition but it is emotional, because we think sometimes that one of the achievements of bourgeoisie is to make people aware of their advantages, to defend these advantages and not to follow principles which contradict with their interests. I think we can specify courage according to certain situations and attitudes. We cannot discuss it outside of any situation. We need always courageous people who prefer the moral principles on all other things and I think these people play major role in our life although they are few.
I do not know exactly the difference between [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly the difference between an Iranian, American or Israeli Nuclear bomb. I don't know it at all. I think that nobody has the right to blame Iran for owning nuclear bomb but at the same time Israel is ignored. However, I think this need of a nuclear weapon is terrifying, and that the work to produce a nuclear bomb and the huge expenditure on it while the people suffer from poverty and industry is undeveloped, just to develop a bomb, I believe that this is also terrifying. I think sometimes of the Soviet Union which had underdeveloped industry, but its military industries were very advanced. "Kastoria Deskaneh" was talking about military monster in the Soviet Union, so I am afraid of new monsters appearing in countries which make nuclear bombs instead of serving their people.
That is true that there is no use of public [...]
Abbas Beydoun: That is true that there is no use of public international law if there are no effective enforcement mechanisms to apply it. Of course we suffer from this phenomenon in the Middle East. For example, Israel did not apply many international resolutions.
I do not know exactly the connection between [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly the connection between politics and violence. Generally, I think that politics implies always violence like the force, the dominance and the government repression. We can not imagine authority without dominance and force. However, violence can change to be politics, so the problem is when politics implies violence.
I think that people just want to consume [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that people just want to consume goods that are cheap and satisfy people needs regardless of the ways how these goods were produced. The rapid industrialization and the rapid economic development take place cruelly at the cost of poor people and deepen the gap between poor and rich people in the society. I guess that rapid industrialization in China nowadays is very similar to the beginning of capitalism.
I am not sure if what is happening now in [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I am not sure if what is happening now in the world is modern version of colonialization, or whether we are really today suffering under a modern colonialism. The world is now very different, and domination is not just another name for colonialism. Globalization is different from colonialization, and is often worse.
Of course the understanding of peace is not [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Of course the understanding of peace is not the same in all regions, we do not find a single value that is the same everywhere. for example peace does not mean the same in Somalia as it does in Europe or New York. In big cities peace may mean getting rid of violence, mafias and crimes, but this meaning is surely different in a country which are divided by militias where there is no law or system and where people suffer from hunger and violence, so peace is relative to where you are in the world. Let's go back to Iraq. There was strong condemnation against the war in Iraq because this war outraged peace, but I think that there was no peace in Iraq or even in the whole Middle East. I do not advocate the American policy at all, but I do not condemn the American intervention in Iraq to achieve the peace, however there are many reasons to prosecute this policy in Iraq. Peace in Somalia, Iraq, Syria is totally different from peace in Europe, where people understand it as stability, peace of mind.
I have no idea for such supposition. I do [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I have no idea for such supposition. I do not know what would happen if Columbus did not discover America or if the Africans did not immigrate to USA... I have no idea.
I am going now to answer the last question [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I am going now to answer the last question because instead of answering it I answered the question after. There is no use of the educational system in my country neither for adults nor for children, because it depends mainly on keeping the information by heart without any connection to the practical experience in life. Our educational system does not take into consideration the personal experience of the student and it makes the school like prison. I think that this system in my country is a serious obstacle and it represents the dominance of an ideological, religious and moral culture in the society.
[some words missing at the begin].. It is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: [some words missing at the begin].. It is a classic and old theory but anyway it has shaped history. Colonialism was in the past. Of course, the big differences between the north and the south are a matter of history. It is not important that the 3rd world people continuously scream that their wealth was stolen. It is clear that this robbing is still going on nowadays but obviously, the 3rd world countries accept this situation and they do not do anything to be independent. It is important that these countries should do something to be independent and they should make real efforts to improve their economy and to develop their societies, which is difficult to apply but it is necessary
Principally no, but we always do that. We [...]
