By Fareed Zakaria, CNN
Let me tell you about the most influential book to be published since 9/11, at least according to me. It's actually not a book but a report - a United Nations report written by a committee. I'm talking about the Arab Development Report published in 2002.
After 9/11, in the midst of the discussion of what was happening in the Arab world, why it was the source of this terrorism, the UN Development Program's head, Mark Malloch Brown, commissioned a study of the Arab world looking at political, economic and social issues. But he insisted it be researched and written by Arabs so there was no accusation of an outsider's bias or neocolonialism. The result was a brutally frank document that was a sensation. It was downloaded off the internet 1 million times.
The report documented the stunning decay of the Arab world. If you want to explore the conditions that produced al Qaeda, read this report. Take a look at some of the most damning statistics. When the nonprofit Freedom House rated world regions on a broad range of political and civil rights, Arab countries came last. Look at the economy - the UNDP report highlighted that the entire Arab League put together - that is 22 countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt - had a smaller GDP than Spain. Fifteen percent of Arabs were unemployed compared to a global average of 6 percent at the time.
Then there's education: In 2002, 65 million adults, one of every four Arabs, were illiterate. One of out of every two Arab women couldn't read or write. And for the few Arab readers, there wasn't much choice. The entire region was translating just 330 books a year - one fifth the amount that Greece translates every year. All these statistics showed how the Arab world was worse off than everywhere except Sub-Saharan Africa.
Now, what caught my attention this week, almost a decade later, is that much of the data in that report is unchanged or barely changed. On jobs, the region now suffers some of the highest unemployment rates in the world. And the raw number of Arabs who can't read or write has actually increased. Other indicators have worsened, too. Somalia is now suffering from a deadly famine. And the last decade, Sudan's Darfur region becomes the mass crimes against humanity - one could go on.
In case you've been keeping track, the only real indicator of the Arab world's health that has actually improved since the UNDP report was published is its GDP. The Arab League's combined gross domestic product has quadrupled.
But here's the revealing statistic: The price of oil almost rose at the same rate. And that kind of oil-produced growth doesn't trickle down and it certainly doesn't help the tens of millions of Arabs in the region's most populous countries like Egypt and Syria that have little oil. According to World Bank data, it has taken three decades for the average Arab person's income to double since 1980. Meanwhile, inflation helped market prices double in just the first seven of those 30 years.
And so, now, we have the Arab Spring - from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya, repressive dictators are being toppled by people power. There's no doubt that this is great news. But remember, all other Arab regimes have managed to remain in power through a mix of repression and bribery. From Jordan to Oman to Saudi Arabia and Syria, increasing subsidies might delay popular resentment but it won't change the facts on the ground. And the crucial point is that even democracy will only succeed if these underlying social statistics on literacy and jobs and women's rights improves.
Ten years on from 9/11, the Arab world remains in denial. A recent Pew study shows the majorities in all Muslim states think that Arabs were not responsible for the attacks of September the 11th. Three out of four Egyptians hold that belief, for example. Now, that is simply nonsense. Instead of bizarre conspiracy theories, the Arab world needs to focus on the dire statistics the UNDP highlighted almost a decade ago.
The Arab spring is a first step for those countries that it has touched, but it needs to be a springboard for 300 million Arabs to look deep within and address the fundamentals that their leaders have neglected for decades - education, women's rights, economic reforms, jobs and real freedom.
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I guess when a religion has half its women illiterate that it might tend to slow economic growth. You follow your religion you pay the consequences.
Spot on! Its akin to using only a half of your brain . . . in this case human capital. Why put oneself at such a disadvantage? The haves ensure that the 'means of production'- power – is retained. Its simply power being maintained by suppression, which is effectively maintained by illiteracy and religion. Religion's rotten underbelly being a reliance on false hope at the expense of action. This applies to christainity as well, but at least it has evolved with the ages. Islam has largely remained primitive.
Well said!
"Islam has largely remained primitive". NOT TRUE! It's at times instrumentalised and hi-jacked for radical causes.
Fareed: "the fundamentals that their leaders have neglected for decades – education, women's rights, economic reforms, jobs and real freedom", are not constantly on the minds of the ordinary people in heavily populated countries with few possibilities to make a living, like Egypt or Syria. They are irate that their corrupted regimes made life even tougher for them. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich countries have more options to pacify their citizens. Indeed the people in Qatar think they are the happiest people on earth.
The religion clearly says to educate women and men, the prophet expressly said so in front of many witnesses repeatedly. When Islam started it was a liberating force for women for hundreds of years. That sadly has changed, but the source religion can not be blamed for that. Blame Saudi Arabia and the horrible distortion of Islam they spread throughout the world.
My best guess would be that 'they' want to keep their general population illiterate, it allows them to better control them.
It is difficult to lead intelligent people by making false or exaggerated interpretations of a religious book.
All religeons that actively involve themselves in the secular goverment hold back their people and their countries, in this Islam has been particularly guilty as the koran virtually mandates it, that said the catholic church had the same affect on the west until the reformation.
You do realize how ignorant you sound and make us American look by such comments, how can a religion not promote literacy when it orders all of its readers to read the Quran, thus you have to be able to read and write in order to be a muslim, what you just stated is an oxymoron, there is no going around that my friend. On the other hand, it's the culture that is the problem not the religion.
The religion is the culture in a theocracy.
Actually his statement is pretty accurate. There was an HBO special that aired a few weeks ago that followed kids from all over the Muslim world as they sought to compete in a Qur'an recital contest in Cairo. Many of these kids were illiterate yet they memorized the Qur'an by constantly repeating the words as their teachers read it to them. One can imagine where they could be today if they put that much effort into science and math.
When you examine the Arab Muslim world, there really is no way separate the "culture" from the "religion" ; they are one and the same! The same goes for their governments; Muslim religion and Arab governments are one and the same! It is ONLY in the Western world that ther is ANY separation between Islam and local culture!
Thats his mission to make us look bad,
We give them education, medical etc and this is how we are paid,
One thing we need to remember we have set the standards for mxing people and religions around the world.
But they dont play well with others..
And they all wish to be here,
You are correct. Islam at its core does promote education. Muslims however have done a poor job of it. I guess the difference is in what you consider Islam to be. Is it what is written in ancient scripts or is it the way millions who claim to practice Islam behave? In the end I think greater access to modern education is detrimental to all religion. Inshallah, the arabs will put their newly found freedoms to good use and address their shortcomings.
Fareed didn't say it was the religion. He very specifically blamed it on the culture.
Parrots can memorize and repeat stupid words, too. Just because they can, doesn't mean they are educated. Education requires thinking and forming individual thoughts and opinions. Islam says there is NO THOUGHT UNLESS IT IS IN THE KORAN. Islam promoted education back in the 1400s, 1500s, 1600s. Their education system in use then is still the same one in use today. Learn only the Koran and don't teach women anything. Thousands of years of human failure has brought them to this sorry state the Arab world is in today and will remain in until Islam is defeated.
I'm sorry but i LMAOed at some of those comments.. << ignorant, maybe.. or maybe many americans don't realize what they are talking about.. oh propaganda does its job right with some of those comments... but i wont reply simply because i'd write a 100 paged book about how much bs has been posted in those comments...
Not even "Christian" religions want literacy or prosperity. No religion wants to be questioned by its followers.
well, what your missing is that while government leaders emphasize the religion as the most important part of their culture, they don't provide their people the opportunities to learn to read and be educated. this is on purpose – they want to tell people what their religion is, not interpret it for themselves. this is why so many think America is the devil; their government tells them that we hate them and their religion and Christianity's sole purpose is to destroy Islam. so, Randy's assessment is really spot on. don't be so quick to be so righteous, because you have made yourself a hypocrite in doing so.
When a culture spends so much time teaching hatred in madrassas and in mosques towards Jews, Americans, Christians, Europeans–anyone who refuses to submit to their religion–little time is left for learning the necessary skills to advance the society that houses that culture. When children who cannot read or write their own language are forced to memorize the Quran because they can't read it, and they only know what their imams tell them it means–focusing on the need to convert the world to Islam–by whatever means necessary–thereby fostering hatred towards all who will not submit to Islam, how can we expect them to advance intellectually? There isn't enough time in the day to do both. Fareed disregards all of this in his analyses, so it is hard to take him seriously. Of course the facts are the facts, but he ignores the real reasons those facts came to be. How is it that Israel, a miniscule country of only 6.5 million, in the heart of the ME, has produced scientific advances in agriculture, medicine, science etc while it's neighboring Arab countries peoples languish in poverty? Could it be because Israelis spend their time learning these things instead of learning hatred? Because parents of the majority of the children in that country insist that their kids get a university education rather than an education of hatred? Why aren't you discussing the real reasons for the problems of the Arabs Fareed? Or are the real reasons too politically incorrect? Will you have us believe the real reason for 9/11/2001 is poverty in Arab countries? Sorry but I don't buy it. If poverty was the reason for that maniacal attack and the others that both preceded and followed 9/11, why did the Arabs plan their biggest attack on the US? I'm sorry, but I believe your theory is simply a red herring, a way to try explain away why we were attacked by the poor Arabs, and it doesn't fly. In my opinion of course.
Being able to recite the Koran does not indictate the ability to read. The midrasha's force feed their followers with their intrerpretation of what the Koran "says". I doubt we can compare reading levels.
interesting– what would be a really good comparison would be muslims in islamic arab countries vs muslims in secular non- islamic countries (india,nepal,south africa etc)
They don't make them READ the Koran; they make them memorize it. Not necessary to learn how to read if someone's feeding you the words, and unfortunately the (most likely subjective) thoughts and interpretation.
Ah, but do your research... Many Muslims admit that although they can read the Koran in Arabic, they don't understand it. Many Muslims have not read the Koran for themselves...they leave that up to the Imam's to interpret it. For instance: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100714133117AA3XeyE Personally, I read a very harsh English interpretation of the Koran (I got it from a Saudi) and I was not impressed. Men allowed to beat their wives, punishment for women who commit adultery were more severe than men... Meh, I can do without a book like that. By the way I think the Old Testament is just as bad – HOWEVER, in this century, most Christians do not follow the Old Testament to the letter. Yet, good Muslims are required to follow the Koran to the letter. Thank you God that most Christians don't follow the OT or we'd still be living in the Dark Ages!
The first word that was told to Mohammed was "read". How can Islam promote illiteracy if the first word was so educational??. Muslims were scientists when Europe was in the dark age. Arab leaders conspired against their people to make this mess. The game is changing now and the future is so much brighter.
The fact of the matter is a lot of muslims end up repeating verses over and over like parots untill they learn the passages and do not actually know what they are reading. Its a lot like being a kid and knowing the nursery rymes and looking at the pictures.
And this week I heard a news story about anti-Muslim training programs in the FBI. I'm sure the FBI is embarrassed, as it should be. It is so wrong to characterize a religion as violent, then blame the religion for influencing behavior. Christianity can be interpreted to justify violence or peace, the same as Islam, or any other religion. It's another case of faulty logic creating misconceptions that perpetuate hate. The antidote is learning.
In Frederick Forsyth's novel, The Afghan, he points out the the majority of rural and small-town males were educated in a medrassa run by a mulla and only learned to recite the Quran verses by rote memorization. Thus, according to Forsyth, they were unequipped to do anything to make a living except to act as quasi-military bodies for the fundamentalist Islamic factions.
You do make a cogent point here...
Interesting point... but Afghans aren't Arabs.
Geez, We actually got someone here with a brain...........
The real problem in the Arab World is the oppressive backwardness that islam imposes on the people. That is why they will never move on ahead. Everywhere that a country tries to move on ahead the radicals come in and destroy the movement. Outlaw religious education to the mosques only and install a secular educational system. Raise women to the same level of men from just dogs and make it stick. Stop the medieval mentality of islam. But the biggest problem is to stop political islam and terrorism.
In Iran more women are graduating from college than men.
