To a large extent, the
protestors, the real actors on the stage, have disappeared from the radar of political
commentary. While still recognizing the significance of analyzing states,
institutions, and power games among nations, the individual remains a crucial unit
of analysis mostly overlooked by today's mass media as they feverishly compete
with each other to hunt for dramatic news, in order to increase their ratings
and attract more viewers and advertisers.
Infotainment, merging information
with entertainment, distorts the news and doesn’t dig deep to provide thorough coverage
and in-depth analysis. The commercial, profit-driven newspapers and TV channels
reduced the anti-film protestors to unthinking thugs, who are full of hatred,
and who intend, if given the chance, to inflict harm upon non-Muslims.
These negative, racial
stereotypes are misleading. There are many other perspectives that sound
journalistic coverage can use to analyze the behavior of the angry protestors
who stormed US embassies in Egypt, Libya and other Muslim countries recently.
First, protestors were not
only furious because they felt their faith had been insulted. This is just a
fraction of the truth. The film was, undoubtedly, provocative and disrespectful
of Islam. The deep-rooted resentment of US foreign policy weighed heavily,
whether consciously or not, on the minds of those who burned the US flag and
threw stones on its embassies in Cairo and Benghazi. US support of Israel, its
apparent indifference to the plight of the Palestinians, and its overall
hegemonic policies in the Middle East have bred hostility to the US and deep
suspicion of its intentions. Had the film been produced in, say, Ghana, Ukraine
or Brazil, countries whose past interactions with the Muslim world haven’t been
marred with distrust and ill-feelings, the response of Muslims would have been
muted.
Secondly, the violent clashes
that lasted for days in the Egyptian capital cannot be understood without
taking into consideration the decades-long popular enmity with the security
forces. Egypt's gigantic security apparatus has had a shameful record of
intimidation, torture, and misconduct for decades. The eruption of the 2011 revolution
on January 25, National Police Day, came as no surprise. During the revolution,
moreover, hundreds of mostly young Egyptians were brutally killed at the hands
of the police. The painful moments of their death cannot be easily erased from the
memories of their families and friends.
Accordingly, going into
battle with security forces has become a national hobby to many of Egypt's
disgruntled youth who seek retaliation. As the footage of the recent clashes
show, what started as a protest against the insult to Prophet Mohamed quickly
turned into a collective fight-or-flight response with the police.
Thirdly, the overwhelming
sense of defeat as a civilization felt by Arab people left a deep scar on their
collective psyche. Despite several ambitious development attempts in the past
two centuries, progress has generally eluded the Arab world, as its people
watched Western nations and Asian tigers make great leaps in economic
development and scientific innovation.
The contrast between a
glorious past and a miserable present led Egyptians to ask a number of vital
soul-searching questions, such as: Why is the scientific and economic gap
between us and the First World so enormous? And why has it widened over the
past years? People normally seek spiritual solace in times of crisis. Many Egyptians
resorted to Islam, finding comfort and consolation in the teachings and
promises of their faith.
To be sure, the question of identity
figures prominently in the actions, reactions, attitudes and worldviews of young
Arabs and Egyptians. The aversion to Western culture, particularly consumerism
and sexual liberties, is commonplace in the Middle East. Westernization has
been on the rise for many decades. It has permeated nearly all aspects of life,
including culture, education, and lifestyle. Islamists perceive this as a
threat to the unity and purity of the Muslim community and act accordingly. Interestingly,
the Sudanese protestors broke into the German embassy, not the American, for
they perceive the West as superior, homogeneous and hostile. An attack on Islam
is seen as a direct attack by the 'other' on their safe spiritual haven that must
be resisted.
Shallow media coverage
perpetuates stereotyping and prejudice. We should expose it, challenge it, and
change it.
Nael M. Shama
*
This article was published in Global Times (China) on September 26,
2012.
