March 2, 2003

FORCING THE CONTRADICTIONS:

"There is No Future For the Arab League" (Mohammed Alkhereiji, 02 March 2003, Arab News)
Saudi intellectuals and political commentators contacted by Arab News last night offered a wide array of opinions on the failed Arab League summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, but on one thing they all agreed: The Arabs are hopelessly divided.

They were speaking after the extraordinary public showdown between Crown Prince Abdullah and Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, during which the crown prince reacted angrily to accusations that the Kingdom was a US puppet.

Leading businessman Hussein Shobokshi in Jeddah called the meltdown "a dose of reality".

"There are too many lingering issues and priorities," he elaborated.

"The real issue is not the pending war on Iraq, but reform of the Arab condition."

Asked about his thoughts on the future of the Arab League, he said: "I don't see a future for the Arab world, let alone the Arab League."


It's time for Arab leaders to decide just how widespread the coming wars are to be. Is this in truth a clash of civilizations, of Arab Islam vs. Anglo-American Christendom? Or are more moderate Arabs willing to embrace Western ideals--more representative government, political and religious freedoms, etc.? What matters more, ideas and progress or blood and militarized jihad? There seems little doubt how a generalized war will end, so the real question is must millions of Muslims die in a lost cause or do Islamic leaders have the courage to grasp for a radically different vision of a peaceful future? The returns so far leave little reason for optimism. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 2, 2003 8:38 AM
Comments

Divisions between Saudi Arabia and Libya are significant, because reportedly these two and Egypt have a secret alliance, and Libya has been developing nuclear weapons with Saudi funding and Egyptian scientists, to be shared among the three.



If they're being divided, it's a triumph for the US willingness to act and force decisions, which exposes underlying differences that can't be papered over.

Posted by: pj at March 2, 2003 9:25 AM

Anglo-American Christendom? Do we really have time to convert England?

Posted by: David Cohen at March 2, 2003 7:06 PM

Not now that they've got Rowan Williams for an Archbishop...

Posted by: oj at March 2, 2003 9:14 PM
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