Pierre Abi Saab is a controversial Lebanese intellect, writer, journalist and art critic.
Pierre was head of the cultural page in Al-Hayat daily newspaper for several years, before moving to Al-Akhbar in the art and media section.
Pierre Abi Saab is considered as avant-garde in mainstream Arab standards, and is very critical of pretentious elitist intellects. Driven by his desire to approach culture in an accessible language to all that is more in touch with modern life, he launched the cultural magazine Zawaya in 2002; he felt the intellectual life in the Arab world was still stuck in the nostalgic Beirut of the 60s, or Cairo as seen by Naguib Mahfouz, or the pre-Saddam Baghdad,…
He often criticizes the “schizophrenic behavior” of some societies in the Middle East, including Lebanon, and at one point gave Hayfa Wehbeh as an example. “The people who attack her in public, are the same ones that follow her around in tabloids and watch her videos in private”. In 2005 in Al Hayat newspaper, he even wrote an article entitled Leave Haifa Wehbe Alone! (hellou 3an Haifa). Pierre is also very critical towards Salafist groups who impose their thoughts on others and issue fatwas left and right, without respecting the rights of others.
On many occasions he has also expressed his support of LGBT group ( Gay Lesbian Bi-sexual and Transgender) of the society, and asked to give them equal rights in Lebanon and the Arab World.
Pierre has given many seminars and workshops around the world about the situation of Contemporary Arabic Literature and Arab Press.
He also took part in a controversial one which was held in 2010 at the Israeli backed international watchdog organization Freedom House in Washington, entitled “Chou Sar? (What happened) Confronting Memory in Lebanon”, a discussion on the challenges facing freedom of expression, justice and reconciliation in Lebanon which followed the airing of a movie by the same name directed by De Gaulle Eid.
About the Arab protests in the Arab World (see Arab Revolutions), Pierre Abi Saab is very skeptical whether any of them will lead to real progress…