Iran is Persian culturally – and I wish they would stretch their Persian muscles and start being Persian instead of being sheep to an Arabian religion. But I digress! It's true, Iranian women are VERY educated, but since the Revolution, their rights have been somewhat limited – and the more the country cracks down and enforces Sharia, the less freedoms they have. However, Iran is my hope. The Iranian people (not the fanatics) have shown a consistent spirit to defy restrictions they feel unjust. I hope someday the Iranians create their own Persian version of Islam and I hope it's tolerant so all it's citizens can live in peace and live up to their potential.
As long as any nation's politic or administration mixed with religion ( Islam or bouddhism) tthe sufferings of citizens can not be avoided. Compare to the western countries , most of the muslims countries are running their administration according to their religion. This should have been uprooted long ago. The recent Arab revolution or demonstration against their aged old gouvernments there is nothing can be expected any new changements in arab world if they strongly follow Islamic law.
Nobody can help arab people . The solution is in their hands.
Turkey is a secular Muslim country. The arab springers would do well to emulate them.
buddhism? wow. which country runs a buddhist government? oh u mean tibet- the country now taken over by china for the last 50+ years and wanting freedom? so....if ur buddhist people can destroy and enslave u. did not understand... can u clarify?
When you keep your masses uneducated and illiterate, they are easily lead. Which is the case in the Muslim countries today. The religious leadership of Islam seems to be content with keeping things the way they are.
Hockeyn109
When you keep your masses uneducated and illiterate, they are easily lead. Which is the case in the Muslim countries today. The religious leadership of Islam seems to be content with keeping things the way they are.
Sounds Like Republicans in America.
I agree. If women ruled the world, war would end. No woman wants to send her husband or son off to be killed in wars that generally solve nothing. We need to improve education, stop world hunger and create a lasting peace.
That's a nice idea – but it's utter nonsense. Women are NOT non-violent and yes, there would still be wars if women ran the world. How many men have died in the service of a Queen?
Consider Sarah Palin. Do you think she would hesitate to defend her ideology with soldiers lives? Women are not innately peaceful. In this regard, Palin is no exception. In fact, I could turn your statement around, and say that because women are mothers, we are more likely to behave aggressively out of a maternal protective instinct. Neither statement is true.
That says all that needs to be said. Sadly, the report conitues to say that 10 years later nothing has changed. These people WANT TO LIVE like its still 1500AD. 100 years from now the updated report will say the same thing.
There is immense beauty in Arab culture artistically and architecurally; they invented 'modern math' for the most part too. But over the past century or two, they've been developmentally frozen. They are so frustratingly immature politically and socially! Their denial and lack of accountability is childlike! They blame 'colonialism' for their ills, yet colonialism died over 50 years ago, things are worse than ever, and regionally they are enormously endowed (oil). It's a shame but an increasingly dangerous condition for the world.
Clarification on religion... "you follow THIS religion, you pay the consequences...."
Religion has nothing to keep half of the population illitrate, People who have ruled Egypt and Syria were and are far from any religion.
True! on another note, I love how there's only one mention of "muslims" at the end of the article; it refers to Arab world this and Arab world that... Please let's call a spade a spade: it's the MUSLIM Arab world that all this data refers to–well done I might add.
Do not be confused and bunch the rest of the Arabs that may be of other religions that have nothing to do with the filth of Islam and its radicals, or the shame they have brought to the Arabs throughout the world. This nightmare of Arab terrorism will never end–how can you educate a group that is in denial and uneducated, or refuse to live in today's world; but we can at least call out the right group in a news article.
Actually, the illiteracy problem (especially among women) is due to tribal culture, not Islam. These regional values are the reason women are second-class citizens in the Arab world. This is obviously a regional problem. If you weren't an ignorant bigot, would realize that Muslim women in Western societies are educated and equal.
Until blasphemy laws are wiped off of the books and the Arabs can speak freely about their religion without the fear of death by their own religiously radicalized governments, especially in Pakistan, democracy will always be an unachievable prospect. Religion has held back many countries, including the United States of America, which only recently recognized the human worth of its gay citizens and is now reluctantly handing out piecemeal rights without an ounce of remorse for the generations of ill treatment. Religion was the armature that held up slavery and justified it through its own religious texts. We have spit on whole segments of society. We have thwarted their natural development and desperately sought brownie points from a ghost in the sky by denying to our own brothers and sisters that which we hold so dearly – the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
What caught my eye was the comment that because unemployment was at 15%, that this caused radical thinking that lead to so many murders...In The US, we are at 9-20% unemployment. This doesnt give anyone the right to become murderers.
It sickens me beyond belief to hear Muslims blame everything that is wrong in their societies on culture and not religion. It is a fools excuse to not lay blame at the feet if Islam where it rightly belongs.
I don't blame Christianity for you being an idiot
I'm not a Christian. But you have just exhibited the knee-jerk reflexive defense of the supernatural that I have been speaking of.
It is no surprise that most of the Arabs deny Muslim involvement in 9/11. Without the ability to read, write and reason, the general population is sitting right where the dictators want them. On a cushy seat of ignorance.
I can read, write, and speak your language better than you. How many Americans can say that to an Arab, French, etc... You are an ignorant!
This is very offensive article to Arab world, and this person who wrote i is decriminative
It is a simple rereading of a report made by Muslims. I don't see the problem.
Winston Churchill went on record way back with insight into the Islamic problem before the end of the last century. Lets look at the facts and the historic values Islam extremists have as thier roots. I have found answers here but I am not finished researching all aspects this site. Fact, fiction etc.. Check out http://www.prophetofdoom.net and let me know.
I am not sure what consequences you are talking about.
Are you talking about Women education? The report failed to compare decades of growth? Fareed say most of it remain unchanged today? I suspect it is worse because of the US war on Iraq which education was a top priority under Sadam Husain.
You mean economic? Just look at Europe now. Greece GDP is close to $310.365 billion. Egypt alone is 500 billion and has been above 400 billion since 2010.
I think Fareed did not read the report correctly. Political frustration due to lack of political leadership and America forcing its well on the Arabs is what caused this whole miss. For example, Literacy in Egypt in the same year the report was produced is higher than India http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/egypt_statistics.html. In fact Palestinian literacy (94% among adults) is better than both India and Egypt, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_statistics.html.
"America forcing its well on the Arabs that caused this whole miss"
Two spelling errors in twelve words?
Please shut up, and go to bed.
If 1,500 US architects engineers and demolition experts on ae911truth.org think the 911 towers were a controlled demolition job, the majority of arabs who think that they had nothing to do with it have my sympathy. I am not a cionspiracy theorist and am not qualified to say what happened. I simply believe the 1500.
absolutely right.
the "believe" is the root of the problems.
you follow any religion- u have to face consequences. if a religion states god made this earth for man to prosper and proliferate we have environmental issues and materialism and if u follow a religion that claims superiority u have imperialism and apartheid and casteism. so, WHILE I AGREE, extend the comment to any religion. religion may have caused more suffering and death than any other issue- except infections.
Who? The Tea Party?
Ass...
Jerk! You'd better pray for the T party as they are going to be the ones that save your sorry ass.
Big G – Precisely WHAT is the Tea Party going to save us from ??? Hmm ??? Peace? Science? Intelligence? Progress? Proper Education? A society that lives in harmony rather than hate and fear? I give up! Enlighten us! ...
The Tea party will offer you up to thier slave masters.
The Tea Party – a group of old folks who have found common ground in fighting taxes. Prone to populism at the expense of academia.
@JOE
/Like
Yes Joe. This same question rightly applies to the teabaggers as well.
Gee, so the Arab world does not hate America because we have some bad diplomacy or a ficticious crusade against them? Their lives are so bad that their governments have fed the illiterate populace a boogey man to hate so they don't turn on the local government.
Perhaps we should stop trying to appease them politically.
That is a compelling perspective.
and because most of the media there is state controlled, those in power propagandize at will, with the poor and illiterate having few other means of getting contrary information.
exactly.
I've been saying this for YEARS.
Muslims are stupid blind uneducated slampigs who are brainwashed and believe that it is America's fault for their misery This is what 10% of the Muslims who hold 90% of the wealth tells them.
well they're doing better than us, with 2 percent of the population holding 90 plus percent of wealth. Also, you're an idiot for trying to toss out anti-muslim statements on an article written by a non-blind, educated muslim.
Big surprise, what I dont understand is how these people and there religion are vast growing in numbers when they opress especially females. Why would you want to join this kind of crap, poverty and lack of education is huge, they are still stuck in the dark ages, they need to stop blamming and leading there lives from the Koran and open there eyes to the modern world. They will be left behind because of this mentality.
Because poverty and illiteracy go hand in hand with high birth rates. European populations are going down. The same would be true for the US if not for immigration from our southern neighbors.
Because they still have large families...
1, the Qur'an doesn't teach or promote primitive behavior. The Islamic world thrived in centuries that Europe and the world was inaccurately described as the "Dark Ages." Look up the the contributions of Muslims in this period.
2, I agree with you in that they need to empower more women. But, again, the religion teaches different. The cultures of the various countries has taken over and they are stuck in a hole that they can't dig themselves out of.
3, the modern world and all of its splendour should still has the same fundamental core values... education, freedom (including women's rights and women's education), etc. There is no conflict between these and the views that exist within Islam.
Interesting and informative post, I had not heard of this report. There doesn't actually seem to be a lot that outsiders can do other than subtly support those who want change. Interfere too much, and it will be turned against us (as usual). We should instead keep marching forwards ourselves, and when they are forced to catch up, they will.
As a world, we are only as fast as our slowest cub scout!
They won't stop until the whole world is living in the same sorry dung heap as they are. It is all our fault and we should make ammends for forcing those misunderstood freedom fighters to fly into the Tw1n Towers. The poor Arab world has been a victim ever since.
Well what do you expect? We're talking about a tribal region ruled by a religion founded by a 7th century pedophile. To imagine that they wouldn't be terribly backwards is to be rather silly.
Mohammed set the development of that region back a thousand years. While the rest of the world was getting over the worst of what religion causes, they were busy arguing over whether it's alright to screw girls at 6 (as their pedoprophet did) or if you had to wait until at least 9...
Muslims were leading in every scientific field by the 10th century. So by your logic Jesus caused the Dark Ages, if somehow Muhammad caused the current Islamic dark ages.
Oh? Muslims were "leading"? By what measure exactly – Al-Jabir, for instance, was just a plagiarist who copied wholesale out of Greek and Indian texts. They traded for gunpowder from the Chinese. Muslim businessmen were still using finger reckoning for their "bookkeeping." Al-Zahrawi was obsessed with Chinese fire-pot folk healing and cauterization; if you had a head cold, he'd cauterize your wrists and claim he was healing you. A genuine madman.
By that logic the region should be an industrialized modern mecca ( no pun intended). So what happened? Why high illiteracy? Where is the innovation? The wealth building? The education? Why are they still so primitive? and on top of that angry to the point of blowing things up?
They may have been leading but stopped and got stuck from that point on.
I am no expert by any means, but I understand that much of the Arab achievements were parasitic. They learned the rudiments of political and military organization from the Romans, who utilized them to patrol the Euphrates against the Parthians, etc. Their philosophy and science they got from the Greeks. In fact, it was Arab preservation of those texts and the reintroduction of them which enabled Europe to escape the dark ages that descended following the invasions by Arabs, Germans, and Jewish-Christian missionaries.
Well, now that you mention it, There may be some truth to that! ...
Bob, you completely sidestepped the point and illustrated a strawman argument.
I can't help but feel that the discovery of large oil fields in the Arab peninsula and the high demand for its products in modern industrialized society created the huge disparity between the haves and the have nots and gave birth to the regimes that wanted to keep things that way for their own benefit at the expense of the masses.
By watching any Middle East TV station and listening to the rhetoric of most Muslim clerics anyone can perceive their joy, satisfaction and justification of the 9/11 deaths, they are up in joy celebrating this date.. Some of these clerics are even praying to Allah for another attack to America. These evil behaviors only corroborate the deep influential negative sentiment among Islamic clerics against America and anything that does not follow their Islamic guidelines. The root of the problem is Islam and their clerics are the transmitters of these actions.
yup, and Pat Robertson got a free pass from our christian leadership whenever he said an earthquake or hurricane was punishment from god for all the sins of the people living there. The deserved to be killed and have their homes ruined because of what? they didn't go to church often enough? the priests can molest the kiddos, but the hurricanes are spot on?
there's a bunch of bullwhicky going on in most religions.
