Behind the angry, defensive responses I receive from some American readers, I sense the same “under-siege” mode we, Arabs and Muslims, feel. While it may sound strange coming from the superpower of the day, I do believe it is genuine. Many Americans, including Marines bombarding Fallujah, believe their government’s propaganda that they are doing the “right thing”. Of course to get insults and bullets from those who are supposedly being helped makes them feel sorry.

Many also blame the Arab media for hypocrisy and bias. How come, they ask, the US is blamed for everything and Arab governments are not? I try to explain. Here is a typical exchange with an angry American reader:

“Once again, you have showed how hypocritical the Arab and Muslim nation can be while pointing the finger at someone else (the Americans in this case).

“You claim that the Palestinians are ‘so dear’ to you but you have not treated them any better than the Israelis! Look at how they are denied citizenship in Arab and Muslim countries when they DO ask for it.

“And if fellow-Muslims are so dear to you, why aren’t you up in arms about how the Turks, Iranians and Iraqis treat their Muslim Kurdish minority or about how the Hindus (in India) treat their Muslim minority?

“Explain to me why the plight of the Palestinians is so important to the Indonesian and Nigerian Muslims who are so busy slaughtering indigenous Christians. Explain to me how the Palestinians are on top of the Pakistani agenda when Pakistani Sunnis and Shiites are so busy killing each other.

“America did not go to the aid of the East Timorians, Southern Sudanese or the Baltic states just because they were Christians. You conveniently forget that we also went to war on behalf of the Muslim Somalis, Bosnians and Kosovars.

If we try to help, we are castigated. If we fail to help, we are castigated. If we help the wrong side (in your opinion), we are castigated.

“I wish we would follow George Washington’s advice and refrain from all foreign entanglements. We should just let the whole world work out its own problems without spending our lives and resources in a fruitless effort to have people like us.

“Yes! That’s our real crime, isn’t it? We really want people to like us! I admit that we have made an awful hash of it as often as not but there have been times when we were all that stood between the rest of the world and total chaos.

“Instead of sitting on the sidelines complaining (or worse, throwing bombs), just think how different the world would look if the Arab and Muslim nation had tried to work with America. You complain about how long it took for America to recognize Palestine? What about how long it took for the rest of the Arab world to try to solve the problem through diplomacy rather than war or terrorism? For years, rich Arab countries sent millions of dollars to the corrupt, murderous PLO but only engaged in the political dialogue within the past couple of years.

“None of our hands are clean in this affair. He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.”

Richard Armerding

Riyadh

I wrote:

Richard, you are absolutely right. None of our hands are clean in this affair. Arab governments are as guilty as America and Israel. I am not defending them, I never did. My article is about the sentiments of ordinary Arabs and Muslims, like myself, not about leaders and politicians.

As for American foreign policies, please understand that I criticize certain foreign policies, not everything the US stands for. America made great contributions to civilization that cannot be denied and are very much appreciated. The US helped the world in two great wars that almost destroyed it. It helped Muslims in Bosnia, Somalia and Kosovo, and fought with us in the first Gulf War. Then, it was invited and worked hand in hand with us, unlike the latest invasion against our best advice and strongest objections.

Still, over 60 percent Saudis said they trusted America in 2001. Recently, less than 4 percent said they do. In Indonesia, the largest Muslim country with over 200 millions, over 80 percent said in pre-9/11 poll they admired America; now it is less than 20 percent.

We took issue with American policies not with Americans. After the re-election of the present administration this may change, though.

The message we received loud and clear is that a majority of Americans, even if slight, agree with these policies.

Among other issues, half Americans seem not to mind all the killing and destruction even after it became clear the war on Iraq was a war of choice, not necessity. Who would care for those who don’t care for them? I hate the thought but, unfortunately, it is basic humanity.