Form your own opinion
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Illustration by Martha Hernandez • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Although the flamboyant playwright's concerns were more societal than geopolitical, his words have found new resonance in the discourse (or, some would argue, lack of discourse) surrounding America's war with Iraq.
Television and newspapers are a source of unprecedented, up-to-the-minute coverage of war developments. But the incremental reporting that's often served up can leave observers grasping for an understanding of the big picture.
We asked local Middle East experts to offer their views on what Americans may be missing as they attempt to understand the war in sound bites and daily reports.
The first step, says retired teacher and writer Joanne Simmons, is that people should be willing to challenge their own convictions in sorting through the data. In her opinion, the unprecedented access to global news and historical resources afforded by the Internet and other technologies is being wasted otherwise.
Simmons says many of opinions and passions people have about the war are not based on critical thought or inquiry, but on "a desire for things to be one way or the other."
"It's as true for those who oppose the war as for those who support it," says Simmons, who spent 12 years working and traveling in the Middle East. "How many people, if it really came down to it, could actually articulate a position without lapsing into a bunch of slogans and catch phrases? How many of us are really able to put what we see and read and hear on the news into some kind of historical context?
"Nothing about this is cut and dried," she says.
"Ideally, the opinions we hold should grow out of careful consideration of a lot of different perspectives, a lot of information that might seem contradictory," she says. "But it's human nature that we'd prefer to listen to people who are in step with our own narrow beliefs. Again, the media (in America), in this particular war, seem to cater to that."
Fereidun Fesharaki, a senior fellow with the East-West Center, says "embedded" journalists, for example, have turned much of the war coverage into "a soap opera," narrowing the war into a constantly updated series of anecdotal adventures. In doing so, U.S. news agencies have ignored many of the larger issues of the war that are of growing concern to the rest of the world.
"It's quite bizarre," Fesharaki says. "I was watching a blow-by-blow report about the destruction of two jeeps. But in Basra, there are people starving. There is no electricity, water is running out, disease is spreading. One hundred thousand people could die, but all we see are those two jeeps being destroyed."
Fesharaki spends roughly 70 percent of his time on the road in Asia and the Middle East. He says the way the war is reported in other countries contrasts greatly with U.S. coverage.
"It's like night and day," he says. "Generally speaking, nobody is in agreement with the war except the U.S. and the Brits."
Fesharaki says it is important that Americans, for their own sake, be aware of how other nations perceive the United States' action in Iraq.
"People see the U.S. as acting like an empire and trying to occupy and control governments," Fesharaki says. "This is not quite true, but that is the perception in certain areas. The point of view of the world is that everyone wants to see more American even-handedness."
At a time when those on both sides of the war debate have taken to questioning each other's patriotism, Richard Baker, an East-West Center adjunct senior fellow and a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, says the best way for people to exercise their citizenship is to strive for deeper understanding of the forces currently at play in the Iraq conflict.
"The Iraq war could be a watershed event in our history," he said. "It's taken the world by surprise and the realities of this — perceptions of what the U.S. is, what we stand for, how we operate, what our relationships are with the other countries — will be affected for some length of time.
Elton Daniel, a University of Hawai'i professor and noted expert in Islamic history, says those most knowledgeable about the Middle East have been excluded from national debate and policy making.
"I have been really scandalized by the way in which the large and capable body of Middle East scholars in the United States — the Middle East Studies Association has hundreds of members — has been systematically excluded by the government and media from any role in the policymaking debates over Iraq and the so-called war on terrorism," Daniel says. "And this despite the fact that the academic community was largely created and funded by the National Defense Foreign Language program specifically to provide such guidance.
"It is depressing in the extreme to see our policies created or popularized by people who have no real understanding of the history and culture of the region," he says. "At best, they are experts on some extremely narrow technical issue, and at worst they are notorious propagandists and ideologues."
Muhamad Ali, a doctoral student from Indonesia who has studied Islamic history and politics, says that while many in the Muslim world see the conflict as a problem between governments, not peoples, there is growing unease about the implications of American political domination.
"I think what lies beneath all conflict is misunderstanding and mistrust," he says. "There are distortions in the media and between governments that produce hatred and prejudice. There needs to be more sensitivity between nations, religions and cultures — more dialogue and listening."
The East-West Center's Baker returns to the responsibility of a U.S. citizen. "The essence of an electoral republic is that it imposes on us a responsibility to vote and ... to learn enough so that we can read beneath the headline level," he says.
"If we feel ambivalent, we can at least then recognize that."
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Where to look for a deeper view of the war issues
The issues surrounding the U.S.-led war with Iraq are numerous and, in most cases, tremendously complex. Here are a few sources to help you get your bearings, keep up with what people in other countries are thinking and saying, and follow breaking news with a broader perspective.
On the Internet
Frontline (www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/longroad): The Internet page for PBS' outstanding "Frontline" series has two packages worth browsing. "The Long Road To War" is a comprehensive look at the past 12 years of U.S.-Iraq relations, complete with timeline, video clips and transcripts. "The War Behind Closed Doors" contains video links for the "Frontline" episode dealing with the White House's internal war discussions.
Iraq Report (www.rferl.org/iraq-report): Review of developments in Iraq, prepared by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline.
Al Jazeera (english.aljazeera.net): The English version of the Qatar-based news agency's Web site went up last week, but has been plagued by hacker attacks and technical problems. If you read Arabic, the original Al Jazeera site (www.aljazeera.net) might be easier to access.
ArabicNews (www.arabicnews.com): News reports from around the Arab world.
BBC News (news.bbc.co.uk): News from the British-based BBC News; includes audio-visual components and options for UK or non-UK focus.
Der Speigel (www.spiegel.de/spiegel/english): English summaries of cover stories and other important articles from the German-based Spiegel's online news service.
Le Monde Diplomatique (mondediplo.com): English Internet version of the French monthly magazine, with free access to archived articles and subscription-based access to current edition.
Slate (www.slate.com): Michael Kinsley's thought-provoking site asks everything from "What Was Donald Rumsfeld Thinking?" to "Why Can You See Iraqi Anti-aircraft Fire on TV?"
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military Terms (www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict): Currently updated through January 2003.
Society of Professional Journalists' Reference Guide to the Geneva Conventions (www.genevaconventions.com): A comprehensive guide to the Geneva Conventions, including historical background and full text of the conventions.
In print
"A History of Iraq" by Charles Tripp: An overview of the evolution of the modern Iraqi state, with in-depth analysis of the influence of Islamic law, British imperialism, the Haahemite monarchy and the Baath Party.
"Saddam Hussein: A Political History," by Efraim Karsh and Inari Rautsi: A detailed account of Saddam's rise to power and the lengths he has gone to to maintain his 24-year reign.
On video
"Silent Weapon: The Embargo Against Iraq": A critical look at the UN-imposed embargo of Iraq. Directed by Charles Ausherman.
