The Hypocrisy of Left-Wing Pan-Arab Ideology

[Haruun]

I engaged in a very intense but constructive debate today regarding Pan-Arab ideology and the greater leftist ideology in its scope in 2006. What my concern was, ultra left-wingers usually curse the West yet wish to immigrate there at the soonest chance they can get. The obvious and indisputable trend is that people in the world immigrate to Western countries while never wanting to immigrate to countries such as Saudi Arabia, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">North Korea</st1:country-region></st1:place>, etc.
<o:p> </o:p>
In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> there was upheaval regarding new laws banning the signs of any conspicuous religious symbols from public schools, mostly attributed to the head scarf. This was considered a form of discrimination and was condemned by so many yet we see similar, if not harsher laws in countries such as Saudi Arabia that enforce religious doctrine on people, “compelling” them while “compulsion in religion” is outlawed under the very same scripture the Saudi government claims/believes it is upholding.
<o:p> </o:p>
Also, many people never miss any opportunity to attack the West yet they fail to look within their own governments and people first and acknowledge the backwardness of our governments and societies. Is <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> responsible for the corruption? Lack of human rights? Discrimination of religious and ethnic minorities? Discrimination and the degradation of women? And the list can go on and on or are we always the “poor victims” of everything?
<o:p> </o:p>
When will people stop being so hypocritical and learn to acknowledge their own faults and work to fix their own homegrown problems before they attack and try to blame everyone else for their failures? How can we encourage introspection and to make people realize the extent of their hypocrisy?

[Kasparov]

As long as ignorance and religious fanatism exists, Arabs will remain that way, "al mawt le amreeca" from one side, and 1000's on US embassy to immigrate from the other side, 1000's live on American shows and movies, the Arabs are too arogant to admit that the US civilization today has many good things, not only bad as some people try to make us see.

[Motorcity]

I am sorry harun!
But I don't see the connection between "pan Arabism" & "Left-Wing Ideology" to the Hypocrisy you mentioned above!
Do they "curse" the west for its Economic development or for its past Colonial policies in this area!
You mentioned France in your example, France also provide generous examples of Leftist politics rather!

[Haruun]

Originally Posted by Kasparov

As long as ignorance and religious fanatism exists, Arabs will remain that way, "al mawt le amreeca" from one side, and 1000's on US embassy to immigrate from the other side, 1000's live on American shows and movies, the Arabs are too arogant to admit that the US civilization today has many good things, not only bad as some people try to make us see.

Very good points indeed. My point is not to merely attack "the left wing", "Pan-Arabists", etc. I have my leftist tendencies at times but it's the blind hatred and the obsession with their hate. I am not justifying nor ignoring the very bad things that 'the left" has to deal with as a result of the West but I am raising this issue because we are from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> and part of the great Middle Eastern region and this is the mentality that dominates here.

[Comrade Bassam]

Sorry if my question might seem weird, but how can a "Pan-Arab" (or Pan-whatever nation) be "Leftist" ?


Comrade Bassam

[Mey]

Haruun, I understand where are you coming from, however I believe you fell into a generalization.

First of all, Bassam is right, the more Left-Wing you are (and you mentioned ultra which makes me think of Communists), the farther you are from being a Pan-Arab because its against the Leftist ideology to be Pan a nation, because they believe that the whole world is one nation.

MotorCity also makes a point is that these people do no criticize the Western way of living as much as they criticize the colonial policies.

I always consider this subject sensitive when generalizing because I believe there are MANY and I mean MANY left winged people who know what the real problems are, there are many Pan-Arab people who understand how the Arab regimes are oppressing their people and do not fall into your category.

Left Winged people do not support Al-Baath, or love Saddam or Hafez Al Asad. Pan Arabs are not always the Baath, they don't support the Arab regimes who oppressed and killed and destroyed the ARAB people for their own interest.

You see we need to distinguish also the regimes from the people who are misled by those regimes from those people also who are against those hypocritic policies. Not every Left Winged person or a revolutionist, or a criticizer of the west is hypocritic.

