{"id":3570,"date":"2026-10-18T03:42:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T03:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/?p=3570"},"modified":"2026-10-18T03:42:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T03:42:39","slug":"testimony-of-dr-sobhi-ghandour-d-2023-on-sadiq-jawad-suleiman-and-his-role-at-the-arab-dialogue-center-in-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/?p=3570","title":{"rendered":"Testimony of Dr. Sobhi Ghandour (d. 2023) on Sadiq Jawad Suleiman and His Role at the Arab Dialogue Center in Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This interview with the late Dr. Sobhi Ghandour was conducted one year before his passing as part of the Ons Channel<\/strong> Spaces on X (formerly Twitter). It was organized jointly by Ons Channel<\/strong> and the Readers of Knowledge Salon<\/strong> on Saturday, 1 Mu\u1e25arram 1444 AH \/ 30 July 2022<\/strong>, at 10:00 p.m. Muscat time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation was held to mark the first anniversary of the passing of Sadiq Jawad Suleiman (d. 2021)<\/strong>. Dr. Sobhi Ghandour was among Suleiman’s closest friends in Washington. He worked alongside him on Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong>, the Arab Dialogue Center<\/strong>, and their final joint intellectual initiative, the Charter for the Arab Intellectual Renaissance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Introduction by Badr Al-Abri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Badr Al-Abri:<\/strong> In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To begin, we apologize for the slight delay. On the morning of 27 July 2021<\/strong>, we lost the late Sadiq Jawad Suleiman<\/strong>, who passed away while undergoing medical treatment during a trip to India. On the first anniversary of his passing, we are pleased to host this X Spaces conversation with Dr. Sobhi Ghandour<\/strong>, whose friendship and loyalty to Sadiq Jawad spanned more than three decades\u2014from the early 1990s until Sadiq’s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The late Sadiq Jawad often spoke warmly of Dr. Sobhi Ghandour and expressed deep appreciation for him. That same spirit of loyalty and friendship was equally evident in Dr. Ghandour and in the Arab Dialogue Center<\/strong> in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our guest, Dr. Sobhi Ghandour<\/strong>, is a Lebanese journalist who has lived in Washington since 1987<\/strong>. He has been a member of the Lebanese Press Syndicate<\/strong> since 1977<\/strong>. He is also the founder and publisher of Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong>, established in 1989<\/strong> in Washington and published in both Arabic and English. Sadiq Jawad contributed to the magazine under the literary pseudonym Mahmoud Khalid<\/strong>. Perhaps Dr. Ghandour can tell us why he chose to write under a pen name rather than his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ghandour is also the founder and director of the Arab Dialogue Center<\/strong> in Washington, where Sadiq Jawad remained an active member and participant until the end of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, I will leave the floor to Dr. Sobhi Ghandour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening Remarks by Dr. Sobhi Ghandour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Thank you very much, Mr. Badr, for your kind invitation to join this wonderful gathering, and to be with this distinguished group of brothers and sisters, with whom I look forward to building lasting ties of friendship and intellectual exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy Hijri New Year to you all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would also like to apologize for the half-hour delay in joining this session. The fault lies with my own limitations when it comes to technology. In any case, I am truly delighted that we were able to find a way to connect and share this conversation on the first anniversary of the passing of a dear friend, beloved brother, distinguished thinker, and accomplished writer, Mr. Sadiq Jawad Suleiman<\/strong>\u2014may God have mercy on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When did your relationship begin, and how did it develop?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you mentioned, Mr. Badr, our acquaintance began in the early 1990s, and that is indeed how it happened. As I noted yesterday during the symposium held by the Arab Dialogue Center<\/strong> to commemorate this occasion, my introduction to Mr. Sadiq Jawad Suleiman<\/strong> came through a phone call from the late Munir Al-Nasouli<\/strong> (d. 1998), a former Lebanese ambassador residing in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He contacted me to tell me about Mr. Sadiq, saying, “This is someone you should definitely get to know.”<\/em> Munir Al-Nasouli had become familiar with Sadiq Jawad through his own reading of Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong>, comparing its ideas with the views he had heard directly from Sadiq. He believed there was a remarkable intellectual affinity between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I welcomed the suggestion, contacted Mr. Sadiq, and visited him at his home, bringing with me several issues of Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong>. At first, he was rather reserved, as he neither knew me nor was familiar with the magazine. However, after spending a few days reading those issues, he called and invited me back for another visit. From that point onward, he opened up extensively on a wide range of intellectual and political questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That meeting allowed me to discover that he possessed a thoughtful and profound mind, one that reflected the very concerns and ideas I had been publishing in Al-Hiwar<\/em>. We quickly found a deep intellectual harmony in our shared commitment to public thought and cultural engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I published in Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong> an open letter by him entitled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A Nation Whose Sons Do Not Think for Themselves Will Be Led by the Thinking of Others.