buy the complete version of this book at booklocker.comassets.booklocker.com/pdfs/3519s.pdf ·...

Winning Middle Eastern Hearts and Minds is a work that comprehensively covers the people's perspectives on regional issues. The author uses numerous interviews he conducted throughout the region and historical background to explain these perspectives and their implications for America.

Winning Middle Eastern Hearts and Minds

Buy The Complete Version of This Book atBooklocker.com:

http://www.booklocker.com/p/books/3519.html?s=pdf


Winning Middle Eastern Hearts and Minds By Hessam Parzivand

Copyright © 2008 Hessam Parzivand

ISBN 978-1-60145-528-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Printed in the United States of America.

Booklocker.com, Inc.

2008

v

Contents

CHAPTER 1: AN INTRODUCTION....................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 2: COMMON TRENDS IN MODERN MIDDLE-EASTERN HISTORY.............................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER 3: ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: A HOLY LAND AND AN ENDLESS STRUGGLE..................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 4: LEBANON: THE LAND OF OUTSIDE INTERVENTIONS AND INTERNAL DIVISIONS.......................................................................... 36

CHAPTER 5: IRAQ: A LONG ROAD TO RECONCILIATION....................... 53

CHAPTER 6: IRAN: A NEW FOUND INFLUENCE.......................................... 80

CHAPTER 7: CULTURAL WESTERNIZATION: A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS? ............................................................................................. 98

CHAPTER 8: TERRORISM: A TRAGIC TACTIC .......................................... 120

CHAPTER 9: THE UNITED STATES: A GREAT POWER FACING GREATER DILEMMAS ................................................................................. 140

CHAPTER 10: THEIR HOPES AND MESSAGES............................................ 158

CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS .... 177

APPENDIX A: THE POWER OF ATTITUDES ................................................ 188

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................... 197

ABOUT THE AUTHOR........................................................................................ 199

98

Chapter 7: Cultural Westernization: A Clash of

Civilizations?

These US based franchise restaurants in Doha, Qatar are one manifestation of Westernization. Without the Arabic Applebee’s sign, this could be a scene from Florida.

Westernization is a process by which Western values and customs spread. This process is a derivative of globalization; however there is no clear line which defines Westernization from what is globalization. Westernization currently influences many aspects of life in the Islamic world. It is most often characterized by its secularism and its ability to increasingly make Western customs the norm in the Middle East.


99

The Forces Causing Westernization in the Middle East

There are three major forces that are causing Westernization within the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. A lot of the force behind Westernization is based on the economic concept of globalization. You go to the shelves of a supermarkets in the Middle East and you are likely to come across Snickers, Oreos, Tide detergent, and Kraft cheese. Looking at the streets in metropolitan areas, you’ll see Chili’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and Baskin Robbins. In the malls, you’ll find Bath and Body Works, the Hallmark Store, Oshkosh B’Gosh and Borders. The presence of these Western brands in the Middle East has significant impacts on the region. There is a rising fast food obsession in the Middle East that is so pervasive that my grandmother who speaks no English knows how to stay Kentucky [what Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is called] and the village of my ancestry of Iran, which may have 4000 inhabitants has a hamburger restaurant and a pizza restaurant. Brand name clothing and accessories are in vogue as Middle-Eastern consumers are trying to imitate Western styles sometimes without regard for the norms of their own societies.

The imitation of Western ways would be unlikely to occur if it was not for the media, another important force in the process of Westernization. What is meant by media is the whole range of information sources that people read, listen to, or watch. Of course advertisements for Western brands give the Westernization process some traction, but the more important thing is that Western culture is being advertised through Hollywood movies, TV shows, music, and print media. Programming produced in the West has successfully infiltrated Middle-Eastern TV and radio lineups. The people of the region can watch Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Friends just as easily as their American counterparts. The increasing amount of media posted on the internet will make it even easier for Americans and Middle Easterners to watch the same programming. Some of the interviewees argued that these media forces are controlled by the West and are performing “an intellectual invasion of the Muslim mind,” by increasing the population’s acceptance of Western Values.

A final force which affects Westernization is the governments of the nations of the region. Governments have control over the laws of their nations hence they can limit the economic opportunities of Western brands in their countries. They also have the power to censor the media. Because of these powers, many U.S. allied countries are accused of pushing Westernization

Hessam Parzivand

100

upon their populaces, by making it easier for foreigners to come, promoting educational opportunities in the West, and loosening legal restrictions on alcohol, gambling, and the interactions between men and women. The U.S. and the West are among those that receive blame for policies of their allies that do not conform with societal norms or the religious beliefs of a significant minority of their populations.

