Panelists discuss democracy in the Middle East

Over 100 people attended the panel discussion "Prospects for Democracy in the Middle East" on Wednesday evening. Held in Hodson Hall, the event was sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Symposium.

Panelists included Dr. Christopher Preble, director of foreign policy studies at the libertarian think-tank the Cato Institute; Salameh Nematt, Washington Bureau Chief of the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat; and Barry Rubin, author of The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East.

Rubin discussed reformist movements in Arab states, comparing the political situation in the Middle East to a clash between the elephants of Arab nationalism and Islamism, with liberalism a mouse standing helplessly by. According to Rubin, Arab liberals will have to decide, "Should they take sides with one of the elephants?"

"The reform movements have a tremendous task. It's a very difficult task," Rubin said.

The reformist movements are further hampered by the existing regimes' exploitation of "trump cards:" issues like Islam, the United States and rights for women, which can be relied upon to rally Arab populations around their governments.

Rubin advised the audience not to expect the Middle East's political situation to improve too rapidly, pointing out that democracy had taken over 100 years to develop in France and about 800 in England.

"Sometimes things take a long time," Rubin said.

Nematt, who spoke next, attributed political turmoil in Arab states to Western interference and corrupt rulers.

"[Ruling Arab families] were thinking of how to please their masters in the West and stay in power despite the wishes of their own people," Nematt said.

"You have to dispel the idea that Islam is incompatible with democracy," Nematt said, because there have historically been parliamentary systems in Muslim nations.

According to Nematt, around 60 percent of Middle Eastern Muslims constitute a "silent majority" in favor of liberalism.

But in order for democratization to occur, "We need to have the West, led by the U.S., to being disengagement with [sic] these corrupt regimes. They've played the West in their favor for so many years and they think they can keep playing it," Nematt said.

For Nematt, it is important that the West pay attention to Middle Eastern politics.

"If you don't go to the problem the problem will come to you like it did on 9/11," Nematt said.

Preble read parts of his comments from a prepared script. He emphatically rejected the idea that Arabs might be fundamentally incapable of democracy.

"The suggestion smacks of bigotry and racism, which all Americans, all people, should oppose," Preble said.

Like Nematt, Preble criticized outside interference in the Middle East: "People don't like being bossed around. They particularly don't like being bossed around by foreigners."

Urging patience and forbearance, Preble insisted, "The idea that the U.S. can accelerate this process [democratization] is based on a fatal conceit."

Graduate student Dawn Timmons came to the Symposium to fulfill a requirement. "It sounds like an interesting topic area," she said. "You always come away knowing a little more about the topic."