Abbas Beydoun: There have always been people, religions and groups that considered themselves to be the most developed and advanced and they think they have a greater right to life. They believe they have the right to kill others because the others are less than they, or to show them no respect or lead them to the right religion, or impose their rights upon them, or to treat them as worthless. There have always been people who thought that the others are second class people and their life is not valuable. I am from a country they call Lebanon, and a little while ago planes violently and barbarically sent rockets down on the houses and tens of civilians and families were annihilated. I think that the pilots were thinking that what they are doing is right and they are accomplishing good goals, so they did not care about who was inside the houses. 400 children died within 30 days. The pilots of the planes did not think much about these children. Their death was probably hardly questioned by those who favored the killing. I am sure they believe they serve a cause too great to question its means. They do not consider the murdered children. Yet in the end they simply believe that they are better than the people whom they killed.
Women's issue is one of the most important [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Women's issue is one of the most important issues in the world because it continuously touches people's life, so other issues are affected by this issue. Defending women's right is included in the context of human right.
?I think that the issue is not optional, so [...]
Abbas Beydoun: ?I think that the issue is not optional, so we can not choose between non-violent resistance and armed struggle. Of course we prefer non-violent resistance because armed struggle has very negative results later, even in victory, because the winners who used armed struggle will become despots after they win. Of course the nonviolent is better, but this is not a matter of choice. for example, can we outlaw revolutions? In Middle East countries and in the countries where there are dictators for a long time, can we expect more? If there was a armed struggle movement against dictators, should we refuse it just because we believe in peace? In Europe, people talk always about peace also in Iraq we have been talking for a long time about peace, but I said that there is war against Iraqi people so we can not talk about peace there. Sure we prefer peace, but dictators are not peaceful, so we should not wait 40 years to get rid of them. Can the world help us? Perhaps that would be good thing.
I do not know exactly. I think that the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly. I think that the Negro defends the country where he lives and where he arranges his future, so I do not find it weird. Everywhere there are minorities that suffer from the majority, but that does not mean that minorities are disloyal, because they are part of the Land and the society and when they defend the country, they defend the common future of this country with the others. However, that does not mean that minorities should not struggle for their rights in the society, but it means that there is no connection between the loyalty and the struggle for right of these minorities. Africans came to America after the white people came, but the Indians were there before the white people. This is not important issue... for example; in Egypt the Copts consider themselves as the origin of Egypt.
I do not know... Of course companies take [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Of course we are responsible. If AIDS were spreading in Europe and America and the developed West, people would be trembling to no end, it would be an issue everyday, every hour. Now, since AIDS has withdrawn to Africa, and has weakened in Europe and America and we have discovered the causes of its advancement etc., no one cares that we are leaving the Africans to die in misery, for they have no medicine, no protection, or occasionally no culture to help them fight off this disease. AIDS is now devouring Africa while we do not care and pay no attention. We leave AIDS to them and say let them die, let them die. This is a great shame on all of humanity. AIDS still exists and we can say that all of mankind is backwards.
In my age I have no heroes. I believe that [...]
Abbas Beydoun: At my age I have no heroes. I know for certain that nobody deserves to be ideal. People are good or even great because they are human, full of mistakes and slips, lacks and inflicted by contradictions. It is not logic to follow someone and if we look for heroes we will find them in novels and movies, where they stay heroes and they do not change, so we can follow them, imitate them, or at least imagine ourselves in their positions.
Actually it is not easy for the people who [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Actually it is not easy for the people who are living in the 3rd world to pay the translation costs or the costs of the author rights. In fact, the economists there are not able to afford the costs of patent laws, so I think it is not bad thing at all and it is not illegal to allow these people to publish, translate and reproduce the technology without author rights or patent laws. I think that we need that because with author rights or patent laws we will not achieve innovation.
I do not know too... I think that ecology is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know too... I think that ecology is now our new religion, because it determines new rules, spots what is acceptable and what is forbidden and keeps this world safe. I guess that economic development and other things require ecological limits.
There was permanently fear from technology [...]
Abbas Beydoun: There was permanently fear from technology in the past, so it is not a new phenomenon what we have now. At the beginning of the last century many novels were written about this fear from the new machines, even the philosophers like Heidegger expressed that philosophically. Internet is a great development which makes human beings afraid of the results of this technology. I am not really afraid of internet, but actually I am afraid of how internet should be socially used, for example when internet is used to spy the others. It is better for us to create from internet a legend and to make it terrifying. Actually we are not only afraid of social monitor, but also of ourselves.
