Professor Jasim Sultan
Engineers the renaissance in Amman

Professor Jasim has started the roads meeting since seventies, and many youth who were born afterward accompanied him along. as the dream of renaissance which entices the aspirant youth toward the renaissance of their countries was the first motivation in being the solid core of the project. After professor Jasim's first visit to Jordan, arranged by Life Makers Association last year, he is now hosted again to talk about the future and the participation in building jordan under the new conditions which raised the public awareness of the major issues.

Professor Jasim Sultan is the founder of Nahda(Renaissance) Project, the supervisor of 4nahda.com website, and the strategic expert of a number of institutions. He is originally a medical doctor, an engineer in the field of thought, author and trainer, if we would like to add. He was on a date with his sons, the renaissance pioneers, in Amman to give over 150 person two training packages of Leaders Preparing Course, and we took from his restrained time a space to conduct this interview.

1-     You are being called many titles, for example, the Renaissance engineer, the founder of Renaissance Project, or the Islamic thinker. Which one is the closest to your heart?
(He smiled and then said) My plain name. Titles don't mean much to me, and practically I work as the supervisor of the renaissance website and this is enough.

2-     The Renaissance Project has started in 2008 and still ongoing until now. Can you tell us the most important achievements since that date?
In short, we have now a human mass approximates to 160 thousand persons in the Arabic area, and we have a geographical spread almost in all the Arabic countries in addition to the African surrounding. Also, the idea has reached Britain, United States of America and Europe, and the project is on the roll, thanks to Allah. The human mass that exists now is not merely quantity but, also, quality. Those youth cover massive areas of the basic demand. As for the level of high-tech projects the leading files are being landed on institutions. whereas on the level of medium industries like media, literature and art there are creative youth, like you, got into media and could reach the audience through internet and T.V programs and this is also making progress. And on level of the small projects such as charity and social projects their quality of work is enhancing as well.

3-     Some asking, are you thinking of increasing the portion of media in the project through establishing a private T.V channel dedicated to renaissance ideas, for instance?
I hope such a channel come to existence, but today there are a lot of T.V channels and the youth of renaissance can produce their own programs and display them on these channels and I think that they will welcome this idea. However, when there is a specialized channel of renaissance, it will create a talk space and present the major ideas and projects in the renaissance of the community, and this will be a splendid thing.

Now any one whether belongs to a party, a group or does not can benefit equally from the Renaissance Project.

4-     every idea has a start that sets the path off a person's life- and maybe people with him-, was there a special situation that let you start the Renaissance Project?
The Renaissance Project was a very big accumulation process which started from 1973 in attempt to discover a way to make kind of benefit in Arab and Islamic societies. When human being gets older he finds out that he learned something and is still unaware of so many others. We reached 1984 and the idea was to set out a new way to target the whole mass of nation away from partisan ideologies, the common setoff, or to the narrow groups. We asked can we make a running stream where everybody can benefit from whether he was free or belongs to a group or government, moreover the entire nation benefit equally.

This idea has started since 1984 but it was in need of a profound study and determining the difference between it and what is available! The study lasted from 1984 until 2000. And in 2000 the material was shaped up and we decided to work on certain tracks: Solid books track expressing the philosophy, the spirit, the thought of renaissance and what the new idea is about. These ideas exist in the leaders’ books new series. Until now we produced one third out of 22 books; we have 7 books in the market and we will complete the rest soon if Allah will. The other track is a website to get people connected and a leadership training program divided into two parts: for trainees and trainers. We set out the project but the year of 1984 was a decisive year in determining what to do for the nation.

5-     Who founded the Renaissance Project were three persons. Can you elaborate more about the role of each one and why they are absent?
From fortunes of Allah that some of them passed away. The start was a youth discussion, we were in Britain at that time, the discussion was about how the Islamic status looks like, noticing that in Britain the dispersion was huge; because students have come from different places all over the world and there was an infinite number of groups. In the English Community, Muslims has an ethnic split and most of people came from Bangladesh, India and other regions, then we came from Arabic world and brought with us the Ikhwani (Muslim Brotherhood) stream, the Salafi stream, the Tableegh stream and other streams which increased the split. Moreover within these groups there were organizations which have links together that came from certain countries like Egypt and Syria. So instead the Islamic society gets unified it converts into smaller groups, and each of these groups believes that it owns the magic formula to save the [Arabic] societies according to its program not to the common denominator program. This status didn't look to be able to dissolve because there is no means to enlighten in this environment to consequently everybody would benefit from. According to us, no one has solutions but maybe if we could produce knowledge material, a training program, and a convergence medium then be outside those frames, a lot of people would be able to find a convergence chance in this new space without being against their interests or a competitor of them, rather it will be a qualitative add for the people to meet and that what happened. As of now, anyone whether belongs to a party, a group or does not can benefit equally from the Renaissance Project.

6-    You have mentioned in a previous interview that there are 22 books in Leaders preparation series- 7 of them are actually in the markets-. What are the other titles of the books?
We will publish a book about the international politics, and another one about the relation between philosophy and religion, also a book about logic. These books will be completed, if Allah will, within the next year. Then comes sociology, negotiation skills and some issues related to the State and civil society's relation with the Islamic notion. Thus it becomes a coherent book series. I hope this year to release three books, but due to my continuous interruptions in traveling the process becomes harder although the material is ready. I'll try to finish them up, if Allah will.