The Counterweights: Culture and Religion

The two forces that are counterweights to Westernization are religion and culture. Generally, the Middle-Eastern populace is composed of people who have a strong belief in the Islamic religion. Just as Christianity’s adherents believe it to be a continuation of Judaism, Islam’s adherents believe their religion to be a continuation of Christianity. This is evident when one considers the 5 Major Prophets of Islam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and Mohammed, four of which are shared by Christianity and 3 by Judaism. As a result of these commonalities, these three religions share many common stories and beliefs.

Islam like Christianity and Judaism is a religion that fundamentally believes in one God, that believes God should be a part of everyday life, and that believes in doing good unto others (through charitable actions). The Islamic religion requires great commitment from its strict adherents who must pray 5 times a day, fast from dawn to dusk during a month of the year, and follow a strict moral code. The secular nature of Western customs and traditions contrast profoundly with Islam’s strict moral code and cultural customs in the region. Islam differs markedly from Judaism and Christianity in its strict ban on gambling and the consumption of alcohol. Many of the differences between the two societies involve the interaction between men and women. In many Islamic societies, this interaction is very restricted by comparison to the Western world. These standards are actually determined as much by the culture of a country or people as by the Islamic religion.

Negative Effects of Westernization: Endangering the Positive Elements of Culture and Religion

Culture and religion are what the people of the region feel is threatened by the Westernization process that is occurring within their societies. The upcoming responses to a question about the negative effects of Westernization reveal a great deal about the positive elements of Middle-


101

Eastern culture that the people of the region want to hold onto in the face of Westernizing forces.

One such positive element of the culture is family values. It’s amazing how much time people spend with their extended families in the region. I have personally walked into so many households of grandmothers and grandfathers that seemed more like daycares, because their twenty or more grandchildren were all there playing games with each other. These first cousins were practically raised as brothers and sisters to each other going to Grandma and Grandpa’s with their parents 5 to 7 times a week.

The Middle East in many ways is a more of a collectivistic society centered on family than an individualistic society. People see themselves as one part of an entity (their families) rather than as individuals who must forge their own path in life. There isn’t that animosity or friction between parent and child over financial independence that is found in the West. The Middle-Eastern parent does not dream of the day his or her child leaves the house. The child does not feel a necessity to leave his parents home. Proof of this lack of friction is that many couples live in the groom’s parent’s house for many years after they are married. One of my uncles had four children and reached the age of 35 before leaving his parent’s house for a house of his own. In the U.S., it would be inferred that something was wrong based on my uncle’s age and the number of children he had. In actuality, my uncle graduated from college and was earning an income when he was married. The need to cling to family values was evident throughout the interviews.

There are some negatives of the collectivistic family oriented nature of Middle-Eastern society that also should be addressed to show both sides of the story. What the interviewees did not mention is the potential for such family values to be suffocating to those who do not conform to societal or family norms. Family is such a big part of life in the region that the threat of hurting or losing those ties is a hindrance to individualism. People who do not like the rules of their family are often faced with the choice of conforming to these norms against their own will, living a double life, or severing ties with their family. Many people choose to live a double life. Such persons have no choice but to engage in lying and hypocrisy to maintain an image of adhering to family norms. As a whole, family life in the Middle East has many beauties, but it also has a hidden side which has the potential to be unpleasant for those who are more liberal than their families.

Hessam Parzivand

102

When asked about the negative effects of Westernization, Raana worries whether Middle-Eastern family values can stick around in the face of Westernization. She looks at what she sees as lax standards of male-female interaction in Western society and sees it as a potential menace to family values. She explains the threatening elements of Westernization by saying,

In Islam we have good relationships with our parents. Even when we are over 18, we still visit our parents often. Nowadays, we are seeing people who are 18 or 19 years old who want to be separated from their families. We don’t want this. Actually it’s not healthy. We’ve grown up with our mother, father, grandmother, grandfather. We like to be close to our aunts and uncles. Because Western society is not as strong on family relationships, it is affecting us. Like on marriage, everything should go on a legal basis on respectable relationship but there they are not married. They have friendships and dating. We don’t want this and all the other things interrelated to these same issues.

Part of our religion of Islam is to respect the mother to respect the father to have a close relationship to the family, to take care of the small, to respect those who are older than you, to listen, to understand. These things are very important to us both in Islam and in our culture.