I think that the person who asked this [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that the person who asked this question should be young who is afraid of domesticating of people by technology and that technology changes people to be like machines... this is an old idea. I think it is not right when we say that technology rendered people obese, lazy, dependent or less curious, but actually technology requires always intelligence for the production and renewal. There are always developments in technology and these developments require human intelligence, so we can not imagine that there are lazy or less curious people who invent new things. Technology requires also intelligence to teach people how to control the new technology, so we need double intelligence for technology.
I do not find a good solution for this [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not find a good solution for this question although I believe that a solution must be found, otherwise the whole world will be threatened. We know that there are many problems which could lead slowly to the world destruction. I mean, the nuclear war is not the only thing, because there are so many wars going on nowadays and they are similar to the nuclear war but they are slower, so we should stop them. Human being and universe are threatened. Actually there are many scenarios for the end of the world, so we should create and prepare some ways to deal with such scenarios and to save the world. This preparation requires not only imagination, but also knowledge.
Abbas Beydoun:
This question reminds me of what Marx was [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This question reminds me of what Marx was saying in the 19th century when he was afraid that capitalism blocks the scientific development. He was expressing it as a fight between production power and relations power. I think many of questions here belong almost to the European left ideas. Of course the scientific inventions and the new technology belong somehow to capitalism, but I believe that the fear from the new technology which saves thousands of people is not justified now. For example the medicines which help so many people around the world.
I do not know which steps should be taken to [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know which steps should be taken to do that, but it is clear that the world is going to face serious problems and nobody tries really to put an end this sad fact. Sure we are aware of these problems, even if you ask any student in the university he will tell you well about them or if you ask anyone in the street he will also tell you, so it is not secret what is going on. In despite of the big companies and the countries which are connected somehow with these companies, the development of world capitalism- still nobody makes the effort to do something to solve this problem, no one listens, and then forbids the catastrophe. The global policy or global ideas should blame people, regimes and companies for their mistakes which they commit, not just before a nation but before the world.
I think that educated people complain always [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that educated people complain always about TV and they believe that TV is a shock. TV is the cultural instrument for a cultural channel which is the most populated, because it is the most democratic, the most amusing and the most simplified. One of my friends was always saying to me that TV is made just for the most stupid one in the family, so it is just made for naive people with less culture. TV is a mirror for the society and the culture, so it is not logic to wish that TV should be always serious, but however, we can think that TV can create better things in the society and in the life.
I am in doubt that all these modifications [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I am in doubt that all these modifications on agriculture will improve the situation, because I believe that food crops are harmed by these genetic ways and the result will be poison instead of fresh life.
I do not have enough knowledge to answer [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not have enough knowledge to answer this question.
When we were asked whether the life of one [...]
Abbas Beydoun: When we were asked whether the life of one person is more valuable than another one, we could have answered with yes, because that is what is happening now in the world. Sometimes one person consumes, enjoys, earns money, has free time, gets power, breathes pure air and gets pure water ten times more than the others, which means that there is problem in the world. This problem can be sensed because the world has changed to be a small village. In this issue, we can not suggest anything, but we just should realize that the current world system is corrupt, so we should prepare a strong and clean world for the next generations.
I do not know exactly how the architecture [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly how the architecture can better serve the social, economic, political and environmental concerns. What I know is that the old architecture could serve these concerns in the past, but now the current architecture cares for earning money and gain rather than serving economic and social concerns. I am not sure whether we should get rid of the current architecture because it looks really ugly in compare to the old architecture and I do not know if we should create a new kind of architecture for the human being and life.
I think that the future should just look [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that the future should just look like itself.
I think that the answer is obvious... It is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that the answer is obvious... It is both of them. Media now shows everything happens in the world, so nothing can be hidden. People watch the news with voice and video, so now we can not hide killed people or hide disasters and also we can not easily tell lies. I think that media is subjected to serious danger, because media is administrated by some people who have special attitudes or advantages, so media will allow them to lie and to fake. Media can be really powerful and it defends its own advantages.
