The Decline of the West

Johann Hari is at it again. I've noticed throughout the past few years how his articles (and vitriol) have grown against Islam. I'm not angry about what he writes anymore, in fact I don't even blame him. He is a product of his times, his culture and of his own 'faith' - liberalism. The English, along with spreading their empire, also sowed the seeds for their own brand of political thought which finds its most articulate expression in the writings of John Stuart Mill, a lapsed utilitarian (a utilitarian believes, in a nutshell, that all actions should be judged on whether they contribute the most and to the "greater" happiness for all). The golden rule for Mill is that society can only interfere with an individual once their actions actually lead to harming others, in all other cases the individual is entirely sovereign over their own bodies, actions and interests. Does this sound familiar? It should, this message is ingrained in almost every Western media production and accepted as common sense by generations of people throughout the world who have grown up in the post-independence era. The logic of it appears flawless, universal and common-sensical so what could possibly be wrong with it?

The answer is quite simple really. Liberalism, just as utilitarianism before it, is part of a tradition of modern European philosophies which failed to articulate "the good" for normal, average human beings going about their daily lives. These ideologies had much to say about the relationship of the individual with the state (since the lasting political legacy of European empire is the state system) but nothing at all to say about how an individual was supposed to 'live well' and to what end. This actually was opposed to almost every major philosophical view that preceded it in history. In my view this was a shortcoming and not a development for European political and ethical philosophy. Even amongst other thinkers of the time, utilitarian views, of which Mill was a strong proponent for the first part of his life, were strongly criticised. Nietsche said, "Man does not desire happiness, only the Englishman does" whilst Marx also remarked "with the driest naivete, Bentham takes the modern shopkeeper, especially the English shopkeeper, as the normal man" (Bentham was a famous proponent of Utilitarianism and friend of Mill's father, who raised Mill as a utilitarian).

In fact in Europe it became extremely unfashionable to espouse any philosophy that claimed to know how people should live there lives especially in the wake of the religious wars and the Roman Catholic Church. After the Second World War, a Europe which at first admired Nazism as a bulwark against Communism quickly became mortified with itself for having given birth to such a monster. As a result the ideals of liberalism and democracy became enmeshed in Western European thought and were the cornerstone of its faithful, both conservative and leftist. With the end of the Cold War, the West thought this was the end of history and the beginning of a new age of prosperity. It was a shock to their sensitivity to realise that not everybody shared these 'values' which they had previously thought were universal and had now triumphed. Whilst this was happening, the age old competition for resources between countries continued as it always has. The First, Second and Cold Wars were all to do with how resources were best allocated and by whom. They were about economics and at the centre is the human being as a unit of production whose happiness is measured according to material possessions.

What is interesting to see is that the disbelief of those people who believed that their values were universal and perfect was harnessed by the state to fit in perfectly with their grab for resources. Those barbaric and backward peoples who rejected the West's universal message of harmony also happened to provide most of the energy that their civilization ran on. They needed to be saved from themselves and made to see the light. In many ways, we see that Bin laden wasn't far off the mark when he describes the West as crusaders. In this new incarnation of these wars the West threatens its enemies not with hell and brimstone, but with shock and awe. Rather than "save" the Muslims from damnation, the West came to "liberate" them. What was not considered was that liberalism itself now protected Muslims in Europe and America from liberalism. This is what enrages people such as Hari and others who used to identify themselves with the "left" and this explains the gradual resurgence of fascism in the West.

Reading the newspapers today, you can get shocked at how the comments sections of even the "broadsheets" in the UK are now littered with views about Muslims and Islam that are downright racist, offensive and ignorant. Caricatures which would have had their artist crucified had he depicted Jews were now championed by the "thugs" of this re-emerging fascism as an exercise in "freedom of expression". I think that should another 9/11 scenario emerge, we will start to see full scale arrests and internments of Muslims throughout the Western world, followed by pressures to emmigrate. Had there not been a major financial recession taking place, I would not have said this, but with the core faith of so many in the Western political and economic establishments shaken so badly, anything can happen - and it will. In the newspapers, and other media, there has been a steady drip of anti-Muslim stories that continue to cause inflammation with the average people and when unemployment figures start hitting their millions in double digits -which they will - there will be a huge backlash against foreigners here.