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter was a call to give greater attention to intellectual life and to reflect seriously on the challenges confronting the Arab world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to remember that all of this took place toward the end of 1991<\/strong>, when the Arab region was still grappling with the profound consequences of the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein<\/strong> (d. 2006) invading Kuwait and the aftermath of the Second Gulf War<\/strong>. The message conveyed in that open letter was, above all, an appeal for thoughtful reflection on the crises facing the Arab nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should also recall that the early 1990s witnessed major global transformations, most notably the collapse of the Soviet Union<\/strong>, alongside the profound political changes that followed the Second Gulf War in the Arab region. These developments generated intense intellectual debates both within the Arab world and internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our friendship soon evolved into something broader. I began inviting a number of friends who shared similar intellectual and cultural interests to gatherings at Sadiq’s home. These regular evening meetings became lively forums for discussion and exchange. After about two years, our gatherings moved to the office of Dr. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani<\/strong>, where we met monthly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although these meetings were organized under the auspices of Al-Hiwar Magazine<\/strong>, they brought together individuals from a wide variety of intellectual backgrounds. Sadly, many of those distinguished participants have since passed away. Among them were Dr. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani<\/strong>, Dr. Hisham Sharabi<\/strong> (d. 2005), who also directed the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies<\/strong> at Georgetown University<\/strong> in Washington, Dr. Rushdi Said<\/strong> (d. 2013) from Egypt, Dr. Irfan Shah\u00eed<\/strong> (d. 2016), Mr. Suheil Bushrui<\/strong> (d. 2015)\u2014whom you mentioned earlier, Mr. Badr\u2014and Dr. Clovis Maksoud<\/strong> (d. 2016), who himself played an important role in attracting many people who admired him as a leading Arab intellectual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience continued for about two years through monthly meetings held at Dr. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani’s office. At the time, he served as president of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)<\/strong> in Washington and North America. It was he who invited us to hold our gatherings at the Institute after I had first invited him to attend several of our smaller meetings at the home of Mr. Sadiq Jawad Suleiman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Was the Purpose of the Private Meetings in Washington Before the Establishment of the Arab Center for Dialogue?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These meetings were held over a period of two years as regular monthly gatherings, without any public announcement. Their purpose was not to employ or utilize them on an international level. Rather, their primary objective emerged in the aftermath of the Second Gulf War and the serious repercussions that followed in the region. It had become important to address a fundamental question concerning the kind of intellectual revival needed in the region\u2014one that could restore, at the very least, the conviction among its peoples that they belonged to one nation and shared a common culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wherever they might be geographically dispersed, they remained connected by this shared Arab cultural identity. Arab identity was not tied to any particular ideology. Certain experiences during the twentieth century had distorted the relationship between those who raised the banner of Arab nationalism and those who approached issues from religious and Islamic perspectives. This manufactured contradiction was exploited by the enemies and adversaries of the Arab nation, although there was no real justification for it. Anyone who seeks the revival of the Arab nation is, in practical terms, contributing to the advancement of the Islamic world as a whole. The issue ultimately concerns how religion is understood and how identity is understood. This was the central purpose of these meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During one of these meetings, Dr. Clovis Maksoud said that he was a Lebanese Maronite Christian who had come to know Islam through Arabism. Among those present was also a Libyan national who had played a role in the period following the changes that took place in Libya\u2014that is, he had been part of the Libyan opposition\u2014and who regularly attended these meetings. This man, who was of Amazigh origin, said: \u201cI am Libyan of Amazigh origin, and I came to know Arabism through Islam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This exchange itself expressed the significance of these meetings: a Christian from Lebanon had come to know Islam through Arabism, while a Libyan of Amazigh origin had come to know Arabism through Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, personally, was what I sought through these meetings: those who believe in Arab identity, whether Arab Muslims or Arab Christians, attach great significance to Islamic civilization and to the role of Islam in shaping and realizing this identity. We all know from the history of the Arab region that, before the emergence of the Islamic message, Arab identity was associated with tribes living in the Arabian Peninsula. The Islamic message, however, carried this identity forward, endowed it with an important civilizational dimension, and spread that dimension throughout North Africa and other parts of the world. This resulted from the convergence that took place between Arab identity and the Islamic civilizational dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Qur\u2019an was revealed in Arabic, and the Prophet Muhammad came from Mecca, from the Arab lands. These Arab lands