Personally I do not know exactly if that is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Personally I do not know exactly if that is possible... I just watched it in science fiction movies. Of course something like that seems terrifying but I don't know if it would in fact be terrifying, if something like this were able to enhance human intelligence and self-awareness, or whether it would turn him into a machine. Anyway we can not build anything depending on assumptions. Of course, this is one of the great nightmares to do with modern technology.
Please let me say that this question is [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Please let me say that this question is useless, because such an education does not exist which is supposed to make people able to contribute to better world, even such a better world does not exist too, so we can not depend on it. This kind of education is equivocal and not acceptable. It is also similar to the way how the parties and some groups were dreaming of rebuilding human being, which is absolutely a false and an oppressive dream. We should not think of a way so that human being can be rebuilt, otherwise we will suffer from oppression.
I just would like to say a verse I have [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I just would like, as a poet, to say a verse I have composed. The verse is: „I live surrounded by all of those who make me alone".
I just want to say that high technology [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I just want to say that high technology knowledge can not develop the whole society, because when one owns his particular knowledge that would enable him to control himself, his time and his work. I also think that a good knowledge with technology in the 3rd world enables the societies there to get rid of the bad situations. These societies are ignorant with what is going on around them and they can not even organize the time and the work, so knowledge can really help them by making them ware of getting a relationship with the other parts of the world and to put an end to the underdevelopment.
Nothing at all. I do not need to go as far [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Nothing at all. I do not need to go as far as possible.
This question could also belong to the first [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This question could also belong to the first question. The point is how life can be faked because of the media and TV which address the naive member in the family. The media and The TV culture is no longer individualism-culture or culture shock as Briton said. Now it is possible to simplify the shock practically into goods, and also the culture was gradually changed into kind of general culture which is determined by the buyer and the producer, and the culture makers will change into instruments for the buyer and the producer. Now we can imagine a world which can be faked or manufactured and can be also governed by market laws. This is terrifying thing, because after the individualism age when people could impose themselves we came back to the collective age, the soviet culture age or Stalin age.
That could be possible to achieve... there [...]
Abbas Beydoun: That could be possible to achieve... there were so many wars in the past, but the existence of this perception, this imagination, and this responsibility becomes more and more real. I think that this is the future.
The reason for that is exactly the same one [...]
Abbas Beydoun: The reason for that is exactly the same one why we prefer the canned food on fresh fruits. We should think together about the reasons that enabled a social system to manage to change our tastes and to create a new industrial style of life. There were so many talks about this issue but the problem is getting bigger, which is the artificiality of every thing in life like food.
I know North Africa which is almost all [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I know North Africa which is almost all Arabic and I know also Egypt, but I am not really familiar with the other parts of Africa which I know just theoretically, from books. We learned so many things from North Africa and we can not even imagine the Arabic culture without the large contributions of North Africa. Personally, I am totally fascinated by Morocco which is a great example of the harmony between the past and the present and of being modern together with heritage and legacy, of the blending of tastes developed through generations. I do not know what I can learn from the other parts of Africa, but of course they have nice arts which inspired the European arts. Africa can also, I imagine, say something about the style of life which is near to nature.
Actually this is a big question. Surely we [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Actually this is a big question. Surely we do not have the means to create a balance between the preservation of local cultures and the development of a global community. We should find ideas and assignations to solve this problem in a good way; however, there are many attempts in several regions to find a solution for this problem. We should think in a realistic way, even the fanatic groups or the so called terrorists depend mainly on science and computer. I believe that we should preserve what we have from the past like books, castles, archaeological places and cultural centres and then we give the responsibility for the next generations to deal with these things.
Whether these questions were answered or the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Whether these questions were answered or not, and whether our speech was important or not, it is enough that good media does exist, and this will draw attention.
I do not know exactly the most important [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly the most important unreported story, but sometimes I think it is Viagra, because increasing the sexual ability is as important as bread. Renewal of fundamental needs is important, and something very great.
Of course, two answers can be right but [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Of course, two answers can be right but still contradict each other at the same time because there is no specific standard for right answers. Is the practical outcome, for example, the standard? Or the internal consistency of an idea? Or the similarity of one answer to answer we know to be corects? Briefly, lets say that truth is various and every answer is right at the right time. This is not sophistry at all, and it is not just to consider that good expressed answers are only right. We do not know why there are many contradictory answers, but we just know that answers can be varied.
