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An ironic debate on
democracy
By N Janardhan
DUBAI - Arabs are reacting to Washington's aim
of "democratizing" Middle Eastern governments with a mix
of anger, skepticism and cautious optimism, but also say
they are undertaking political changes at a pace they
are comfortable with.
Resentment has been much
of the initial reaction to the October 1 statement by US
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that "the
United States would want to be thought of as liberators"
dedicated to the "democratization or the march of
freedom in the Muslim world".
Rice's laying down
of Washington's post-Cold War geopolitical doctrine to
spread freedom, democracy and free enterprise across the
globe, especially in the Muslim world, comes at a time
of difficult ties between the United States and many
Muslim countries.
It also comes at a time when
Washington has pledged to oust Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein, citing his alleged pursuit of weapons of mass
destruction and his "oppression of his own people".
"We do not need lessons from anyone," Egyptian
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said on the Qatar-based al
Jazeera television when asked about Rice's remarks.
The United Arab Emirates-based Arabic daily Al
Khaleej criticized Rice for considering herself "a queen
of the Muslim world, deciding what its fate should be",
and said her remarks heralded a "crusade" against Islam.
But in more recent days, analysts have gone
deeper into the democracy debate, discussing the
political changes in the region and the effects of more
political openness. Yacoub Y al Hijji of the Center for
Research and Studies on Kuwait, says democracy is not an
unknown concept in the region. He drew attention to an
1818 map drawn by geographer J Ritter of Berlin that
referred to Kuwait as a "republic".
Kuwait,
ruled by the Al Sabahs since 1756 and today under a
constitutional monarchy, is among the Gulf countries
with democratic processes in place, despite its
limitations. Polls to a 50-member National Assembly are
conducted every four years. Though the ruling family
represents much of the Cabinet, men above the age of 18
are allowed to vote for their parliament
representatives. Women, however, have yet to get the
right to vote. Cabinets have resigned after being held
accountable for poor or questionable performances.
"It appears that Ritter inquired about the
system of government in Kuwait, and was informed that it
did not follow the law of primogeniture like European
monarchies, and that the ruler of Kuwait was chosen from
the Al Sabah family on the basis of his qualities of
leadership," Hijji said in an interview. "He [Ritter]
seems to have concluded that, from a Western viewpoint,
such a system was more republican than monarchist," he
said.
Turkey is often considered the most
democratic in the region, being a republic. Iran - where
general elections are also held - Lebanon, and Jordan,
are seen as the more politically progressive countries.
Bahrain's October 26 election is the first time
that polls will be held since the 1975 parliament was
dissolved. Qatar may also be holding polls next year,
and the Palestinians are headed for elections next year.
Still, some experts say Middle Eastern
governments must embrace more political and social
reforms and openness.
Rima Khalaf, assistant
secretary general and director of the Regional Bureau
for Arab States at the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), cited the lack of freedom, failure to
empower women, death of the independent media, and low
levels of civic participation as factors weakening human
development in the region.
Quoted in the
English-language daily Jordan Times, Khalaf said,
"Governments cannot limit themselves to efforts to
increase revenues. Democracy is based on literacy,
access to knowledge, and participation of local
communities and exercise of civil and political rights.
And all these are preconditions for human development."
The newspaper also said that Prince Hassan bin
Talal, an uncle of Jordan's King Abdullah, surprised
many in an address in New York last week that called for
a more transparent relationship between the Arabs and
their governments. But many Arabs are just as worried
about any US campaign to "democratize" the region as
much as they are about what might happen if it
succeeded.
Ali Jaber Al Sabah, an independent
political analyst in Kuwait, said that "under democracy
the Americans will be forced out of the region".
He was referring to the sentiment that the US
presence and influence in the region are to ensure the
survival of the governments Washington has been allied
with for security interests - and for oil.
With
more room for dissent, some here say people may well
begin to question the rationale of US presence in the
region and its support for the political elite.
Ali Jaber Al Sabah adds that US support for
Israel is undermining any genuine drive for democracy.
"It is the actions of the United States that help prop
up undemocratic regimes", he said in an interview.
Abdulkhaliq Abdullah, professor of political
science at Emirates University, agrees that the region
does have a shortfall of democracy, but says it should
select the aspects that responds best to its needs and
context.
"Rice's statement is impudent because
it accuses the Arabs of being unable to change their
political scene to join the world of democracies and the
era of respecting human rights," he said.
But
citing the Arab Human Development Report 2002, he added:
"The Arab world does not suffer financial, commercial,
developmental and technological deficiencies, but
suffers from an acute shortage of democracy."
One example of this shortage is Iraq, Abdullah
said. "The Iraqi system and the like have brought shame
and humiliation to their people and should not be
defended as a section of the intelligentsia does in the
Arab world.
"The problem does not lie with
Israel, America, foreign conspiracies or Islam. The
problem lies in the continuation of autocratic systems,
which have failed to liberate Palestine and face
American hegemony," he said. "Israel could be defeated
and American domination repelled, Arab unity achieved
and tolerant Islam applied in Arab life. But all these
can be achieved only through freedom and democratic
reforms," Abdullah added.
He says autocratic
governments suited American interests until September
11. But Washington is now seeing anti-US sentiment in
the region, due also to people's frustration over not
being able to criticize their governments. "Rice's
statements have narrowed down the options for the
Arabs," said Abdullah. "Either they change their grim
political reality or accept the encroachment of the
American army to do the job on their behalf to 'liberate
the Arab world'."
(Inter Press Service)
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