Raana, Qatari, 30, Bank Manager, Sunni Muslim

Nadine was asked to meet with me and do an interview at the request of her boss. I excitedly detected an American accent in the first few words of our conversation. It turns out that Nadine had gone to college in the United States for 3 years graduating when she was 19. She was my age and had been a university student in the states, so there was no cultural or generational distance. I dropped straight into my comfort zone. The first 5 minutes of my recording are actually just conversation. When asked about the negative impacts of Westernization, Nadine was very concerned about the rapidly changing rules of male-female interaction in the region. She partially blames the Western media for changing societal norms in this regard. In response to a question about what the negative implications of Westernization are, she stated


103

That’s something we shouldn’t talk about here at work. Look at the teenagers and they are being exposed to so much negativity. I’m talking about HIV-AIDS. All of that happens even with everything on TV that says try to avoid it, try to do this or that. The fact that they are openly talking about it triggers the mind to want to do it. This shows what is being shown on TV is a bit too detailed. Now, you can go anywhere and see people going at it (probably kissing or being intimate). It’s kind of weird seeing that because those channels are being played when you go to Applebee’s and Chili’s. There are kids there playing around. Obviously, the kids are going to stop and watch and that is teaching them the wrong thing.

Nadine, 21, Banker, Jordanian

Sary’s complaints prove that media images seem to have the same effects across cultures. As a teacher, he worries about his students and their identification with Western pop icons. He explained,

Nowadays, we have more Muslims exposed to the media. 10 or 20 years ago this wasn’t the case. The world is open to them and they can see everything. You have Internet, so you’ll find Muslims identifying themselves with gangster rappers. You’ll have Muslim girls identifying themselves with top models or singers. These things are very dangerous. And if you come to them and explain to them (about these things), they’ll hate you because this is fashionable. This is cool. If I am a mottowa (very religious man), my students call me a mottowa thank god. They (the students) say to me that “I am cool. You are being a nerd.” It’s this image that is the problem. Who brought them this image? It is the media.

You see in the media if you say you’re a gangster and have this attitude you are cool! They say if you pierce your ear or have a tattoo you are cool! Even smoking cigars. I see many youngsters smoking cigars just to be cool. This image is very important and there is a need for filtering the media. Some people say the government should not intervene, people are free, but this is harming the children. Most of the parents don’t have the time to sit down with their children and to guard them and

Hessam Parzivand

104

control the media. We have very negative influences (of westernization) coming through the media.

Sary, Lebanese, 27, Teacher, Sunni Muslim

Noor looks at the negative impacts of Westernization through the lens of the influence of strong Western powers on Middle-Eastern governments. She said,

The negative impacts of westernization are mainly about politics. It is not only about the United States but also about those powerful countries in Europe like Great Britain and France which are forcing us to work by their point of view on what the region should be. This is something that we don’t want. This is our region; we know how it should be.

Noor, Jordanian-Palestinian, 36, Attorney and Women’s Rights Activist, Sunni Muslim

Mona sums up what the view of many of the interviewees. She talks about the most commonly cited negatives and positives of westernization.

We need to break the boundaries between Western and Arab while still protecting our identity, because we’re a very sensitive culture and environment. We have our own identity. So we need to protect that. We don’t want to lose our flavor. When you want freedom, you have to free your mind not your body. I will copy others in technology in education and all these other things for my brain, but will not copy others on how they dress, or how they talk, or on their attitudes. We’re a family oriented society and we need to keep that.

Mona, 33, Qatari, Owner Design Company

The Positives of Westernization: Changes to Middle-Eastern Society the People Want to See

There was very little agreement among interviewees as to defining the positive aspects of Westernization. Part of the reason for this is the broad-based nature of the Westernization phenomenon which can be construed as


105

having a diverse range of positive aspects. Despite a lack of consensus opinion, the answers to this question are important because they represent some of the societal improvements that Middle-Easterners are hoping for in the coming years.

Sary sees westernization as an opportunity to learn from the West and improve the plight of the Islamic world. His opinion reflects dissatisfaction with the state of his society at this point. He defines the choice that Islamic civilization faces in its relations with the west by saying,

Our relations with the West can be one of three things. We can either be customers or students or Masters. If we want to be customers, we will be customers forever. If we want to be students we can follow the example of Japan who learned from the West and became self-sufficient, and became more advanced than the (United) States in terms of knowledge and production while having no real natural resources. I think at this stage we should redirect ourselves into becoming not customers, but students of the West (while) at the same time re-identifying ourselves with our religion with conviction. At that time, we can say we are rebuilding the Islamic civilization.


