What is a ‘Constitution’?

By: Ahmed ELNAHAS – Montopoli, October 13^th 2013.

In the first place, the Constitution is an idea, a model of a society where we want to live. It is also said that a Constitution is the set of norms which a given population write when they are quit Sober to remain valid and in force when they lose Sobriety.

And here rises by necessity an important question to place before all concerned (the Government, the President, the Media, the Parliament, the Intellectuals, Al Azhar, and the People): “Are the ‘Institutions’ more important or the men and women who operates these institutions?”!

A classic answer is that an institution such as the Constitution, even a mediocre one, if in the hands of Good men and women (who are unselfish, disinterested, competent, attentive for the common good and not the personal or particular good), can function well; while the best of the Constitutions in the hands of incompetent or bad men and women is definitely destined to corrupt and rot.. Consequently the “Idea”, the “Model” will follow.

 So let us ask ourselves:

Ø  “If we had sunk into such a low and degraded state in a relatively very short period of time; then in the hands of which types of men and women have we entrusted the making and functioning of our consecutive Constitutions?”; and

Ø  “Are we quit certain that this latest group of Wise Constituents, all of whom were carefully hand-picked and nominated to re-write a new tailor-made Constitution, are to be trusted enough as to conceive an Idea and establish a Model for our future way of life?”!!!

Culture cannot be forced to flank or support the initiatives of Power; for by nature Culture is Free and as such it shall essentially perform its Critical Functions.. Culture must not baby-sit and sidewalk the actions of who’s in power anyway these actions may go regardless of their aims or ends.

Culture is nothing else but our Collective Conscience, thus it must always be kept vigilant enough to analyse these aims and ends, because on their outcome depends our Future Way of Life.

Pass On The Word.

PS: Allow me to refer you to this very loud cry of warning shouted years ago out from the fragile throat of a dying Mahatma GHANDI, and which very few intellectuals still remember while all politicians seem to ignore:

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

The same man who earlier, almost 90 years ago, strongly stated that:

“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles."