One Arab World

Sandmonkey gives his two cents on Arab Unity

Excerpt:

Arab Unity will require thought, not emotion; Planning, not reactionism; Following one's best interest, not one's sense of Pride or lack thereof; and more than anything, it will require leaders, not pompous tyrannical assholes whose only interest is enriching themselves and their families on our expense and who don't have the leadership skills to manage a MacDonalds store. And maybe it will require us Arabs to change as well. Be a bit more self-critical, be a bit more open to new ideas, and Judge an ideology or a belief or a mode of behavior by how successful it has been in meeting its said goals, instead of just following it because it's what your parents did. And more than anything, we have to change our flawed understanding of what the word "Pride" means. If we want to be proud of something, it has to be of something we are doing, not something we did 600 years ago. We might even have to think about planning for our future just a little bit, instead of just focusing on the past and the "right now". We have so much potential, but that's not enough. We have to act. We have to demand and facilitate change and reform in our respective countries first in order for that potential to be realized and actualized. Until that happens, you can talk about Arab Unity till the cows come home, knowing at the same time that it is nothing and will never be nothing more than a pipe dream.

Well we (my brother and I) are finally in the serious planning stages of a trip we’ve been longing to make for years. It’s the first of a three leg road trip to visit every Arab country.

Stage One (June/July 2006):

From Alexandria to Rabat.
We are going to drive from Egypt through Libya, Tunis, and Algeria, to Morocco (the boarder of the last two is closed but we are looking for a way around that) and may even take a side trip and ferry up through the straights of Gibraltar up to El Hammra….blogging, photoblogging, podcasting, and interviewing all the way.

We want to meet as many bloggers, politicians, and just good ol people as we can so start hooking up those invites and recommendations. Email OneArabWorld (at) hot mail.com.

Also if any form of media would like to sponsor the trip in exchange for some exclusive coverage we would be very open.

Peace

-Karim Elsahy

Let me start off with my personal position. I was offended. Perhaps I wasn’t as offended as most Muslims; perhaps my heightened exposure to hurtful attacks on my religion because of what I do and the web sites I visit has left me less susceptible. For a crash course on what I am talking about go to LGF, pick a post at random, and read the comments.

Ever since this fiasco started I have received emails to boycott Danish products and to boycott the boycott. I wasn’t swayed to do either. Boycotts are a legitimate course of action that can yield serious results. I wasn’t offended enough to stop buying Danish (though I must admit I couldn’t figure a single Danish product I regularly buy anyway) but it is at the prerogative of a people to do so.

Karen Armstrong summed up the situation well.

“Each side needs to appreciate the other's point of view. I think it was criminally irresponsible to publish these cartoons. They have been an absolute gift to the extremists - it shows that the West is incurably Islamophobic. It sends a very bad message.

But, more seriously, it is letting ourselves down. We trumpet abroad about what a compassionate culture we are. But these cartoons depicting Muhammad as a terrorist are utterly inaccurate, feeding into an Islamophobia that has been a noxious element in Western culture since the time of the Crusades. It can only inflame matters at this very crucial juncture of our mutual history.

On the other hand, in a secular Europe, freedom of speech has developed as one of our sacred values. We fought hard for it, but we have to remember it carries responsibilities. For example, do we have a right to say whatever we want even if it is false and dangerous?

More importantly, however, freedom is as sacred a value for us as the Prophet is to Muslims.

We are seeing here a clash of two different notions of what is sacred and this is part of the modernizing process.

Modernization and secularization has this bumpy ride where people at different levels of modernization are clashing. In other parts of the world where modernization is not yet complete it is not regarded as a crucial as other sacred realities.

And now we are all living in this multicultural society cheek-by-jowl with one another, not even within a single country but we are linked to one another in our global village. We have to learn to live side by side better than this.”

Protests are also a legitimate tool. A live poll being conducted by MSNBC that asks “Are Muslims justified in staging worldwide protests over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad?” is getting a clear “Yes” majority.

CNN, for example, had the corporate decency of making it their policy to not air the cartoons. It wouldn’t hurt for a few Muslims to show their appreciation which they can do here.

As long as it is non-violent these political tools can be very useful and are certainly justified. This also isn’t the first time we’ve seen consumer anger (freedom fries anyone?). As long as they stay non-violent I see no problem with them. I can also guarantee that any company with Middle East interests will avoid Jyllands-Posten advertising space.