are the land of all the divine revelations and, therefore, possess a special distinction even within the broader Islamic world. They are the land of divine messages and prophets. Consequently, they bear a great responsibility in many respects: because of their spiritual significance, their geographical position at the crossroads of the world\u2019s continents, and their wealth and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these reasons, this region has been\u2014and will continue to be\u2014a target of the major powers of the world, from the days of the Roman Empire to the present. How, then, can this nation confront the challenges arising from its geographical position, its wealth, and its ancient and modern civilizational role? How can it be capable of doing so if it remains fragmented and does not even know how to understand its own identity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The period during which we held these gatherings in Washington was filled with long evenings of discussion and meetings organized in various places and attended by a limited number of people. Sometimes we met at Al-Hikma Bookstore, run by our brother Diaa al-Saadawi in Washington; at other times, we met in caf\u00e9s or in private homes. All of these gatherings were extremely important, but naturally they were neither recorded nor transcribed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these discussions, for example, took place with Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani, while others were held with Suheil Bushrui. Consider the diversity of their backgrounds and affiliations: Dr. al-Alwani belonged to the Islamic school of thought, whereas Bushrui came from an entirely different tradition [he was a Bah\u00e1\u2019\u00ed]. He was deeply concerned with spiritual and religious questions and spoke about them in a positive manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same was true of Clovis Maksoud [who was a Maronite Christian] and of others who participated in these gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did Sadiq Jawad add to these internal encounters?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that this interaction with Sadiq Jawad Suleiman was truly characterized by a comprehensive vision of all these matters. His understanding of religion was, in itself, highly appreciated by many Arab intellectuals, at least. I am not even referring to the experience of the Dialogue Center, where participants came from different countries, sects, and schools of thought. They did not view him as representing a particular orientation or belonging to a specific school of jurisprudence. He made a clear distinction between principles and values on the one hand, and the Qur\u2019an on the other, and between these and the issues over which those who confine themselves within sectarian and doctrinal frameworks disagree, without looking at what is more important and comprehensive in the Book of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, he emphasized the importance of shura (consultation)<\/strong> as a very important principle that some people overlook. It has been discussed for 1,400 years and ultimately represents a foundation and essence of democracy. He also spoke about social justice<\/strong>, a great value to which the Qur\u2019an refers, together with the necessity of equality among people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He distinguished between identity and essence<\/strong> when he said that our essence is that we are human beings, with all that humanity entails in terms of intrinsic dignity, whereas identity is plural and connected to different circumstances and geographical settings. Even people from the same country may differ in their identities on sectarian, tribal, or ethnic grounds. What mattered most to him was that people should look toward the essence that unites them rather than divide themselves on the basis of their identities. This does not mean abandoning concern for national identity, whether at the country level, such as Omani identity, or more broadly, Arab identity. On the contrary, even American identity was part of his life story and meant a great deal to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I even remember that Gamal Abdel Nasser (d. 1970) in Egypt used to speak of Egypt\u2019s identities as belonging simultaneously to an African sphere, an Arab sphere, and an Islamic sphere, and that these spheres complemented one another as well. The same idea was present in Sadiq Jawad Suleiman\u2019s thinking, with their common denominator being this sense of belonging to the human essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember that, in the early 1990s, at the beginning of our encounters, he once told me that when he began, through his studies at Johns Hopkins University, to investigate the ideas and intellectual traditions that existed, he discovered the Qur\u2019an as an important reference for him. He said that there was a copy of the Qur\u2019an in his home library, but that a great deal of dust had accumulated on it, and that he had not previously known how to see or engage with it properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I believe his statement was an introduction to something else. Had he not possessed that intellectual openness, that engagement with other philosophies and ideas around the world, and that willingness to engage with differing opinions, he would not have discovered what he found in the Qur\u2019an. More than a billion people in the Islamic world read the Qur\u2019an. Some memorize it, and some read it more than once during the blessed month of Ramadan. Yet very few in the Islamic world understand what Sadiq Jawad Suleiman understood in terms of the importance he placed on the role of reason in understanding the Qur\u2019an<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had a forward-looking vision in reading principles and values, in understanding the relationship between civilization, culture, and religion, and in his comprehensive view of the human being as encompassing all humanity, rather than being closed in and confined beneath the ceiling of narrow, sectarian identities\u2014as, unfortunately, is the case in much of the world, and not merely