Yea, but he was one lone goof-ball who nobody paid attention to.
If Americans wanted to make a full sweep of hate crimes speech, they could go into most any church on any given Sunday and witness the purveyors of intolerance who set the tone for the mistreatment of our gay populations that is adopted by sycophant politicians and other countries who look to us as a moral compass on how to treat their own gay populations. How would churches react if we started posing restrictions on their speech? Badly. They can dish it out, but they can't take the same heat. Just ask Rick Santorum.
The fact that 3 of 4 Egyptians believe that 911 was NOT caused by Muslims is actually concerning. I would think we might want to pull our annual 1.5B in foreign aid. There are just better uses for it. These people just aren't smart enough to be considered an ally.
Don't pull aid – start building schools with the money – and don't the governments control the funds.
I agree. We could put all the money we waste on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti and every other 3rd world pit, to use here in the USA.
Build schools you say DDAP? We have schools closing around the nation HERE and you want to waste money on useless countries that will never pay us back or otherwise contribute to the world at large. Have you seen New Orleans lately? I ask you this: If we go down who then will provide their welfare aid?
So you believe 19 morons who could not fly a cessna managed to hi-jack 4 fully loaded jets with
box cutters.
The Egyptians are smarter than you think.
When the Soviet Union fell, the neocons needed a new boogie man
to keep you scared, and keep the war machine going.
Its working pretty well, dontcha think.
Neocolonialism...wonder why they got that impression in the first place
Why doesn't the CIA/NSA or who ever is in charge of keeping tabs on the "Arab Spring" print this report off and drop it out of airplanes...sounds crazy? Betting they have done more bizzare things.
Because half of the target audience can't read?
Drop leaflets? Really? so they can use them as toilet paper? They can't read – and the ones who can read will make up some crazy story about how the big bad NATO boogy-man is just making up those statistics.
Would be great it it worked.
Silly DDAP, Arabs don't use toilet paper! Just don't ever shake left hands with an Arab...
Well, according to the report, most of them can't read anyway. Besides, they will believe that it is just the Americans trying to brainwash them. They still would not get it, and they will blame us anyway.
Fareed, I understand that the Arab world is in dire need education, women's rights, economic reforms, jobs and real freedom. What I don't understand is, why attack America? Their own people are the ones doing this to them, not us. Since when does the world think that we as Americans can step in and change everyone's world and if we don't we are infidel pigs. We may be (or was) the richest country in the world but money doesn't buy everything. There are bigger problems in those countries then money can fix. We can not change thousands of years worth of ideology unless the majority of the people want it. When we came to America it wasn't handed to us on a silver platter. No one gave us aid or fought for us. A small group of people with limited assets and resources had to fight off a countries entire army. If the people in the Arab world want real and lasting change, they need to look to themselves for saving. The ones inside that ARE educated need to speak louder to its people then the clerics inciting all the hate. Only an insider of the Arab world is going to be able to change the direction of it's people.
Because its our government who funded Al Qaeda and dictators in the first place. When we pull the plug on funding AQ, they convince the illiterates and angry folks that it was Americans that support dictatorship and oppression. Next time, stop asking naive questions.
This has being going on for far longer than AQ has existed. Try again.
Because their leaders, political and religious, point to "outsiders" as the reason for their failures in almost all areas. It is an age old tactic. Blame others for your own failures.
I remember the last guy who did that and started a world war. Wasn't his name Adolf?
Perhaps it has something to do with America being 4.5% of the world's population yet we consume 23% of the worlds oil.
We pay for that oil. That oil is the only GDP for many of those countries outside of drugs. Try again.
So? We're paying them for it. That's like the shopkeepers kids hating the shopkeepers customers for feeding them.
And thus they get the CASH for all of that oil. They're not giving it away for free.
With all of that cash, they certainly could fund a lot of universities, research centers, companies and make a killing...to fund more universities, research centers and companies...
You just made the argument as to why they should be in exactly the opposite place that they are.
We pay for that oil, so whats your point ??????
The reply above is exactly the type of "blame the West or blame the American" prattle that has gone on. The numb skulls who repeat these ideas are brain-washed puppets of the Arab worlds political leaders and clerics.
The answer is quite simple. We (United States of America) are an ally of Israel and THAT is enough reason in their minds to want us all dead... They will continue to want us to die for as long as we provide assistance to Israel. It is as simple as that!
We provide assistance to The Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Iraqi's,
Pakistanis....ect...ect....
But the Arabs keep the hate alive by blaming everything on America & Isreal, while keeping thier people
poor, angry and stupid.
Just like your post.
It's easy for the rulers of these country's to rule by keeping the people illiterate and filling there heads with trash and hate. If you can not read and write you really do not know whats going on in the world, most of your knowledge comes from rumors and state run Radio and TV.
Yes, very true but i believe theirs two sides to this story. One being why did we get involved with them in the first place? Oil.
This has been going on since before the world even used the type of oil you are referring to.
Oil was our objective during the Barbary war?
maybe stipulate they only get foreign aid if we are also allowed to educate their population.
Haha! Now that's an interesting idea. I like it!
I never understood why women let do this to them. (I am a woman). If they are oppressed they should stick together and refuse to have s e x with their husbands until they are given rights. Watch how FAST men would give in to anything they wanted. OK, there would be some blood shed first and some ugly violence, but isn't that how every revolution works?
Koran has been made up to make women dumb and submissive, no question about it.
Also, it is women who raise the sons. They could teach them to be different. Why don't they?
Because they believe the same nonsense their husbands do.
Not true. There is a huge womens rights movements taking place in Saudi and other areas such as Qatar.
The Arab World will continue to change. The people will demolish the corrupt foundation in our lifetime; I'm sure of it.
I agree completely! If we could infiltrate their villages and EDUCATE their women, then there could be a Lysistrata type of rebellion that would change the Arab world forever! I really do think that the only way to reform their culture and mindset is through muslim women! It is already happening in a few areas, but it is not very widespread.
It is my understanding that the Qu'ran teaches that a man can beat his wife is she displeases him. Also, the Qu'ran teaches that a wife must hop in bed with her husband when he wants her to, even if she doesn't want to.
dude, have you read Qur'an? I mean, like really read it? Because it's absolutely clear that in the Koran, women must be respected, even by their husbands. I'm not a muslim but I already read it, and even in Koran you can find a chapter within that is presented for woman; how they should behave, how everyone should respect women.
Yes their husbands are allowed to punish their wives, but it is not something nice to do in general islamic perspective. Even their prophet for told never abuse his wife.
Please stop giving anti-islam statement like that. It would be helpful to public that think Islam people are just some the barbarian community, and we talk about the culture that cages the arab people from education, not the Islam.
Sadly, they continue to use their time-tested approach: blame Israel and the U.S. Now, Turkey is jumping on the bandwagon, too. There's nothing like blaming someone else to deflect attention from the real causes of misery.
Because Israel's settlement policy has nothing to do with it.
They’ve been blaming the Jews since before there was an Israel. Where were the pakis for the 11 month Israel put a hold on settlements for negotiations? O that’s right.. they were calling for the destruction of Israel itself.
Thanks for reprinting this report. I firmly believe that it uncovers the root cause of most all of the problems and terrorism in the middle eastern countries. The young in these countries have nothing too look forward to. They are easy prey for the clerics and others who blame the West for all of their own failings. Simple deflecting tactics used for centuries.
The lesson of 9/11 for the Islamic world is this: Come against us like that and within 28 days we will be in your country, kicking the living crap out of you, we do not give up and give in (as evidenced by 10 years in Afganistan....). The lesson for us is we should never ever let our guard down against this evil, hateful "religion" practiced here in our own country and elsewhere in the world.
Well said!!!
I didn't hear religion mentioned once in this report. I think it was mainly focused on Arab culture. Do not confuse the two.
Confuse the two ? How in the world can you separate the two? They are one and the same!
In countries where education means repeating ancient slogans thousands of times, this is what happens. If the west wants to help, they should forget the well meant, but detrimental "religious freedom" and help them crawl out of their muslim stupor.
Africa, so rich in natural resources, should be the most robust, wealthiest and most developed continent on the planet! Instead, it is rife with starvation, corruption of leaders, tribal lunacies and has been this way for most of the century. Why? Their leadership is only concerned with itself in the present moment. They believe that AIDS is cured by raping virgins and most, if not ALL the food and medicine delivered by US and other charities is commandeered by the tribal chieftains. How to battle this horrendous backward behavior? Education: and to keep the educated in their country! Most educated foreigners race head long to the US where they can make their own fortunes and NOT be shot at in the dark of night. Relocation to the US is STILL the DREAM of the starving hordes EVERYWHERE. Without the ability to be educated, other nations will swirl around in their negative vortices, blaming the US, until they self-immolate. Look at what is happening now, as Fareed has articulated so well. You and I can't fix this. The nation's in question must fix this themselves and it will be a long, hard and tumultous road to tread. But without that, they cannot hope to change their dismal fates now looming so large before them. It will become the duty of the younger Arabs and the younger Africans to alter their own courses.
This is so true. Any money we send to Africa or to the Middle East should be used for education. Educating the population will be the only way to break the cycle of starvation, corruption, unemployment, lack of infratructure and capital. The middle east and africa have vast resources, they need to educate their people and let them develop their own countries to help their own. I have worked with many people who maked it out of their country to come here to make money, but they never go back. I can't blame them when their countries are rife with corruption and murder. At some point the population has to rise up and demand better from their leaders.
Any money or aid that we send there is pretty well diluted before it does the needy any good,
"Needy" meaning the children that have nothing..........
You should see the homes and cars these people own that beg for our money........for the needy........
There is a much broader explanation for the dire state of Muslim countries: Islam. A worldview and a project that claims to having formed all questions and given all answers for etenity results in conditions witnessed by the statistics cited. The Western world started on its path to pluralism and material development after the reformation. Muslimworld needs its own reformation.
Islam came from the same roots and region as Judaism and Christianity. This region was responsible for the birth of modern science a thousand years ago when Europe was in the dark ages. Post WWI greed crippled this region. Please read history or talk to an actual Muslim before making uninformed, totally incorrect and abusive comments.
Please take your own advice in terms of signing up for history lessons. The Middle East was not responsible for modern science during the dark ages. The Roman Empire prior to its fall and the subsequent rise of the “Dark Ages” was actually split into two separate states ruled by two different governing bodies. The first was most of Europe, being governed by the seat of power in Rome. The second was the Middle East and Euro-Asia, being ruled by Constantinople in Turkey. Both of these power centers collapsed around the same time, but in very different ways. Rome was sacked by invading forces (trained by the Romans) which cut off all political and military support for a population that had just been cut in half by disease (imagine 50% of the people you know died tomorrow and the government was gone). Constantinople suffered a much slower, economic death, as the Middle East could not support it without the help of Rome. Due to this slow death, much of the Roman and Greek literature and science was funneled down to the Middle East, where it remained until crusaders returning from “The Holy Land” brought this technology back with them. Don’t make statements about sciences that the Middle East borrowed and managed to make almost no progress on in a thousand years.
But what happened between the dark ages and WWI ??? Your argument doesn't hold water, sorry.
Who doesnt hold water Tom? Myself or Kareem?
Any thorough research on the Middle East regarding Arabs and terrorism who results fail to mention the doctrine of Islam is a totally dishonest study.
Arab scientist have figured out how to travel back in time to the dark ages I think they are calling it...ISLAM
hahahaha
Thought this was a great programme and discussion with Francis Fukuyama and others, giving us a clear concise view of the origins of the whole problem
Mr. Zakaria failed to point to any reason for this lack of progress and growth in the Arab world. The elephant in the room is Islam. Anyone who denies that is just sticking their heads in the politically correct sand. Contrary to what some others commenting here have said, Western Civilization advanced specifically because of Christianity. Many of the problems we are seeing today in the West are due to nations falling away from their Judeo-Christian heritage. Democracy and Islam are not compatible. The Arab Spring movement will lead only to greater repression by Islamists, instead of the secular dictators they replaced.
