JEDDAH, 30 January — Hatred can breed fear and bring about misery and destruction to even the most far-flung communities. Our world is so interconnected that the rule of law must be cautiously applied or we might find ourselves entangled in a web of deceit. This means writing off foreign policies that do nothing but contribute to the hatred that many in the developing world feel for the superpower.
This does not necessarily mean that America is solely responsible for the hatred that many individuals feel toward it. There are, for example, those in Saudi Arabia who know little of the outside world and who believe every myth and tale relayed to them by word of mouth — no facts, no questions asked — and so they do not know any better. It would be misleading to assume that the entire Saudi population feels aggression toward the United States. Hatred and aggression will only lead to more finger pointing, more accusations and more unnecessary headaches.
At the same time, there are some Saudis who have fiercely criticized America, not because liberty, equality and opportunity lie at the forefront of things, but because of its political leaders. Too often these leaders go about their business, drafting new rules and regulations to be implemented but which the leaders themselves soon forget — long gone with the wind. Only in times of crisis do they sense the need to push these matters to the fore and act according to the needs of the developing world. None of the current problems we face to date have appeared without warning, are new, or even in the least surprising. Unfortunately, however, the United States was only interested in pumping oil and earning its "bucks," with almost total disregard for the ways in which Saudi Arabia could contribute to such fields as medicine and technology.
The most common way to ratchet a country up is to develop effective educational institutions. A number of Saudi students have excelled in their studies, opened their own businesses and are now sources of inspiration to others. Their message to the community is clear: Being a good Muslim requires deeds, and not only words. It means making use of one’s abilities in a positive manner. Saudis are getting there, but they need a push and a superpower — like the United States — to take part in this and not abandon the country as it did Afghanistan — whose interests did not conform to American politics. Pump out oil but pump in the tools and mechanisms that allow developing countries to prosper.
Another case in point — also old news — is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After the events of Sept. 11, America took drastic actions to defend itself, using its might, power, high-tech fighter aircraft and machinery to destroy, even dehumanize, those who attempted to disagree with it. The result was the destruction of the Taleban but also the death of 4,000 innocent Afghanis. Still, America showed the world that it would not bow to forces seeking its destruction. In the same way, for Palestinians and Arabs, Israel is seen as unjust in the sense that it has forcibly taken control of a land and dictated to the Palestinians how, where and even when they should live. The result was not only that Israel tightened its grip on the occupied lands but also expanded their own homeland. So besides the humiliation that Palestinians have to live with day in and day out, the majority of them have to endure living as second class citizens abroad. How unfair; how tragic.
The Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has now come under intense pressure from the Israeli government — and scrutiny by international observers — to quell the recent suicide bomb attacks. In an unprecedented move, Arafat jailed hundreds of those responsible for the attacks; ironically, however, the suicide bombers continued, more aggressively than ever, to hit hard against Israel. This signals alarm bells that the international community must heed. Every time a suicide bomber launches an attack against Israel, Sharon’s government tears down buildings by moving bulldozers into Palestinian- controlled territory. In very simple terms, the harsher the Israeli response, the more aggressive the Palestinians will become. Think about it — what do the Palestinians have to live for but oppression and poverty?
So to blame Arafat for every suicide bomb is beside the point and it evades the basic issue. To understand the anger, one must delve deeper into questions rarely asked, one of them being what the Palestinian community as a whole want. In reality, Palestinians should be heard; this is the essence of democracy that the West so admiringly encourages others to emulate. Where is the democracy that Israel has so clearly failed to demonstrate to the world? The fact is, no matter how Arafat tries to curb those causing unrest, the Palestinian people will still pressure their leader to create a state of their own — which only seems impossible at this stage. If Arafat cannot bring about a state, no other Palestinian leader will bring peace — no matter how peaceful or Israeli-loving he seems to be.
It is a right, the essential element of a libertarian democracy, for a leader to represent his people. The Israeli government opposes that.
It is not surprising then, that many Africans, who have been oppressed by whites, sympathize with the Palestinians and can relate to their feelings. Many are, in fact, pro-Palestinian. They know that aggression often leads to criminal behavior. This tells us something about the nature of human beings.
Still, it is useful to give others the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps Arabs have misrepresented themselves to the world.
They must take a clearer stance and explain to the US — through effective PR, even English-language broadcasts — the ways to achieve harmony. Paul Krugmamn, in his article ‘Argentina’s crisis is a US failure’ said: "We Americans are notoriously bad at seeing ourselves as others see us. A recent Pew survey of ‘opinion leaders’ found that 52 percent of the Americans think that their country is liked because it does a lot of good,’ but only 21 percent of Latin Americans agreed."
Americans are only human after all and are usually willing to listen to the other side. Just as we are only human — with political and more often emotional anxieties to be soothed.