in the Arab region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Did Sadiq Jawad Stay Away from Writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first met Sadiq Jawad, I found him to be a profound thinker, yet I could find no books, articles, or publications by him. I asked him: Why does a person with such profound and eloquent thought not write? He told me that he was still going through a period in which he was trying to deal with certain personal circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should not forget that he had resigned from the diplomatic service after serving as ambassador in Washington and Tehran, as well as a non-resident ambassador to a number of countries, including Canada, countries in South America, and elsewhere. At the time, he was still considering and planning what he might do in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was pursuing his studies at Johns Hopkins University for a master\u2019s degree in international relations. During that period, I believe he was also trying to establish a stable personal and social life, having decided to settle with his family in the Washington area of the United States. Writing was not yet a priority for him. Rather, he seemed to be going through a period of retreat and contemplation, immersing himself deeply in reading and reflection in order to arrive at conclusions concerning the self, existence, and the developments taking place around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned earlier, I found in Sadiq Jawad a wealth of thought that deserved to be heard by others. Yet, as I have noted, he was not writing at the time. Toward the end of 1991, I first encouraged him to write. He told me that he could not publish under his own name, so I suggested that he write under the pseudonym Mahmoud Khalid<\/strong>, a name I chose for him. He did indeed begin writing a series of articles dealing with intellectual and cultural questions related to Arab affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadiq Jawad\u2019s move toward writing came after my repeated insistence that he put into writing the knowledge and ideas he carried within him. Otherwise, many more years might have passed while he remained in his personal retreat, a period that had begun after his resignation from diplomatic service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was not the kind of person concerned with making himself known to the public, nor was he preoccupied with seeking a role or position in life. Rather, he was trying to discover himself. He wanted to understand the universe around him. This was the Sadiq Jawad I came to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period and afterward, Sadiq Jawad began writing and publishing articles in Al-Hewar Magazine<\/em>. These articles were later republished elsewhere after we circulated them through an internet mailing list that included a large number of Arab newspapers. The same applied to his writings in English. He did, of course, write in English, and some of those writings were addressed specifically to American society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of his articles dealt with women and issues concerning them. He also wrote about equality, the rights of women and men, and issues relating to the younger generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early on, I suggested that his articles be collected and published in book form, including making the book available for sale in Oman. He nevertheless had reservations about publishing a book at that particular time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We attempted to collect his articles into a book, and I still have a collection of them. I will send them online, along with recordings and materials from the seminars and lectures he gave at the Arab Center for Dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Areas of Knowledge Occupied Sadiq Jawad in America?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The areas of interest that I observed in Sadiq Jawad from that period onward were remarkably diverse. He did not confine himself to a single intellectual field, as some Arab intellectuals and thinkers sometimes do. His interests extended from the broad sphere of universal human concerns to the more particular national sphere of his homeland, Oman. I found him engaging with all these spheres to the fullest extent of his intellectual and scholarly abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His interests encompassed philosophical questions, including his views on religion and the universe. They also extended to matters connected with his life in the United States, where he closely and deeply followed the American constitutional experience and the history of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His attention then extended to the Arab region and its circumstances, with a particular concern for the state of Arab culture and for an Arab identity that brings Arabs together wherever they may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there was Oman, his homeland, to which he remained deeply attached emotionally, socially, nationally, and politically. These were all dimensions of the bond that ties a person strongly to his homeland, regardless of the passage of time or the distance separating him from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never found any contradiction in Sadiq Jawad Suleiman\u2019s engagement with these different spheres. To me, this reflected the nature of his intellectual outlook, both through my personal interactions with him and through our experience at the Arab Center for Dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the very beginning, we sought to make the Arab Center for Dialogue a space for intellectual interaction, where every individual would have the freedom to hold and express whatever views they believed in. More importantly, however, was each person\u2019s ability to engage openly and constructively with opinions different from their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How and When Did the Idea of the Arab American Dialogue Center in Washington Begin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1994, we rented a small space in a suburb of Washington, D.C. I brought a dining table and four chairs from my home. My purpose in arranging this meeting was to seek the opinions of three colleagues with whom I had been interacting over the previous two years: Sadiq Jawad Sulaiman, Taha Jabir Al-Alwani, and Clovis Maksoud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember that, in 1994, Al-Alwani said to me: \u201cHow can you put this idea into practice and begin organizing weekly seminars with just these chairs and such a modest room? How can you bring Arabs together in one small room without requiring advance reservations, when you have no idea who might attend, especially while Arabs are fighting one another across the Arab world? They might even get into physical confrontations if you invite them to weekly seminars without prior registration!