Culture and infrastructure: Europe’s role in stabilising the Middle East

A Cultural Blueprint for Middle Eastern Stability

Culture and infrastructure - Several Syrian intellectuals currently residing across Europe have presented a compelling political vision to the European Union. At its core is the notion that cultural initiatives can serve as a foundation for regional stabilization. Among these thought leaders is Nabil Al Lao, a distinguished Syrian linguist and musicologist who previously directed the Damascus Conservatory before establishing and overseeing the opera house in Syria's capital from 2003 through 2010.

Professor Al Lao emphasizes that nations such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain possess the necessary resources to initiate a cultural policy within the Levant. This approach would generate an immediate, tangible effect capable of developing into a more comprehensive political framework. According to the scholar, this represents a departure from conventional cultural diplomacy. Rather, it envisions transforming battlefields into sites of archaeological significance, merging the restoration of cultural treasures with civil infrastructure development. Such an integrated strategy aims to engage communities weary from prolonged conflict while fostering reconciliation among populations burdened by mutual suspicion.

"The EU countries, especially France, Germany, Italy and Spain, have the tools to launch a cultural policy in the Levant with an initial, visible impact that could evolve into a concrete, broader political process."

This initiative extends beyond mere cultural exchange. It constitutes a pragmatic approach intended to establish fresh civil and political equilibriums within Syria, a nation attempting to recover from a devastating communal conflict that commenced in 2011. The war officially concluded in late 2025 following the collapse of the Assad dynasty, though many underlying causes persist unresolved.

Al Lao brings considerable expertise to this endeavor. Beyond his work in musicology, he is recognized as an accomplished Arabist and scholar of French studies. His international experience includes extended periods living in Paris and Lyon, France. He also held the position of official French-language interpreter for both Hafez al-Assad and his successor, Bashar al-Assad. Throughout his career, Al Lao participated in bilateral discussions with French leaders including Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Reflecting on his interactions with former French President Chirac, Al Lao described him as "a man of great culture and profound political refinement." Notably, Al Lao translated into Arabic the live address in which Chirac appealed to Bashar al-Assad to prevent the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Sunni prime minister who was deeply unpopular with Hezbollah. Despite this warning, Hariri perished in 2004 during an attack in Beirut, seemingly orchestrated by Damascus intelligence services.

"The deadly attack on Hariri was the regime's point of no return, definitively wiping out any hope of rebuilding a stable relationship with Europe based on some form of internal democratisation."

During his tenure as superintendent of the Damascus Opera, Al Lao grew increasingly convinced that cultural engagement could strengthen broader Middle Eastern peace efforts. In 2004, he orchestrated a nearly covert mission to dispatch young Syrian musicians to Ramallah. There, they performed alongside Israeli and Palestinian peers of similar age at a concert arranged by Daniel Barenboim, the Argentine-born conductor who held Israeli, Spanish, and Palestinian citizenship, alongside Edward Said, the celebrated Palestinian-American intellectual who passed away mere months after this significant musical gathering.

The ensemble adopted the name East-West Diwan, honoring Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poetic collection. Al Lao vividly recalls Said's telephone call proposing the participation of Syrian youth: "He introduced himself, saying he was at the Syrian-Lebanese border. He wanted to meet me in Damascus and simply needed an invitation." With characteristic warmth, Al Lao responded: "You are welcome, Professor Saïd."

The young Syrian performers subsequently played in Ramallah with their Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. This endeavor resulted in a formal reprimand from a high-ranking official within Bashar al-Assad's intelligence apparatus. However, they faced no further consequences because the concept originated from King Juan Carlos of Spain, who maintained amicable relations with President Bashar at that time.

"I discovered this when they captured me in 2013: they were regime security men disguised as Islamic State militiamen."

Eventually, Al Lao departed Syria amid escalating civil conflict after losing favor with Bashar al-Assad and his security circle, whom he characterized as perpetually "at war with each other" and connected to various ISIS factions. He later learned that his captors in 2013 were actually regime security personnel operating under Islamic State disguises. These same forces contributed significantly to the region's destruction, both directly and indirectly.

The restoration of ancient Mesopotamian and Levantine civilization, which forms part of Europe's own cultural heritage, may ultimately serve as a unifying element for Syria's diverse ethnic and religious communities that have endured centuries of suffering.