As for the boycott the boycott idea, they are again completely within their rights to do so. I appreciate anyone that reacts to what they see as a wrong; people that actually do something about it. Popular support is what determines the success of these campaigns and the other way around is also true. Weighing the success of this campaign will also help gauge its popular support; a forgone conclusion in my opinion.

With all that said, the riots, storming of embassies and missions, and some of the ridicules slogans (my favorite was “behead anyone that says Islam is violent”) used at some of the protests are completely unacceptable. Most of these people are criminals that should be locked up. They also constitute the dumbest and most detrimental approach possible. The Arab world is one of the largest purchasing blocs in the world. Properly executed boycotts are enough to dip some company’s sales the 3-5% believed to be the marker to instigate change of policy. These violent acts do nothing but strengthen their resolve to see us as animalistic cavemen with whom compromise is impossible.

UPDATE: Iranian Paper Plans Holocaust Cartoons
These are the kind of immoral monkeys I was talking about.

Andrew Brehm just said in the comments

"The big problem here is that people dont really know what Mohamed represents for Islam"

Well, it's very very difficult for us to understand, given that Arab news papers publish so many cartoons that offend Jews.

Perhaps if Muslims showed the same respect for other religions that they expect for theirs, it would be easier for the west to understand what Muhammed means to Islam?”

I was just about to get on his case for getting off subject.

UPDATE 2: CAIR CONDEMNS IRANIAN HOLOCAUST CARTOON CONTEST

"Now is the time for responsible people of all faiths to avoid inflammatory actions that are clearly designed to incite hatred. We call on Hamshahri newspaper to drop its plans to denigrate the immense suffering caused by the Nazi Holocaust and urge the Iranian government to repudiate such an insensitive proposal.

"The Quran, Islam's revealed text, states: 'Goodness and evil cannot be equal.
Repel (evil) with something that is better. Then you will see that he with whom you had enmity will become your close friend. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint.' (41:34-35)

"The Holocaust, like all other acts of genocide, represents one of the lowest moments in human history and should not be the subject of derogatory cartoons. One cannot demand responsible behavior from others while at the same time acting irresponsibly."

CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair-net.org

-Karim Elsahy

I recently came across a very interesting site pushing for a refreshingly honest and fair handling of Syria called Friends of Syria. I urge all my readers to visit the site, investigate its mission, and make a calculated decision whether or not to voice their support by adding their names.

With the aftermath of Iraq’s invasion still vibrantly chaotic, there is perpetual inner conflict amongst most Arabs. The vast majority recognized Saddam’s régimes vile nature and the need for drastic change in prior to the invasion. An equal majority, however, attribute the invasion to a thinly veiled power play by the Americans and British with cynically opportunistic motivations. I feel that we, as Arabs, need to start cleaning up our own messes before they manage to get even further out of hand, if for nothing more than to avoid any foreign powers the excuse of invasion.

A few fellow bloggers and I were mentioned in the Financial Times. It's an interesting bit, check it out.

Pray 4 Peace is up in its initial, very basic, form. Donations are set up… Get the links going.

I want to see this plan realized but it is a huge undertaking and I need as much help as I can get. I need help with the planning, implementation, legalities, fundraising, design, or any other aspect that hasn't hit me yet. I think it would be a good idea if this were a bloggers effort so if you have any interest in partnering up on this idea or contributing anything, regardless of your religion or ethnicity email me at onearabworld@hotmail.com

The basic steps I see happening are as such.

We start the site (www.pray4peace.org) in as many languages as possible with a basic mission statement and plan.

Try to get as much traffic over there as we can. Mustapha perhaps you could design a banner like your "No to Terrorism" one.

We'll make a paypal account and try to get some initial donations for the lawyer and upkeep fees. (I'm still looking into it but I don't think it will amount to much and I will try to match whatever we raise.)

We then establish a NPO and begin tax-deductible fundraising. We will then want to get as many organizations (such as CAIR, Al Azhar, and Free Muslims as well as non Muslim organizations) as we can to agree to help, host, and support the plan in principle (as we can't at that point have set a date.)

Once the grass roots takes hold we will only need to convince the networks to air it. I see it being a 2-3 minute event (rak3ateen). If we get enough support this won't be a problem as it would be interesting news anyway.   

