27 Sep. - 3 Oct. 2001
Issue No.553
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 27 Sep. - 3 Oct. 2001 Issue No.553 |
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Know your enemy
Hatred knows no ethnicity, writes Johnny Sarraf*
The streets were quiet, almost deserted, last Friday in various European cities as people outside the US held three-minute moments of silence to demonstrate their horror at the 11 September attacks on US cities and civilians. It was an impressive show of solidarity for Americans, an illustration of how people in different parts of the world are capable of coming together at times of true crisis.
And CNN was there.
Earlier, a minority of Palestinians had danced in the streets in celebration of the same attacks.
And CNN was there.
Afterwards, about one million Palestinians recognised moments of silence in mourning for the thousands of Americans killed in the attacks. Thousands of children held a candlelight vigil and held homemade American flags. Palestinians formed lines at rescue centres to donate blood to American victims. These are people whose lives are in economic ruins as a result of the countless attacks they've absorbed at the hands of the Israeli army, and the economic sanctions imposed by the Israeli government. They are trying to hold on to their homes and their land, threatened every day by Israeli occupation. And now these same Palestinians were giving blood to help other people in need: people whose government has turned its back on the Palestinians and given money to their oppressors, with which to buy US weapons that they use against -- that's right, the Palestinians.
Where was CNN?
It was too busy fanning the flames of anti- Arab sentiment in the US.
This may help explain the contradictory feelings among many Egyptians in regards to the attacks on the US.
Disturbing? Sad? Certainly. "It is something terrible that should not be wished on anyone," mourns Dr Mohamed Said, a physician in Cairo. American University in Cairo sophomore Fouad Abdel-Razeq describes it as "politically wrong and religiously wrong." AUC freshman Hani Malak adds: "It isn't fair to judge people by their government's policy."
Anger provoking? Indeed. Ain Shams University student Nada Nader proclaims: "We don't fix damage by doing other damage," and a Cairo shop owner who asked not to be named warns that violence will only create more violence. He hopes to see a diplomatic solution.
But totally unexpected? Hardly. Abdel-Razeq points out that Americans are not alone in the world and that US interests are not the only interests in the world. "The best president," he argues, "is the one who will not just make a better economy, but who will also help make a better world." AUC freshman Haitham El- Shaarawi, while also mourning the murder of thousands of civilians, believes the attacks may be a way to show the US how other people who are victims of US foreign policy are suffering -- an obvious reference to America's support of Israel at the expense of Palestinian autonomy and lives. Most shared opinion is not as openly hostile toward the US as that of a fast food chain employee who asked to remain anonymous: "I'm happy; I can't lie to you. America aids the Jews in attacking Muslims."
What angered many Egyptians was the fact that US news organisations had repeatedly shown the image of a few Palestinians celebrating, but failed to present the majority who offered support and showed regret.
Egyptians have been wondering in horror how the US, a great country that prides itself on its humanitarianism -- on its interest in all people's right to freedom and autonomy -- finds itself in the position of supporting state-sponsored terrorism. Or is that expression reserved for attacks on the US and its interests?
Arab interests and reputations may also be hurt by the attacks. Pointing out that Americans already view Arabs unfavourably, Dina Makram Ebeid, a freshman at AUC, believes that those responsible (since it appears that at least some are Arab) are now giving Americans reason to continue feeling that way. She also contends that the world is not concerned with Israel's actions in the region, but is now focused on the attacks in the US. Abdel-Razeq also worries that the attacks may also be harmful to Egypt's economy.
To many Egyptians, particularly disturbing aspects of the past week have been immediate assumptions that Arabs only were to blame, which Egyptians attribute in part to biased news coverage. Ebeid asserts that people are misinterpreting religious doctrine, taking what they want from it and using it to shape their own misguided arguments. To Said, these are not true Muslims but "true madmen who need to be brought to justice."
People throughout Cairo also remind us that Americans are not all above the disturbing behaviour of the Palestinians celebrating the destruction in the US. They remember Americans celebrating during the Gulf War, when 157,000 Iraqis were killed. Human life itself is precious. The life of one people isn't more valuable than the life of another, is it?
Still, Americans, like just about anyone else, do try to single out groups. Knowing one's enemies makes it easier to deal with problems at difficult times.
The US Federal building in Oklahoma City is blown up. The first assumption? An Arab terrorist is responsible. The world learns later that it's one of America's own. Hate doesn't have an ethnic identity.
We always need an enemy. We need to point our missiles at someone, somewhere. To justify whatever military action the US takes, the government needs the support of its people. It is natural, of course, to consider known enemies; and to the US, Osama Bin Laden is an obvious suspect. Many Egyptians, however, warn that he is not so obvious that the search can be considered over. The US has opponents in various parts of the world, and US policy is not always well received.
The term Arab itself in the US is generic and vague. There are numerous Arab countries, including an obvious US ally, Egypt. Does that mean Egyptians support US policy in the Middle East? Hardly. Most US allies all over the world are critical of its policy in the occupied territories. But the violent demonstrations of racist hate by Americans against Arab Americans that resulted from the Gulf War, and that are being expressed again now in the US, illustrate the irrational perception that Arabs pose a threat.
For various news organisations to exploit the current situation in order to rally support for a military strike is irresponsible. More ominously, it may also place Americans and American institutions in other countries at risk.
And you can bet that CNN will be there.
* The writer is a faculty member at the American University in Cairo's department of English and comparative literature.
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