Raana like many others sees a great deal of the benefits of Westernization to be tied to education. This positive reaction likely comes from the American, Canadian, Australian, and British universities that are educating students in the region putting a positive face on Westernization. She says,

The positive things are that we are taking advantage of are learning and education. All good things can come from education, time management, growth, knowledge, economic well-being. These things we all get advantages out of.

Raana, 30, Qatari, Manager at a Bank

A friend of mine in Cairo upon hearing about my project suggested that his mother would be a good interview candidate. When I asked my first demographic questions, I was delighted to find out that Sahad had been a

Hessam Parzivand

106

journalist who worked on documentaries in the past, but had recently retired. She was generally a huge critic of how Egyptian society operates and also of strict religious ideologies. Having lived and worked in Canada for a brief period twenty-five years ago she saw many potential benefits of Westernization in the Arab World. As a Westerner, I had observed some of the problems she had talked about myself, but I had never heard any of my interviewees look so critically at their society. This excerpt includes two of the many positive elements of Westernization she talked about.

They have systems (in the West). They abide by the systems. They don’t understand freedom here (in the Middle East). (They say) We are free, we do what we want, but you end up a failure because you don’t abide to a system. The traffic (and) the way they do their work, they don’t follow a system. If you work in an office and ask somebody to do something (they say) “it’s done, I did it, I did my work.”

“Did you follow it to the end?”

“No I told him to finish it”

How come? Follow it. Follow it up. They don’t have a system…

The less clever are always jealous. How come a clever man is better than me? They strike him morally, financially, however. There is no positive beautiful competition. If you are better than me, I will say alright. You took courses, okay I’ll take course. You did this, okay I’ll talk to you, I should learn from you. It’s not because you are better than me. It’s because there is something that you know more than I do. They don’t want to do this. I’m not talking about everybody, but generally.

Sahad, Egyptian, 52, Retired Journalist

A Clash of Civilizations?

The “Clash of Civilizations” has been a concept that has shaped Western perceptions of the relations between the West and the Islamic world. Some academics in the West believe that the resurgence of Islam and a


107

consequent backlash against the West will lead to a civilization clash between the West and the Islamic world. These commentators cite the global war on terrorism as a manifestation of this clash of civilizations.

When the question of whether there was a clash of civilizations between the Islamic and Western worlds was posed, terrorism was rarely mentioned. Instead, people talked about whether there was a clash of cultures between Western and Islamic culture. The opinion of many in the region that there is no cultural clash between Islamic and Western civilization stands in stark contrast to the hypothesis’ of the academics in the West who posit such a clash.

My interview with Sheikh (the word Sheikh is used to address any devout Muslim as well as Kings) Abdullah took place in a beautiful Islamic center with a gorgeous minaret. I wish all my readers could meet him, because he is a wise, friendly, loving and tolerant person who could shatter the misperceptions that many have of any Middle-Eastern person with a long beard. Although there was a bit of a wait in his office before things commenced, the interview was well worth my time. I needed some opinions from the Islamic community. This fifty-four year old Egyptian Islamic cleric was perfect for the job. The interview was most helpful because it completely changed my perception of Westernization. Here is Abdullah’s opinion of whether a clash of civilizations exists.

First let me refute the word conflict, clash, or anything. I refuse this completely. Let me say it in another way. Do we have to accept all the Western values or not? Or can we take and refuse parts of these values? I can’t accept anything that is coming to me from another person and I can’t refuse everything that is coming to me from outside. This would be ridiculous, but why do you call it a conflict. This is not fair. There is no conflict.

Let me prove this. I have a table in front of me. I’m in a restaurant. I can choose this and this and this off the menu and choose not to take this and this and this. This is my right. Why would you oblige me to eat all of the things on the menu that the restaurant offers me, even things that will make me vomit?...

Hessam Parzivand

108

Look at Adultery. No one can say that is correct in Christianity or in Judaism or in any religion. They are Christian (in the West) and they know all types of adultery. Normal, abnormal, in public, and in the streets. They have many types of sex and cohabitation. We think this is haram (religiously forbidden) unless it is going through a legal channel to protect the rights of the woman the rights of the man and the rights of the children. We are not expressing enmity to the west (by not choosing this). We choose. We have to choose and the western people have to choose also. You take the West. They are the best in technology, IT for example. I have to take that. I have to be honest with myself. I can’t say the IT of Qatar and Egypt are the best. This would be ridiculous. They (the West) are great. And they are the masters of the material civilization. I like that and I can go to their countries to learn and improve…

The conclusion is to keep our identity, keep our personality, keep our religion, keep all our relationship with Allah (God). Then if there is a good thing from anywhere from the West, from Asia, from South Africa, from Oslo, I can accept it as long as it goes with my traditions, with my morals, with my religion, with my benefits. I have to accept it. Why should I refuse it?’