Maybe you should keep your head in your ass.
It's amazing how one can ignore the facts of history that don't fit their left-wing, radical world view. Study history & scientific developments in Europe & America. Don't just shoot from the lip. Just look at cause & effect relationships. Christian Europe & America advance & thrive. Islamic nations sink into poverty & repression. Explain it otherwise.
Exactly what part of Christianity do you see as having brought about the success of the Western world?
The ra pe and pillage of North and South America for starters.
Innovation and logic came about directly from the reformation of Judaism and Christianity. Before that, they were as backward as I-slam.
The Muslim world needs to reform itself to catch up.
The basic principles of Christianity are what laid the foundation of the freedom and progress of Western culture. The understanding that man is created in the image of a logical, reasoning God, Who values the individual life, gave rise to our legal/ judicial system & government in the USA. The value placed on education, knowledge & wisdom in Christianity led to the formation of the greatest centers of learning such as Harvard in 1636. Harvard & many of the other Ivy League schools were formed to teach divinity & theology.
I'm sorry, I think you are blinded by your religion and are full of manure! The great renaissance movement that resulted in huge scientific acheivements was denounced and fought tooth and nail by the Catholic church! The age of science and reason emerged IN SPITE of christian religion! Christiian dogma and ideology are STILL fighting science to this very day! ...
You are definitely amusing. Check the facts instead of repeating the lies you've been told. Also, don't accept the Catholic Church as real Christianity. Catholocism devolved into a set of man-made rules that are directly denounced by God's Word, the Bible.
Nice! Well, I may be full of manure, but I'm not blinded by religion! I'm an agnostic and I believe I can comment without bias.
The western world, the world you live in would not be as it is without Judeo/Christianity. With all of it's faults, it built the civilization that we enjoy/or endure.
Hmm. I agree with your first two sentences, but what you said after that is a distortion of history as I have studied it. We in the West now enjoy the freedom to learn and develop our critical thinking skills IN SPITE OF the efforts of the Christian church, not thanks to them. The Dark Ages occurred largely because the Christian church ACTIVELY DISCOURAGED all types of learning as heresy for more than a thousand years, because "faith", not reason and logic, was necessary to accept their borrowed, cobbled together, and outrageous doctrine. It would seem to me that what the Arab world really needs right now is a Martin Luther (either one), a Galileo, a Henry VIII of England, an Emmanuel Kant, a Bertrand Russell, to name just a tiny few who bravely fought against the church's inquisition machine and paved the way for the rest of us to claw our way out of the squalor of ignorance....not that many of us westerners don't still have rather a distance to go.
Cassandane, once again you are repeating the lies you've been told and have read in revisionist history books. Do your own primary research into the personal lives of most of the greatest scientists &scholars of the 1600's, 1700's, 1800's. They were predominantly Christian. You imply that Martin Luther liberated Western culture from Christianity. Far from it; he liberated Christianity from the Catholic Church. However, there has alway been Christianity apart from the Catholic Church. This has been the true remnant.
Leave islam out of it. Opressed people are easier to control, thus the entire region was opressed in onr way or other by kings or dictators. Don't forget culture, in many area culture is stronger than islam.. Be open minded for once!
Sorry, we can't divorce this problem from Islam. The culture arises from the belief system, and is not independent from it. Muslims have to first purge the Islamic writings that relegate women to mere possessions and justify violence in the cause of furthering Islam.
I don't know about that. All of these countries misbehave consistantly and the common denominator seems to be Islam.
Interestingly enough,
Our 9-11 commission report said the US interference in the region is partly responsible for 9/11. Apparantly Fareed Zakeria like so many others want to remain in denial.
I agree that some of our foreign policies were condemned by AQ and were probably the background to the 9/11 and other attacks. I think it is naiive to say it was "because they hate our freedom". However, I also think the fundamental culture of the young men and women who choose to follow AQ is the start of it. Young people have no/few choices in their life except to live in poverty. Fundamentalists and Government blame the US and Isreal for all the world's woes. AQ promotes jihad as a solution to bringing us and others down. Uneducated people buy into it, and they follow the orders given by their commanders. Policy may be some of the rationale, but without an uneducated army, there would be no AQ. The leaders are not the ones strapping bombs to themselves or flying the planes. Just my thoughts..
The 911 Commision report was the biggest white wash of lies
in American history.
Its the perfect study in propaganda.
Information is power, that is the basis for growth and prosperity no matter what religion you chose to live by. The leaders of Arab countries, really any under developed country such as those in Latin and South America as well, should realize this by now and use their resources towards educating their population instead of lining their own pockets and lifestyle.
maybe if they quit that cult called islam they would have learned something.
I was surprised by Mr. Zakaria's frankness and honesty in writing this article. I pray he hasn't brought a fatwa down upon his head for telling the truth.
Wow, a non-Americentric analysis of the problems facing the Arab World...I'm stunned.
A recent poll in Israel found 55 percent of Israeli Jews believe there was no forced exodus of the Palestinians around the time of the creation of the State of Israel. Apparently being literate does not prevent denial.
Yes, but it was the surrounding Arab countries that told the so-called Palistinians to get out of Dodge. They would make short work of the Zionist Infidels and then they could move right back in. Uh oh! What happened!
Shoulda planned better...
Palestinians not forced to leave by Isreali's.
The Arab war machine told them to leave, and return after Isreals distruction.
Didnt work out so well, did it !
I doubt that 10% of the people posting bogus comments about the Qur'an (that's how it's spelled) have ever bothered reading it. The mistranslations and digested out-of-context hate-fuel from your evangelical/tea party pamphlet don't count. Also bogus is the drivel you're getting from your for-profit "convert" making his/her lucrative speaking tour.
Its not meant to be read but used for wiping your a s s or fire wood.
So says the guy who advocates burning the harry potter books because it promotes witchcraft and truly believes that a virgin can give birth, cut me a break.
I don't have to read the quaran to know and understand what the illiterate Arab world believes and practices! Most of the Arab people have never actually read the quaran either! They believe whatever their mosque leaders tell them...
A lot of those "bogus" comments come from the Imans
who translate the book.
Doesnt matter what the words say,
its what the Imans "tell you" they mean.
"I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.." Adolph Hitler
So I suppose all leaders can use religion to kill, let's outlaw all organized religion!
If 50% of women are illiterate as are 25% of the population that means men have a very high literacy rate – near 100%.
Also, if ignorance and economic disadvantage are the causes of hostility against the West then why isn't sub-saharan Africa leading the pack.
ISLAM! Aren't you paying attention?
Arabs like every other racial distinction went down slightly different evolutionary paths. Arabs have thousands of years of the effect that a dessert climate had on their evolutionary abilities as as many other difference environmental effects that impacted their evolution. How much of their dictatorial and corrupt governments are part or their religious culture and how much is innate could certainly be argued but as of now discussing & examining both is considered taboo and all that seems to be ok to mention is that they do live differently. As I always say, time to pull our heads out of the sand and start thinking about these issues.
Greg, so you're saying that the dessert is the reason why Arab Countries failed? What about Israel, which has a higher economic impact than all of the Arab Countries combined? They managed to do it without oil, too. Of course Israel doesn't have Islam to hold it back....
sanjosemike
I'm saying the desert could have some impact on their evolution. Israel has a large population of people that came from a wide range of different environments. European Jews having a high intellect and it has been theorized it could have been influenced by how they were treated in Europe.
That area of the world was one of the richest of it's time, pre-islam. It was known as the "fertile cresent".
When you're bowing to Mecca 5 times a day, it doesn't give you much time to til the soil. It has since become desert.
Just like everything else Islam touches.
Here again we see a lot of ignoramuses here bashing the Muslims for their beliefs. Maybe nobody in the Arab world is accusing the West of neocolonaialism, but nonetheless, that's precisely what is going on over there today as 9/11 served quite well as the perfect pretext for it to begin!!!
The problem is that their "beliefs" are toxic. That's the real issue. You can't separate Islam from the subjugation of women in those countries. It's an economic issue brought about by the religion. The Jews managed to make their dessert bloom, all without oil. Of course they don't have a toxic religion to hold them back. And, btw, even Israel doesn't bomb Mosques. Only Arabs bomb Mosques.
"If we lose to Islam, we lose everything."
sanjosemike
The only reason that part of the world has running water, medicine and all of the technology that they use to destroy instead of inrich, is a direct result of colonialism. As an aside, look at India. Do you think they would be shooting rockets into space of the British had left them to thier own devices?
In fact Big Bob, in 1750 India was a relatively rich country when the British took that country over and left it poverty- stricken in 1947 when they finally pulled out due to the public disobedience tactics of Mohandas Ghandi. Great Britain today is wealthy because of they took out of other countries!!!
Hundreds of years ago, the Middle East was the cultural, spiritual and industrial center of the universe. Thet had it all going on. The trade routes came right through their front yard. But when the west embraced the industrial revolution and progressed by leaps and bounds, the Islamic nations sat around camel turd fires, ate goat meat and prayed to Allah. They idly sat by and watched the world pass them by. Now, they are jealous and want to be important again. The only way to do that is to force their Stone Age religion and Sharia law nonsense on the world, thus ensuring their return to prominence. It is the only way they will ever accomplish significance in the world that and they know it.
Muslims would have the whole world back in the 14th century before they are happy.
I think Islam had the unfortunate consequence of not producing any positive intellectual evolutionary impact that other areas went down like Northeastern Asia or Northwestern Europe. Though I guess it is more linked to where they evolved geographically than anything else.
One of the reasons for the great European explorers. The Muslims blocked the trade routes to the East. The explorers searched for a sea route to get around these hoards. The result, among many other things? Discovery of the New World.
Those countries need to be better managed to have better a standard of living. Take their crazy religion out of the equation.
Abysmal GDP ... illiteracy ... supression of civil and personal freedoms ... general cultural disinclination to independent thought ... persecution complex, fixation on myths and ancient history ... one factor the author didn't cite was a very robust birth rate. Always the populations growing, and the people steaming. However modern economies are steadily focused on captial and are much less labor intensive and do not require vast numbers of people to be productive. The exploding populations exceed the capacity to generate relevant, value added jobs. This applies even to process industries like primary metals. Get the drift? Somehow though, "the west" and capiltalism often gets blamed for this paradox and "disaffection" among arab youth. A seething couldron that has been festering for decades.
Looking at some of the comments here, it would seem that the disadvantage and problems of the Arab world are seen as an excuse to hate them. In that case we should really hate the sub-Saharan Africans for starving themselves. As one moron I used to work with said "Why can't those people just get jobs". I agree completely, there has to be a Wendy's or Popeye's down the road (in Somalia) that can give them a job. Plus they provide free meals for their employees, which would also fix the hunger problem.
Rubbish, they have more than enough oil, diamond, precious minerals to get out of their squalor. They just cling to their stupid religion and blame everyone else for their problems.
**** MORON POST OF THE DAY ****
Mohammed pork
Rubbish, they have more than enough oil, diamond, precious minerals to get out of their squalor. They just cling to their stupid religion and blame everyone else for their problems.
I don't really feel the degree of like vs dislike has any relevancy in this issue. What is relevant is why are these nations not doing as well in these areas. Is it because of the socio-environmental impact that religion has on their cultures? Is it from a difference in evolutionary abilities? These are the questions we should be studying.
....and I suppose this is somehow America's fault that these people cannot/do not have the ability to make better lives for themselves? Time to start recognizing Islam for the evil it truly is. Does anyone actually believe that the so-called Arab Spring will result in anything but more evil, more suppression and more disharmony in the world. Gentlemen above is right: Islam is th elephant in the room. A very ugly elephant indeed.