7-    The speech about books leads us to talk about authors. For whom Professor Jasim Sultan reads? And who are your favorite writers?
Actually I don't have a favorite writer but there are writers who had affected my way of thinking. One of the greatest figures who added to me is Jamal Hamdan may Allah bless his soul. He is a writer of a special flavor. Jamal was so much concerned of the geopolitics theory of the Arabic and Islamic area. He turned geography into life and spirit, and words into shapes. His book, Colonialism & Freedom Strategy for instance, I think it's out-of-print - is one of the masterpieces, and as well as all his books are more than excellent.

The writings of El Sheikh Mohammed El Ghazaly, May Allah bless his soul, are glances but only for that can pick the signals. They were very strong flashes to the mind about the relation between religion and life. He used to have a great courage when it comes to truthfulness, and he was uncaring of whatsoever may occur to him if he said the right word. Although concealment was the dominant against facing things strictly during his time. That's why El Ghazaly May Allah bless his soul - I mean Mohammed El Ghazaly or contemporary Ghazaly- represents a qualitative add in the writings we used to read. Then we find contemporaries whose their writings are meaningful like Mohammed El Shanqety. I read his booklets because they are well selected. He is good at choosing the subject and he intensifies the knowledge to be very simple. I read also in the general human thought whether in history, philosophy or other fields.

8-    Briefly what's your opinion in the following writers?
Mohammed Abed El Gaberi: a wonderful character. His writings are characterized with renovation, maybe you don't agree with all of what he writes but of course you'll see the hidden parts of the scene you did not observe before.
Mohammed Arkon: The few I read seemed muddled to me concerning his knowledge with Islam. I don't want to be mischievous with him but this is my opinion in the few things I read for him. I found big amount of selectivity, yet maybe if I read more and deeper I would have a different opinion.
Mohammed Selim El Awaa: He has illuminations on perplexing issues. For he had written a book about Ridda (apostasy), also he wrote about the civil country and both books are a qualitative add. Actually I'm picky when I read to him. as the need is what drives me to go for particular things and I find them in Dr. Mohamed Saleem El Awaa such of this kind[of writing].
jawdat Saeid: very remarkable in his writing. He has a unified spirit and a nature of finite peace. Some mistaken his call for this kind of peace with the nonviolence movement, but the two issues are completely different. It seems that Jawdat Saeid is more closely to complete peace with everything around him. his character is very spiritual so he is in harmony with his surroundings. It seemed to me that Jawdat's writings are flies with spirituality other than the reality we live in.
Khales Galaby: I didn't read to him but I heard very good things about him.
Abd Allah El Ghathamy: I heard of him but I did not read to him. I read some of his articles and they were one time in a way and the other in the opposite. Is he exposed to changes in this stage? I do not know.
Ali El wardy: I didn't read to him.
Azmy Bishara: I listen to him but I do not read. He is a dear friend and I like his comments.

9-    Would you draw the scene for each of the following events?
* The Renaissance Project before and after revolutions and the people’s movements demanding reform.
Of course most of people you talked about didn't hear of the Renaissance Project. Revolutions, movements, demands or protests occur for two reasons: the narrowness of reality and the raise of awareness. The more the human being and his mind grow up while his reality is very narrow, the more there becomes a contradiction between the two. It happens in the places where the container became very narrow and the society thinks that it deserves better life and is able to get to if they have left space and freedom.

Whenever this radical contradiction happens then all what it needs is a very small spark for protests to break out. For example, in Tunisia we find a very high level of education and next to it we find unemployment, poverty, starvation, marginalization of many sectors in the society and severe security oppression. This equation with high raise in awareness and needs of human dignity, materialism, and the narrow space that a person lives in leads to this radical contradiction which explode everything. Egypt is the same; a big youth mass from the middle class has massive powers, the world makes use of it but Egypt does not. And a sintered regime gets narrower day after a day, corruption rots it and billions are being carried away.

Those youths think they are able to make better society if the restrictions were untied. In short, this radical contradiction between awareness status and narrowness of the political and economic horizon, the amount of corruption in societies, and the ill reality and people's dream of what is better, results in revolutions. On the other hand, if the society does not have awareness it would spend million years under injustice, persecution, poverty, etc without any action.

* The world before and after 11th of September .
If we give a look at the world before 11th of September we will find that there is a view of the Islamic world and an image of Muslims in the international media and in the picture that the collective mind calls. After 11th of September events, calling a Muslim image was calling of terrorist's image, and if a Muslim just lived next to any western person it will be considered as a threaten to that person, he’s a project that would turn at any moment into a terrorist. This is the dark image that 11th of September events generated.

Moreover, it led to a deep shifts in the rules of west, and shifts in the strategic awareness of the Islamic presence in west. Some people say that people began to notice Islam and read about it. I say that Islam does not lack quantity. as for today Muslims represent nearly one and a half billion, but the problem lies in the circumstances created to limit the movement of Muslims in the universe.Unfortunately, all these circumstances were created and restrictions were tightened around Muslims due to these events.