Sheikh Abdullah 53, Islamic Cleric, Egyptian

Sheikh Abdullah’s conclusion is the widely held conclusion of the Middle-Eastern people. He reasserts the broad consensus among people whether religious or secular that keeping their Middle-Eastern identity is a necessity in the face of Westernization. Most interviewees also agreed with Abdullah that there was not a clash among civilizations between the West and Islamic world.

He makes the point that societies should have the choice of what values to espouse. Unfortunately, the only thing that enables these societies to make choices based on the wants of the people is democracy. Democracy is far from the system that most countries in the region have. This is the problem. The so called “clash of civilizations” is currently not among civilizations; it’s between citizens and governments that implement policies that are contrary to their people’s wants. This clash spills over onto the U.S.


109

when it is a backer of governments that pursue policies contrary to the people’s will and cultural beliefs.

Sheikh Abdullah offers the analogy of choosing between entrees at restaurants for what the Middle East must do for its choices of values. When a government policy comes that is contrary to the people’s traditions, morals, religion, and benefits, the people who are opposed to it are essentially being force fed an entrée that they find disgusting on a full stomach. The throwing up afterwards could become violent taking the shape of terrorism.

In contrast to Abdullah, Sary sees the clash of civilizations as being politically motivated by the foreign policies that have taken place in the region. He explains that if the West followed its own principles in the region, there would be on clash.

There would be no need for a clash if the Americans or all the West in general would apply their principles of tolerance and of respecting human rights in reality. We have seen hundreds of violations from the massacres, genocides, Guantánamo Bay, Abu Gharaib, Bagram, and so on. If they stop doing this and start applying really what they’re calling for such as human rights, justice, tolerance, nondiscrimination against any ethnic group or any religious group, and freedom of religion. If they apply this, it will be good, because we Muslims say don’t stop in our way when we are preaching our religion of Islam and we will not harm you. We don’t have to fight. Those who are raising militant forces against the West, it’s all because they’ve seen the unconditional support of Israel and its crimes, all this exploitation, all this injustice, continuous invasions to the Muslim world. I think the West is now cultivating what it has been planting in its wrong and false foreign-policy.


Ahmed, an Islamic scholar, gave a totally different perspective on the clash of civilizations. His argument is that all the forces of westernization are pushing an intellectual invasion of the Muslim mind mainly through the media.

Hessam Parzivand

110

The Western world is doing an intellectual invasion of the Muslim mind. They are trying to impose ideas on Muslims and get them to imitate non-Muslims. They have succeeded in changing the concept of Allah. The reality is that the West is seeking to destroy the Islamic world. They want the Islamic world to leave faith and religion and just live their life. The Western world is not a tight society in terms of family values and caring for other. That is the way of the modern person according to them.

Ahmed, Libyan-American, 46, Professor Islamic Studies

The Threat of Western Culture

Since the clash of civilizations is seen in cultural terms, another question that sheds light on the perspective of Middle-Easterners towards a potential clash is whether they see Western culture as a threat to their own culture. It was surprising given the belief of many that there isn’t a clash of civilizations to see that the same people did feel Westernization threatened their culture. Clearly, the idea that Western culture is a threat to Islamic culture does not imply a clash between the two.

Noor sees Westernization as a clear threat to Arab culture explaining,

You cannot find a person now saying that I am Arab 100%. Our culture is affected and there are many impacts on it…

Yes I see Western culture as a threat to Middle Eastern culture. Now it is affecting our language. Most of the young people because they want to get a good job have to speak very good English. Usually, you don’t have that. It’s okay to communicate with others. We want to be more open to the rest of the world, but we also don’t want to lose our identity and this is the main thing that is happening with globalization as I call it.


Rula feels the threat is posed by the negative elements of Western culture that are being taken up by the Middle Eastern masses. In response to


111

the question of do you feel Western culture is a threat to Middle-Eastern culture she responded,

In a way yes, because we are taking a lot of negative influences. If we were taking some good aspects of democracy, the good American values, those if we take those it would be wonderful, but the unfortunate thing is we absorb the negative ones. They also sell the negative ones. In a way it is negative so far.