This would be the first time in history so many people joined together and acted in union to promote world peace. It could be a great event.

Karim Elsahy

In my opinion, and in the opinion of most realistic Arab scholars, the prime reason for our dysfunction is not our corrupt leaders, our defunct policy, or our ingrained subordination from centuries of colonization. Our problem is these would-be freedom fighters that have sabotaged our causes, ideals, religion, and our lives; amounting to nothing more than the filthy thug terrorists they are labeled as. And another thing I cant understand, Iraq specific. Where the hell was this massive insurgency during Saddams era? Why are we so incapable of standing up to our own? Why must we wait for foreign occupation? Did the Americans put the Iraqis through more torture, death, and humiliation than the Iraqis did?  

I can not say I have ever met someone I felt was capable of being a terrorist. Actually I have never met someone I felt had the capacity to kill someone. Never, and I've been around. So who are these people? And what can we do to help stop them.

It is obviously not something we can hope to accomplish alone. If the agencies with the largest budgets in the world are so obviously inept at isolating them then there is not much we can do. Right?

Well here is an idea. It is actually something I've been working on for a while. It's called Pray 4 Peace (www.pray4peace.org, still under construction)

I want to specify a date and time (probably two years in the future) were everyone in the world would pray together (gama3ah) via real time video feeds. It would be a Muslim thing but anyone would be welcome and encouraged to join in. It would be held in front of every countries most recognizable monument.

Imagine millions, if not billions, of people praying in unity in front of the Eiffel Tower, The Mall, The Pyramids, the Great Wall, Pisa, and the Petronas Towers.

All from one voice in Mecca, all in harmony despite time zones, war zones or any other type of barrier. Carried out on every major network, joining billions.

World Solidarity as we pray for peace.

I have begun writing a business plan for this to take to investors and start up a NPO. Please give me as much feedback as you can whoever you are. Try to circulate this as much as you can. Do your part; repost it, link to it, email it, print it, whatever you can do. Well see where we end up with this. Thank you.

Karim Elsahy

I once had a very interesting conversation with the Rabbi that was on my thesis committee (A very wise man that had a big impact on me and I mention him often). Though I spent my younger years here in the States my youth was spent in Egypt. When I moved back here I was post binging/skirt-chasing and more politically aware. Certain things had never occurred to me; that many see the 6^thof October War (Yom Kippur) as a defeat for the Arabs, for example, though no one really sees it as a victory for the Israelis.

The Rabbi was just as oblivious to the fact that we saw it as a victory as I was that he saw it as a defeat so I'm sure you can see how interesting the conversation went (we both had to double check the date to make sure we were talking about the same war.)

And not only was it a victory but a sterling one at that.

Victory is achieved by successfully carrying out your objectives and 73 did just that.

A not so well known fact is that Sadat attempted to establish peace with Israel prior to 73.

He even mentioned it in his famous speech to the Knesset on November 20, 1977, "I declared on Feb. 4, 1971, that I was willing to sign a peace agreement with Israel." He was sunned by Golda Meir and therefore had to resort to abiding by the equally famous, or infamous, "three no's" (No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with It.) and plan the 6^th of October War.

Try to understand the mind set of the time. The Arab people didn't look at their nations as weak, impoverished states in need of reform as they do today. To the Arab people the Arab countries were invincible and Israel nothing more than a thorn in the side. The psychological impact of The Six Day War and Nasser's (the Arab hero of the day) subsequent attempt at resignation and ultimately his death was crushing for the Arab people and Israel began its era of invincibility.

That is why Sadat was shunned by Meir. In parallel that is why the Palestinians were, in Israel's view, second priority to peace with Israel in the 90's after Syria (even though settlement with the Palestinians was obviously more vital to Israel than Syria). That is why Sharon's current "Disengagement" is unilateral.

If you are not on the same playing level with your opponent you should expect nothing more than being thrown the bones and scraps. We do not negotiate with termites. We do not have debates with our house pets. Sure we can accommodate them, but only as we see fit. This is how Egypt was viewed between 67 and 73. This is how the Israelis in power view the Palestinians now.

73 changed that for Egypt. 73 reminded Israel not to mess with Egypt.

