At the moment before boarding the plane in Jeddah, it occurred to me that it was not wise to leave my country under the present discouraging circumstances. Yes, there is a possibility of being hassled or even murdered for being an Arab in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the US.
This situation reminds me of a similar one some time ago when I was on a visit to war-torn Beirut. At the airport I was trying to make a telephone call when suddenly, I was approached by an old Lebanese woman who said, “My son, save your money. The telephones don’t work and I advise you to go back to your country. You may make money in Lebanon but being here may cost you your life. Lebanon is not as you once knew it and even the airport is unsafe.”
Her words were — and are — true. Being in danger, or within a dangerous neighborhood, the best thing you can do is simply get away. For instance, 25 years ago I made a bad decision in Hong Kong. At the time, the Pakistani president said that a war with India might begin within two weeks.
Unfortunately, I did not listen to his words and 24 hours later, I arrived in Calcutta to find a war was on and it was impossible to do any business. Thus, international chaos can affect all kinds of things, including economic matters and bilateral relations between individuals and governments.
In the future, the global economy will be affected by financial burdens that have been pushed onto barely functioning or paralyzed economies. This is surely going to happen because the players see the fire around them but have never even tried to put it out.
The future impact on both East and West is represented by the demand for crude oil and its prices that are directly affected by rumors. OPEC and Saudi Arabia have restated their intentions to satisfy market oil needs and maintain stable prices that will harm nobody. As the oil fields are not within the area of possible conflict, recession may continue for years to come and the world’s demand for oil will decrease and prices will rise. As defined by the West, the conflict is not a struggle between civilizations nor is it a war against Islam or Muslims.
Thus the large numbers of Muslims living in the West are required to strengthen ties with their fellow citizens and learn how to coexist with other religions to attain the rights and privileges that are guaranteed by Western governments. Moreover, Muslims will have to put aside their personal differences and resort to the law for their rights, if necessary.
The global economy will not see any growth for years to come. The current year, however, will be worse than 1982 and we can expect a slow-down in the economy and see a fall in living standards. Businessmen and merchants in the Kingdom lure consumers all year around by offering 50 percent discounts. I have no idea how these offers will be possible in the future with an increase in the cost of insurance, freight and wholesale prices. Two global factors are important to Western economic policies:
First, the speculation and protest about globalization by individuals and organizations with strong reasons for their opinions.
These groups must be accommodated in future dialogue in order to help minorities, whether rich or poor, in the Western world. Further, the Western world and the US will have to consider how to address the imbalances existing between members of the world community and the policies of international firms that are so devastating to the economies of underdeveloped countries. Second, the US must realize that what is good for her may not be good for everyone else.
Let us hope that US policy will be directed to boosting the world’s free markets and to make use of collective agreements within the World Trade Organization. In addition, the United States will have to narrow differences between her and her allies, the poor and the rich, and to ensure the true and just settlement of disputes if she is to act as a peace broker or mediator. In a conflict there are only two types: one which depends upon legal means and one which depends upon its might.