"Words carry a lot of weight, and they should be carefully guarded. Some writers are drawn to topics that are harmful to society, and our customs and traditions. We hope that, God willing, anyone is entrusted with a pen in his hand considers the enormous responsibility he bears as if it were a sword."
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, speaking to the President and members of the Emirates Writers Union and the Emirates Publishers Association, April 28, 2021.
Trust is the key term. This is how His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah summed up the significance and truth of the writing role in a wise and straightforward sentence. “The word encompasses all of society's ambitions; it protects and defends society, and it safeguards the generations' future. As a result, the word bears a great deal of responsibility, as it encompasses all aspects of faithfulness and should be impartial.”
“Whoever considers writing as a craft, such as writers, authors, narrators, poets, and the literati, as well as publishers, must check and review what is written and pay attention to what is published,” he added and explained that, “We have an entire community of intellectuals, authors, and thinkers from many perspectives and ideologies who bear the weight of the word with sincerity and a feeling of the enormous task entrusted to them.”
Those gifted with the written word carry the morality of writing as well as the delight of the creative craft, with all that it entails in terms of pride, fame, and high societal esteem. However, there is something to be aware of, which is what His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah referred to in his address, and he is indeed a writer, historian, and scholar of civilizations; the matters that tempt writers to show themselves in a way that is the polar opposite of what is expected of them for the betterment of society, which affects the faithfulness of the word, that must be directed to serve morals, people, society and the future, preserving customs, traditions and human heritage.
According to what the Ruler of Sharjah described, the word is associated with the pen, just as it is with trust, as His Highness compared it to the sword in order to demonstrate its importance and decisive role. The written word is a great tool for growth and progress of society, as well as in recording the societies history and heritage, and in presenting science, culture, arts, and literature that is rich in values to the new generation. If a word comes out of the lips, it is like a sword blow, with no manner of returning it, thus the person who creates it must consider the sword (pen) he is using to write, so he will be a champion of truth and honesty and only write what is good for society and its progress.
If a word is spoken, it is more like a sword strike that cannot be reversed. As a result, the writer must think about what he has in his hands in order to be a champion of truth and honesty, writing only what is beneficial to society's growth.
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