Rula, Lebanese, 38, Christian, Pediatrician

Muhammad takes a different perspective on Western culture that is more common in the young generation of Middle-Easterners, but isn’t the prevailing opinion of the overall population. He says,

I see Western culture as something we need to adjust for because this is happening. It’s like the flow of a river. You can’t stop it. You should learn how to swim and swim with the river. I can’t call it negative. It is something positive. It is what is happening in this world and we need to live with it. So, we need to adjust to it and everything will be fine.

There is another perspective that thinks of it as some sort of an attack. Some people like to call it a mental attack. They allege the Western world is trying to change the youth. They’re trying to make everybody think different, so that they (the Western world) can occupy them faster.

Muhammad, Qatari, 22, Student

The Coexistence of Islam and Western Culture

When it came to asking interviewees about whether Islamic culture and Western culture could coexist in the Middle East, there were no doubts that coexistence could occur. Many cited that coexistence between these cultures was part of their societies today.

Abdullah cited the example of Muslims who live in the West as a proof that coexistence could occur. He said,

Hessam Parzivand

112

Islam can live with any culture. You have now many Muslims living in the West. In Western Europe, more than 20 million Muslims are living there. In the United States, there are more than 10 million Muslims. This is a clear proof that Muslims can live in Western society. You are living in the West. So there is no problem for Muslims to live with other cultures. As I said, we can cooperate with other cultures. We can have dialogue with other cultures. This is what I believe.

Abdullah, 42, Lebanese, Islamic Studies Professor, Sunni Muslim

Khaled takes the approach that coexistence is possible citing the legality of alcohol in his society.

In Qatar for example, we have bars, and I can choose to go drink alcohol, if I want to, but that’s against Islam. But it’s here, and it’s up to me. Even in Christianity, they are not in favor of alcoholism, but it’s up to you. So it’s not about religion. It’s about you.

Khaled, Late 20s, Qatari, Government Worker

Rula cites the ability of Western and Islamic culture to coexist in Lebanon

It seems that they have coexisted in Lebanon. Lebanon is an example for the coexistence of those two, because a lot of families raise their kids with the Muslim tradition and religion and education, but they also absorb some of the Westernized ways, such as the way to dress, how to be comfortable, or to relate to the opposite sex. On the other hand, when these freedoms reach an extreme, it is also not so good. In Lebanon, you see them barely wearing anything. I don’t like that. Middle East culture does not accept that. I wish there was a compromise between the two. Only in Lebanon, will you see a woman who is completely covered and right next to her another woman in a tank top or bikini. Those contrasts do exist a lot in Lebanon. It has also been one of the problems but also could be interesting for a country to absorb different extremes.


113

Rula, Lebanese, 38, Christian, Pediatrician

Rula cites the coexistence of extremes in Lebanon as one of that nations problems and this is a factor that I worry about too. I have seen the extremes of the liberal and conservative sides of the Middle East within my own family. I had a unique opportunity while in Dubai of living with a family who would likely be characterized as Islamic fundamentalists in the United States. Devout Muslims, they had founded a program to teach women and teenagers about Islam. The matriarch of the family had spent 5 years in a special class, successfully memorizing the entire Holy Qur’an. The patriarch and his son both wore the traditional long beards of the pious praying five times a day and also doing extra prayers known as sunnats. All of them didn’t listen to music with the exception of Qur'anic recitations (which in a way are sung).

I spent a total of six weeks as a part of this household constantly hearing about the scientific proofs of Islam like the fact that it is said in Qur’an that all things around you are alive, living and moving, which has been proven by the endless circulation of electrons around the nucleus of atoms. Another proof commonly cited was the fact that the Prophet Mohammad ate with his hands. Recently science has discovered that your hand produces enzymes that make digestion easier. I also heard discussion about the small extra things people could do to gain favor with God like extra prayers, eating dates (the fruit) in odd numbers, entering the mosque with one’s right foot, and leaving the mosque with one’s left foot.

What became clear during my time with them is coexistence between the liberal and conservative extremes of society is possible in the Islamic world. This family was living in Dubai, a city that with the possible exception of Beirut is the most Westernized city in the region. It is the party capital of the Middle East, a place where prostitution runs rampant, yet this family continued to actively preach their message of religion within this setting. In the U.S. one can observe the same thing. The U.S. has people who engage in many immoral behaviors and it also has people who read their Bible every day.

