Stepping Outside the Box

“..the Arab is often portrayed as a religious fanatic, caring little about human life, capable of making only black and white distinctions, lacking in scientific curiosity, irrational, fatalistic, incapable of thinking clearly because of the allegedly imprecise nature of the Arabic language, burdened by an authoritarian personality, a “shame culture,” and having a strong appetite for sex and power. Islam, too, according to some scholars, inhibits rational thought, accurate perception, and social innovation. Little wonder that a people sharing characteristics such as these should exhibit turbulent and irrational political behavior. Sharing the same monolithic Arab mind, the Arabs become a frighteningly cohesive entity whose capacity for satisfying their essentially negative urges is limited mainly by their collective weaknesses.”

According to the author this national character construction contains “some kernels of truth but reveals more of the prejudices of the observers than the characteristics of the observed.”

–Michael Hudson, Director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University, noted scholar.
-Excerpts are from his book: Arab Politics: The Search for Legitimacy, pp.54-55

Much of the current social science literature “treats the Arab world as congenitally defective, “democratically challenged” as it were, and seeks to find biological, cultural, and/or religious causes for this disability.” –Lisa Anderson
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The belief that Westerners and Arabs are fundamentally different seems to pervade both historical and contemporary literature.

Most of what I’ve read on the Arab World (note the Middle East and Arab world are two separate distinctions. The Middle East is a geopolitical term that includes the non-Arab countries of Turkey, Israel, and Iran) fits in with Hudson’s characterization of the literature. It is reductionist in its evaluations and, to borrow a term from Edward Said, it is also “Orientalist” in nature. I cannot and do not, in the space of one blog entry, or even through numerous entries, have the expectation, the desire, or the expertise to combat this viewpoint or even to present a respectable, all-encompassing counter-argument, for there is just too much to address. I do think that it is important to be aware of the stereotypes and generalizations present among the media and policymakers today, and to be open to deconstructing much of what we learn about the Arab world through these sources, which have their own motives in portraying their version of a geo-politically strategic region. Consider that the Arab world is a large geographic region, encompassing 22 countries, and extending from Mauritania in the west, to Oman and the UAE in the east, to Sudan and Somalia in the south, and as far north as Syria and Lebanon (click here for a map of the Arab world). Consider the cultural, political, and religious diversity of a people that span such an impressive geographic expanse (Arab refers to a common language and a shared descent) . Looking at just the political (or political culture) aspect, is it fair to lump a Tunisian, who enjoys a very western, secular state, with an Iraqi, who has lived under authoritarian rule, or to a Kuwaiti who lives under a quasi-constiutional monarchial state, to a Saudi who has no voice in government and who lives under an alliance between a dynastic monarchy and religious institution that seeks to regulate every aspect of daily life? To say nothing of the vast differences in cultural practices and social norms among the states. Religious and even pockets of ethnic differences (minorities) also exist and their presence is another factor to consider when looking at the states. See below.
The Arab world is comprised of:
1) Arab Muslims, Sunni (orthodox)
2) Arab Muslims (non-orthodox or Shi'a) including the "Twelver Shi'ites" (Iraq and Lebanon), the Zaydis (Yemen), the Alawites (Syria), and the Druze (Syria, Lebanon, Israel)
3) Non-Muslim Arabs: Christians (Coptic, Maronite) and Jews
4) Non-Arab Muslims: the Kurds and the Berbers
5) Non-Arab, Non-Muslim: Armenians and Southern Sudanese

I also feel the need to point out the distinction between Arabs and Muslims (popular misconceptions seem to abound). Only about 18% of all Muslims are Arab. There are over 1.2 billion adherents to Islam, or 1 worshipper for every 5 individuals in the world. There are over six million Muslims in the United States, of different races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. The largest Muslim nation is Indonesia, a republic, which stands as a key piece of evidence in debunking the myth that Islam and democracy are somehow incompatible. The universal appeal of Islam is important to point out, espeically with all of the misconceptions and misinterpretations of Islam as a violent, terrorist religion.

There is, of course, a rising Islamist movement that is irrational, fatalistic, adheres to a black and white orientation of the world, and as such has little care for human life. However, we must take care to separate these so called “fundamental Islamists” from Islam itself. The Qur'an does not condone killings based on sectarian identity or affiliation with a non-Muslim religion. In fact, killing a Christian, Jew, or fellow Muslim is considered an ultimate sin. What’s more, Arabs and Muslims themselves have been targeted by these groups. Average Iraqis, Jordanians, Egyptians, etc will tell you they have little sympathy or support for groups that target their own people. When bombs went off in Egypt in the 1990’s on known tourist routes, Egyptians were the ones who sustained the most casualties and led the outcry against the terrorists. Similarly, Iraqi citizens suffer mass murders everyday at the hands of terrorist machinations. Every religion has had its fanatics, and the Arab world and Islam are suffering through a crisis right now. No one has, in my opinion, offered a plausible explanation for why. If Islam is fundamentally a peaceful religion, then what accounts for the undeniable rise in extremist factions?

Perhaps we need to take a closer look at the economic, political-cultural, and social conditions present in the Arab world. Most of the region is under authoritarian rule, or a form of rule that scholar Michael Herb has called dynastic monarchism. In Egypt the state has fixed elections, bars most opposition groups, is often brutal in its repression, and is suffering through serious economic hardships. In addition, the state guarantees an education to its citizenry, but then has no jobs available, so what should be a vibrant middle class is quickly becoming poorer, as men with Master's and PhD's struggle to make ends meet driving cabs. Is disatisfaction with the state a possible contributer to the breeding of terrorist violence? What about educational systems, under authoritarian or monarchial rule that change the history books to reflect a past of repression and colonialization, teach pride in arab nationalism and/or martyrdom, stressing the wrongs done to generations of ancestors? What of population pressures, as in Jordan, where millions of Palestinians live in refugee conditions, not belonging to one place or another? These are just a few of the challenges and questions facing the region. It is also why a reductionist reading or evaluation of the Arab world or huge generalizations concerning contemporary issues do not do justice to the complicated political, economic, and social realities.

I am not trying to be an apologist, nor do I think that's how I've written. I'm simply trying to put some things into context and think outside of a narrow perspective limited by and reliant upon generalizations and stereotypes. I've only touched on a few of the issues that interest me about this region. These are, of course, my views, except where otherwise stated, and my intention is not to offend anyone who might read this. My time spent in the region, coupled with my leisurely and academic readings, have me constantly questioning and considering. Everyone and anyone is free to disagree with my views and opinions, and I welcome any comments.