Now someone will come and say that these repercussions were to happen anyway, but everybody now talk about critical shifts caused by these events, even in the United states of America which is supposed to be a spacious area and respects all categories is now working against Muslims streams, the same thing in France and many European countries.

* The Arab world and the terrorist events.
The changes that occurred to the Arabic countries were an echo of the west demands, even these Arabic societies restrict the Islamists, and it had the sufficient support from the west based on the fact that they export such kind of terrorists so they have to limit their movement and activity. As a result, Muslim's life got confined in his country being considered as a ready-made terrorist or a project of prospective one.

All of this is a result of the event that happened, but still there some who say that these events have pros, one says sarcastically that one of these pros takes place when you walk in one of European streets and a passerby throw dirty water on you, he will make you take a shower right away and this is an advantage. Of course this is not pros that you are waiting for. Everything has a positive side, for instance if you got sick you will get the opportunity to see your family although you don't wish sickness, thus I think that the results of these events affected badly the Islamic movement and the expansion of life around Muslims, because Muslims gain a lot from freedom, justice and equality whereas they lose much in the atmosphere where Islamic call and Muslims movement are suffocated.

10-    What comes after Arabic revolutions? It’s a question which is frequently repeated. Do you think that the Arabic World is heading toward better future?
I have always believed that life movement has rise and fall but, if Allah will, the general trend will be toward the better.

11-    One of the Renaissance files is religious sciences. Do you feel that there is a shortage in the Islamic discourse and needs development and reform since religion is a lift for a nation?
What we need in the scope of religion is huge because religion can act as the main engine of the renaissance. But in the current situation it plays a negative role without we feel that, due to the religious discourse addressed to the majority of Muslims. The examples are uncountable but I'll give a brief example. Many starters of projects who go for the idea of integrating the nation renaissance complain, [because] the nation needs study centers, schools, and a qualitative voluntary work, all of this requires sort of charity work, but because the ordinary religious discourse amplifies continuously the need to building mosques and having mercy on orphans etc. -this is not a new discourse it's the old one as it reduces good and charity works to kindness work only & neglecting development work. The mind of Muslim who owns money was made up that all the rest deeds are marginal, and if you seek paradise you should build a mosque or be a guardian of an orphan or clothing a needy. This look which represented the charity work constricted the good work at the same time. As the latter became limited to honoring parents, praying, fasting and Zakat (obligatory charity to the poor), and didn't include persistence in laboratories, farms, industry and military production. Thus, whenever we talk about the good work we mention immediately worship as if it's the only type, although when we look for good work in the Holy Quran we find it starts with " Go thou to pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds." and ends with removing a harmful object from the road, but now it all goes for removing the harmful thing.
 

To creative people I say: Be yourself a project, or make a project, or support a project

12-    After 20 years in Renaissance Project, What is the conclusion of your experience? And did any change occur to the ideas since the releasing of the project and until this moment?
It evolves stage after stage. The releasing of the project was in 2004 and the private preparations of it started since the year of 1984. In each period, the personnel is not on his awareness, knowledge, information nor his realization of the reality of the current moment. Even more I used to tell youth in so many lectures that those are the beginnings of the project and that its development and spread will be the responsibility of people who will receive it. And if it's okay to speak we had made a step of a thousand miles through preparing the material which answers the questions of the historical moment somehow- I don't say with certainty but satisfactorily- and this what made a lot of youth move toward the project. Still there are major files of the project need institutions and consequently by the efforts of renaissance youth merchants, thinkers and the ones who realize the importance of handling these files in institutional way not individuals, a new space which will push us forward will be created. We founded the basis and establishing the building is the youth mission.

13-    Does your family have a role in the Renaissance Project?
The family always has a great role in any project. My wife; Mohamed's mother is active in charity work, responsible for the house and fills all the gaps during my travel or not being at home. I have two boys Mohammed is the elder, he takes my place in the social sphere and communicate with people because I travel a lot and can't communicate with them. He takes care of the family and relatives and looks after their general needs. Also I have five daughters; they enrich my life all the time with their tenderness and their discussion of the intellectual issues especially when I come back from courses and external seminars to home. Internal seminars also take place for they ask many questions of what they read in the internet and through their surroundings. I think that family plays a major role in nourishment the soul. Because when you were in the atmosphere of lectures and several talks, you go back home you live another atmosphere full of tenderness and passion and this makes balance in life.

14-    What's your advice to the students and contributors in the Renaissance Project?
Students’ first mission is to excellence in their study because this is what their families expect from them. In the same time to make advantage of their spare time by attending lectures, seminars and meetings with the outside world as this fulfills their character. The character of human being who depends in his life on reading books and is not interested of the outside world may not be complete. While his colleague who is concerned in public issues and he is a top student will have an excellent character and become ready for general life. The other thing I say to the creative people and whom circumstances give them the chance to be creative: be yourself a project, or make a project, or support a project.
 

Life Makers Association would like to thank Professor Jasim Sultan and everyone contributed in holding this interview.
Translator: Heba Daba