The fact that coexistence can occur does not mean government should abrogate all responsibility for making sure it does occur. The governments of the region have to be culturally sensitive and accommodative of their citizens. One failure in being accommodative by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Hessam Parzivand

114

government was when it came to beaches. The family I was staying with was religiously strict to the point that they did not want to go to a beach where women would be wearing bikinis. This prevented us from going to some of the more beautiful beaches of the area.

This was a slight inconvenience, but the danger is that these slight inconveniences could add up leading to people who feel like foreigners in their own country. I can’t help but think of the frustration I saw in the face of another strictly Islamic cousin of mine when he quickly flipped the channel off of a commercial that seemed more like an American music video offended by the dancing that was occurring in the commercial. I thought to myself what if most of the commercials became like that? What if all the beaches had women wearing bikinis? What if Dubai became so corrupt that there was clearly a prostitute at every corner and the government was doing nothing? Would my cousin then feel that living in his own society was intolerable?

Government has to carefully calculate how far it will push the envelope. Allowing people in bikinis to walk on beaches may offend more conservative members of society but it also brings money into the economy from tourists. The same can be said about the selling of alcohol (Muslims are forbidden from drinking) another controversial issue in the region. Every populace has its breaking point of what it can tolerate so governments in the Middle East must carefully balance Westernization versus the wants of their Islamic populations if they want to survive. All governments whether democratic or not have a responsibility to respond to their people’s wants. Middle Eastern governments are not exempt. Their policies should reflect the values of their people.

The Issue of Women’s Rights

Although I asked about the state of women’s rights in the Middle East as a whole, I found most women talking about their own countries and the state of affairs they face. The picture of women’s rights throughout the region is understandably mixed and varies from country to country. Overall, women have been given significant rights over the last ten to twenty years, but many admit they still have some ground to gain before achieving true equality. All the women I interviewed were asked this question and some of the men. The diverse set of occupations my female interviews engaged in proved that women do have opportunities to achieve in the region. My interviewees included female entrepreneurs, attorneys, managers, students, women’s rights


115

activists and journalists. A majority of interviewees felt there was room for improvement in women’s rights.

Raana represents women who have seen great changes in their society and are satisfied with the increasingly important roles in society they are taking. She said,

Here in Qatar, we are very advanced on women’s rights. And we are equal to the men and you have got a good example in me. I graduated from the university and I joined the bank here. I took my chances on the promotions side. They don’t say you are female you shouldn’t be in this position. My position now is as head of branches, and I have a number of branch managers (including men) under my control. Also the assistant general manager of corporate and commercial banking is a woman. The salaries are equal here.

The head of the education ministry here in Qatar is a female. The wife of the emir is behind the women of this country and is giving them her support for education, development, and creativity. She is fighting ignorance and she is paying lots of money for health and academic studies.

Raana, 30, Qatari, Bank Manager

On my last day in Cairo, I found myself at the office of an Islamic periodical. There I had an appointment with a journalist named Rasha . She was an extremely friendly woman who was very interested in my project. We traded pleasantries first then questions. She emphasized the opportunities that women have and what women are achieving in the Middle East today.

I understand that society still has some restrictions (on women), but women in many ways can do something. Now, if you enter any city and stay even for two hours you can find that there is something in this city that is being done by women. Here in the organizations that I’m a part of if you count the number of men and women, you will find that the women are double the men. And they have positions. Women here are managers. There are many men working under women here.

Hessam Parzivand

116

Rasha, Egyptian, 26, Journalist, Sunni Muslim

I was very anxious to hear Arwa’s opinion since she is from Saudi Arabia, a country that is notorious for having a bad record on women’s rights. She seemed to be satisfied with the women’s rights situation of her country, but admitted progress was possible. She said,

The women in the Middle East, I think they have rights especially nowadays. For Saudi women in particular, I think we have lots of rights when it comes to work education even gaining some high positions. It's still not that much but we are progressing. However, I am not one who calls for more rights, because I believe women's rights are at her house. If the government allowed further rights it would be good thing, but it's not it's not a big deal. I don't know why the West regards it as a big deal. I think in Saudi they have given us our rights.

Arwa, Saudi, 23, Student, Muslim

Pouya admitted some limitations of Iranian women, but also emphasized their many rights. She said,

The state of women’s rights is not that good, but it is not as bad as they say all over the world. We have many problems here like wearing the scarf uniformly. It is not that bad though. We have the right to vote. We have the right to drive a car. We have the right to go to the university and have good positions in society such as doctors or engineers. It is not true to say that Iranian women have significant limitations or don’t have rights. We have limitations, but it is not as much that they say all over the world.