THE "INSHALLAH ALLAH" C**P
Muslims look at the world through two words: "Inshallah Allah" which loosely translated means "god's will." Thus, everything that happens (good or bad) is "Inshallah Allah."
This frees Arabs from the necessity of self criticism and actually DOING something about their plight. Arabs are essentially their own worst enemies, and Islam is at the center of this problem. Rampant over-population, extreme poverty, lack of opportunity, illiteracy, internecine wars, oppression of women, Jihad, the list goes on and on.
All of these are "Inshallah Allah."
Fear for the World if Iran gets nuclear weapons.
sanjosemike
THE EVIL TERRORIST country of PAkistan, can be allowed to keep nukes, what is wrong with IRAN having nukes.
Pakistan, breds, feeds, shelters terrorism, uses its nuke to threaten, blackmail India, USA.
Usa of cousre forks out billions in aid to pakistan and that country builds more nukes
Pull a Jimmy Carter and throw them all out,
Starting with Obama
then start over again NOT!!
Pull a Jimmy Carter and throw them all out,
then start over again NOT!!
Excellent report !
There are only 2 things that remain constant in the world today....
Number 1)Bush did it!
Number 2)Muslims are a bunch of idiots.....period!
Lots of good points. But the key is the evolution has to come from within.
As the beginning of the article said, outside bias or the scent of neocolonialism
is not tolerated. These people have to change themselves. In the meantime
the rest of the world and America in particular should keep a cautious eye,
but that's all.
The only reason to have a heavy hand in any of those countries right now
is to make sure Pakistan's nukes don't fall into the wrong hands.
Thomas Jefferson had a Quran. Did that make him a bad person. NO!
What's your point? Thomas Jefferson was educated in Western thought and rationality and these drove his thinking in all things, including how are government should be structured. If he had based his thinking on the Koran, I can guaranty you that we would not have the freedom we have historically enjoyed. Possessing a book does not mean it controls how you are. Jefferson had books from many sources.
And what lessons have America learned from the anti-American sentiments in the Muslim world? I personally believe that peace is possible in all regions of the world but only if we were to first of all, try to get to the root of the problem. During the 2008 presidential election, candidate Obama said that he believed that it is essential for us to be able to sit down and have concrete dialogue even with those we consider enemies or foes to try to channel ways to bring about peace. An I couldn't agree more. No one person is bigger than life and sometimes we just need to put our pride and personal reservations aside and try to talk to the other faction and try to fully understand what is really ailing them so that peace may be achieved.
George W. Bush once called Iran and North Korea "Axels of Evil" yet, the only modern war Iran has fought to my knowledge was against Iraq and the only war to my knowledge that North Korea has fought in the modern era was against South Korea in the 1950's. Yes, Iran is a country of Islamic extremists who have always expresses hostility and distaste for Israel's existence but has the west ever sent a diplomat or team of diplomats to Tehran or to some neutral site to try to get to the root of Iran's and the Muslim's distaste for Israel and the west? And if this hostility is because the Palestinians have denied a home land, then what have we done to give the Palestinians a homeland? No, we can't have Israel dictate our foreign policy, we have to do the dictating ourselves.
Let's face it, since the dawning of the New World order, America has helped to shape and define world history and today the world is more democratic than it was when Adolph Hitler's war machine blitzed all of western Europe and North Africa because America and Great Britain saw the need to intervene and they did so overwhelmingly. But somehow, when it comes to the defusing of the anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, America's hands and diplomatic prowess always seems to be restricted and tied down because we seem to be afraid of alienating the Jewish state in Israel.
Israel's president Benjamin Netinyahu recently stated that Israel cannot relinquish the Golan Heights and some of the other so-called strategic regions because it would be detrimental to his country's existence. But I disagree because Israel is fully capable of defending itseld to begin with and moreover, if a settlement was to be achievded and Israel's sovereignty was to be violated, I believe that Israel can rest assure that America would come to it's military aid no questions asked. Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" and I personally believe that those who are afraid to give peace a chance are simply fearful that peace may actually be achieved.
And if this hostility is because the Palestinians have denied a home land, then what have we done to give the Palestinians a homeland? No, we can't have Israel dictate our foreign policy, we have to do the dictating ourselves.
Palestinians have a homeland, its called "Jordan:.
Why should America pay for the ignorance of others? We have enough ignorance over here in America to bankrupt us. America needs to take care of America. Charity starts at home.
Hey Fareed,
Here's the real 9/11 story. http://www.larouchepac.com/10yearslater
And you are claiming that the ARAB WORLD is in denial?!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11:_Press_for_Truth. This video is about the family members of those lost on 9-11 demanding an investigation of the events of that day. Playing on Link tv right now from 8:30 to 11 am. The video details the stacking of the deck of the 9-11 investigation commission, the obfuscations and blocking of information and the outright lies of the Bush administration. We need a new legitimate investigation to find the truth of what happened that day. The massive presence of nanothermite in the WTC dust by itself is reason enough to question the official story. All subsequent administrations are as much to blame including the Obama administration. These people are all puppets of the New World Order and Americans need to awaken from their slumber and take our country back. Ron Paul is the only candidate that has endorsed a new investigation. The only one to want an audit of Ft. Knox and the only one to want a return to the gold standard and the only one wanting a dismantling of the Federal Reserve. He was also the only one demanding the return of our troops from all these contrived wars based on the false flag operation of 9-11. All of our subsequent loss of freedoms, are a result of the contrived official story of the Bush administration. And Obama's contrived seal raid to capture Bin Laden is just another false flag operation. Bin Laden died of kidney failure in 2001. There is no islamic tradition of burial at sea and DNA testing takes longer than a day and could not be performed on a flying platform like a chinook or osprey. The seal team raid was a ruse to boost Obama in the polls and hide the leaking of info showing he is a citizen of Kenya. The subsequent murder of most of the seal team members was to make sure that info never got out and to send a message to the remaining seal team members to keep their mouths shut.
Nibirutruth
Some of what you have posted is true.
Ron Paul will never be president because of those reasons you listed.
Kennedy was looking into the Fed, and look what happened to him.
As for the New World order.....
reducing the world population is a great idea.....
But not by means of war and murder.
should i read this one
Joe says that Israel can "still defend itself" with undefensible borders? Joe, I guess you like to go to bed every night listening to missiles being fired over and around your home? Everyone thinks that Israel should simply "tolerate" this. Apparently you do too.
Do you actually BELIEVE that a peace treaty with Hamas would stop the missiles? Then surely you are naive to the nth degree. The only thing that will stop Hamas is military action. There will never be peace with Hamas, and sir, you know it.
sanjosemike
Isreal should just take off the gloves and finish this once and for all.
Great article...but also are you aware of the real brain washing that is taking place on OUR soil....
Great newyork times article is you are interested...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/education/07charter.html?pagewanted=all
radical islam. . . or any "radical" religion depends on an uneducated easily manipulated population. The Arab Spring sprung up with the educated people of those regions and their use of Facebook to rally their cause. Educated populations are not likely to become suicide bombers, willing to kill all who oppose "Allah's word". . . or the words certain people say are "allah's words"
People here say Islam holds Arabs back. From 750 -1289 AD Islamic society was the most advance society in the world. This during a time when the Christian West were in the dark ages.
Religion does not hold people back. People hold people back. People love to blame religion for the failure of humans themselves.
Poverty is a problem, but not the reason. Most of the hijackers of 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia, the wealthiest of all Arab countries.
That doesn't mean they were'nt poor.
Besides, every single Arab is pro Palestine. If you're under the perception that your fellow brother is being oppressed by Israel that gets support from the US, what do you think is going to happen?
arabs/muslim are camel riding nomads got hold of oil-–a precious commodity, but that does not make them civilised.
they still follow a stone age religion that belives in keeping women as chattels or property, have kids indiscriminately wether you can afford or not. then use the kids as human bombs.
and to think they have learned a lesson, no.
they will fund terrorism thru pakistan a low level poverty stricken muslim country,where the method of education is madrassa taught by terrorist mullahs.
as long as islam exists there will be terrorists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11:_Press_for_Truth. This video is about the family members of those lost on 9-11 demanding an investigation of the events of that day. Playing on Link tv right now from 8:30 to 11 am. The video details the stacking of the deck of the 9-11 investigation commission, the obfuscations and blocking of information and the outright lies of the Bush administration. We need a new legitimate investigation to find the truth of what happened that day. The massive presence of nanothermite in the WTC dust by itself is reason enough to question the official story. All subsequent administrations are as much to blame including the Obama administration. These people are all puppets of the New World Order and Americans need to awaken from their slumber and take our country back. Ron Paul is the only candidate that has endorsed a new investigation. The only one to want an audit of Ft. Knox and the only one to want a return to the gold standard and the only one wanting a dismantling of the Federal Reserve. He was also the only one demanding the return of our troops from all these contrived wars based on the false flag operation of 9-11. All of our subsequent loss of freedoms, are a result of the contrived official story of the Bush administration. And Obama's contrived seal raid to capture Bin Laden is just another false flag operation. Bin Laden died of kidney failure in 2001. There is no islamic tradition of burial at sea and DNA testing takes longer than a day and could not be performed on a flying platform like a chinook or osprey. The seal team raid was a ruse to boost Obama in the polls and hide the leaking of info showing he is a citizen of Kenya. The subsequent murder of most of the seal team members was to make sure that info never got out and to send a message to the remaining seal team members to keep their mouths shut. Wake up America.
Oh dear, you've gone off your medicine again.
Swimmer
A lot of what he says is true.
The part he got wrong was DNA testing.
You take a sample, and dump the body.
The problem in the Arab world is tthe same in the West. There is a constant battle between conservative relgious forces and liberal values. Theocracies suppress their population. Acutally, most "isms" suppresses people. We need to struggle to keep societies open, and liberal. This is done through education, shared economic well-being and the encouragement and free-flowing of ideas. This does not mean that people are not allowed to join conservative religious groups but it does meant that these group cannot impose their beliefs on everyone else. Liberal thought does just this. It does not impose a way of thinking but allows people to choose a way of thinking. We establish laws to ensure the rights of people and maintain a civil society. As society evolves/changes laws must also evolve and change. Oppressive theocracies are a holdover from the middle ages.
Gotta disagree with you a bit, Jack. The liberal intelligentsia of our Country DO try to impose their beliefs and ideas on the rest of us, belittling any who disagree. Brainwashing goes on in both conservative and liberal camps. I agree that the free flow of ideas is the remedy for this, but liberals cannot be trusted to be the overseers of that free flow.
Ballderdash! Liberal philosophy is simply freedom of thought! It is and has ALWAYS been the conservative extremists (like the teabaggers) who continually attempt to remove freedom of thought and philosophy!! I'm sorry, but you couldn't be more wrong!
*** MUST READ AGAIN ***
Tom
Gotta disagree with you a bit, Jack. The liberal intelligentsia of our Country DO try to impose their beliefs and ideas on the rest of us, belittling any who disagree. Brainwashing goes on in both conservative and liberal camps. I agree that the free flow of ideas is the remedy for this, but liberals cannot be trusted to be the overseers of that free flow.
Conservatives want everything to stay the same (NO progress)
Liberals want to move forward and deal with change.
A black president scares Conservatives, so does gay people getting married
So liberals cant be trusted with the free flow of information ?
Its not Democrats who are changing history books.
Its not democrats cutting education from states budgets.
Its not democrats trying to peel poor and minorities from voting.
I feel sorry for Republicans, they cant see the trees because of the forrest.
The Tea party is just a cancer in American politics.
sanjosemike
The only way to bring about peace is to give peace a chance. The children of Israel and Palestine need a brighter future and that is only possible by giving peace a chance.You just can't say that Hamas would never honor a peace accord without giving that peace accord a chance. They say those who know better should do better and if Israel and America are the civilized, then let us take the first initiative.
If the Berlin wall can come down then I still believe that Nortk and South Korea can one day unite as one and likewise, I do believe that one day Iran and the rest of the Muslim world will recognize Israel's existence and find peace. It's just a matter of time. As they say, where there's a will, there's a way.
Joe,
Isreal gave Gaza back and got rockets in return.