True, Israel  towards the end, and only because of American support and air-lifts, found a gap and encircled Sues. People always say they got within 200k of Cairo forgetting that Tel Aviv is perpetually closer than that from the Egyptian boarder. So what. That's not what Egypt was after. Egypt regained the Canal and middle Sinai is nothing but barren desert. More importantly the next time Sadat called, Meir listened.

First of all, that is a monumental task. Second, even then it wouldn't be that easy. But I find it very interesting that you make that correlation. I can think of no other country whose system is more applicable to us (oddly enough). Israel has many of the same demographics, issues, and paradoxes we face and they have solved many of them admirably. The one I am especially infatuated by is how they managed to bring their religious right (every bit as nutty as ours) into their political frame. This is a fragile equilibrium though, one that quickly begins to unravel as soon as there is a lack of satisfaction or a wider array of goals. So even with their quasi-democracy Israel is prone, as would we be, even if we managed democracy, to self collapse under widespread discontent. We all need decades of peace during which we can all become more concerned with the much more fashionable and modern business of making money.

But to stick with the positive a moment, how do the ultra-Orthodox manage to coexist with the ultra-secular in Israel? The Rabbi I mentioned earlier answered that for me. "Jews don't kill Jews" he said, (at least not often).

That is what I just can not understand about current day "terrorists". In many cases I identify with their cause and, sadly, many if not most, suppressed people throughout history (America, France, and Israel  for example) only found identity and self determination through armed struggle. What disgusts me the most, besides the apparent lack of effort to spare the innocent, is that the vast majority of these current day "freedom fighters" victims are their own people.

You're absolutely right and I just wrote of 73 (a more clear-cut victory than Lebanon).

The way I see it it's like owning stock. You hold a stock, even if it's not profitable for a few years, even if it loses substantially, as long as you think it will turn its course; but never hold on blindly. You do have to know when to sell short and cut your loses; else you'll go bankrupt. Sadat held, won the 6^th of October, cashed in and reinvested in peace. To know when to sell, consolidate, and reinvest in something better is the distinguishing factor we so helplessly need to relearn.

That's too easy Zien. We lost and your denial, and everyone else's, only stagnates us.

That post I wrote was amongst the most difficult thing for me that I have ever had to admit. But think; by doing so we can begin to wake up, realize were we stand and strive to prevent having to admit something like that again.

To show you how far I am willing to take it I'll quote something of Daniel Pipes, one of, in my opinion, the most pro-Israeli Islamaphobic bigots I've come across. And, though his intent was for an Israeli aspect of it, he's right.

"True acceptance, the kind Israelis dream of, will come only when the Arabs are finally convinced they cannot destroy the Jewish state, today or ever. Painful as it may be for Israelis, as for many others, to acknowledge, it is the Arabs alone who will decide when a new Middle East can be born."

It's true. Enough of this denial bullshit and lets wake the Middle East up from a slumber it can no longer afford.

I'll quote you one more thing. David Shipler's vastly over-quoted "The Jews and the Arabs will never have peace until they learn to love their children more than they hate each other"

This is the question I would have most liked to dodge. These hard, to the point, scholarly questions that leave no room for misunderstanding.

I once asked a Harvard educated Christian Iraqi-American friend of mine (who was more or less kicked out of Iraq decades ago and suffered many hardships by the regime) what, in his opinion, would be a solution to the wide spread chaos going on in Iraq now. His bone chilling (he's an incredibly cynical man) response was "free Saddam and put him back in power".

Me (shocked): But you hate that man.
Him (typically infuriatingly calm): yes.
Me: So?
Him: That's the only way you'll get those people in check.

We, the Arabs, have been exclusively under the authority of Strong Armed Men (Dictators) for so long it's all we have been collectively conditioned to responded too.

So will Palestine, in its reborn infancy, slip into civil war until the strongest man emerges to unite her under an iron first for another century of his sons rule?

Maybe.

But I'm hoping it won't. There is a significant difference from Palestinians to Iraqis. 

Exposure.

While the impoverished in Iraq went though the Iraq/ Iran war, two gulf wars, a decade of sanctions that lead to extreme isolationism the Palestinians had the terms "reform" and "democracy" rammed down their throats perpetually. They also learnt to use the media to their advantage. This could help.

God I hope it does, because I have no brilliantly utopian/naive idea for this one, and this is the one that scares me the most.