Why do they hate us? Because of our total apathy towards history

[undeterred]

by Sandy Shanks - Aljazeera
Sunday 05 June 2005, 14:55 Makka Time, 11:55 GMT

Why do they hate us so? That question was asked by many Americans after 11 September 2001. The query is based entirely on ignorance, which, by itself, is a result of a chronic American fault - a near total apathy towards history. The vast majority of Americans are clueless regarding the past of faraway lands as well as their own. That is highly dangerous in so much as we share this planet with other ethnicities, and historical illiteracy breeds misunderstanding.

George Santayana wrote: "Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it," or words to that effect, and many believe him, allowing the caveat that the principle also applies to those who never learned history in the first place. Subsequently, during the agony known as the Iraq war, it becomes easy to be fixed totally on the present - the present being defined as that era beginning 19 March 2003, to now - and that is folly.

Noting that awareness of the past is a two-edged sword, meaning it is incumbent upon Arabs to learn as much as they can about the West, the fact remains that since the fall of the Arab empire in the 11th century, Arabs have not been in control of their own destiny, and, to a large extent, that condition exists today, Bush's attack on Iraq being a case in point.

snip

Does more than 900 years of foreign domination, the lion's share of it by Western powers, justify atrocities? Emphatically no. There is no purpose served by killing 25 people and wounding 50 others at a funeral...However, centuries of Western domination are kind of hard to forget and that will remove any holier-than-thou attitude American negotiators may have. Once a man's grievance is recognised, that can go a long way towards understanding.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/64584808-10C2-4CCF-80F2-82E0631B1C27.htm

[Behind the Aegis]

1. He couldn't resist.

Amazing! I read the entire article, and, as usual, Israel's creation and existence is given as a reason for modern Arab terrorism! The analogy he uses is BULLSHIT! It is unadulterated, ANTI-SEMITIC CRAP! Talk about not knowing history!

[undeterred]

2. I would expect nothing less to be published in Aljazeera

but I thought his central argument about American apathy towards history- their history and the history of our relationship to the Arab world- is right on target.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. I agree with you.

There were some valid points. The idea that everyone in the world wants democracy, especially like ours, has been one of our biggest failings. I just get sick and tired of people saying that the very creation and existence of Israel is the reason for the birth of modern terrorism and think it is ISRAEL'S fault! That's twisted, hateful thinking.

[Igel]

4. It's a good thing that we have great apathy towards history.

Otherwise we might be tempted to defend it again unwarranted assaults.

On edit:
My quip was to say that the view of the helpless, never-in-charge-of-own-territory Arab is a self-serving fantasy. The Ottomans were hardly in charge of large swaths of Arabia and North Africa for extended periods, during which time Europe was hardly in a position to do much about it. The first treaty the US entered into was not with Europe, or the Ottoman Empire, but arguably with people that would be claimed as Arabs. It is true that Lebanon, Syria, even Iraq were usually under sway by non-Arabs, as though that was an important point for much of the time.

However, many of the peoples in the Balkans were in the same boat; what's worse, they were not only governed by non-Slavs/Greeks/..., but also by people of different religion, and who had as the basis for their laws a different tradition. Yet we seldom see this offered as a defense of the Serbs, nor do we need much of a defense for the actions of the Bulgarians.

[libodem]

5. I think everyone asked themselves why....

after 9/11. Why, do they hate us and what did we do. Why, the WTC?What has trade got to do with it? What did we do? Why this particular, Government? Oh, they try to share it with, Clinton, and make him a little responsible too, but I think the attack was quite personal. I think by the very nature of who these people are threatens our country. And, blaming everything on, Israel, and Palestine, as the whole reason for Muslim, disdain for western values, is like peeking through a keyhole. I linked to Osama's letter to the west, onetime. It was confusing, and I knew we could never all become Muslims, but some of the other considerations were enlightening.

[undeterred]

6. The official responses- 'go shopping' and 'they hate us for our freedom'

are incoherent. They hate us for our policies, for our arrogance, for our inability to see ourselves as anything other than a 'superpower' whose land and lives are worth more than everyone else's.

Osama is not the raving lunatic that he was made out to be. I read his letter that was published at the time of the election and - he is a lot more coherent and honest than Bush.

[CJCRANE]

7. "They" is misleading...

because the number of "they" (anti-American or anti-administration people) and who "they" are varies over time.

However, I think the Iraq invasion (and other recent heavy-handed policies) has dramatically increased the number and diversity of "they".