U.S. foreign policy: Practicing what we preach

In a rousing speech to Congress on Sept. 20, George W. Bush bellowed, "This [war on terrorism] is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom . . . As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world." Will this age truly be one of liberty for those living in the Arab world? Is this country, which is explicitly opposed to authoritarianism but tacitly supportive of repression in its foreign policy, ready to commit to those ideals of tolerance, freedom and liberty for the people of the Middle East?

The pillars that supposedly serve as the foundation of American society do not form the crux of American foreign policy. Freedom and democracy are two concepts that are championed domestically but are ignored when the United States is dealing with certain foreign countries. Of course, George W. Bush extols that America stands for freedom here and everywhere, but that position is not consistent with American actions. When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was ousted from office in a coup, albeit temporarily, the White House expressed near satisfaction, even though every other country in the region denounced it as a subversion of the democratic process. Still, in many of its statements and actions, America does encourage democratic reform in much of the world. However, the White House explicitly discourages democratic reform and increased freedom in the Middle East favoring the totalitarianism already in place; not only does this represent an abandonment of the Western values that every American politician claims he/she is representing in the "War on Terrorism," but it also creates a repressive environment that breeds terrorism and Islamic extremism.

The pundits and politicians of this country constantly put our alleged values on display: justice, freedom and equality. However, these basic rights are not always endorsed by those same persons when speaking about the Middle East. Just recently, George W. Bush encouraged the Palestinian Authority (although there is no Palestinian state) to undertake democratic reforms. The United Nations, with U.S. involvement, presided over elections in Kosovo and East Timor, introducing democracy in places where it has been absent. However, to most Middle Easterners, America does not appear be to be the symbol of freedom, but the sign of repression. For more than 20 years, the United States, after "encouraging" his rise to power in the 1950s, supported the Shah in Iran, who repressed all opposition to his rule and restricted the freedoms of that country. In 1979, America reaped the fruits of its promotion of "democracy."

Iran is only one example of many similar situations. Today, America gives considerable military training to the Egyptian government, and supports its "moderate" leader Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak has managed to be "democratically" elected for 23 consecutive years. His continued repression of opposition groups, human rights activists and political dissent is documented by prominent organizations such as Amnesty International but ignored by the U.S. government. For years on end, the United States has supported the liberal regime that resides in Saudi Arabia. The oppressive restrictions against women in Saudi Arabia are probably worse than in any other Arab country. A suppression of political dissent and freedom of religion contribute to a repressive society that over the years has become America's most favored ally.

We should in any case be encouraging democracy and freedom in the Middle East on principle. America has always been said to have a special bond with Israel because it is the only democracy in the Middle East. If this is the case, we must allow for the emergence of that democracy in surrounding Arab countries.

It is known that America will not support democracy in the Middle East unless it is in its self-interest, which it is. The repression and restrictions in many Middle Eastern countries breed terrorism and Islamic extremism, and democratic reform is essential to reverse these trends. Out of the 19 hijackers, 15 were from Saudi Arabia. The alleged ringleader rose from another oppressive society — Egypt. America is seen to encourage corrupt and despotic regimes in the Middle East. This has only increased hatred of America and fanned the flames of instability and extremism in the Arab World. In 1979, America's support for the Shah concluded with the rise of an Islamic autocracy and the hostage crisis. In 1991, America's compliance to undermining the Islamic Salvation Front from being democratically elected led to a drawn-out civil war that claimed thousands of lives.

The only opposition to despotic regimes comes in the form of terrorism. Successive Egyptian leaders have been able to repress any opposition group in their country. This has encouraged the emergence of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Brotherhood, and these groups develop strong constituencies because the group forms an alternative to the corrupt regime. America should encourage a political process that enables political dissent and opposition groups to challenge the governments in a democratic process. However, most conservatives in this country will immediately warn of Islamic groups rising to power, or that Islam is inconsistent with democracy.

If we encourage democracy as an output for revolutionary change then terrorism and anti-Americanism will have less purpose. Muslims and democracy are not diametrically opposed. Kosovo consists of an entirely Muslim population. Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other Islamic states are rapidly becoming more democratic. Islamic political groups also do not translate to terrorism. By discouraging moderate Islamic involvement in politics, America encourages Islamic extremism elsewhere. The Welfare Party in Turkey won the 1997 election but was prevented by the Turkish army from taking power. The Islamic Action Front attempts to operate within the monarchial government of Jordan. These parties participate in democratic processes and in the name of social welfare and fighting government corruption.

Giving moderate Islamic political groups a context of democracy to compete in will help to defeat terrorism and anti-Americanism in the Middle East. We must encourage an end to the suffocation of Arab society, and support an end to the repressive governments in the region. If the philosophy is, "You are either with us or against us," we must ask ourselves: Are we truly for freedom or against it? Taufiq Rahim is from Vancouver, British Columbia. He can be reached at trahim@princeton.edu.