It’s most likely true to say that almost all Arabs sympathise with the folks of Ukraine within the face of Russia’s invasion of their nation. That is due largely to Russian help for Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal regime in Syria, and the innate sympathy with nations invaded by main powers, not least as a result of Arab states have been among the many most invaded and occupied over many many years.
Such sympathy is comprehensible, however it’s being examined by the racism and double requirements of Western journalists and politicians. When former Egyptian footballer Mohamed Aboutrika for instance, was punished for exposing his t-shirt with “Sympathise with Gaza” written on it when he scored a purpose, it was reported to have been in opposition to FIFA’s guidelines about mixing sport and politics. The Western media, nevertheless, celebrated the truth that Manchester Metropolis and Everton gamers donned the Ukrainian flag at their match on the weekend.
Political and media statements have been worse in describing the ache of Ukrainian refugees as a result of they’re “civilised” and “white, with blue eyes and blond hair”, and are usually not from “undeveloped and uncivilised” nations like Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s the view of a couple of Western journalist and politician, however such statements haven’t been challenged by studio anchors.
Furthermore, the Western media hasn’t coated the sort of incidents that may have made the headlines if they’d taken place within the Center East: the prevention of African refugees attempting to crossing the borders as simply as white Ukrainians; and the hindering of Indian refugees as a result of their authorities didn’t vote to sentence Russia within the UN Safety Council. Even the previous British colonial tactic of smearing pig fats on weapons and bullets is claimed to have been adopted by the Ukrainian military earlier than utilizing them in opposition to Muslim Chechen troopers within the Russian military.
Western nations and their “liberal” media have welcomed the Ukrainian resistance and backed European residents who volunteer to struggle in opposition to Russia. These are the identical nations and the identical media that describe anybody who resists the Israeli occupation and tyranny within the Center East as a terrorist or potential terrorist. Even these giving humanitarian support to the Palestinians are thus branded by Israel and its allies.
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Such contradictions have angered Arab, Muslim and Center East observers who’ve made comparisons with such hypocritical positions which have uncovered for all to see the reality of the Orientalist views nonetheless held by the West. Furthermore, we now know — if we must be reminded — of the injustice on this world by the hands of those that proclaim the prevalence of democratic values, equal rights and worldwide regulation, all of that are clearly utilized subjectively.
It is extremely apparent now that people and states pay lip service to equality and equal rights. As an alternative, they sympathise extra with those that share their cultural, spiritual and historic house. There ought to, due to this fact, be no shock about Western help for Ukraine; it’s regular, and to be anticipated. Nevertheless, it isn’t regular for the West to show its prejudices so blatantly whereas lecturing the remainder of us about “common values”, “justice for all” and different slogans. The West has the correct to be affected by the victims in Ukraine greater than the victims of Western aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, however please cease lecturing us about ethics and values. The West has no proper to say the ethical excessive floor in Ukraine or anyplace else.
We Arabs should additionally look within the mirror, and blame our governments that don’t act in line with the innate logic of “every to his personal”. Whereas Europe opens its doorways to Ukrainian refugees, Arab nations have failed the Syrian refugees, except for Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt; the latter to some extent in the course of the period of the late President Mohamed Morsi. Non-Arab Turkey stays a beacon within the area of the best way to cope with Arab refugees. However, Syrian refugees in Lebanon endure badly from racism, whereas Egypt does not supply the sort of rights and privileges to Syrian refugees that the Ukrainians are getting in Europe.
The Ukraine disaster has uncovered the truth that folks’s actual emotions and real behaviour tends to be revealed in instances of hardship. It took simply 5 days of warfare in Ukraine to check Western sincerity about justice, morality and common values. What issues me about that is that Arab neo-liberalism has accomplished every part however worship Western values within the rush to undertake them. What Russia’s invasion of Ukraine tells me is that the alienated Arabs ashamed of their tradition needs to be ashamed of themselves, not their Arab background. These 5 days revealed extra European inconsistencies than have been uncovered by seven many years of defeats inflicted on the Arabs, with Western participation, from the occupation of Palestine to the occupation of Iraq, in addition to Western help for tyrants and dictators within the area.
We’re all usually the product of our crises, obsessions and issues. This is applicable to Westerners, Arabs and others world wide. It’s pure for Europeans to sympathise with the reason for a European nation with which they share a historical past, geography and religion. Nevertheless, we Arabs even have the correct to view world points by the lens of our struggles and points. It’s stunning, due to this fact (or not, given the extent of Arab neo-liberalism), that some Arab commentators discover it an excessive amount of to recollect our tragedies, our points and our victims within the midst of the Ukrainian warfare. It’s logical for us to have a look at Ukraine’s refugee disaster and examine it with how the world has handled Arab refugees through the years. Certainly, it’s pure for us to keep in mind that it has been the West’s actions and help which created most of the refugees within the first place. Arabs are completely justified in mentioning the Israeli occupation of Palestine in the identical breath because the Russian occupation of Ukraine. Arab remembrance of their very own victims doesn’t detract from their sympathy for the Ukrainians.
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There are not any advantages or benefits in warfare — any warfare — as a result of it’s all the time the poor, the harmless and the weak who pay the largest worth. Nevertheless, warfare provides us the chance to check historical past, present affairs and future potentialities. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has, in only a few days, taught us some vital classes about how the West actually views Arabs, Muslims and different Center Easterners, together with Arab Christians. It also needs to have taught us that it’s essential to sympathise with the victims, no matter their race, gender or faith, whereas not forgetting our personal victims, whether or not the guardians of the “common values” fantasy prefer it or not.
This text first appeared in Arabic in Arabi21 on 01 March 2022 and was translated and edited for MEMO
The views expressed on this article belong to the creator and don’t essentially mirror the editorial coverage of Center East Monitor.
