For most of the Arab world, it’s a mantra of “Saddam bad, Americans and Zionists worse”, as they watch in disbelief the toppling of the Iraqi regime:
“It is irrelevant whether Saddam is dead or not. His memory will live on to inspire many Arabs to stand up against all the injustices committed by the U.S. and its friends in Israel,” Belqees Hamood, a university student, said.
“Saddam was not an angel to his own people but he will be missed since many Arabs see him as a leader who was not afraid to challenge the American and Israeli aggressions over Palestinians,” said Juma Backer, a businessman.
[ . . . ]
“Saddam is a terrorist but he’s not alone. Bush too is a terrorist but Saddam is weak and Bush is strong. That’s why he has won, because no one opposes a strong person,” said the 33-year-old Saudi government employee.
“How wonderful the world would be without Saddam and without Bush!”
This moral equivalence between Bush and Saddam is nothing new. The anti-war crowd loves to shout similar slogans during their protests even here in North America.
But the disbelief and shock with which most of the Arab world is watching the destruction of Saddam’s regime is another story. It brings to mind Germany’s shock and disbelief at losing World War I in 1918. Both disappointments were the result of controlled media and highly-successful government propaganda. Until this week, I have no doubt that most of the Arab states – especially those without a free press – were convinced that Saddam could and would win!
This is perhaps the largest tragedy of all. Because it has much broader implications. People don’t form their opinions in a vacuum. They listen to the news and the information that they obtain, and all of that serves to influence the opinion of the “street”. It is a lot easier to understand why so much of the Arab world hates America and Israel when we realize that they’re being fed propaganda and false information every single day.
Ah Segacs, its also easy to see why so many North Americans and Israelis don’t have a clue as to what their own governments do–in the case of the former–or why–in the case of latter–when these populations are so thoroughly fed with media and government propaganda.
You’re comparing a dictatorship with government-controlled press to a democracy with free press, Hanthala. Apples and oranges. Sorry, but your analogy just doesn’t wash.
There are states with a relatively free press (e.g. Lebanon). There is not much of a difference on foreign policy isses in those states.
I wrote in my blog that the people asking “why do they hate us” sound a little like the NDP always asking “why don’t they vote for us”. Lefties like to think people don’t vote NDP because “they haven’t understood our message”.
That’s bunk. People know what the NDP is about, and they don’t want it. It’s the same with “why do they hate us”. They hate you bexcause they think you’re _wrong_. Increased flow of information will not turn Israel (or the USA) into a Beauty Queen.
Putting it another way — Arab views on Isreal and the USA are based on Israeli and US actions, not on media impressions.
Israeli actions are based on the fact that they don’t want to be “thrown into the sea” – a favourite among arab leaders since the phrase was coined by Hafez Assad in 1966 (then defence minister of Syria).
I totally disagree with your comment that the arab world is totally dependant on controlled government media. In recent years the Al Jazeera satellite news and one or two others have broadcast independant news and views to a widespread arab audience. However these broadcasts on the war have been just as biased and distorted as the controlled government media. In fact a Al Jazeera news team was attacked by an Iraqi mob yesterday and run out of the country as a result of the mobs irritation with the station’s reporting. I believe a large factor in the distorted reporting is cultural as well as peer pressure.
Ikram, I’d agree with you, and I do to a point, but look at little Jonny’s answer above. Can you say propaganda?
The Zionists have so many enemies in this world, it’s great to hear that the new Iraqi National Congress will not be one of them. In fact, Palestinians will not be welcome in the new Iraq. The Iraqis are an example of what should happen to all Islamic nations. The real enemies of the new Iraq are those that sit and do nothing but claim about Zionist and American imperialism, While the Israelis and Americans go in and liberate these people from regimes of terror. It is true that many Arabs would like to throw Israel in the sea, that is not Jewish propoganda; it is the propoganda of dictators like Assad and Hassan and Arafat and Mubarak. However, once the imprisoned Arabs get a taste of true freedom, many of these undesirable “programmed” beliefs will be quashed by the mere overtaking friendliness of the incoming American soldiers who will liberate the Arab peoples from the greatest dictatorship stronghold in recent history. We must liberate Syria as we have done to Iraq, and create an arc of peace from Iraq to Jordan to Israel, with Syria and Turkey as well. Then the ultimate regime of wealthy terror mongers, the Saudis, and the scary Islamic Bomb yielding Iranians and Pakistanis , will all fall together and complete the United State’s vision of a new Middle East. And No, Lebanon does not have a free press. Hizbullah is out there to take out anybody who praises Israel or America. So Syria must end its unlawful occupation of the innocent Lebanese people. As the Iraqi ambassador to the UN said yesterday, “The Game is Over.” The centuries old reign of terror has overstayed its welcome.
Ikram sounds like he’s saying either that there is no media bias, or that media bias doesn’t matter.
That’s not true in Canada, and it’s not true in the Middle East.