IP: from an Arabic voice The new protracted conflict

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli" <mo () idiopathic com>
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 15:23:39 +0100
To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
Subject: Re: The new protracted conflict

Dear Dave,
perhaps IP's readers may benefit from an Arabic voice. Feel free to
forward my response to the list.

It is with great interest, and a little sadness, that I read the
article by Mr Strausz-Hupe. I'm afraid I did not have the pleasure of
reading his writing when he was alive, nor am I of his political
expertise and academic caliber (I work as a doctor in the UK).
However, as the good man did "not let too much learning interfere with
the theme", and thus dipped towards my level of intellect, I'd like to
make a few comments.

1 - Arabs do not hate Americans. A lot of Arabs object to some
American policies, but then again, most Americans object to some
American policies. That does not mean they hate America. Demonizing
another nation works both ways, and helps neither people.

2 - Arabs do not envy Americans. Rather, we admire your achievements.
Every year, our brightest brains attempt to make their way to the US
to learn from you, and pursue the American dream. Dismissing another
people's voices as simple jealousy may make you feel good and
superior, but it does not help your understanding of a difficult
situation.

3 - Turkey is not the democratic Islamic friend that you want. One of
the largest recipients of US political, financial and military aid, it
is responsible for incredible massacres against the Kurdish people.
That's the same people who were also massacred by Iraq's regime, which
was also supported in these actions by US political, financial and
military aid. It only takes five minutes with Naom Chomsky to realise
this.

4 - Arabic countries are trying to become democratic. The transition
to democracy is a slow and painful process, that always treads on
entreneched tyrants. Rest assured however that the vast majority of
Arabs want their countries to be democratic.

Last year, I voted for my own country's democratic constitution.
Bahrain's transition to democracy continues, and my family is standing
for office at local elections.

One example that rarely gets mentioned as democractic is Palestine.
Their democracy is as new as their state, but it has led to the
election of a moderate - Yasser Arafat. Despite what you hear on CNN,
he wants peace with America and Israel.

Iran is also a good example of a newly democratized Islamic nation.
Their leaders have repeatedly tried to extend the hand of friendship
to the US, but the country remains classed as an enemy of the US.

Please try to nurture the young shrubs of democracy, and do not
trample them with misguided might.

5 - Arabs are not suicide bombers on their way to heaven. A tiny
minority believe they will go to heaven if they blow up innocent
civilians. You will find that the vast majority of suicide bombers,
however, are simply doing it because they recently lost a member of
their family. They may be angry and misguided, but they are not stupid
or heartless. They are human beings like you and me.

A good way to stop them might be to reduce the number of people in
their community that die every day.

6 - You are not Good, we are not Evil. We are all human beings, who
sometimes do good actions, and sometimes do bad actions. I pray that
bad actions are punished, and good ones are rewarded. But I also hope
that no one will assume they are naturally Good, and that others are
inherently Evil.

Please excuse the length of my message, and accept my greatest respect
for the passing away of a gifted intellectual. May God have mercy on
all who have died in the violence in the Middle East.

Yours,
mo

Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
e mo () idiopathic com
t +44 7967 362548
w www.idiopathic.com/mo
w www.handheldsfordoctors.com
w www.medicalapproaches.com

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