11 - 17 October 2001
Issue No.555
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 11 - 17 October 2001 Issue No.555 |
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Between the states and their people
While Arab leaders reacted cautiously to US strikes against Afghanistan, Arab citizens are clear about where their sympathies lie. Sherine Bahaa reviews the Arab response
Although Arab leaders were quick to condemn the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington, the strikes on Afghanistan drew a more muted response.
Leaders of Arab countries allied with the US and "moderate" Arab states refrained from making statements during the first 24 hours following the US-British strikes on Afghanistan. With this approach, Arab leaders seemed to be trying to refrain from provoking their populations already angered by the US's policy on the Middle East.
Arab governments have emphasised to their people that their role in the US campaign will be confined to provide logistical support, use of airspace and intelligence sharing.
Observers attribute this stance to Arab governments' fears that recent events provide a fertile context in which a resurgence of militant Islamism could occur.
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, refrained from announcing support or opposition to the US campaign. Instead the Saudi government called on the US to define terrorism so that "the legitimate rights of many people are not sacrificed," the daily Al-Bilad newspaper said.
Kuwait came closer to indicating support for the US than most Arab countries. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Kuwait's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told reporters that his country had suffered terrorism and wanted "to end terrorism no matter where it is." However, the minister was keen to point out that his country was not taking part in the military effort, but was only providing the US with relevant intelligence information.
But outside the palace, the response was different. Much to the surprise of Kuwait's government, Kuwaiti Islamic scholar Suleiman Abul-Ghaith appeared on an Arab satellite channel acting as a spokesman for Bin Laden immediately following the strikes on Afghanistan. Responding to Abul-Ghaith's alignment with the Taliban, Sheikh Sabah said, "What he did was an act of treason."
Jordan, a major US ally in the region, said in an official statement that it "supports international efforts to combat terrorism, but stresses the necessity of refraining from inflicting harm to the innocent civilians in Afghanistan."
Advance condemnation of civilian causalities in Afghanistan was a theme that many Arab governments highlighted in their statements to their people. They also argued that Israeli actions against Palestinians comprise a kind of terrorism.
In Gaza, Palestinians gathered at universities and on the streets to demonstrate their support for Afghanistan. Palestinian police responded with tear gas and clubs in confrontations that resulted in two deaths. The clashes are expected to deepen the rift between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamists.
The PA's response drew praise from the Israeli government. "For the first time we congratulate the Palestinian Authority for taking the measures which it promised to implement against terrorists," said Raanan Gissin, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
In other parts of the Arab world demonstrations proceeded peacefully. Officials in Arab countries seemed wary of using force against protesters for fear of that Islamists would use such action as a basis to mobilise support.
For many in the Arab world Saudi-born Osama Bin Laden is emerging as a hero. "If he is killed he will become a symbol and if he survives he will become a stronger symbol," Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Aridi qualified his comments explaining that support for Bin Laden has grown alongside anti-American sentiments. "The policy of the United States is responsible for what happened and is happening," Aridi said.
Bin Laden's appearance on Al-Jazeera, the independent television channel based in Qatar, struck a resonant chord with many Arabs. Addressing his remarks to Arabs and Muslims, Bin Laden demonstrated his political savvy by linking US policy with the suffering of the Palestinians and the Iraqi people -- the two major grievances the Arabs have against the US. Bin Laden's remarks were broadcast immediately following the announcements by US President GW Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying that they had launched the strikes on Afghanistan.
Although Iraqi President Saddam Hussein championed the Palestinian cause during the 1991 Gulf War, this move was widely viewed as an opportunistic attempt to win Arab popular support as he confronted a US-led coalition. In Bin Laden's case, his religious credentials have helped to make his remarks seem sincere.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, which is expected to be the US's next target, state television denounced the US-British assault on Afghanistan as a "treacherous aggression." Iraqi television had earlier taken the unusual step of broadcasting Al-Jazeera's live coverage of the attacks on Afghanistan, cutting to other footage whenever President Bush appeared.
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