I do not trust any knowledge I have to give [...]
I do not trust any idea that I have to give to the human being, because man himself is only an idea, and I can only say an idea.
This is normal thing. Feeder said that [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This is natural. ?Feeder? said that happiness is before history. Apparently, the more we progess in history, and in consideration of the world, we do not gain more happiness because happiness requires less knowledge, and a compatability with the world that no longer exists. Briefly, the worry of mankind, which increases with his knowledge, is natural and we can not save mankind from it. The worry of mankind increases, this is true, and his happiness decreases. But now we have an essential and basic choice. Should we choose happiness over knowledge, or if happiness is harmed by knowledge, where will we stop? Should we think that nuclear war, earthquake or big universal event would lead to a new emptiness of the world and to restore life to be more direct with nature. I believe that this is an ontological fact, and mankind must deal with the consequences of knowledge.
I do not know much about the technology [...]
Abbas Beydoun:I do not know much about the technology boom, but anyway I know that too much money has been spent on arming. I think that some poor countries spend too much money from its poor budget on arming, consequently that leads to more poverty. Principally, I am not against the Iranian nuclear bomb. I am not afraid of it, as I said to another question, because it is similar to the other bombs, but what makes me worry is that this bomb requires a lot of money and that happens at the cost of the industrial poverty of the Iranian people. It is very clear that technology can be used just for earning money, so we can not stop this kind of technology because it became essential in our daily life, rather we can talk about better way to use it.
If we look at the reality, we will find out [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I believe the indigenous is alive, he is still alive. We are at the beginning of the twenty-first century and the term "indigenous" is still there. In any case the dream of a world without such differences is terrifying, we should not fall into dreams of total equality. For these dreams have already cost man dearly.
I think that nowadays we try to determine [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think that nowadays we try to determine many things, there is always a new definition for everything. What interests me is the production of truth and fact. I realize that there are proper times for fact and truth sometimes changes, but manufacturing them is worrisome. We live now in the world which changes gradually to be false, even there will not be difference between cinema and this world. No difference between the world and a myth. What concerns me is the invention of facts and the constant falsifying, which always consumes us. This is not only dangerous, but will somehow make man a slave to pictures.
I think I did not teach my child anything or [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I think I did not teach my child anything or rather he forgot everything I taught and chose his own way himself. He chose the worst in my opinion. Anyway, what I should teach my child are not positive values, but rather passive values. I would teach him not to be afraid, to defend his personality and not to believe anyone easily to avoid the bad consequences. The society will teach him the rest of the values regardless of being true or untrue. If I could, i would also show him the means he needs to defend his character.
I do not know exactly, but I guess that [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not know exactly, but I guess that since the cubism, the stream of consciousness of Joyce and the others, the modern novels and the theatre of Absurd, the most important subject in arts is human being classification. The human being is increasingly and continuously dissociated more and more. Obviously, this dissociation creates the arts from many things, because everything can be altered to art and the dissociation has effect on all small details and creature in the world. I mean, the universe and creature are no longer isolated, so I think it is weird to dream of bigger entities to reunite the world.
?What moves me is anxiety and concernment [...]
Abbas Beydoun: ?What moves me is anxiety and concernment which make me very engaged with my work. My work makes me somehow feel better.
Ecology creates our new myths which are not [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Ecology creates our new myths which are not exciting because they are based on the idea of danger and fear of death and end of the world. There are other myths that are continuously created to be used for quick use, yet they produce nothing. In fact, we should try little by little to base our lives not on the truth but on criticism, on doubts, life is unsuitable for lovers of an afterlife, or humanitarians. We are in a position which is not suitable to mythology. The problem is that we quickly use up these myths, and then we create new ones, which does not make it easy to build a firm foundation for our world. I could say that we are in a stage of wretchedness now which may last for undetermined time.