You think they should trust a peace treaty ?
The list of broken treaties, and promises is very long.
Send rockets to Isreal, when Isreal fires back
scream for a cease fire,
until you can re-supply your rockets
and start all over again.
Wash – Rinse – Repeat.
Israel has always been prepared to make a deal, provided it would give them the security they're looking for. Gaza simply proves that land for peace doesn't always work. The question is, why does anyone in the world tolerate Gaza's behavior and excuse it? If they really don't want peace, then Israel is obliged to wipe them out, if Hamas agreed to never allow attacks on Israel and agree to the current borders, there would already be peace! Turkey's PM, has threatened to have Turkish naval vessels escort another flotilla. When private individuals break a blockade, it's a terrorist act. IF Turkish ships engage the Israeli Navy that would be an ACT OF WAR. Why hasn't anyone criticized Erdogan for this sort of talk? How will he know what is reasonable from the perspective of the West if no one tells him, he's acting like an idiot?
The Arab League...The most Backward, Dysfunctional, Despotic group of nations on the planet...The myth of the Arab Spring is just that, a myth!, it is more like an Arab Winter of Discontent...nothing even remotely resembling a Democracy will emanate out of these pathetic Tin Pot dictatorships. To add to this miserable scenario is the arrival of the new Moron, the Sultan Tayip Erdogan who will do to Turkey what the Mullahs did to Iran!
Somalia and Sudan aren't Arab countries, but they are Muslim countries, which brings me to a question not answered by Mr. Zakaria in this article: what is that has made the Arab countries as well as Somalia and Sudan, among others, the ignorant, impoverished, failed countries that they are? The answer of course, is Islam. As long as the culture of these countries are shaped by this primitve, barbaric faith, they will remain at the bottom of the rankings of countries for all positive indicators. As we are likely to see, not even the overthrow of dictators in the much celebrated "Arab Spring" will change the status of these countries as long as Islam controls.
And now Turkey wants to align with the Arab world described by Mr. Zakaria? How stupid is that? Turks need to resist such lunacy and chart their own path. They should set an example for the Muslim world, but avoid deep involvement.
There will never be world peace. Have you read your Bible. America trying to buy it, will only bankrupt America. If you think education cost, just wait until the ignorance of America's taking care of others and leaving home out cost. One day we will be the poorest nation there is. Don't take my word, check the record.
What do these factors have to do with the alleged terrorism in the Arab World: GDP, education, translating books, unemployment rate, literacy, Somalia's famine, personal income, the Arab's denial of their involvement in 9/11, women's rights, economic reforms, jobs, and real freedom. Doesn't make sense?
Regarding literacy rate, you cannot dump all Arabs into one category ("...one of every four Arabs, were illiterate..." Here are the actual facts: Kuwait: 94.5%; Palestinian Authority 93.3%; Qatar 93.1%; Jordan 91.1%; U.A.E 90%; Lebanon 89.6%; Bahrain 88.8%; Libya 86.8%; Saudi Arabia 85 %; Syria 83.1%; Iraq 80.5%; Oman 81.4%; Tunisia 77.7%; Algeria 75.4%; Comoros 75%; Djibouti 70.3%; Egypt 66.4%; Sudan 60.9%; Yemen 58.9%; Mauritania 55.8%;
Morocco 55.6%; Somalia 37.8%; Mauritania 55.8%; Morocco 55.6%; Somalia 37.8%.
India, where Mr. Fareed Zakaria comes from, has a population of 1.2 billion and a literacy rate of 74%. It also continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public health.
While I agree with the writer, that the Arab world needs to take its own "responsibility" (something that is spoken LITTLE of in the Arab World), his reasoning seems somewhat FLAWED in that it seems like he’s giving an "excuse" for terrorism (i.e. – poverty equalizes to terrorism, and thus it is partially OUR fault [and that of the (rich) Western World, that terrorism happens to us - in other worlds, the [poor]] Arab world has somewhat of a RIGHT to kill us, due to our indirect [evil] ways of not giving them money or supporting Israel) – This, in and of itself, is EVIL because it gives a whole race/people the RIGHT to kill!! (Killing is NEVER a good justification [REMEMBER HITLER]).
If 1/4 of the population and 1/2 of the women are illiterate, then 100% of the men are literate (if the numbers of men and women are equal).
The Arab World will continue to change. The people will demolish the corrupt foundation in our lifetime; I'm sure of it.
A couple of things:
I am sick and tired of hearing the "why do they all want to come here" schtick. They don't. These people are severely loyal to their lands and fellow man sans their government. We're seeing that right now with all the uprising. They know they're not getting basic human needs. They will fight for it.
What's sad is that the uneducated west will continue to harbor bigotry despite the fact that these people are dying for their basic needs. Egypt's story is one for the ages on so many levels.
These people do not want to move here; they, like all humans, are fighting for their rights. The tragedy is that we all want the same thing in life yet we continue to focus on our differences and harbor resentment and hatred for it.
Now, America needs to butt out. We have hands in so many arab pockets it's pathetic. Mubarak was a tyrant and yet google his name and see every US president in the last 30 years shake hands with him and smile. Why did Bush "know" Saddam had WMDs? Uh, because we have the receipt.
Are you proud of your name? For those who don't know, "Ayrifeek" is an Arabic word which means:
"f u c k y o u"
What does my online tag have to do with anything, "King"?
America didn't cause the uprising in Egypt, and it isn't trying to manage this situation or prop up any Egyptian power structure. In order for there to be deals between the Muslim countries and the West, someone has to be in charge, blaming the West for who the Egyptian political process put into power is absurd. It isn't in the West's interests for Egypt to be a basket-case economy. There is nothing to stop the Egyptians from establishing a government that respects human rights, and freedoms other than Egyptians themselves.
WOW! Where do I begin? Let's start with the fact that 98% of you will not read this post to completion, but here goes nothing. The problem is not with Islam or Muslims. But by all means continue to represent the matter as such and continue fueling the fires of the ignorant & blind. We simply cannot kill them all?? When the overwhelming majority of most immigrant Muslims enter the United States of Amnesia they do so with degrees or in pursuit of degrees, advanced and otherwise. If you truly look at the history of Muslims you’ll find that when most of the known world was in the dark ages, Muslims maintained the highest levels of decorum and education. Muslims were the leaders in science and math…there’s a reason why our numerical system is referred to as “Arabic numerals.” So what happened? It’s rather simple. Greed, power, and misrepresentation reared their ugly heads. The western world has ever been in pursuit of Arab oil! And in some cases we have stooped to nefarious means to achieve our goals. All one has to do is look to the formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company…better known as BP. Can anyone tell me who placed the current leaders of the so-called Muslim world into power? Better still, do you really know the steps that are taken to keep these idiots in power? Power corrupts…no matter where it surfaces in the world. You falsely accuse the Prophet Muhammad of being a pedophile, simply repeating lie after lie after lie. When in reality, although the young lady was wed at an early age (certainly not 6 yrs of age!), the marriage was not consummated until she attained the age of 13-14. The actual marriage was arranged to provide status to the young lady and her family. Prophets David, Solomon, and others have done the same thing... are they considered pedophiles? You verbally assault Muslim women for wearing hijab (head covering)…but are the same insults directed toward Catholic Nuns? No, and as well they shouldn’t. There should be no reason to vilify anyone for taken such an action as covering yourself to please GOD. Should we speak out when they are being forced against their will? Yes we should. The concern here is with the demonization of Islam, by those who have no understanding of the religion. This is an age old tactic practiced during slavery of the ascendants of African-American. It has been visited upon just about every “ethnic” group that has entered this great country. And what was their crime? Unfortunately, they happened to arrive on our shores after another group. Some ask how could anyone join the religion of Al-Islam? It’s simple. They’ve taken the time to read and understand the religion…not the biased, innuendo, and corrupted statements that some of you have offered in your replies. And maybe therein lies another concern…the saving of souls. To a true Muslim we absolutely couldn’t care less if you become a believer (not to be confused with Muslim) or not. We truly understand that only GOD can “make” someone a believer. Furthermore, true believers understand that GOD has forbidden any type of compulsion in religion. BUT??? “Saving souls” has always been a lucrative adventure to organized religion. I would go so far as to contend that one new Muslim equals one less Christian…and that doesn’t set too well with the certain sectors of the establishment. So bring on the Arab Spring. It’s high time to cleanse “our own backyards!” But this time, please allow us the opportunity of democracy…true democracy. Not that “brand” of which the western world has dictated for us. We only have a few addtional opportunities to make this world a better place. We can continue, steeped in our own ignorance, or we can strive to improve the lives of one another...and thereby the world we live in...
Well said.
Yes, good, pay for your own stuff and we can fix our crumbling infrastructure here at home.
By the way, while you're dealing with your own problems in your so-enlightened culture, why don't you get rid of barbaric acts like stoning and chopping off peoples' hands.
Oops, guess you can't because your moldy mythology says you have to do it and not enough people have ever been exposed to any different thought to grasp that such things might be barbaric in the first place.
But don't feel bad, all religions that rely on illiteracy and repression use the pulpit as a way to control the minds of people who don't know any better. After all, look at those gene pool shallow-enders that Rick Perry invited to his horrid giant prayer session a few weeks ago. And that guy is running for President.
Gee whiz, I guess all we can look forward to is American morons and Arab morons blowing up the world to determine whose imaginary daddy-in-the-sky has bigger 'ones'. Yay.
Another rant from an unsophisticated mind (rosethorne).
Tell you what, don't worry about telling others how to run their own country when you can even manage a single intelligent thing to say. For every delusional "cut your hands/heads off" statement that can be made, there's a "women get assaulted every 3 minutes in the US" that can be pointed out. The US is far from being barbaric-free.
There are quite a few Americans who admire that kind of tough justice. I'm sure if you took a poll, there would be a size-able percent of Americans who think amputation is a fitting punishment for some crimes. It is a typical statement of American hypocrisy, to judge an entire culture and religion based on the barbarism of a few. People in glass houses...
Now Israel is not the cause of all this. These idiotic countries only have to blame themselves for being poor hungry uneducated and ignorant. Something with the islam belief that they always have to blame Israel for all their ills. Its time to look into themselves and instead hang their leaders. And start being friendly to the US and Israel and the rest of the world.
BTW, I forgot to add, that the weekend's rememberances for the victims of the 9/11 tragedy were beautiful and solemn. Muslims grieved with the collective conscious of Americans, but this shouldn't surprise you. Not in the least. You see, Muslims too were tragically killed in the attacks of the World Trade Center. It's really sad that almost no one has followed that storyline in our American press??? Hmmm?
As a matter of fact, I watched SEVERAL different programs on different networks that showed interviews with Muslim Americans and other Muslims residing in America who condemn violence and suffered losses of their own! This fact does not excuse nor cancel out cancerous and caustic beliefs of the fundamentalist Arabs!
Look at some of the comments from the Muslims here. "The prophet said this" and "the prophet said that." The prophet was an illiterate war-mongerer. Do you see the problem? The Muslim world desperately needs an enlightened revolution (e.g. a mass breakout of atheism).
It really is amazing reading about this when the Muslims were some of the most educated and important people to science about 750 years ago. The Islamic Golden Age brought much to the world with advances in math, architecture, medicine, and philosophy. Unfortunately, much of their contributions were lost when the Mongols took over Baghdad and burnt its great library, which was the beginning of the end for the golden age. I just find it ironic how they were so important contributors to science and philosophy at one point and the complete opposite today.
Zakaria, since you are an expert,what si your advice for the WESTERN World ,whose only purpose is to Kill your people and STEAL their RESOURCES, oops,sorry i forgot you think you are an American.
You forgot that the religion of this area is as repressive as the governments and is just as responsible -if not more- than the governments. This religion loves control more than the dictators and have honed the skill of control for centuries.
well said...
"In 2002, 65 million adults, one of every four Arabs, were illiterate."