Johann Hari and many like him are watching their world system collapse around them and, along with it, the core beliefs and values which they thought would help them. The stock market, capitalism and greed were always pillars of their economic system and these have been let down spectacularly. Once they do recover, which won't be till another four or five years, there will have to be some serious rethinking to do for many people.

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More on Somalia (thanks Serene), and you thought colonialism was over.. :

"We consider ourselves heroes" - a Somali pirate speaks.

There is some truth behind Yemen accusations of Western countries with ignoring the piracy to internationalize the Red Sea. In his interview with Russian TV, Yemen president calls the Western countries to re-build Somalia.

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"Sirius Star is three times the size of a US aircraft carrier and shows how they are successfully expanding their operations,'' Christensen said. He added the operation demonstrated a new level of sophistication as the attackers had to scale the 10-metre high sides of the vessel. Previous attacks have occurred within 200 nautical miles of land."

The seizure of a US bound oil tanker can only bring a smile on my face as I think how annoyed the Americans will be. The repercussions for those plucky boys who carried this out will be most severe, but I salute their guts and audacity...

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After Syria, where else is there for us to go?

Syria has been in the spotlight a lot more in recent years and this has not always been for good reasons. The illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, events in Lebanon and the continued aggressions of Zionism have all renewed attention in this small part of the world. Unsavory countries such as the United States, Britain and France continue to take turns waving either carrots or sticks in order to pressure Syria into submission to Israel, parting ways with Iran or with wielding an influence on the various resistance groups with links to Damascus. One of the sticks they have been using with great effect has been the prevention of any sizable assistance towards the refugee crisis which they, the West, have created through their illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

It shamed me to hear that Syria had effectively closed its borders last year and implemented tighter entry requirements on the Iraqis but regardless, Syria remains the best option for many Iraqi refugees amongst the other so-called 'Arab' countries. Primary and emergency healthcare are available to some extent but a large number of Iraqis there still have to rely on what little humanitarian medical assistance is available, primary and secondary education are free but materials and uniforms must be purchased, placing a bigger burden on already struggling families. It is far from perfect and certainly not comfortable but history has again chosen to have this ancient land play the role of unwilling refuge for the truly downtrodden and oppressed of this world. Throughout this article I refer to the land and its people rather than any passing government, past or present.

In Damascus there is an area called the Muhajireen (the immigrants) which had been used to house refugees from the Balkans and Eastern Europe that had been ethnically cleansed off their land. As the Ottoman empire crumbled, the advancing Europeans forced thousands of families off their lands and villages. Many of these, escaping to Islamic lands, found refuge on the mountain slopes overlooking Damascus in two successive waves, 1890 and 1896. In 1897, many more joined them as they escaped from massacres which had been taking place on the island of Crete. At the beginning of the 19th century the French invasion and occupation of Algeria had also begun and many Algerian families were exiled or escaped to Syria. Including these was the great hero Abdul Qadir al Jaza'iri, whose troops prevented the massacre of Christians during ethnic tensions in Damascus. His remains were eventually repatriated to Algeria upon its independence but his home and burial place remain to be seen in Damascus. At the turn of the 19th century, Circassians (including my great-grandfather) who were being ethnically cleansed by the Russian Tsar's troops also found refuge in the land of Sham (Greater Syria) and settled across the region, assimilating into the population. Then again, in the First World War, Ottoman massacres of Armenians also forced many thousands to seek refuge in these same lands and again, a fresh wave was added to the complex but beautiful patchwork which makes up the peoples of this land. The occupation and continued ethnic cleansing of Palestine driven by Zionism added fresh waves of Palestinian refugees to the mix and again, unlike in other Arab countries, they were not forced into ghettos nor persecuted. During the tensions in Jordan many Jordanian refugees also came to Syria and were subsequently given permits to work in various jobs such as taxi drivers. Some remained there. For many Lebanese, Syria has also been a safe haven during times of war and this was never made clearer than during the Israeli aggression of 2006 when thousands were given assistance and shelter, sometimes by normal Syrian families of meagre incomes.

