The problems faced by the modern Arab World are largely due to its modernisation. And therein lies a cruel irony.

Most Arab societies did not initiate their own processes of modernisation, because those processes came into being under European influence, and they materialised in the form of differently adapted European models of judicial, political, economic and educative systems. Their armed forces were also remodeled upon those of Europe.

The result was that from the 1800’s until well into the 1900’s, European principles of civil and human rights and citizenship were admired and respected, and, in some rare cases, integrated. It may seem hard to believe now, but colonialism was seen as a lesser evil at that time if not as a blessing.

This situation no longer exists of course, and it has now become evident that European influence upon the Arab World, although it replaced what was semi-obscurantism in some countries, must take its share of the blame for what has become an international tragedy.

The violent repression of all forms of autonomist and independentist movements by colonial countries, and the economic exploitation of Arab economies, put an end to what had been, up until then, a relatively stable situation.

European values, once held in high esteem, began to be seen as being a menace to Arab countries’ culture and independence, and relations between Europe and the Arab world slowly, but surely, deteriorated.

It is important to remember that all of this happened well before the United States had any strategic or commercial interests or influence in that part of the world.

Then the two World Wars came and went and the United States became a major world player.

Then came the creation of Israel. This was not the handiwork of the United States either (although they had more than just a passing interest in how things would unfold). The creation of Israel was largely a European affair and most of its planning and execution was carried out by the British and the French; In other words, the two countries who had the most to gain, or lose, as a result of it.

Since then, as we know, European influence on world affairs has declined and the United States is now the biggest world superpower.

And their relations with, and ingerence in, Arab countries and affairs has naturally and mechanically increased and this has led us up to today’s situation, which sees the United States being hated in most Arab countries. American errors in managing global affairs have done nothing to help either.

Thus the United States too, and not just Europe, must accept their part of the blame for the current state of affairs.

So much for the Enemies without.
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But what of the Enemies within?

Who are they?

If you remember, I said that Western societies must accept THEIR PART of the blame.

But I didn’t say ALL of it.

So let’s take a look at the other side of the coin, the others who are to blame.

The Enemy within.

It would be absurd to suggest that the problems of the Arab World are uniquely the fault of the West, particularly as Arab countries have by and large organised their own internal societal existence for over half a century; That is to say since the end of the colonial era.

The Enemies within the Arab World are to be found in its historical past, quite simply because many of the worst pre-colonial societal structures subsist there.

National Liberation leaders have continued to maintain and encourage ideological conflict within their own borders, and this for two reasons.

First of all, various power-hungry leaders and religious organisations have continued to foment unrest between muslims and christians, sunnites and shiites, as well as the different social and class strata of their societies in order to maintain their grip on power or to grasp power for themselves.

This phenomena goes back centuries.This is the perverse logic of political and military dictatorships and social apathy. It’s called the Divide-and-Rule Principle.

But these regimes are not the only ones to benefit from the divide-and-rule game.

Religious authorities have also exploited the situation with messages of intolerance and xenophobia because the enormously rich power bases of many Arab countries have abandoned large swathes of their poorer populations, and these populations find refuge within religious organisations and communities which provide a social framework and organisation. This naturally engenders a sentiment of belonging and being taken into account. These parallel politico-religious structures dispose of a large social base and an enormous parallel economy which provides social services and education to many poorer Arabs. It also means that these structures are where self-interested religious power groups recruit their idealogical and thelological foot soldiers.

This means that the more or less authoritarian leaders and the rich upper classes have a vested interest in maintaining links with religious leaders and structures and vice-versa. They are mutually dependent and share power together.

The second reason for the deliberate stirring-up of internal conflict concerns Arab countries’ external relations. Many intra-Arab wars have been fought on religious or cultural pretexts in order to give the people a scapegoat for their problems. A scapegoat which distracts them from the real problem, which is the unbending regidity of their countries’ socio-religious fabric.

This is one of the reasons (the other being the Western meddling I described above) for the deliberate fanning of anti Western flames for domestic purposes. The United States represents the ideal fall guy for the moment and is depicted as being at the root of all the problems. This is quite simply not true. These flames of distractionist manipulation are fanned by Arab leaders and religious authorities in order to keep themselves in power.

The current ideological East-West battle is not an accident. It is being deliberately and insidiously exacerbated by international interests by some and domestic interests by others.

It is time for the Arab World and moderate arabs and muslims to accept that this is a real problem, and that it is counter-productive to pretend it isn’t.

Powerful national and politico-religious lobbies in Arab countries are cynically using the “Western Menace” as a pretext for suppressing dissent and unrest amongst the millions of ordinary and peace-loving Arabs and Muslims.

The result and the reality are widespread press and internet censorship, poverty, the hijacking of justice and the police and the judicial systems and the exploitation of poor arabs by their rich and powerful “brothers”.

There is however a glimmer of hope for the future. Recent strikes in some countries, a small but growing independent media network, an increase in political revendications by writers, intellectuals and university authorities, feminism and growing dissatisfaction amongst the young, they all represent that tiny point of light.

I wish them all luck.

And I sincerely hope that the Enemy within, in the form of corporate religious and authoritarian interests, shall one day crumble and shatter under the irrepressible weight of Arab people’s desires for peace and freedom.

Because, as long as the people of the Arab World have not won the battle against the Enemy within, the Enemy without will always exist, maintained in existence by the exploitation of Arab populations by their leaders.

(This post is dedicated to all those in Middle Eastern countries who work towards peace)

Michael C

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