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December 6, 2004
Arabs: Anti-war? Yes. Anti-Americans? Look closer
Is the reelection of George W. Bush going to feed anti-Americanism? In the Arab world, the expected anger didn’t happen. Instead, media published a critique of the American foreign policy and reasons of its failure. Meanwhile, in the streets, Arabs just observe what will happen in Iraq and in Palestine.
Is the reelection of George W. Bush going to feed anti-Americanism? In the Arab world, the expected anger didn’t happen. Instead, media published a critique of the American foreign policy and reasons of its failure. Meanwhile, in the streets, Arabs just observe what will happen in Iraq and in Palestine.
For years, media gave an image of Arabs that hate America simply as the “Occident”, the “evil”.
But the reality is that Arabs love America, still believe in the American dream, are the biggest consumers of Mac Donald’s and Coca Cola, are tuned just as the others on MTV and go, when they can, to study in America.
But their attachment to the creation of a Palestinian state and their reprobation of Iraq’s invasion was expressed by all their ways. Arabs always condemned the U.S. support for Israel’s policies. Arabs always defended the right of the Palestinians to have their own land. These positions have always been amplified by the American media, after 9/11 particularly, as pure and unjustified anti-Americanism. The repeated claim that Arabs hate Americans is, in my opinion, a very dangerous strategy. It only pours the oil on the flames in order to scare Americans, who started to see citizens from Arab countries as potential terrorists.
A culture of fear
For Muammad Ali Al-Farra from the Jordanian newspaper Addustour, “the election strategy has been to emphasize the security angle in order to capitalize on Sept. 11 and avoid discussing pertinent domestic issues“. Mission accomplished for Mr. Bush who succeeded on the security issue, helped by fear.
Arabs showed their surprise that Americans still trust an administration that lied to them and misguided them on the Iraqi issue. Yes, Bush is the lesser of two evils, but still an evil. And from the beginning of the campaign, there was no unanimity on “the best winner”. All Arabs don’t think the same. If they share religion (and all Arabs are not Muslims), their interests are different.
A complex relationship
Business and oil makes the relations more complex than a superficial view of the Anti-Americanism by Arabs. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, two major US allies, were certainly happy to see George W. Bush win.
Remember, Fahrenheit 9/11. For instance, the editorial of the London based Al-Quds Al Arabi, on August 14, criticized Riyadh for what is perceived as its pro-Bush policies. For al-Quds al-Arabi, the mid-month increase of Saudi oil production was specifically designed to help Bush in his bid for the presidency, in total contrast with the position of the Saudi society, clearly disliking American politicians.
An impression of deja vu?
Same support in Kuwait, where former Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.N. Abdullah Bisharah thinks that Bushh’s War on Terror[ism] represents a good start toward improving global security (Al-Seyassah, Sept. 3). Bisharah says that Arabs living in Gulf states should appreciate the efforts Bush has made against terrorist groups that seek to destabilize the region and overthrow their governments. He also believes that the U.S. presence in Iraq is a stabilizing force, and is necessary to prevent the strife and violence instigated by groups like Sadr’s militia, Ansar Islam and al-Zarqawi’s cell.
Anti-Americanism or anti-Zionism?
That’s the real question. Palestine is still dear to Arabs and for them, the cause is worth fighting for. Now that Yasser Arafat is not there anymore, Arabs hope Americans and Israelis won’t find new pretexts to not progress in the application of the road map.
Arabs didn’t want Kerry because, as a left-winger, he was in reality to the right of Bush on the Israeli question, which means a complete support for Sharon’s policies, concerning the Security Wall, settlements, Palestinian refugees, or the necessity of having Jerusalem as the ‘undivided’ capital of the Jewish state.
As for George W. Bush, in his second mandate, he will probably be more concerned with his historical legacy and thus less beholden to any political interests or lobbies, says Abd al-Wahhab al-Afandi in Al-Quds Al Arabi (Aug. 31).
But only history will say if it’s right.
Al-Seyassah
Addustour
Al Quds Al Arabi
Posted by Najla Benmbarek at December 6, 2004 1:26 AM