It is inevitable that tensions would arise since this is not a rich country, but to have others, including many Syrians and supposedly 'progressive' bloggers and writers, lecture everyone else about the need to eliminate Syrian 'racism' is ludicrous. When I hear the British media talk about 'multi-culturalism' as if it is something they can teach to the rest of the world, I smile. The inherent racism which makes such a statement and political posture necessary would be looked at with curiosity in a country like Syria where it is part of the very fabric of society. Yet the West has always projected its own failures, its own sexual perversions and its own immorality on its victims, then sought to save them from themselves. Western (including Zionist) academia, the media and politicians all weave the lie, then believe it. They need the lie in order to feel good about themselves, in order to believe that what they are doing is just rather than see themselves for the rapists and pillagers that they really are. That some Arabs believe this discourse, internalise it and then have the temerity to lecture other Arabs about it is sad and misguided to say the least. Time and again, in spite of its many flaws, Syria remained the safe haven for all those in the Arab and Islamic world who have been persecuted and oppressed - mainly in the name of Empire. Syria has been hiding from the world for a long time, playing its role quietly, but we all know that the greed of these people is insatiable. After Syria, where else is there for us to go?

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"Time will tell whether the preachers' message will prove effective and discourage women from resorting to fuel and matches to get their message across. What's certain is that the traditional path of "patience and forbearance" has lost its appeal to Afghan women."

The 'traditional' path has lost its appeal? What about almost thirty years of foreign invasion and occupation? This writer, and others such as Khaled Diab, are pathologically incapable of even acknowledging the existence of foreign occupation and intervention in their countries. The fault must lie in these 'backward' peoples rather than be attributed to the West. The logic of colonialism is internalised, defended and then championed.

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The Russians are back

I just watched the latest speech by Hezbullah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, as I'm sure most Western and Israeli intelligence agencies did, with great attention. He's made what is probably his most serious threat to Israel to date but one thing interested me in his speech and this was his mention of Israel's threat to both Syria and Iran and to "those who are behind them", meaning the Russians. The Russians are said to have already supplied Iran and probably Syria with it's Tor M1 air defense systems but if Hezbullah has them as well then this would be an amazing coup. During the last war with Israel the Israeli Air Force managed to wreak untold damage on Lebanon's infrastucture and is responsible for the deaths of over a thousand civilians. For Hezbullah to be able to shoot down Israeli planes and deny the enemy control of the skies is a frightening prospect for the Israeli, who is most comfortable fighting his enemy from afar. There is one thing which is worrying, and this is that a cornered and wounded animal can be extremely dangerous. Israel is armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons and it is not beyond these people to threaten the whole Arab world should the Israeli army be incapable of defending the borders. It worries and angers me that these invaders have introduced such destructive weapons into the region.

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On Georgia

The "six day war" in which Georgia was overwhelmed by Russian troops has triggered the most interesting, if not predictable, chain of events. A Georgia intoxicated by the West thought that it could reassert control over it's breakaway province but instead woke up the Russian bear from a deep hibernation. Or was it hibernating? The sheer scale of the Russian response was executed like a master chess player who bid her time before delivering the final blow and forcing their opponent into checkmate. At the time, I watched with some amusement as the Georgian president switched to rhetoric about values and the West. He sounded a lot like the leaders of the March 14th movement who, like Mr Saakashvili, had allowed themselves to be deluded by the West. These figures all now appear more like desperate sailors clinging onto bits of wreckage and flotsam after the storm.Hassan Nasrallah had already mocked Israel with this, apparently the person responsible for training Georgian commandos was none other than the General who had also been responsible for Israeli troops in the South of Lebanon during the 2006 war. I'm particularly surprised with Syria's moves in support of Russia. Recently, I was getting extremely worried about Syria's warming relations with the West and talk of some peace process, but it's support of Russia (Georgian armed forces were apparently trained by Israel) puts it in a position directly opposed to America and Israel. The Independent reports that:


President Bashar al-Assad had flirted with the West of late and was a guest of honour at France's Bastille Day parade last month. Before the Georgia war, the West had high hopes of prising him away from Syria's key ally Iran, which the US accuses of supporting Islamic militants.