That's truly sad for a culture that once, a thousand years ago, so highly valued learning. It was Islam that rescued Europe from the so-called "Dark Ages," and it did so by bringing with it a tradition of scholarship and philosophy in the literal meaning of that word. That tradition now seems to have been lost to Islam itself.
i don't think that it is a coincidence that the vast majority of Muslims in America are peaceful and productive, educated citizens. many of them among the most educated in our country. they are provided with the opportunities to fulfill themselves here. (editors note: i am atheist) in their homeland, they simply are oppressed and communications amongst themselves is difficult and, if you think Americans are brainwashed – Muslims never had a brain over there. many of them never even had a chance to see peace and prosperity, so why would their culture exemplify that?
Their 'problem' is their religion and their culture that keeps them in a 7th century mindset.
Before someone starts the tired 'christian fundamentalist rightwing' blah blah rhetoric, I'm none of those things. But what I understand of their culture is that it completely runs their world, and ergo, they're not much open to western thinking, and many flat out reject it/hate it.
I'm all for supporting the MIddle East for positive change, but you cannot want it more for them than they want it for themselves. The need to change is an internal thing, not something that someone else can manufacture. This feels likes the Iron Curtain situation with the former USSR. If no new ideas can enter a society, how wil anyone even entertain new thoughts? If you're illiterate, even 'banned' books can't help you.
I think that the internet and social media have helped, but that's not enough. I also think that places where we already are can help to move them as a whole, but not if we're bickering over whether or not we should be there at all.
Unfortunately, I think that the only reforms that can come have to be of an internal nature. I know that flies in the face of what I just said, but I don't mean that as a solution, but more of a sad conclusion. The rest of the world left the Middle East behind centuries ago and shows no signs of stopping. They don't show many signs of change. Even the "Arab Spring' concept is something that I look at cynically. No way to know if what that will result in is change a change in despots or a takeover of just more Islamic fundamentalism. In other words, more of the same, just different names.
The irony in this is that it wouldn't matter a hill of beans if they were happy with their lot and they didn't export violence on a regular basis. The world actually can live with 7th century people if they didn't cause such a boatload of trouble for others who don't share their culture.
However, I think that their egos just can't handle the juxtaposition. Hence see the constant acting out.
"If they don't want it for themselves?"
Pay attention. You could have saved yourself a useless post. What do you think the "Arab Spring" is about?
Even the Somalia kid’s feds by USA aids once open their eyes and able to walk and see US flags they want to burn US Flags. They won’t change like you even after 1000 generations because of your religion.
Happy birthday !
I hear you just turned 5 today.
There is no lack of poverty in China or India, but both of those countries are growing both economically and intellectually. How do you explain why that is not happening in Arab countries Fareed? Can it be that in those countries, parents of children would rather teach their children the value of a good education than hatred of other cultures? There is more going on than poverty in Arab countries here. I find it interesting that you propose that poverty is the main reason for the failure of Arab advancement without explaining the reasons for the poverty. I suggest that if the Arab world would just move past the mindset of the Middle Ages, they would advance just fine. They need to spend more time learning to read and write and less time learning to hate. Then they could join the more enlightened societies of the world and become productive citizens of the world community, instead of sitting on their duffs while others suck oil out of their deserts. Before long, they will not even be able to count on oil income, as the world moves away from fossil fuels. Then what will they have? Besides hatred that is.
Sand.
real muslim
I AGREE WITH YOU...PLEASE LOOK UP DR. MICHAEL E. DEBAKEY.
Dr. DeBakey was born in 1908 to Lebanese parents in Louisiana and if you were to read up on Dr. DeBakey you would discover that he invented the first bi-pass heart instruments used today around the world and 50 additional heart and lung instruments. Yes, we Americans always like to degrade and disrespect immigrants who come to America but thanks to these Labanese American immigrants who migrated to America in the turn of the 20th century, the innovation and modernization of medicine was made possible by the ingenuity and wisdom of their son Dr. Debakey.
And for those who don't know, almost 35% of the heart and neurological surgeons and a portion of the scientists in America are from the Muslim world and from Asia. Just ask Fareed Zakaria. So the next time we Americans go into the surgery room, we better thank our lucky stars that America has an open dooor policy for foreign surgeons to perform medicine and lend their medical and scientific knowledge to America.
Joe, I don't know where you got the idea that I was talking about "Americanized" people of Arab descent. I was talking about the people that Fareed was discussing, the Arabs who live in Arab countries. If you got the impression that I am a bigot, you were wrong.
Joe, maybe you are a "real muslim", but Dr. DeBakey was not. Read his biography & you will find that this brillliant doctor was Lebanese-Christian. You picked a great example to support my proposition that Western culture progressed & developed specifically because of the Christian influence. Most people may not realize that the Muslim invaders of the 7th century were not able to conquer (convert by force & murder) the people of Mount Lebanon. So, until rather recently, Lebanon was a predominantly Christian nation.
No matter how patiently and considerately you explain to someone how dumb they are, you will never convince them to change. Fareed's comments may make Westerners feel good about themsleves, but it does little to convince Arabs to head in a new direction.
The key is to get them to think it was their idea to change in the first place. That's what's so great about the Arab spring.
I call bull.....who cares just nuke'em they havent changed since islam started they are not gonna change now or ever.....
Those who can't read a biblical passage are dependent on someone else who is then free to interpret the text without fear of being challenged. Other churches have kept their followers ignorant, poor and dependent in past centuries... look how backward, unstable and impoverished most of South America still is. It's sick irony when religions are corrupted by the love of power and end up causing, then profiting from so much misery.
I suppose America's Middle-east policy of the last 50 years (to siphon all the oil out of middle-east as fast as possible) has been very wise. Praise olly.
And Microsoft says people from the Arab world are better for their company and wants to bring 10s of thousands of them to the US to work and train here! 1 in 4 are illiterate! Doesn't that say the people in the US are more educated and better for their company and wouldn't that help the US job market to keep the jobs here with Americans filling them? Why not the the oil rich nations educate and employ their own illiterate people?
There is no future for Arab countries as long as they repress their citizens, lie to them, don't educate them, and don't develop business other than oil.
Russ,
Please try to seperate the Arab people
from the Arab governments.
Do you think that if the oil dried up tomorrow it would hurt the Saudi Royal family ?
This family ownes some of the largest corporations on earth (Or has invested into) , and the real estate they own
would blow your mind.
GOD = Gold, oil and drugs.
It was interesting to read all comments here about Muslims, and Arab from people who probably not really familiar with the subject. I have a fist hand experience… I live long enough to make some observations… Yes, there are many problems there, but don’t picture them like so uncivilized…pretty much every other young person speak more than one language. I met so many nice, educated people over there… About abuse of women in Muslim culture... Well, I married a Muslim man, and this is not my first marriage... no one ever treats me better than he is… About Islam…I converted to Islam because I always questioned the fact why Christian should be that devoted to “son”, or “mother”, and not to the God itself…About the hate toward America and Israel… Well, I think it’s the result of one sided, unwise politics, which brought us to 9/11. Blind support of Israel and ignoring rights of Palestine caused hate in Arab world. Endless negotiation which is going to nowhere is not the solution. As soon as the state of Palestine would be created, it’s better for all of us to change the mentality in the ME that America hate Muslims.
As is well known every Muslim is NOT a terrorist, BUT every terrorist, most of the times, happens to be Muslim.
All over the world even in the countries, which had nothing to do with Palestine, or any other problem for which Muslims hold grudge against that country, have been targeted by terrorists.
It seems terror has become acceptable in a section of Muslims, about which other Muslims can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
I respect your opinion, but "other countries" usually have something to do with killing Muslims like Muslims see it: in anti-terror operations, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, etc. Definitely extremists will use it and promote their agenda,showing over and over again how Muslim women, children killed by "other countries" who might not directly involve in Palestine, you’re right, but at some point, that conflict went out of control, and today we can hear pretty much about the clash of civilizations… I don’t think so; we have a good chance to correct it, wining hearts and minds of young people, proving that our policies could be fair and balanced. .. Read comments here, too much hate, but hate produces nothing but hate in return plus self-destruction from it...
It's time the Arabic numerals are named after the original inventors of the numerals- The Hindus. The Arab traders adopted the Hindu numerals and spread it to the european world. Please call it Indian numerals or the Hindu numerals.
Fareed Zakaria: WELL SAID!
What is being done about the conditions you describe in Arab/Muslim countries? Where is Muslim leadership world wide on these issues?
So, in the middle east countries like Saudi Arabia that has super rich also has much more that are super poor and in those countries with all that oil money rolling in, how might it be deemed the fault of the US that those countries have that distribution of wealth? I don't believe the US dictates that the middle eastern countries will maintain an elite that has more than could be imagined while the masses have nothing. Maybe the citizens need not turn to terrorist groups to "get back" at the US for what the oil rich are doing withing their own countries.
A lot is being made about how the Arabs were leading the world in many facets of learning until the "onset" of Islam brought the developments to a halt. I think it would be interesting to analyze the similarities and differences between China and the ME. China and Indo-China were far ahead of the West in many ways and then stopped developing for centuries. Then, recently, they started developing at an incredible pace. And I do not believe that any repressive religion played a significant role in Asia. Could the Arabs learn from Asian experience? Could we?
There is no doubt that the Arab Spring is a good thing? Really? No doubt?
I'd say there are some VERY serious doubts. Qaddafi was a nutjob, granted, but most of the other dictators of the Arab world, Mubarak included, were sane, rational people. The same cannot be said for the majority of the voting public in any of these countries. Your 3 out of 4 Egyptians believe in 9/11 Conspiracy Theories statistic is a telling one. American democracy is in serious trouble... yet Americans are AMONG the most well-educated and intelligent people in the world (according to actual statistics and not cliches and prejudice). If people living in a country like the USA, with a very free and independent press (Fox excluded), great public libraries, good public schools, fantastic universities, etc... can't produce an electorate smart enough to not vote for someone like Michelle Bachman... what chance does Egypt have... where the majority support sharia law and like pretty much all Arabs would prefer to blame Jews and other external bogeyman for all of their problems than every consider looking inward. Democracy is only good in a country with an intelligent, informed, rational and secular electorate. It's failing in the USA right now. It will fail in every Arab country where they try to force its implementation. Hamas won in a landslide in Gaza...
The Arab world's predicament can be explained in one small paragraph: Most Arabs believe that everything is in the hands of Allah. That man is helpless because Allah controls all, and everything is pre-destined. They also want as many children as Allah will gift them. Again, Allah will provide for them. Their moto is that every being that is born is born with his "rizqa" i.e. his share of goods.
With all due respect, you misunderstand basic Islamic belief. The concept of "divine destiny" or, al-Qada wal Qadr, does not remove moral responsibility for the Muslim believer. The Qur'an repeatedly tells the reader that Allah (God) will judge him/her on everything that he used to do, and that a group of people will not be helped (by God) unless they helped themselves. Furthermore, since the vast majority of those living in the Arab world know little about Islam (nor care for it), I doubt they would allow something as "God's will" to determine how they live their lives.
Trust in allah,
but, tie up your camel.
Case of Pakistan in itself is absolute rebuttal of those criteria and just the opposite is happening there . Pakistan was doing okay till radicalism became rampant. Now, not only it is origin of most terror plots but its economy is also in downward spiral.
So what exactly should be done to curb terror?
Pakistan is a country with a large middle-class, a strong military, a nuclear bomb and a nationalist spirit. I think they quite rightly should be proud of their achievements. The problems of terrorism in Pakistan is crucial, and almost 20X more important than in Afghanistan. However, I think foreign meddling will only agitate the country. Pakistanis themselves need to recognize the dangers of radicalism eclipse even the threat that emanates from India. Non-interference is key.
Dear Fareed,
It is very surprising and yet disappointing that you actually believe that the rest of the world- except for Sub Saharian countries- is better off than the Arab world. How can you say that when unemployment rates are in mid and high teens in Europe, and a solid 9 to 10% in the United States? How can you say that when the industrialized west is sinking in an unreversible debt, just impossible mathematically to pay off ( may be the educated in that region can help you with the math)? While most Arab states are actually debt free...