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, throughout the history of the Dialogue Center’s seminars, we have never required participants to register or reserve a place in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Clovis Maksoud, who had also resigned from his position as the Arab League’s ambassador in Washington and had begun working with the Center for the Study of the Global South at American University, reacted differently. He said: \u201cHow are you going to organize weekly seminars when we ourselves struggle to hold even one annual conference, to which we invite our fellow Arabs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Sadiq Jawad, his response was that there was absolutely no problem with establishing the center and inviting people to participate. Having experienced the value of these gatherings over the previous two years, he believed that the initiative would succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The intellectual engagement I have been describing was reflected in all the seminars in which he participated. His presence gave these gatherings a distinctive intellectual depth and value. We began holding informal evening discussions lasting approximately two hours with those who wished to stay after the seminars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were truly wonderful conversations, covering a wide range of subjects in an intellectual and cultural atmosphere. The discussions explored religion, philosophy, intellectual thought, and many other topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Did Sadiq Jawad Contribute to the Arab Dialogue Center?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My experience with Sadiq Jawad Sulaiman at the Arab Dialogue Center is a chapter of my life that I deeply cherish. It was a period of friendship, mutual understanding, and intellectual engagement that added tremendous value to the Center\u2019s seminars. Whether he participated as a lecturer, listener, or discussant, his presence was always enriching. Those attending the seminars were greatly impressed by his eloquence, his modern methodological approach, and his remarkable ability to remain focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should remember that he passed away at the age of over 87. Even until the very last moments of his life, his mind remained intellectually sharp, methodical, and focused. He knew how to express himself, what to say, and precisely what message he wanted to convey. In my view, all these qualities reflected the profound connection between his personality and the worlds of thought and philosophy in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me also say that, had it not been for the fortunate coincidence that brought us together through the former Lebanese ambassador, Munir Nassouli, who introduced me to him, I believe Sadiq Jawad Sulaiman\u2019s life story might have taken a different course, including what he would eventually write. Likewise, the experience of the Arab Dialogue Center would have been different had Sadiq Jawad not become part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These encounters may seem very small or insignificant at first, yet they can leave a profound impact, both personally and intellectually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was Sadiq Jawad Involved in Cultural Activities Outside the United States?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also recall that he held several meetings and discussions with groups of Omani diplomats and students. In Oman, he delivered talks in English whenever he visited Muscat, just as he did in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember that after the events of September 11, 2001, we visited several churches together, where he spoke in English. I had received invitations from these churches to speak about Arabs and Muslims, and we would often recommend Sadiq Jawad because of his extensive knowledge and intellectual depth. His former diplomatic position also made his views particularly interesting to some audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were also several other Arab cultural centers that had become familiar with him through attending his seminars. They developed an interest in his ideas and invited him to participate in meetings and seminars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these experiences, in my view, further enriched the vast intellectual reservoir that shaped his thinking, his mind, and his awareness. The Arab Dialogue Center, in turn, benefited greatly from this wealth of knowledge, continuously drawing inspiration and intellectual nourishment from his ideas throughout those many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Was Behind Sadiq Jawad\u2019s Increased Activity After the Events of September 11, 2001?