Those hopes were dashed when Mr Assad discussed an arms deal with President Dmitry Medvedev. A diplomatic source in Moscow said the leaders were preparing deals involving anti-aircraft and anti-tank missile systems.

meaning that the resistance option (read here self preservation for the regime) is still open and that there is slim chance of an Israeli flag flying over a building in Damascus any time soon. The irony of all of this situation is that many people still do not comprehend that the United States is not a powerful country anymore. It has not been for a very long time and in almost every situation where we might have believed that a country had gone firmly into the Western orbit we find that, in fact, this was a misguided view to have. Lebanon was a perfect example of this scenario. In the end it took only 6 hours for the entirety of Beirut to be scrubbed clean of the Future militia's thugs. Jumblatt himself, the political barometer of Lebanon, is now railing against the United States whilst Sanioora, mini-Hariri and Geagea have been extremely quiet lately. In Gaza the same situation appeared to be happening as the ring got tightened around the Hamas government. Again, within a day Muhammad Dahlan's Fatah men were routed and expelled. Trained by Egypt and Jordan, both vassal states of America, they were unable to hold their ground and, just like the Israeli and American trained Georgian troops, collapsed quickly. In all these examples, it was the continued provocation of the pro-Western side which brought about the swift responses. It's a bit like having an unruly child who keeps testing the boundaries. The more they push the more arrogant and unruly they become. Finally the point is reached when they have nobody to blame but themselves when the inevitable punishment is delivered. Like the West's allies in Lebanon and Gaza, and like Israel did in 2006, Georgia has had to learn the hard way.

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"If it was not clear last night whether the latest Algerian attack was a suicide bomber – the slovenly Algerian press agency declined to say (which probably means it was) – the target, foreigners working on a dam project – spoke for itself. The local police – in Iraq, in Algeria, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan – are now the men who will pay the price for fighting the West's "war on terror"."

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Sami Moubayed's recent article titled "Women of Valour" on Mideastviews.com (no I won't link) elicited two reactions in me. The first was to throw myself out of the nearest window, but luckily I resisted and instead went on to my second, a strongly worded letter. For those who care, here it is:

Sami,
I write to you with reference to your article "Women of Valour" to express my surprise with your conclusions. It is in the nature of man to aspire for the good but the problem has always been in identifying this good. A child would begin identifying this good with that which suits her own interests. However it is maturity, knowledge, and experience which make the young woman realise that there is a good which is beyond her interests and that is higher, nobler and finer to aspire to. Man is by nature a political animal, that means that the narrow interpretation of interests expands beyond those of the self, and into family, friends, tribe and country. This nobler and highest of goods makes it worthy of the greatest sacrifice when it is threatened, and morality rightly praises those who are prepared to undertake this. For an individual to hide behind their self-interest by invoking a sham that is abstract and which criminally disregards the reality of occupation, daily oppression and indeed, slow genocide, then we are compelled by morality to condemn such behaviour. The West has forgotten this lesson philosophically, politically and socially by institutionalising political liberalism and capitalism and thus murdering the souls of it's own people. Millions see this, see the West for what it is, yet you let down your own students, your own country -which you profess to love- and yourself by writing an article which insults the memory of these outstanding individuals who have, in their deaths, done more than a million living cowards for their nation. To sacrifice this for theatrical effect in your lectures and articles only adds insult to injury and I sincerely hope that you review your position in future.

