Courageous Arab Thinkers Need US Counterparts

Opinion Editorials, November 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Abdullatif Al-Othman, Arab News

DHAHRAN, 27 November 2003 — Thomas Friedman’s column in the New York Times, “Courageous Arab Thinkers” (Oct. 19), rightly acknowledges the efforts of those scholars from the Arab world courageous enough to engage in objective introspection and produce specific recommendations to address the deteriorating economic, political and social situation in the Middle East. While these recommendations are designed to bring about prosperity through a change from within, their success also depends on the creation of a fair and lasting peace in the region, since history teaches that peace brings prosperity, and not vice versa. That is why we also need to see a similar group of American thinkers who will help bring about an internal change in current US policy in the Middle East, leading to a new policy that is just and unbiased and can help bring peace to the region. This task will not be easy; such American thinkers must be courageous enough to confront the following:

• The United States’ unconditional political and financial support for Israel — an authoritarian regime that has displayed no respect for United Nations resolutions or basic human rights, possesses clandestine nuclear weapons, and presents the greatest threat to peace and stability in the region.

• The intolerant ideology found in many Israeli and Zionist texts and speeches preaching hate against non-Jews (as detailed in the works of the many courageous Jewish scholars including Israel Shahak, “Jewish History: The Weight of Three Thousand Years”), which ultimately leads to a two-tier society where Jews are “more equal” than Arabs.

• The ideology and actions of some fundamentalist Christian organizations in the US that justify the displacement and killing of Palestinians as a necessary means of advancing the Biblical “end time.” These organizations’ funding for and support of illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories comes at the expense of the areas’ Palestinian inhabitants, and creates a further obstacle to peace.

• The anti-Arab and anti-Islam rhetoric that is quickly becoming fashionable in the US media — an ominous trend for a society that prides itself on tolerance, a sense of justice, and respect for other cultures.

• The mistaken notion, advanced by some academics and policymakers, that a “clash of civilizations” is somehow inevitable. Left unchecked, this idea may prove to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Issues such as these have prevented the US from assuming a role as a credible and fair broker in the Middle East. Just as the Arab world needs to engage in honest introspection to address its internal problems, the US must re-examine its policy agenda in the region.

One wonders, given its democratic system and a traditional respect for fair play, why the US has failed to produce a fair and unbiased policy in the Middle East — a policy that would in fact be in its own best interest. The answer is simple: For democracy to work, you need an informed and involved public. For too long, American policy in the Middle East has been directed by a small but powerful pro-Israeli group, thus producing a biased and ineffective policy. Surely the time has come for American academics and policymakers to spark a change from within, not only to address the needs of the peoples of the Middle East, but also to protect the interests of the United States. The Arab thinkers Mr. Friedman cites have done their part, but will we see equally courageous American thinkers step up to an equally daunting challenge?

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

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