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must admit that the events of September 11, 2001, had a profound impact on most Arabs living in the United States, as well as on Muslims in general. For example, Taha Jabir Al-Alwani left the United States for Cairo, where he eventually settled, due to certain circumstances arising from the September 11 attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United States, measures were introduced that discriminated against certain Arab and Islamic centers. Laws were also enacted that permitted surveillance of Arabs and Muslims, as well as their institutions and organizations. Various forms of pressure were exerted. The America we had known before September 11, 2001, was very different from the America that emerged after that date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was particularly evident during the administration of President George W. Bush and the neoconservatives, whose policies included the war in Iraq. The repercussions of these developments prompted some people to leave the United States, particularly those who were intellectually active, engaged in public affairs, and involved in thinking, writing, and working within American society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned earlier, following September 11, 2001, Sadiq Jawad and I visited several churches, where he spoke in English. I received invitations from these churches to give talks about Arabs and Muslims, and we would often suggest Sadiq Jawad as a speaker. His extensive knowledge, intellectual depth, and previous diplomatic position made his perspectives particularly interesting to many of those audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Sadiq Jawad Ever Clash with Others at the Arab Dialogue Center Over Intellectual and Cultural Differences?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of Sadiq Jawad\u2019s questions and research may have appeared unconventional or contrary to commonly accepted ideas. However, he never engaged in conflicts with those who held different views. Anyone familiar with Sadiq Jawad Suleiman\u2019s writings and intellectual thought will find no tendency toward confrontation with opposing ideas. He simply expressed his own convictions. This was his approach to discussion: presenting what he believed in rather than prioritizing the criticism or refutation of others\u2019 ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His writings and discussions reflected the principle that it was not necessary to criticize someone else\u2019s thinking or respond directly to a particular individual. His primary objective was to present the ideas and convictions he himself held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps this approach was also influenced by the Arab Dialogue Center. From the very beginning of the Center\u2019s activities, we established guidelines for discussions at all our seminars. One of these guidelines was that when participants heard opinions different from their own, their objective should not be to challenge or refute the person expressing them. Instead, they were encouraged to focus on presenting their own convictions rather than making rebuttal their sole purpose. No one had the right to deny others the opportunity to express their opinions, even when those opinions differed from their own. At the same time, everyone retained the right to express their own views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe this was precisely the approach that the late Sadiq Jawad followed throughout all those years. For this reason, he never became involved in intellectual conflicts and was respected and appreciated by everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why and When Did You Issue the Charter for Arab Intellectual Reform, and What Has Become of It?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In June 2004, we attempted to publish in Washington what we called the Arab Intellectual Reform Project<\/em>. It consisted of six principles that Sadiq Jawad and I formulated together and issued jointly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of Arab intellectual reform was to foster among Arabs in general a conviction of the importance of gradually building a United Arab States, or, at the very least, establishing an Arab union modeled on the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving this desired goal would first require comprehensive reform of the Arab situation by reassessing the structure and performance of governance within the existing Arab states, as well as the structure and effectiveness of solidarity throughout the Arab nation as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve such comprehensive reform, the Charter identified six key issues that required clarification and the practical development of their implications within the Arab experience. These were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/summary>\n
    \n
  1. The question of Arab nationalism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Reform and the relationship between Arab identity and Islam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The question of democracy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The question of women’s rights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The question of methodology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. The absolute rejection of violence throughout the Arab world.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

    Naturally, these objectives and principles were explained in greater detail in a three-page document. As I mentioned, this project dates back to 2004. It was prepared by Sadiq, myself, and his eldest son, Adel. We used to call Sadiq Abu Adel<\/em> (father of Adel), a name that also resonated with his concern for justice, given the association between the name Adel and the Arabic word for justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After Sadiq and I had prepared this joint paper, I was invited to a meeting at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where we presented it to a number of Arab intellectuals. They suggested that we circulate and publish it, and it was indeed published in Al-Hewar<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Following the events of 2011, I decided to republish the document, which I did in December 2014. I also sent it to numerous prominent figures across the Arab region, and it received various responses and reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, the initiative did not progress beyond that stage. In my view, transforming it into a practical undertaking remains a matter for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why Did Sadiq Jawad Decide to Return to His Homeland, Oman, and Leave Washington?