Saudi says A-rabs cop out by blaming U.S. Unable to examine themselves because criticism equated with defamation.

In a scathing critique, a Saudi writer charged A-rab media largely avoids serious critique of A-rab society and instead takes the easy way out by simply cursing the United States.

“A-rab writers and columnists have a tendency to affirm populist notions, whether they’re good, bad, factual or false,” wrote Abdul Rahman Al-Habib of the Saudi daily Al-Watan in the English-language A-rab News, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

The A-rab media writes “what people want to hear,” he said, and invariably end up with a common scapegoat.

“If a columnist runs out of ideas, there’s always one ace in the deck, one thing that is bound to get a cheer from the choir. It’s almost too easy. Out of ideas for the day? Simply write an article cursing the United States of America! That’s an easy way to earn a day’s pay.”

The problem here is a lack of understanding about the process of criticism,” he said. “Our society is one that lacks dialogue and rejects the mere concept of criticism. There is a severe lack of understanding behind criticism as an application. In our society, criticism is a synonym for defamation.”
Al-Habib said that when “something tragic happens, such as an act of terrorism against the West that is committed by one of our children, our ‘critics’ end up falling back into the trap of painting complex conspiracy theories that depict us as the victims.”

When it comes to assessing why A-rabs and Muzlims are behind in development, the answer always is “because of the West and its agents.”

“… When we ask ourselves why the West is developed and advanced, the answer is always satisfactory: because the West stole the sciences of our ancestors and they are still plundering us to advance themselves!

“Can you find prettier, more populist answers than this?”

It is one thing to give criticism. It is a whole different reality to be able to receive it. But, as we know, people who give criticism also have to be prepared to receive it.
How well do you receive and handle criticism?

Does the criticism even have a grain of truth in it…
Do you take criticism “personally” and respond defensively.
Are you capable of re-examining your position and your actions?
Are you flexible enough to make some adjustments?

Healthy relationships among individuals as well as countries must be capable of carefully assessing what is being said to them…making sometimes necessary corrections and moving on.
They can then proceed … with the relationship intact.

If an entire people allow for no criticism of their ideology or behavior…..a relationship is rendered ..well…impossible.

123 beta has open trackbacks for the weekend.
Free Constitution has open trackbacks this weekend.
Stop the ACLU has some holiday funnies.
Michelle Malkin has her usual intelligent commentaries and up to the moment news.
The Real Ugly American has an interview for us to look foward to!

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 16th, 2006 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Politix. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.