Skip to main content

What Common Cause?




       Imagen relacionada


      President Donald Trump is on an international tour that was kicked off with a visit to Saudi Arabia. It was followed by a trip to Israel, which was subsequently followed by expected mess, confusion, and poor strategic vision. Trump opened his first visit to Israel by saying that he sees growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a ´common cause´ with Israel in their determination to counter Iranian threats. The opportunity was ripe for a peace deal, he said. Reading this statement could be interpreted in only one of two ways: continued American arrogance and determination to fuel sectarianism, or stupidity. The latter option – as appealing and convincing as it may sound – might not be the sole motor behind the actions and the statements of the American president. His lack of experience is compensated for by the shrewd and wise insights received from veterans in diplomacy - such as Jared Kushner- and therefore, we need not to worry about that.

Now, sectarianism. Trump arrives to a country in which prisoners are on a hunger strike pressing for better conditions, and the situation is alarming. Everyone is at edge until the crisis ends.  The enemy, as far as the prisoners and their supporters are concerned, is primarily the Israeli government at the given moment. It is their biggest security threat and sole source of injustice. The Arab world at large is sympathising with these prisoners, and the rhetoric is on the rise. A sensible act would have been for an American president to prioritise this issue as one of the main factors behind the dispute, and address it at this earliest convenience. But no. Let us deepened the sectarian schism that has led to the birth, extension, and radicalisation of groups such as the ISIS. Let us alienate a country that has agreed to a peaceful solution regarding its nuclear activities and offered investment opportunities to the entire world if it were allowed the chance for dignified existence. Let the Houthis and the Salafis quench their thirst for more hatred, sectarianism, prejudice, and extremism.

The number one enemy in the Middle East as far as Muslim nations are concerned is not Iran, Israel, the USA, or any country really. It is the deep-seated and innate fear of the other, and the appealing solutions of annihilation and suppression to face such fears. A ‘common cause’ cannot be unanimous animosity towards an entity, and who it represents. Settling scores by ganging up against an adversary through rhetoric is cowardly and foolish. Trump’s hosts know better, and their lack of response is hopefully attributed to a Middle Eastern common tradition of hospitality – even if Trump is the guest.

Next stop is the Vatican...his trilogy was not lost on anyone. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Just as Orwell Said

         George Orwell said in his famous book 1984 that “first they steal the words, then they steal the meaning”, accurately foreseeing the political actions of world leaders and their manipulation of public opinion. His words are ever so precise once one examines the vocabulary applied by a number of world leaders when describing the policies and regimes of troubling countries: axis of evil, war on terror, terrorist killers, harbourers of fundamentalism etc. Ironic it is to see how those who were once described to have been allies with Satan himself seem to show good will in a matter of very few years. Iran is one very good example of this. The Persian nation has come out as a winner in the Geneva talks that were held in October, where not only did it get applauded for the concessions it offered, but it also ensured the west’s acceptance of its regional weight. Everyone seems to be more relaxed after the negotiations and ...

Kaftar

Muaawiya Bin Abi Sufyan was the first Umayyad Caliph, who ruled as a just and jovial leader until his death in 683 AD. Known for his sense of humour and his love for women, Abi Sufyan was famous for a story that took place in his own harem. While escorting a woman for the Khorasan region in modern day Iran, a beautiful woman entered the harem and mesmerised the Leader of All Believers. With his pride in his manhood and prowess in the bed arena, Abi Sufyan did not hesitate to engage in a brazen and manly sexual act in front of the Khorasani woman, who was patiently waiting for her turn. After he was done, he turned victoriously to his first concubine and asked her how to say ‘lion' in Persian - in a direct analogy to his sexual performance.  The Khorasani woman, unamused, told him slyly, that lion is kaftar in Persian. The Caliph went back to his Court ever so jubilant and told his subjects – repeatedly – that he was one lucky kaftar. His...

Pan-Arabism vs. Middle Easternism?

             A rab Nationalism, a romantic concept that moved poets to write ballads, intellectuals to preach volumes, activists to passionately organize and the masses to cheer freedom. A concept introduced by students at the American University of Beirut in the last phases of the ageing Ottoman Empire and studied in secret societies. This concept developed and led, under western planning, to the Great Arab Revolt in 1916. The slogans of Arab revival and freedom from Ottoman tyranny swept the Arab nations, where hopes of independence and self-rule were promised by the restoration of Arab control over the area. Then problems arose. Who are Arabs? What is an Aran nation? How does it extend geographically? Is it an area that encompasses people who speak the same language and share the same history? If so, why did the Lebanese Maronites reject the concept of Arab nationalism and insist on a Lebanese identity? Why did the Egyptians hesitate be...