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Following the events of September 11, 2001, and the restrictions that ensued, as I mentioned earlier, Sadiq Jawad Suleiman was among those who found themselves in a state of uncertainty. He told me that he wanted to make a final decision about where to settle. He initially wished to remain in the United States, as his children were living in different states across the country. Only his son Mohammed was working in the Gulf region, I believe in Dubai. Eventually, he reached the conclusion that he would settle permanently in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some time later, however, he told me the opposite. He was reconsidering the matter and had decided to return to Oman and settle there. I believe his final decision was to make Oman his permanent home, while limiting his visits to the United States, particularly Washington, to seeing his family, children, and grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And that is essentially what happened. During the years following September 11, 2001, he would spend approximately six months in Oman and another six months in Washington and New York, where one of his sons lived, until he finally made the decision to settle permanently in Oman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During an earlier visit, he had suffered an accident at his home in Muscat, where he fell. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, along with health complications that required medical treatment in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I believe this was a difficult period for him, as it is for many people who have passed their sixties and are now in their seventies or eighties, particularly those who have spent much of their lives outside the Arab world. At that stage of life, deciding where to spend one’s remaining years\u2014whether to return to one’s homeland or move somewhere else\u2014can be an especially difficult decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Was Sadiq Jawad\u2019s Perspective on the Events of the Arab Spring in 2011?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The events that unfolded across the Arab world, including Oman, in early 2011, commonly referred to as the Arab Spring, had a profound impact on him. He used to tell me that he would visit some of the public squares where groups of young Omanis gathered. He would engage in conversations with them, interact with them, and listen to their views and concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He encouraged them to reject violence, as he did not believe that revolutions necessarily meant bringing about change through violent means. Rather, he advocated a systematic approach to reform, one that took into account the gradual development of its various stages, ultimately leading to the reform of both society and governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was an important perspective, particularly in light of the serious consequences we witnessed in several Arab countries that experienced what came to be known as the Arab Spring revolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Did You Lose Contact After His Return to Oman, and What Was Your Last Communication with Him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Throughout those years, we never lost contact, especially through email. In the late 1990s or at the beginning of the new century, I submitted his name to the Arab National Congress in Beirut, the Arab-Islamic National Conference, and other forums. I also provided a brief introduction about him, and he was subsequently invited to participate. He was received with great warmth, admiration, and appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was also invited to Qatar, then to the United Arab Emirates, and to various other places to speak at seminars on a wide range of topics. He frequently traveled to Kuwait with Dr. Mohammed Al-Rumaihi. Wherever he went, his ideas and intellectual methodology were met with appreciation and admiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The last communication I received from him was a message he sent from India, which you also received, Mr. Bader. In that message, he explained that he was undergoing medical treatment and expressed his hope of returning to Muscat soon. He also hoped to return to Washington to visit his children and grandchildren and reunite with his colleagues and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately, fate did not allow him to fulfill those hopes. As we know, he passed away in India in July of last year. May God have mercy on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Do You Assess Sadiq Jawad\u2019s Thought After His Passing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905), together with Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897), published the journal Al-Urwah Al-Wuthqa<\/em> (The Firmest Bond<\/em>) in Paris in the nineteenth century. It consisted of only a few pages, at a time when neither the internet nor social media existed. Only nineteen issues were published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Similarly, Gibran Khalil Gibran (d. 1931), along with his friends in the Pen League in New York during the last century, published a newspaper in which they wrote about issues concerning the region in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The point is that, a hundred years later, or slightly less, we find many people still reading the books and newspapers of that era. Some of Gibran\u2019s works, particularly The Prophet<\/em>, became bestsellers in the United States. Americans regard this book as an important philosophical and intellectual work, known in English as The Prophet<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For this reason, I have no concerns about the continued dissemination and influence of Sadiq Jawad Suleiman\u2019s thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If We Were to Summarize Sadiq Jawad\u2019s Intellectual and Cultural Life, How Would We Describe It?