Regards,
Wassim

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The West and the horrors of modernity

I was fortunate enough during my visit to Spain to be able to see an art exhibition for Goya as well as a quick swing by the gallery where Pablo Picasso's Guernica is held at. The mood for that day was incredibly pensive and, I must say, rather dark. I did not like any of Goya's paintings of the rich and famous of his day, ones which he probably undertook just to pay the bills, but I was captivated by his nightmarish sketches on war, famine and his own nightmares. Here was an individual who was deeply troubled by both the aggressive and inhuman onslaught of the modern Western state (in the form of Napoleons France) as well as the brutal resistance this necessitated. One of his famous paintings is of faceless, uniform and dark soldiers executing civilians against a wall. The other is of French and Arab cavalry being routed and torn to pieces by civilians and soldiers. In the former, humanity was being executed and each person had a different reaction to their imminent death ranging from despair, horror and defiance. The soldiers faces are not visible, they are darker and they are painted in a way which shows their brutal, efficient strength. In the latter painting, the utter insanity and desparation of the fighting is in stark contrast with the intelligent gaze of the horses in the midst of it all, something I had not noticed till reading about it, but which stood out sharply afterwards. I liked Goya, I see in him someone who is painting the sickness and madness which has permeated Western society. A society which had been forced to the edge of madness by the fanaticism of Roman catholicism and then tipped over by the inevitable reaction into a ruthless and efficient modernity that has murdered the souls of these people. I don't know how he would have seen todays hopeless 'postmodernism'. We were glad to leave that gallery and go walk in the sun afterwards.

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Back to the heart of the West...

At no time is the depraved orgy of Western discourse and its bankruptcy more poignant than when one flies back in after a long sojourn from places where either such discourse is weaker or, rarer still, where it does not exist altogether. There is quickly the feeling of a constant fever which grips the person who re-assimiliates here, maintains itself on the mind , clouds thought and drags you into its whirlpools of pointless debates mundanity.

The Guardian had as its headline this morning a warning by Gordon Brown telling families to avoid wasting food. The Prime Minister of a self proclaimed First World country is telling his people, as if they were children, not to waste food. I say 'as if' they were children, giving the impression that they are otherwise, yet when one sees the truly invasive nature of the Western state system, the dumbing down of political discourse and the constant stream of lies that people are fed, this is precisely what you get, a nation of children who must be told not to waste food.
Whilst queueing at Gatwick, waiting for my passport to be checked, I saw a sign tell me, "You are permitted to use your mobile but not whilst handing in your passport". Thank you. A sign on the floor as I waited in front of the Borders and Immigration Authority counter told me that we are "permitted" to come through, but only one at a time to have it checked. The graciousness of the State leaves me breathless and claustrophobic as I slip back into my alloted role and a life of routine.

I have realised for a long time that the 'West' (one name amongst many for a phenomenon that others might have called capitalism a long time ago) says nothing but lies, but no lie is greater than the one which portrays this monstrous beast as a bastion of freedom and individuality. Whilst in Madrid I had read anarchist graffiti which stated "Democracy does not give you freedom". I liked that, it reminded me of something. I have not read de Tocqueville yet and have deep misgivings with regards to J.S Mills and the infantile Liberal tradition, but I can see the tyranny of the majority, working in tandem with the obsessive Western State and snuffing out the humanity of those who don't conform. I've been back here a day and already I have trouble breathing...

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Good old fashioned colonialism continues in Africa:

In further testimony, Mann claimed that Spain and South Africa, with the endorsement of the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, had supported the plot. By January 2004, two months before the attempted coup was put into action, it was, Mann said, "like an official operation. The governments of Spain and South Africa were giving the green light: 'You've got to go, you've got to do it.'"

Spain, he said, was prepared to recognise the new government the day after the coup and to send in large numbers of military police. Outside the court, the Spanish ambassador, Javier Sangro, said he had no comment.

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"The courts and the military see themselves as guardians of the country's strict separation of religion and politics, which is rooted in the foundation of the modern state in the 1920s from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire."

