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What Now for the Middle East?
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19839 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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5 / 1991 |
5,379 Words |
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Stephen Aubin is John M. Olin Research Fellow at Boston
University's Center for Defense Journalism and managing editor
of the center's newsletter, Defense Media Review. |
Emotions run deep in the Middle East, perhaps deeper than anywhere else in the world. The question remains whether the new order arising from the ashes of the present conflict will bring deeper resentments and hatreds, or whether it will usher in a new era of peace and reconciliation. The United States will play an important role in shaping that future, as will other major powers with an interest in the region. What lies ahead for the Arab world, and how must the countries of the Middle East proceed from here?
In this month's forum, the conclusion of a two-part series, leading Arab academics discuss the impact of the Gulf War on the region, on Arab-Arab and Arab-Western relations, and on the role of Islam. Palestinian social scientist Mohammad Hallaj, religious studies professor Mahmoud Ayoub of Temple University, and Ibrahim Oweiss, professor of economics at Georgetown University, participated in the forum. Current Issues editor Laurie Burras moderated.
--The Editor
THE WORLD & I; What role, if any, should the United States now play in the Middle East?
Ibrahim Oweiss: There are certain aspects of dynamism in international relations. Countries move according to their national interests. Fifty years ago, if you had predicted that Europe would become one major economic power today, nobody world have thought this could happen.
Saddam Hussein, on the other hand, actually divided the Arab interests. Therefore there's no consensus on him among the Arab thinkers. Saddam's act of aggression against Kuwait actually shattered the dreams of Arab intellectuals for the fulfillment of an Arab unity.
I would reiterate that the United States must be fair and use the same yardstick and the same principles with all countries.
And again, the Arabs need a scientific revolution to build on the educational progress that has occurred. The transfer of technology would help a great deal in this regard, and it would also help the United States. It would be mutually advantageous because of the strategic centrality of the Arab world.
W&I: Instead of only pointing out that there are negatives from the war, can something positive come out of it, even
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