We should read US President George Bush’s recent speech in which he laid out a vision for democracy in Arab countries thoroughly if we want to find out what the real motives and aims are. This was the most serious speech the president has ever given and could turn into a working program bringing both good and bad to the world, especially to our region, which was the target of 80 percent of the speech.
The speech bears many readings. From the political perspective, the speech drew the world’s attention to the dilemma Bush faces in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was intended to absorb the effect that international anger over US foreign policy and the stalemate in Iraq could have on the next presidential election.
Another reading tells of some kind of blackmail. Its provocative, even inflammatory, language calling on the people of the region to rise against what Bush considers undemocratic leaderships is a sort of pressure on those governments to make the kind of concessions they are so far been refusing to make.
The problem is that Bush is spouting pretty slogans at a time when his country’s credibility has sunk to lows unparalleled in its history. His administration lied about Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and retracted earlier promises.
The most dangerous conclusion of the speech is that Bush is preparing to plunge the world into yet another war, this time for democracy.
When talking about democracy and freedom, Bush was keen to stress that there was no contradiction between Islam and democracy, that Islamic teachings conform with freedom, and that wrong practices are the result of political failure and not a failure of religion or culture.
When Bush talked about the status of women, criticizing what he termed the Taleban example, he was indirectly referring to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Bush did not mean those countries where freedom is being practiced without any limits and where women are treated as a commodity for anyone who can afford to pay the price. He meant the only society that was able to maintain its conservative nature guided by its religious teachings — Saudi society.
As for terrorism, the speech barely touched on the issue because Bush has now shifted his strategy from war on terrorism to war for democracy. Again, the reason is the Zionist and neoconservative influence on the Bush administration. In the end, both issues — terrorism and democracy — would serve Israel. If we agreed on a fair and unified definition for terrorism, Israel would top the list of terrorists states.
The political flirtation in the speech needs to be translated into concrete steps if the US wants to achieve a genuine rapprochement with the Muslim people. It is well known that America has for decades been working with Israelis against the Muslims. The reason is the vast wealth found in the Muslim world and the need to control it. The Zionists misled America into believing that it would never achieve what it seeks except by force and injustice. They misled them into believing that in order to be safe and escape America’s wrath, the people of the developing world would submissively agree to share with it whatever they have.
Under the current administration, the Zionist influence has consolidated to the extent that now we see the tail wagging the dog and directing it in whatever direction it wants. But the tail is doing this to serve its own interest rather then those of the dog. Without freeing itself from the Zionist clutches no US administration can be even-handed and none will be acceptable to the people of this region.
Islam does not need praise or appreciation from Bush or anyone else. All Muslims want is justice, fairness and integrity. If these are missing, whatever is said is worth nothing.
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(Muhammad Al-Shibani is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah.)