Pouya, 29, Iranian, Shiite Muslim

Nadine expressed frustration with the attitude of inferiority that some men still hold for women in the Middle East. She describes her experiences saying,

Being a businesswoman and seeing the way people treat us is at times tough. Sometimes I’ll have a customer walk in


117

and he just wants some answers on questions, so I go up to help them and he says can I talk to someone else who can help me? There are people who still do that. They think that men know more than women. They are not open to the fact that women are developing themselves. There are women that are smarter and able to help just as much as men do. There’s still a long way left.

Nadine, Jordanian, Banker, 21

Azza echoes Nadine’s frustrations seeing strictly abiding by Islam as a solution to problems of tradition. She says,

I would say that I’m not a feminist in anyway. I believe that our religion Islam gives us all the rights that we need. I don’t know why we are quote oppressed. Religion and tradition in the Arab world are two totally different things. Today the Arab world has become so traditional and not religious. Everything comes under tradition and not religion which I disagree with. I disagree with that very much. I believe that if we go back to religion, we would get all of our rights.

Azza, 19, Emirati, Student, Sunni Muslim

Mona emphasizes that women are still struggling for equality by taking a look at the recent elections in Qatar. She says,

I will be very frank with you. Still here, men are controlling everything. It doesn’t matter what is happening or what is going on. For instance, the election just happened in Qatar. The electorate did not accept women entering into the parliament or the National Council. With normal voting, the woman has always been left behind. You can feel it actually.

Mona, 33, Qatari, Entrepreneur and Women’s Rights Activist

The Next Step for Women

My final question on women’s rights asked about what women thought was the next step for them in the region. Those who felt there was a next step for women predominantly gave two answers. The most common answer was a change in societal thinking about women, which was hinted in

Hessam Parzivand

118

the opinions of Nadine and Azza in the previous section. Another popular opinion was more women in political positions in the region, something that would have been hinted by Mona’s opinion in the previous section.

Noor cites changes in the legal and societal realms as a good next step for women. She said,

We have some laws that should be implemented in a different way and we also have to change our (societal) thinking towards women (to one that views them) as equal persons. It’s not only about men. It’s also about changing the thinking of women.


Mirvat also blames the mentality of some people in the region and defends Islam saying,

Islam is not the problem. Ever since Islam started, women have had freedoms. The problem is in the mentality of the people, not in Islam. Sometimes you find people in the West whose mentality is very closed. This is something personal from inside not from religion or anything else.

Mirvat, Syrian, 40 Banker

Noor, a Yemeni living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), hopes for women to take a greater role in politics.

Here in the UAE, I’d like to see a woman in a strong political position. That would be something that would really show how much people care about women’s rights in the UAE.

Noor, 22, Yemeni, Student, Sunni Muslim

Soft Power Implications

On the issue of Westernization, America again finds itself in the opposite corner as Islam. Many see the U.S. as a force that is trying to soften Islamic ideals up in order to more easily conquer the region. According to


119

these people and many others, the U.S. is responsible for this Westernization movement most importantly because of its support for the governments in the region. The U.S. is also said to be the key backer and beneficiary of the globalization trend. Middle Eastern people are enabling companies such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Starbucks, TCBY, McDonalds and Chili’s to grow as a result of their increased presence in the region. The result is increased tax dollars for the U.S. government and increased wealth for the U.S. people. The same can be said about Middle-Eastern consumption of American movies and TV shows.

The Middle East clearly perceives Westernization as a mixed bag; hence it is tough to see what the ultimate soft power implications of this force will be. The young generation reveres American fast food, clothing styles, and movies. They also crave a more liberal society with values that are closer to that of Western society. Older and younger people agree that they can learn from the West how to succeed economically enabling the Middle East to become a less oil dependent region.

Despite this it seems most likely that the overall effects will be negative. If positive changes are made, the region will take credit saying, “we changed,” but if there are negative effects of Westernization a lot of people will say “Look at what they (the West and its leader the United States) did to us.” The U.S.’s only chance to get credit for positive elements of Westernization is to gain credibility in the region and then promote women’s rights and human rights. Its current efforts at promoting these rights seem to be more like a kiss of death due to its low soft power.

Winning Middle Eastern Hearts and Minds is a work that comprehensively covers the people's perspectives on regional issues. The author uses numerous interviews he conducted throughout the region and historical background to explain these perspectives and their implications for America.


Buy The Complete Version of This Book atBooklocker.com:



buy the complete version of this book at booklocker.comassets.booklocker.com/pdfs/3519s.pdf ·...

Documents