Translation: They are guardians of the regime which the West imposed over a defeated Turkey after the first world war. Nothing better than the Quisling Iraqi government today, only older. I think the question of headscarves and Islam in Turkey is not about a balance between a secular, "modern" state and a theocracy, it is about whether Turkey can finally overcome it's nationwide complex towards the West and recover from it's defeat in 1918.

It pains me to see that country reduced to this. Did I ever mention that my great grandfather was an Ottoman? We have a painting of him in full uniform with his sword. He was stationed in Damascus for a while, married and had children and was then shipped off to what is now Iraq where he died in a skirmish of some sort. This was in the late 19th century.

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"Rich West 'must set example' to protect Asian development from climate change catastrophe"

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I think a picture of the middle finger

would be most appropriate right about.... here...

but I won't put it :)

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Albert Hourani and Western Attitudes to Islam

While searching for books on my dissertation I came a cross a small pamphlet called "Western Attitudes towards Islam". Based on a lecture by Albert Hourani in 1974, it offers a stark look at how Islam has been viewed by the West since it first began to spread till quite recently.

Here is an excerpt from this pamphlet which I thought was quite interesting:

"For orthodox Muslim theologians, the uneasiness springs from the difference between what they believe to be the true Christianity and what actual Christians appear to believe. For Muslims, that 'world-wide theism' of which Montefiore speaks, and which he leaves it to the future to name, already exists and already has a name. It is Islam, the full and final revelation of the religion of the one God, innate in the human mind, sealed by a covenant between God and man, and preached by a succession of prophets, sent by God to reveal His words and recall men to their true selves, and ending in Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. Both Moses and Jesus are regarded by Muslims as belonging to that succession : both preached the same message, and Jesus is said in the Qur'an to have had special privileges - he was brought into existence, like Adam, by the creative word 'kun'; - 'Be' - he was born of a virgin, worked miracles, and is in some sense in the first phase, Muhammad thought of himself not as founding a new religion but as reviving and completing a perennial one, and it was with some surprise that he and his companions found that their attitude to Jews and Christians was not reciprocated. Christians did not accept him as a prophet, still less as the seal of the prophets; they did not regard the Qur'an as the authentic word of God; if they recognised that Muslims believed in the existence of one God, they acused them of rejecting the Trinity and the Incarnation, and so of misconceiving His nature."

"This sense of shock, this feeling, one might call it, of being rejected by one's family, has always been there [for Muslims]."

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'The rise of religious fundamentalism in the Third World is above all explained by the failure of secular projects for modernization.' Discuss.

I just love these questions, especially since I consider them to be trick ones. It's automatically inviting you into a discussion in which some very important factors are already taken for granted, and by engaging with it, you already accept these as a given. For example, there are a number of issues which come to mind when discussing this topic, particularly with regards to the terms being used such as 'religious fundamentalism' and 'modernization'. Firstly, and quite importantly, the failure of modernization projects are discussed in the light of something which, in ideal circumstances, was supposed to succeed, yet didn't. Was this due to a failure in applying standard 'rules', rules that, provided they even exist, would have led a Third World country to become a 'modernized state'? What are the criteria of a 'modernized' state and how have they come to be decided? By whom and for what purpose? Secondly, what is meant by 'religious fundamentalism' and why is it perceived to be on the 'rise' in the Third World, has it ever really gone away? These are all perfectly valid questions which arise and which, while avoiding getting caught up in semantics, can only help contribute to such a discussion.

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More Orientalism...

Can somebody please tell me what a rabid Orientalist such as David Selbourne is doing writing for The Times? Oh.... that's why he is writing for the times. Mr Selbourne appears to write as an "expert" on all affairs to do with the Islamic religion. He must be, he's written a book about the subject!