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sadiq Jawad was born in 1934, which means that in 1994 he was approximately sixty years old. The earlier period of his life extended from his work in the media and journalism in Kuwait, where he served as an English-language editor, to his diplomatic career as an ambassador. During those decades, he neither wrote nor published anything. He regarded that period of his life primarily in terms of his professional achievements, much like any successful diplomat or ambassador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    His intellectual development became particularly evident during the 1990s. We can identify three significant decades in his intellectual life: the 1990s, the first decade of the twenty-first century, and the second decade of this century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The 1990s represented a period in which he began to draw upon and express his vast reservoir of accumulated knowledge and ideas. During that decade, the discussions and debates in which he participated further enriched the significance of what he wrote and said. He possessed the necessary intellectual qualifications, and his mind was filled with important ideas and philosophical perspectives. He raised the kinds of questions that characterize a genuine thinker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This period was important both for him personally and for those who engaged with him intellectually. However, his influence remained largely confined to Arab Americans, Arabs living in the United States, and certain Arab intellectuals in the Washington area. At that time, he had no significant intellectual or cultural presence in Oman or the wider Arab region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the first decade of the twenty-first century, his intellectual presence began to extend into the Arab world. He started receiving invitations to participate in seminars and intellectual gatherings in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Cairo\u2014where he met Mohamed Hassanein Heikal (d. 2016)\u2014Beirut, and other places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As for the second decade of this century, I believe Oman played a central role in the final chapter of his life, from 2010 until his passing. You were extremely fortunate to have engaged with Sadiq Jawad Suleiman at the height of his intellectual maturity. You benefited from the very best of his thought during the final years of his life. The younger generation in Oman and throughout the Arab world meant a great deal to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I sincerely hope that the younger generation will devote serious attention to Sadiq Jawad\u2019s thought, for it contains valuable insights into how Arab societies can be reformed and, consequently, how their governments can be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is an old saying: “As you are, so shall your rulers be.” Yet I sometimes believe that the reverse is also true: “As your rulers are, so shall you be.” This is because the development of societies is often profoundly influenced by governments, rather than societies alone shaping their governments. In reality, the relationship is one of mutual influence and continuous interaction. This is precisely the kind of dynamic relationship we need throughout the Arab world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. Bader, for hosting me and for your efforts to honor and preserve the intellectual legacy and memory of the late Sadiq Jawad Suleiman.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Appendix: Remarks by Mr. Sadiq Jawad Suleiman at the Ceremony Held in Washington in 2014 to Celebrate the Twentieth Anniversary of the Arab Center for Dialogue. The Ceremony Was Later Broadcast as a Recording on Al Jazeera Mubasher.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sadiq Jawad Suleiman:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Good evening, everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you all for joining us in this celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Arab Center for Dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Twenty years of continuous activity dedicated to fostering constructive dialogue on important Arab issues and Arab-American relations have brought the Center to this joyful occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I am delighted to see our distinguished guests joining us in this celebration, and equally pleased by the wonderful turnout of the Center\u2019s members and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some of you were present when the Center was established in 1994. Others joined as members in subsequent years, while still others have encouraged and supported the Center in one way or another throughout these years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Through your participation in the Center\u2019s activities and discussions, you have witnessed firsthand what it has offered over the past twenty years in the form of lectures, seminars, and conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Personally, the Center has contributed greatly to the development of my understanding and awareness of Arab and international issues. I truly consider myself deeply indebted to the Arab Center for Dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The distinguished individuals who have attended and delivered lectures here have consistently been of the highest intellectual caliber. Likewise, the audiences have always demonstrated a remarkable level of intellectual sophistication and engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you all once again, and I wish everyone a wonderful evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Note: This translation was produced using artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This interview with the late Dr. Sobhi Ghandour was conducted one year before his passing as part of the Ons Channel Spaces on X (formerly Twitter). It was organized jointly by Ons Channel and the Readers of Knowledge Salon on Saturday, 1 Mu\u1e25arram 1444 AH \/ 30 July 2022, at 10:00 p.m. Muscat time. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-translated-into-english"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3570"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3575,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3570\/revisions\/3575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baderalabri.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}