Many of those Pan Arabs have live the disappointment that they faced from those dictator parties that claimed the cause of Arabism behind them and dragged the Arab people with them.

They killed their people's freedom in the name of Arabism, they destroyed the beautiful dreams that they once had. They transformed many of those people who strongly believed in Arabism in the past to Arab haters (many Lebanese are an example).

You see one can be Pan Arab and Left winged and yet be against old rusty regimes, and would want to build the nation on a free, democratic, and civilized basis. Yes people can be free, democratic, civilised and Pan-Arab or Left Wing for that matter, unlike the image that these regimes helped to draw for us.

Now again I understand where you are coming from, and I know in our world exists many hypocritic people who only see negative issues in the West but not in their own lands, but lets not generalize on whole ideologies because surely those hypocritic people do not represent the whole ideology, nor does this ideology in itself call for hypocrisy.

[Haruun]

Originally Posted by Comrade Bassam

Sorry if my question might seem weird, but how can a "Pan-Arab" (or Pan-whatever nation) be "Leftist" ?


Comrade Bassam

Meaning the two terms are practically intertwined in this context, Pan-Arab nationalism and leftist political ideology.

<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>Personally, I believe the Pan-Arab nationalism of the past decades, even just before the establishment of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> was a progressive cause, more like an “enlightenment” movement. Today however, I think it’s bankrupt and a complete failure and it’s obvious in the actions and results of every country in our region.

[Renegade]

left-wing pan arab is the event when failure meets backwardness

[Haruun]

Originally Posted by Mey

Haruun, I understand where are you coming from, however I believe you fell into a generalization.

First of all, Bassam is right, the more Left-Wing you are (and you mentioned ultra which makes me think of Communists), the farther you are from being a Pan-Arab because its against the Leftist ideology to be Pan a nation, because they believe that the whole world is one nation.

MotorCity also makes a point is that these people do no criticize the Western way of living as much as they criticize the colonial policies.

I always consider this subject sensitive when generalizing because I believe there are MANY and I mean MANY left winged people who know what the real problems are, there are many Pan-Arab people who understand how the Arab regimes are oppressing their people and do not fall into your category.

Left Winged people do not support Al-Baath, or love Saddam or Hafez Al Asad. Pan Arabs are not always the Baath, they don't support the Arab regimes who oppressed and killed and destroyed the ARAB people for their own interest.

You see we need to distinguish also the regimes from the people who are misled by those regimes from those people also who are against those hypocritic policies. Not every Left Winged person or a revolutionist, or a criticizer of the west is hypocritic.

Many of those Pan Arabs have live the disappointment that they faced from those dictator parties that claimed the cause of Arabism behind them and dragged the Arab people with them.

They killed their people's freedom in the name of Arabism, they destroyed the beautiful dreams that they once had. They transformed many of those people who strongly believed in Arabism in the past to Arab haters (many Lebanese are an example).

You see one can be Pan Arab and Left winged and yet be against old rusty regimes, and would want to build the nation on a free, democratic, and civilized basis. Yes people can be free, democratic, civilised and Pan-Arab or Left Wing for that matter, unlike the image that these regimes helped to draw for us.

Now again I understand where you are coming from, and I know in our world exists many hypocritic people who only see negative issues in the West but not in their own lands, but lets not generalize on whole ideologies because surely those hypocritic people do not represent the whole ideology, nor does this ideology in itself call for hypocrisy.

The aim of my thread was to tackle the hypocrisy and the dangerous reality of subscribing to certain elements of this mentality/ideology. However, after reading your post I understand and acknowledge that I am essentially referring to “trends” within these greater movements and ultimately, I should stay clear of generalizations. I agree with you though and the last of my intentions was to give off the impression of being a right-wing extremist, on the contrary, I would consider myself at times more left than right but ideally, I’m certainly a centrist.

[Renegade]

the left are left behind with obsolete ideologies
globalisation shifted the spectrum clearly towards what was previously called the right
and all the EX-left wing are becoming "centrist" (shy to say they are liberals)