On March 12, 2008, the editor-in-chief of the leading Arabic reform website www.aafaq.org, Omran Salman, wrote an editorial about the U.S. presidential campaign. The following is the article.
The Result of the Elections Will Send a Message to America's Friends and Enemies
"People in the Middle East are following the American election campaign with great interest and anticipation. There is, first, the potential for change that this race holds, and the uniqueness of the competing candidates. [1]
"On the Democratic side, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represent a non-traditional choice. Obama is a brown-skinned African-American and his family origins put to the test the ability of Americans to achieve change.
"Likewise, Hillary Clinton also presents a test, but of another kind, that of whether Americans are prepared to accept a woman as president of the country.
"Even on the Republican side, Senator John McCain, who is seen by some conservatives as not being a true Republican, represents a new choice in American politics, for he is an independent and has the courage and bravery to speak his opinion, unlike the traditional partisan stereotype one expects in this position.
"The second factor that makes this electoral race exciting for broad sectors of the Middle East is that American policy has become, in a way that is unprecedented, intertwined with the fates of the countries of the region.
"Whether for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or the situations in Lebanon, Iraq, or the Gulf, as well for as what the future holds regarding political reforms in the region, much of the outcome will depend on what the United States says or does. The result of the American elections will also send a message to America's friends and enemies alike."
The Governments' Hopes, the Peoples' Demands
"The governments of the Middle East - particularly the authoritarian ones - are hoping for a return to the old days when American policy was based on the principle of maintaining stability and security, and on acceptance of the status quo. Most often this took place at the expense of Arab peoples' aspirations for justice, democracy, and the respect for human rights.
"For many Arab regimes, America's commitment to support and protect them is equivalent to a green light for them to suppress their opponents, crush the forces of civil society, and enact laws that restrict freedoms.
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"The modern history of the region is replete with examples of how close relations between Washington and Arab capitals have led to deterioration in the area of human rights.
"In contrast to the Arab governments, the Arab people look forward to an activist American policy committed to the goals of democracy and the realization of peace and justice for all."
False Controversy
"The ongoing debate on Washington on whether it is possible to impose democracy on others is a false argument. It was not called for in the past, and will not be in the future, to force democracy on the Arab people or on any other people. The fact is, democracy cannot be imposed except where the desire and determination are present.
"The true debate must focus on the following: Should there be a true and long-term American commitment to work toward the transformation of the societies of the Middle East into democratic societies, or will it be sufficient merely to utilize the slogan of spreading democracy to decorate the face of American foreign policy?
"Will it be necessary for the American administration to exert true and productive pressure on the authoritarian governments, and at the same time stand firmly at the side of the reformists and defenders of democracy? Or will it merely suffice to issue statements of condemnation, as NGOs do?"
Criticisms of the Bush Administration
"Among the most important of the serious criticisms of the Bush administration is not that President Bush tried to impose democracy on the Arab states by force, but rather that he was satisfied with making speeches and promises in Washington, and did not undertake sufficient work on the ground in the Middle East.
"And while many of the Middle Eastern reformists and advocates of freedom believed, at time, in the truth of his speeches and promises, they faced a different reality in their own countries, while the United States tolerated or turned a blind eye to their persecutors and oppressors.
"Instead of fulfilling its promises, the Bush administration revived the old alliances with authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, making Middle Eastern reformers victims of these regimes once again.
"Opposition figures and reformists, such as Ayman Nour, Kamal Labwani, and Fathi Al-Jahmi, languish in the prisons of the authoritarian regimes in Egypt, Syria and Libya, as testimonies to American failure and inaction."
The Lesson of 9/11
"Among the most important of the lessons learned from the terrorist attacks of September 2001 is that American foreign policy based on support of corrupt and authoritarian Arab governments did not protect the security of the United States or its interests in the Middle East. On the contrary; this policy struck severe blows against them.
"This policy fed and directly feeds the interests of extremists and hardline Islamists and empowers them, providing them with pretexts for their activities and actions, and making them appear to be heroes in the eyes of many ordinary Arab and Muslim citizens, who see them as standing up against their oppressive and unjust governments.
"On the other hand, it undermines the emergence of a moderate Arab and the true Islamic camp, not to speak of a reformist movement in the region. If the policy continues, it will result, in the not too distant future, in the United States having no one to engage in dialogue except extremists.
"The question is: Is Senator Obama, or Senator Clinton, or Senator McCain aware of this lesson? And does any one of them possess a clear vision and firm commitment to the goal of realizing democracy in the Middle East? Or do they intend to go back to square one, and adhere to the old policies whose failure -- and also danger -- has been proven?
"Whatever the answer to that may be, it is clear that it will determine the future of American policy in the Middle East."
Endnote:
[1] For complete text in Arabic, visit http://www.aafaq.org/masahas.aspx?id_mas=1577.
