A Magnificent Day for Iraq
Dr. Mohammed T. Al-Rasheed, comments@d-corner.comBravo Iraq! For history, Jan. 30, 2005, is one magnificent day for Iraq and the Arab nation.
Regardless of who won and who lost, the day should be a permanent fixture on the Arab calendar forever. I don’t want to talk politics; I simply want to celebrate history.
In spite of everything, the Iraqis voted. They did so with a passion and a seriousness that gives the lie to the cliché that Arabs are not ready for democracy. One myth down, a thousand to go.
Everyone says that this is the first free elections in Iraq for fifty years.
That is another lie. There has never been one single free election in the long history of the Arabs ever. This is the first one.
It took the Americans to conduct it and force it down the throats of dictators, terrorists, exploding deranged humans, and odds as big as the distance between the USA and the Middle East.
British guns and soldiers were in the area for so long yet did not care to look at the people.
They waltzed with people Gerty and Lawrence (their colonial spies) baptized and were happy to see the nations slip into slavery.
Likewise, the French could not bring themselves to see that the Arabs were good enough to cast a vote. And even when it happened in Algeria, the French orchestrated a putsch to annul it.
On Sunday America vindicated itself to all doubters, including me. They delivered on the promise of withdrawal.
Occupation boots are heavy and brutal no matter what their insignia or colors. Yet homegrown dictatorship is even harsher and more deranged.
In the name of nationalism and “freedom†from imperialism, Iraqi boots crushed Iraqi skulls for so long. When “going home,†such dictators either jetted to Geneva or went to Tikrit.
At least an American soldier has no such home in either place. He or she would simply want to go back to his fried chicken and home baked cookies. In that there is hope and a withdrawal schedule.
If the endgame is propaganda, I don’t expect trashing America will end in our media. If, on the other hand, we write about what we feel is right and wrong, many should think again — at least on this issue.
A priori, taking the pen against America is not a good thing; similarly, taking the pen in praise of America is not treasonous. We have brains and we should use them.
Perhaps in the coming weeks we will take issue with America again. But for today, I am celebrating by having a McDonald’s. I hate fast food, but for this day I will make an exception.
I usually provide only the opening paragraph or two of the articles I cite. This one is so extraordinary, though, I think I have to fall back on a “fair use” defense and run the entire piece.
Dr. Al-Rasheed, a Saudi, has caught exactly what the US was about in Iraq. And the Arab News, the largest-circulation English language newspaper in the Middle East, has seen fit to run it. That should be of some encouragement, even to the most cynical of observers.
I’m sure Dr. Al-Rasheed wouldn’t mind getting an e-mail thanking him for his piece.
UPDATE: On second thought, a letter to the editor of Arab News would not be out of place, either! Try almaeena@arabnews.com
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February:02:2005 - 23:24
Excellent piece and insightful as to ‘outside the box’ Arab world thinking.
The real question here is, are his views too peripheral?
Also, in the past he has been somewhat mecurial in his opinions.
Perhaps the sand is shifting.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
I don’t find Dr. Al-Rasheed “mercurial”. He has strong feelings about some American policies. So do I. I suspect you do as well.
What sets him off is when he sees hypocrisy or double-standards; when the US doesn’t live up to its own standards (in his view). Sometimes I agree with him; often I don’t.
But he’s always an interesting writer and frequently makes me laugh.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
He deserves congratulations.
Wish he were writing in Arabic for a big circulation Saudi paper !
Surely this election, the display of bravery by Iraqis, emphasizes to Saudis, and to Syrians and Egyptians, their lack of a free vote ?
February:02:2005 - 23:24
John,
I’m reasured to some extent that you’re familliar with Dr. Al-Rasheed and his writing, because otherwise I’d simply find this too incredible.
What’s the story with his politics, his connections? Not to put too fine a point on it, but how does he get away with writing something like this? I’ll be happy to concede that the press in the KSA is freer than I’d imagined, but this seems a fairly direct threat to the authority royal family.
Clearly this article surprises you as well – which surpises you more, that he would think it, or get away with writing it?
Finally, how long before Juan Cole speculates that Dr. Al-Rasheed a CIA plant? [Dang. Did I say that? Sheesh. Shame on me.]
February:02:2005 - 23:24
A Magnificent Day for Iraq
Place this article from Arab News on your best reads of the day list – as John said in his email this morning, “Coming from a Saudi, running in a Saudi-owned newspaper—which just happens to have the largest circulation in the ME—is pretty importan…
February:02:2005 - 23:24
John, this is an excellent article. I suspect it represents a broader vein of thought among Arabs than we normally see so clearly expressed. I don’t argue that U.S. actions and decision-making regarding Iraq have been perfect. But if the success of this election is repeated during the coming year, with a new constitution successfully written and another successful election, U.S. action in Iraq will have been a massive success and well worth the sacrifice.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
D. Stevens: Arab News is the sister publication of Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, largest Arabic language paper in the world. Let’s see if they pick up his piece; they frequently do.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
An excellent piece.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
Lewy: The article is not unrepresentative of Al-Rasheed’s writing. He’s an astute observer and critic and should be read more often.
I’m not suprised at all by the piece, but pleased that it passed editorial review. Nor do I see it as any sort of attack on the government; rather, it’s an attack on the “conventional wisdom” that reigns in the region.
I hold Juan Cole in deep respect for his work on the Shi’i, much as I respect Chomsky for his work in linguistics. When either dips his toe into politics, though….
[Disclaimer: I hosted Dr. Cole for several days in Bahrain, in the late 80s, while he was doing some research; he was also speaking as part of a USG program. We had interesting discussions about the relative influence of Akbari v. 'Usuli Shi'i in the Gulf States.]
February:02:2005 - 23:24
Positive Fallout In Arab World
Crossroads Arabia notes that the freedom virus is spreading.
All to the good. All to the good.
February:02:2005 - 23:24
John, I followed your suggestion and sent a e-mail to Dr. Al-Rasheed, thanking him for his article. Got a very nice answer back from him.