It is clear that we always tend more to the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: It is clear that we always tend more to nationality than humanity, because humanity has not been achieved yet. Humanity is still just promise and plan, but nationality exists somehow in history, battles and common feelings particularly the hate between different people. The important thing to be said is that nationality can be considered to be legend, which means that the people will believe in false thing. They create somehow a false being. I think that humanity is the correct thing in contrary to nationality, but maybe we make also legend of humanity if we think so. We create a new false and lying mirror. I am always afraid of the big dreams and I do not like to create giant illusions out of small ones.
Many things can be of a bad quality because [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Everything can be of a bad quality as long as profit is its basis, as long as we always renew consumption and create industrial motivations for people to encourage them to buy and because of the need for balance between demand and supply. Everything can become worse, shorter and of a bad quality, so not only food can be worse. Actually this issue is a matter of a whole system and it imposes the following questions: how can we reform this system? How can we demand moral responsibility from it? And this I don't know.
I do not understand why such a question [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I do not understand why such a question should be posed, but I am sure you ask it ironically. Every religion considers itself as God's religion and depends on God to guide its followers. Firstly, religions invented God and every religion invents its own God, then we engage ourselves with senseless discussions, but at the end we will agree that there is one God for all religions. Obviously everyone can choose his own God which is good thing as I think, for every people, and for every person to have his own god.
I am not sure whether the cities are really [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I am not sure whether the cities are really threatened by sameness, but if that is happening now we can not stop it and we will not be able to change this fact. What i know that the European cities are different from each other and the modern cities are dissimilar to each other and to the other cities and they are anarchic. However, these anarchic cities are changed to be type and exemplar. Although the suburbs and the architecture of these cities are diverse, the cities generally look somehow similar. We may feel that the chaos and the diversity of these cities lead to disorder, but this disorder will become gradually a system and a nice life.
As always the question includes the [...]
Abbas Beydoun: As always the question includes the answer... it is an answer in a question form, so I do not need to repeat that people should not be defined by their colour or race. We can think deeper by imagining an Asian person who is very similar to an African one and who has passion in African culture as the Europeans had passion in oriental and African culture. Affiliation can be legend or fancy through cinema when one pretends to be Indian. One can visit the whole world by using internet and also one can take everyday a new identity and a new fancy in the internet, so we should not neglect it.
This question is very serious like the last [...]
Abbas Beydoun: This question is very serious like the last one, because it asks about the idea of developing the human being using the same way. There are many various books, visions, hobbies, so the ways to develop the young adult should be very diverse. Every young adult needs his own book, culture, visions and hobbies, so I guess we should neglect these simple dreams.
I can not say many things about this issue, [...]
Abbas Beydoun: I can not say many things about this issue, but I think that the Internet can be a base for totally different relationships. People from different continents can communicate with each other through the Internet and can exchange the knowledge without meeting each other personally. There is a new world built on the internet. New collectivisms built on this basis. but I am not sure whether this new collectivity will remain, and turn into real power, to produce something for society. I don't know and we can't decide yet.
After all the sequent questions we come to [...]
Abbas Beydoun: After all the earlier questions we come to this question. I can say that the future of the city will be black if the current situation remains as it is. We can not spontaneously predict our future, but we can at least say that the unemployment problem will be bigger, the weather will be more polluted, energy will be less than before, the violence will spread in the suburbs, the minorities will be more aggressive and feel isolated, the social integration will face so many problems and the community will not care for politics and elections so the government will dominate everything, which means that the globalized capital will create just one culture and one language, and consequently all cultural specificity will be removed, the city will look like a factory or garage or a storehouse of machines, the society will become gradually without memory and just concentrated on the daily concerns and the people will forget everything great and valuable, live as slaves for their small needs and they will also become less intelligent, more superficial and more isolated from what is going on in the world.
Well, everyone in China has the right to own [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Well, everyone in China has the right to own a car... If we consider that to be a disaster we should take attention right now.
Of course we are responsible for that. When [...]
Abbas Beydoun: Of course we are responsible for that. When AIDS was spreading in Europe and USA, the people there were very scared and it was the main issue. Nowadays AIDS got less than before in Europe and in USA because of the education but it is still in Africa. We let People in Africa die because they do not have medicine or medical protection and they do not have enough education to protect themselves from this disease. We do not care about them and we let them die without real help... What a shame! AIDS is still there, I could say: world is still underdeveloped.
Abbas Beydoun:
