Al-Sir Al-Sayyid writes: In praise of the arts

We will not go beyond the truth if we say that the arts represent the greatest inventions of man since his landing on earth. They are without dispute, and after religion, of course, they are the ones who enabled him to innovate coexistence with himself, with others, and with the world. How could it not, when they reach their deep roots to religion itself, as it is the first tool for learning about the world and interpreting it? And then change it.

Arts position:
Concerning this, we point out the following:

1. The arts cannot be viewed and approached in isolation from culture, given that the arts express, enrich, and add to the culture present in their context at the same time.
2 The arts have an ancient history, and by their nature they cross geography, cultures, customs, and artistic genres. There is no art that is not influenced by another art, and there is no art that does not have that universal human spirit.
3. The arts do not have a fixed location or fixed roles. They are constantly in a state of transformation, like all other social phenomena. The arts in today’s civilization are not what they were in previous civilizations. They now have their institutions, their sciences, and their transcontinental roles. Rather, today they are included within the major economies of some countries. It is also often considered an intelligence weapon.
4. The arts are not innocent, just as beauty is not innocent. Often times, the arts play roles in supporting injustice, spreading immorality, blurring awareness, creating a false image of the world, and beautifying disbelief and misguidance.
5. The arts are no longer limited to those traditional art forms, nor are their place in museums, noble homes, and theaters, nor are their makers any longer those heroic stars. Due to political, economic, and communication developments, they have become a public matter and a daily societal behavior.
6. Due to its ability to unleash the individual’s energies and develop critical thinking and creative sense, the scope of its roles has expanded. It now contributes to supporting economic growth through creative industries and contributes to psychological treatment and bringing people together.
7. Because there is no creativity without freedom, freedom has been the indispensable condition for the arts at all times and in all societies, and from here came the fear of it. Free artistic expression encourages experimentation, diversity, and imagination, and art often represents a reference point that stimulates critical ideas and debate about human identity, modernity, and socio-political issues, as Nasr Abu Zaid sees it.

The role of the arts:

Arts can contribute to societal development through their ability and expression of the following:

_ Spreading the culture of dialogue and thus spreading the culture of democracy, which means establishing participation and understanding between members of society and its institutions, which helps to create a society in which ideas and opinions are multiple and diverse.
_ Developing the creative sense, critical faculties, and appreciation for beauty, which means the possibility of creating a different relationship with reality.
_ Spreading joy, happiness, and cheerfulness, which helps develop personality and increase its ability to tolerate and recognize others.
_ Recreating our personal stories and narratives, which increases our desires for development and change.
_ Represents the voice of the voiceless, marginalized and poor people by expressing their needs and questions.
_ Contributes to enlightenment and education in social, health, political and other campaigns, such as child vaccination campaigns, awareness campaigns about the dangers of AIDS, and campaigns urging participation in public affairs.
_ It contributes to supporting economic growth through one of its direct expressions, and we mean what is known as creative industries.
_ It contributes to reducing conflicts that arise from the inability to manage diversity through its ability to confront stereotyping that affects individuals and beliefs based on ethnic, religious, or gender backgrounds.
_ It works as techniques used by psychotherapy in what is known as psychological rehabilitation, especially in areas experiencing armed conflict.
_ It represents the ideal formula for supporting dialogue and cultural exchange between peoples, given the characteristic it possesses that enables it to peacefully cross borders.
Perhaps in our uncreative differences and in our now unjust and destructive war, if we humble ourselves and work to integrate the arts in an organized and creative manner, we may be able to make a difference.
In me, our creative men and women, unite.