Gulf kingdoms like Saudi, Kuwait & UAE are holding the spread of arabs pring by providing lavish subsidies to their people. But how long,the arab spring 'virus' will eventually prevail. The Arab world needs to come out of their beliefs in conspiracy theories, false pride & misery. Actually this arab spring did start after the 90 gulf war but Sr Bush made a serious tactical mistake by letting Sadam off. An unfnished job later executed successfully by Jr Bush.
The first Iraq war was to get Saddam out of Kuwait.
Mission accomplished.
There was NO reason on earth to go back into Iraq........NONE !!!!!!!!!
Anyone who understands Arabic can tell by watching any Middle Eastern TV station that among Islamic clerics there is a joy and satisfaction about the 9/11 attack and the deaths it caused. Most of them justify the attack and even some of them are praying to Allah for another attack to America. I believe Muslim clerics are the main instigators of all the violence, hatred, terrorism, resentment and discrimination around the world. They have a distorted morality without basic universal ethical and moral standards. It is a shame these evil people are the moral role models for Muslims.
I understand Arabic quite well and watch Arab programs daily, so I'd like to ask YOU where you get your false information from? The vast majority of clerics in the Arab and Islamic world have routinely condemned the actions of Bin Laden and co. While they sympathize with the indigenous struggles of Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghans, etc. they make sure to condemn terrorism.
Laura thank you. well said.
Greece GDP is close to $310.365 billion. Egypt alone is 500 billion and has been above 400 billion since 2010. I think Fareed did not read the report correctly. Political frustration due to lack of political infrastructure and America forcing its well on the Arabs is what caused this whole miss. For example, Literacy in Egypt in the same year the report was produced is higher than India http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/egypt_statistics.html. In fact Palestinian literacy (94% among adults) is better than both India and Egypt, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_statistics.html.
What does the literacy rate in Egypt have to do with America ??
Should we invade, so we can build schools ?
Why do people make stupid comments ?
The entire article is trying to draw a conclusion between education and economic hardship is the main causes of our miss. My comment is saying this is not true. You failed. You are an idiot.
It is clear Islam is trying to take over using their women's womb as the method. It is for certain they will never beat us usiing their illiterate brains.
The problem in the Western world is that people strive for a perfectionist view of how societies across the world should work that is detached from reality, and doesn't take into account the shameful policies of European and American powers in those countries.
The Arab world has its issues but they are still reeling from the effects of despotic rulers and colonialism imposed on them from European powers. To deny that would be to deny history altogether.
I think arabs are right when they do not accept responsiblity for 911. They mean that Bin Laden was just a sub- contractor and they are right. Islamic Republic from Iran conned Bin Laden to do that. It is the strategic decpetion Shiite has since 1000 years ago.Extensive lobby work was done by Islamic Republic of Iran to infect US nerves with false information about WMDs to bring US into the trap in Iraq.
Whatever the merits (de-merits?) of Mr. Zakaria's utterings, he has become an expert in taking Americans down a guilt trip for no fault of theirs, he seems to pretty be successful in doing that....at least with those naive & gullible Americans!
And my attempts at posting a detailed feedback have been thwarted every time due to CNN-GPS' censorship!
Time to pick a new hobby then?
By the time Islam is faked, the Arab world will finally progress, their biggest enemy is their religion. Arab world could not find the right way to progress, lots of people turned into religion, they got stuck there and can't lift themself.
zakaria seems to imply here that a lack of education or income somehow correlates to terrorism. but it doesn't. from egypt to pakistan, study after study has shown that the poor, uneducated, and un(or under)employed are LESS likely to be violent. the uber-rich oil sheikhs and mullahs, in contrast, are the ones funding the hatred that has destroyed the arab world from the inside. the whole more wealth = more moderation does not apply to the muslim world in general.
btw–here's a study that i mentioned above:
http://www.economist.com/node/17730424
the kicker: "Nearly 60% of suicide-bombers had more than a high-school education, compared with less than 15% of the general population. They were less than half as likely to come from an impoverished family as an average adult man from the general population."
What Zakaria forgot to say was that these conditions were created by U.S. supported dictators.
donot try to teach something to arab world. go and take egypt. this spring is your summer and you are losing and you will confess soon mr zakaria a non american who sold his nationality and culture to forigners seeking better welfare.but in the arab world welfare is just one thing not every thing. go and extenguish the fire of israil embassy.
Dear Mr. Fareed Zakaria.
I am a moslem and I suffer from 'Islamophobia'. It is just a phobia (not hatred) of Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists.
In this war on terrpr many more moslems will die in the coming years and I blame it partly on the fundamentalists. From your writings and talks it seems that you still dont have this affliction of Islamophobia although Wickipedia says that you are a 'not so serious' moslem. Islamic fundamantalism has increased along with the globalizsation of Islamic thought on the TV, video and Internet and through travel. As the Islamic population is moving from a lowerlevel of education to a medium level fundamentalism is on the rise. The Islamic Arab connect does not need elaboration.The Arab spring has lots of similarity with the 'Iranian spring' in 1980 and might go the same way. US forces attacking Iraq was a strategic mistake and US boots on the ground in Afgan was a tactical mistake. Please focus on the realities and the past mistakes. Your soundoff opens a pandoras box of intellect.
Islam as a religion and Muslims as a people are poster children for a lot of talk and not much action. On one hand you can't find a single Muslim that will tell you that they believe in violence but all we see is Muslims attacking their own fellow Muslims, Muslims attacking Christians, Muslims attacking Jews, etc... Even their beloved Al Jezera shows this. There is no religion or people that are perfect by any means but anyone with their eyes open can see the Islam has been a plague on humanity and it's evolution for many hundreds of years. Until there are strong leaders in the Muslim community that follow the true meaning and concepts behind Islam and promote peace in Muhammad’s name; Until there are those amongst the Muslim community that denounce killing in the profits name; until there are equal rights for women in the Muslim world there will always be the stigma of terrorism and hate associated with Islam as a whole.
Many of your comment is unnecessary. Why don't we look for a better conversation instead of hatred.
Religion is a trap for civilizations, it is an easy way to unite people, but this does not mean that it is fit to lead people in anything! The West didn't start to grow and advance until it threw off the shackles of religious dominated politics. There has been no equivalent repudiation of religion in the Arab/Muslim world and unless and until people in these countries see that they need to change there is really no hope. No outsider wants to invade and impose it's will on these people, we are only engaged because of the oil. Any impetus for change has to come from inside these countries and none of them seem up to it.
"Three out of four Egyptians hold that belief, for example. Now, that is simply nonsense. " I am really tired of seeing these ignorant comments and articles which just keep on making the stereo typical way of viewing americans as stupid and ignorant true. and even worse articles like this one get published in newspapers like this one with NO FACTUAL POINTS AT ALL. but at the end like they say I guess "the money makers are the one's who are making decesions. HOW THE H..11 IN THE WORLD YOU SEE ARABS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 9/11 see this article is a perefect example of THE MEDIA SKEWING PEOPLE'S VIEWS and CREATING HATRED BETWEEN NATIONS. I am not sure if you are confusing the arabs with alqaida or think of both as the same, but let me clearify for your "smart" head al qaida and arabs as a whole, and Islam ARE NOT the same thing, having the rational for blaming the arabs for 9/11 is same as blaming the BRITISH for something that the AMERICAN CIA has done wrong, simply just because they are western, so its all the same, BRITISH, AMERICAN, CIA, FRENCH, same thing just blame all of them...GREAT RATIONAL ISN'T IT?
Wow...there is so much misunderstanding still abounding. I have a far different perspective on what we, as Americans, lost on 9/11/01 – and why. 12amusings dot wordpress dot com
never trust a muslim
Great report! Finally someone who speaks with passion about the real issues facing these people. I fear that by the time they realize all the false statements out there, it will be too late. God help them and us.
The UN goes to lengths to "prove" their "Arab Developmehnt Report" doesn't have "an outsider's bias or neocolonialism". But, then, they "rate" the Arab world on Western corporatist measures!
"Employment" only shows how much of an inroad criminal corporations have made into the society, with their clandestine message, "Believe what we tell you to believe or no one will hire you and you'll starve!" Corporate crooks use death by marginalization as a constant threat to those who promote the truth. The thugs behind the "report" try to equate "employment" with "getting food" and so suggest the Arab world is starving by the m,illions. In fact, there are many ways to get food without working for corporate crooks, such as self employment and farming. In the same way, there can be many ways to get an understanding of the world. "Education" can be, and often is, used as a tool of corporate colonial control. It's already acknowledged by sociologists how the sanitized hogwash that has come to be called "history" has been used by country after country to elevate itself above all others. And, remember, the ancient Greeks had a high and powerful culture without written language or a concept of zero. They got word of the world from experts and passersby. Then, someone trying to unload a bunch of corporate lies could have to contend with angry townspeople who know they're being treated so disrespectfully by being lied to. It might be hard to find someone willing to trundle deceit that way. One way writing helps the criminals is that they can send books with lies and not have to worry about them getting beaten up!
Zakaria waxes apocalyptic over the "misery" of the Arab world because, after 10 years, statistics haven't changed. In the West, in the past 10 years, the economy has collapsed and unemployment has doubled! Where is his dubiousness at the "success" of the West with its predominantly corporate controlled economies?
It's been obvious for some time that Zakaria is an Arab-hating tool of the corporatist Fascist New World Order!
Note how, despite his fixation with "facts" to condemn the Arab Middle East, Zakaria is content to have his "disproof" of the fact that the New World Order manufactured the events of September 11 consist of just diffidently calling them "simply nonsense" and "bizarre conspiracy theories". Well, many in the West realize that the NWO engineered September 11, so why doesn't Zakaria see the West as "failing"?
When will Americans do a self-critical study on the root causes of terrorism. How have American policies for the past decades prior to 911 and after have contributed to violence, hate, blood spilling and terrorism? How many Arab and Muslims were victimized by these policies?...It's funny because terror leaders never say their goal in resorting to terrorism is to convert people, kill infidels or because of our way of life or because they want to start a global clash of civilizations. This is what war mongers here in the US tell the average uneducated Americans of world history, events and politics All the terror leader talk about is America's hostile policies in their region.
Mr. Zacaria wrote, "/the fundamentals that their leaders have neglected for decades – education, women's rights, economic reforms, jobs and real freedom."
In order to improve their educational, social and economists status around, the self-styled "Arab world" needs to get rid of the Islamist ideology and its ruthless civilian, religious and military dictators; Islam leads to these kinds of dictatorships.
Once the people pressed by Islam realize how wrong they have been by following such a harmful ideology, they will (as usually) blame the USA and Israel for their maladies caused by Islam; they will probably say that we enhanced and preserved Islam in order to keep them stupid, uneducated and ignorant.
In reality, if we had anything against Islamists, we would indeed encourage Islamic countries to preserve and keep such ideology within their borders in order to keep them in such a bad situation as described in this article; therefore, Muslims should be glad we are trying to help them to get rid of Islam because it is the cause of their ruin and of infamous terrorist attacks as on the one the WTC.
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"Muslims should be glad we are trying to help them to get rid of Islam." Although it was not the official reason, getting rid of Islam was the intention of many American leaders, and of some soldiers who went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. But if Muslims accuse us of executing a Christian holy war against them, we complain we are just trying to help them. More American hypocrisy.
All the more reason to keep GI boots off Arab ground, and send them books not bombs.
I have being living in the Arab World for the past 6 1/2 years. First I have my Profession and second I extracted an element out of it and build a Health Awareness and Community Project. The conclusion was: they let me do until a certain point then wanted to highjack the program (trophy hunting). As I didn't let this happen (I knew they will never further develop it) they started to Assassinate my Character where I got even Death threats. The project died slowly. The whole thing also affected my Business- and Social-Network. The conclusion was that my Economical ability declined where I could not do business anymore. I have not brake-even until today – an expensive experience
As a comparison – I have traveled a lot even being an Adventurer. Those 6 1/2 years where the worse I ever have experienced in my whole life. Now I'm leaving and ring changes to other places.
I hope I find the time to compile all in a book.
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