In this article, he's put down 10 points on why the West is losing it's war with Islam, presumably the version advocated by groups such as Al Qaeda.. of course the distinction vanishes by the time he finishes his second point, he concedes that Islam is misunderstood but then carpet bombs the whole concept by stating that, "It is neither a “religion of peace” nor a “religion hijacked” or “perverted” by “the few”." Islam, according to the great Orientalist Mr Selbourne is inherently set to conflict with the west because Muslims by there very nature, through following the teachings of the Koran, are unable or unwilling to "share a common set of values with non-Muslims". What these "common values" are or should be is left a mystery. It seems these people are incapable of normal human empathy or even reasoning and live by some mysterious sets of values such as offering their children to the god Malloch or forcing their daughters into temple prostitution. What utter drivel and an attempt to dehumanise millions of people around the world.

Selbourne then continues to dig deeper into his hole by arguing that "Islam is not even a religion in the conventional sense of the term.", erm and what is the conventional sense of the term. Can you tell us what a "conventional" religion is? Again, no clues from Selbourne. The utter stupidity of this man astounds me when in the very next sentence he mutters, "It is a transnational political and ethical movement that believes that it holds the solution to mankind’s problems." Excuse me but isn't that what a religion is all about? Come to think of it, what about these "common values" you referred to? Doesn't the West also have an (albeit extremely flawed) liberal capitalist ideology that is a transnational ethical movement that holds the solutions to mankind's problems?

In point 4 Selbourne even goes on to attack self proclaimed "experts" and "commentators" on Islam, calling them Islamophobes. Either he has forgotten what he has written, or he just doesn't have a clue and needed something to make up point number 4 and to seem "balanced". If Selbournes book is anything like the excerpt published in the Times, I shudder to think what other spurious drivel has emanated from his warped mind. Furthermore, I pity the fools who will buy his book hoping to learn something but then find themselves hostage to the ravings of a latter day Crusader. This man's ideas belong to Hyde Park and Speakers Corner on a Sunday.

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Use your illusion

The West's meteoric global dominance in the last 350 years was not only a material domination, but a mental one too. The current international system, or "Westphalian system" we live in today, is based on the state system originating from Western Europe in the 16th century. Imaginary boundaries, false nationalities and constructed patriotism. Completely meaningless...yet holding such a powerful grip on all our minds, myself included. But why?

Nowhere is the fallacy of the Westphalian based state system so ridiculously obvious than in the torn Middle East and North Africa. An entire culture based on a single language, history and world view, influenced by a world view (Islam) yet divided as if with a ruler on a drawing sheet. One only needs to look at the borders between Egypt, Libya and the Sudan, or between Syria, Jordan and Iraq to see it.

This Westphalian system has also implanted Western European Zionists intent on creating an ideal outpost of the West in the heart of the "Orient". Maybe it is because of this that Western countries fail to understand how groups such as Hezbullah can be so intertwined in a country like Lebanon. This country seems to have all the trappings of a modern state structure. A government, patriotism, a flag and national anthem, even a fledgling army, yet a non-state actor such as Hezbullah is prominent, supported by the majority of the population and also does not threaten it. A symbiotic relationship, albeit one which Israel used as an excuse to try to kill Lebanon.

The Palestinians are another example, they have no state, having been invaded and denied nationhood through the first half of the Twentieth century. Yet still they fight on, and not only that, they are supported by the populations of all the "states" from Morrocco to Oman. Even when a fake state structure was created with a pseudo Palestinian Authority, a flag, a President and even a police force, somehow the people refused to have the wool pulled over their eyes. New groups (such as Hamas) arose, with force if necessary, to continue the struggle against an occupation. The formerly popular Fatah lost ground rapidly when it's leaders fell for the Westphalian illusion of statehood, coupled with Israel's attempt to scuttle the peace talks it was never really sincere about, and this led to a landslide election for Hamas.

These Arab governments (many of them pro-Western) do not represent their people, nor do they have these peoples interests at heart. Yet in spite of this, some affinity still goes beyond these artifical barriers and divisions. It's not always present I assure you, but when certain red lines are crossed such as the US-Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the solidarity and identification resurfaces like a cork long lodged under the river bottom but then set loose. When people talk about the West's civilization and values, I recall a quote from Mahatma Ghandi. Asked what he thought of Western civilization by a reporter his reply was, "I think it would be a good idea!".

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