Making
Sense Of The Middle East
By Sonia Nettnin
30 January, 2007
Countercurrents.org
(Chicago) – Middle East journalist and author
Rami Khouri said the US needs to be consistent when it deals with countries
in the Middle East.
As editor of the Middle East’s largest English newspaper, the
Beirut Daily Star,” Khouri explained there are solutions to the
multiple conflicts and violence in the Middle East. It requires the
synthesis of five, crucial criteria: sovereignty, authentic societal
identity, legitimacy of statehood institutions, stability (without occupation),
and economic development for normal relations with the rest of the world
and its non-Arab neighbors.
The fusion of these five benchmarks, united with consistency, may bring
about a beneficial result: an Arab World that wants to constructively
engage with the US.
“It’s important the region the Middle East is still defined
by more than 300 million people who try to go to work, try to support
their children, who identify with faith, ethnicity…masses of ordinary
people trying to live decent lives,” Khouri said. “What
we have to do is look at these issues in the Arab world and I think
we need to take a step back and see how we address their legitimate
needs.”
According to Khouri, an estimated 65 per cent of the Arab World is under
the age of 30. Moreover, many people within this young population are
extremely politically frustrated for a variety of reasons: Israeli occupation
and expansion; people put in prison by Arab governments; and the chronic
accumulative abuse of people.
“Much of the Arab-Islamic region this is how they perceive, not
necessarily saying this is how it is,” Khouri said. He quoted
recent American surveys (sources not mentioned) that found three out
of four people in the Arab World think the US wants to dominate and
weaken Islamic societies – that they are being targeted by the
US. The public’s perception, along with the divide between a small
class of wealthy Arabs and the largely unstable economic societies,
results in the severe polarization of society.
He explained that the Western intervention (in the Arab World) is much
more intrusive compared to the past. He described recent events as a
Western directive to “…change the political genetics in
the Arab world – change their religion moderate Islam –
change their society, economic systems…value system and who we
are…there is a resentment throughout the region against the US
– dictating not consulting…change your government and overthrow
your regimes…breeds a lot of resentment and resistance.”
Other contributing factors that lead to polarization are the abuse of
power people feel is prevalent in their own societies, along with internal
abuses to which they have been subjected.
“More and more of these young people are going into Islamic movements
– a few are going into Al Qaeda – practicing terrorism against
civilians – Arab targets, Islamic targets, Western targets –
but the number of people who go into this business is very small,”
Khouri said. “The biggest instigator of terror now is the American
presence in Iraq.”
His assessment is that most of the Islamic organizations that are changing
society are peaceful. When it comes into contact with Israeli occupation,
when they meet, there is military resistance against Israeli occupation.
“What you are seeing between Arab societies and Iran is a new
spirit of defiance and resistance,” Khouri said, which he believes
is important historically.
Khouri described the past, three Arab generations as docile. Even though
there were passionate and emotional expressions of Arab nationalism
with power structures and political resistance in the 50s, 60s and 70s,
he sees an end to Arab passiveness because people are mobilizing and
contesting power.
What are the forms of power in the Middle East?
Power exists in four forms: economic, military, information, and the
iconography of identity. The three major protagonists utilizing power
and force in the region are the governments, the opposition groups and
then the US, British invasion, which “…completely changed
the nature of the situation in the region and causes new challenges
in the rapid growth of non-state militias,” Khouri added.
What are the current discussions about democracy in both the Arab World
and in Bush’s White House?
“Democracy is in a deep freeze,” Khouri said, “because
people look at Iraq and they see a very big problem with violence, strife,
bloodshed and abuse of power; and they look at Palestine and see they
were starved, sanctioned and besieged; and so any small bud of faith
in democracy has been shattered for the time being in the Arab World.”
How do people in the Middle East define themselves and what are the
components that make up their personal and collective identity?
People identify with some or all of the following characteristics: ethnicity,
culture, geography, religion, ideology, patriotism, nationalism, communal
ethnic and/or tribal identities. These elements create different kinds
of law and “…societies need to assert themselves without
an occupying foreign power telling them no,” Khouri added, provided
their expressions are peaceful and they do not threaten their neighbors.
All of these factors make up the regional dynamics of citizenry.
Khouri sees loose alliances forming between different groups in the
region. Whether they have answers to jobs, good governments, citizenship
rights, solving Israel (whether war or peace), energy issues, educations
issues, and equity issues for ordinary people is debatable.
When asked why he did not mention the role of oil he explained that
oil is not a major driver – either access or price – for
the US.
There was no mention of the future for Arab-Christians or other marginalized
communities in the Middle East.
Overall, the general public wants to see a prosperous future where they
have access to basic needs, jobs, education, and economic opportunities.
People want a future for their children.
When asked about President George W. Bush, Khouri said he wants him
“to relax, to analyze things more accurately; to pursue a policy
that reflects American values and not contradicts,” including
equality and justice.
The world watches to see the US application of the American creed, the
United States Declaration of Independence “…that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men.”
Khouri’s point is that the world watches to sees if US actions
are based on these assertions.
The underlying message is that if the international community takes
the time to learn more about the Middle East and its people, they can
demystify why there is violence and what are the needs of the people.
The more knowledge people have means they can push for effective legislation
that alleviates pain and suffering.
Whether the future architecture of the Middle East will have security
and stability for a prosperous future depends on what happens now.
Journalist Sonia Nettnin writes about social, political, economic, and
cultural issues. Her focus is the Middle East.
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