Learning to Think like an Arab Muslim: a
Short Guide to Understanding the Arab Mentality
By
Edward V. Badolato, Executive Vice President for Homeland Security
Washington DC 20006
edward.badolato@shawgrp.com
Phone 202.261.1910
Fax 202.261.1949
Dealing with terrorism, especially
Islamic Fundamentalists, requires an intimate knowledge of terrorism, terrorist
operations, and especially the key cultural features that makes up the Arab
psyche. An understanding and detailed background
knowledge of the Arab mentality is critical to performing accurate threat
analysis. Understanding Arab culture can
provide valuable insights into the changing nature of Post 9-11 terrorism, and
how to rank and prioritize potential threats.
To outsmart our clever and elusive Islamic terrorist foes, one must
first understand what makes him tick.
This paper is bases on years of experience in the
INTRODUCTION
The
Arabs are a proud and sensitive people whose culture is mainly derived from
three key factors: family, language, and religion. No adequate understanding of
Arab culture is possible without first examining these three major elements and
the pervading impact they have had on their culture. Cultural understanding by
Americans of the Arabs is especially important at present because it can
provide a basis for our own interactive behavior with them as well as a basis
for interpreting their actions.
The
Arab's cultural system has proven functionally useful in the
To
begin to understand the Arabs, one must first understand the major factors
influencing Arab culture: family, language and religion. The kinship
characteristic includes a set of group dynamics that are built around the
family. Their language exerts tremendous influence on their personal
interaction and emotional tenor. Their religion, Islam, is an ultimate
expression of the idealism of the Arab. Any discussion of Arab culture must
also include their dominant cultural concerns, such as continuation of the
close knit family. Loss of their Arab identity, the corruption of youth, the
incursion of the West, and the issue of Islamic fundamentalism.
The 'Five Pillars' of Islam
are the foundation of Muslim life:
1.
Faith or belief
in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet hood of Muhammad;
2.
Establishment of
the daily prayers;
3.
Concern for and
almsgiving to the needy;
4.
Self-purification
through fasting; and
5.
The pilgrimage to
Imam or Faith
To a Muslim there is none worthy of worship except God
and Muhammad is the messenger of God. This declaration of faith is called the shahadah, a simple formula that all the
faithful pronounce. The significance of this declaration is the belief that the
only purpose of life is to serve and obey God, and this is achieved through the
teachings and practices of the Last Prophet, Muhammad.
Salah or Prayer
Salah is the name for the obligatory prayers that are
performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and
God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam and there are no priests.
Prayers are led by
a learned person who knows the Qur'an and is generally chosen by the congregation.
Prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon,
sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. These
five prescribed prayers contain verses from the Qur'an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation.
Personal supplications, however, can be offered in one's own language and at
any time.
Although it is preferable to worship together in a
mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices,
factories and universities. Oftentimes visitors to the Muslim world are struck
by the centrality of prayers in daily life.
A
translation of the Adan or Call to
Prayer is:
God is Great.
God is
Great.
God is
Great.
God is
Great.
I
testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I
testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I
testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify
that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to
prayer!
Come to
prayer!
Come to
success!
Come to
success!
God is
Great!
God is
Great!
There
is none worthy of worship except God.
Zakah. The
financial obligation upon Muslims.
An important principle of Islam is that everything
belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The
word zakah means both "purification" and "growth." Our
possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and
for the society in general. Like the pruning of plants, this cutting back
balances and encourages new growth.
Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah
individually. This involves the annual payment of a fortieth of one's capital,
excluding such items as primary residence, car and professional tools.
An individual may also give as much as he or she
pleases as sadaqah, and does so
preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as "voluntary
charity" it has a wider meaning.
The Prophet said, "Even meeting your brother with
a cheerful face is an act of charity." The Prophet also said:
"Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What
if a person has nothing?" The Prophet replied: "He should work with
his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in
charity." The Companions of the Prophet asked: "What if he is not
able to work?" The Prophet said: "He should help the poor and
needy." The Companions further asked: "What if he cannot do even that?"
The Prophet said: "He should urge others to do good." The Companions
said: "What if he lacks that also?" The Prophet said: "He should
check himself from doing evil. That is also an act of charity."
Sawm or Fasting
Every
year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown--abstaining
from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses.
Those
who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are menstruating,
pregnant or nursing, are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal
number of days later in the year if they are healthy and
able.
Children begin to fast (and to observe prayers) from puberty, although many
start earlier.
Although
fasting is beneficial to health, it is mainly a method of self-purification and
self-restraint. By cutting oneself from worldly comforts, even for a short
time, a fasting person focuses on his or her purpose in life by constantly
being aware of the presence of God.
God
states in the Qur'an: "O you who
believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you
that you may learn self-restraint." (Qur'an
2:183)
Hajj or
Pilgrimage
The
pilgrimage to
The
annual hajj begins in the twelfth
month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in
summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments
that strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal
before God.
The
rites of the hajj, which are of
Abrahamic origin, include going around the Ka'bah seven times, and going seven
times between the hills of Safa and Marwa as did Hagar (Hajir, Abraham's wife)
during her search for water. The pilgrims later stand together on the wide
plains of 'Arafat (a large expanse of desert outside
The
close of the hajj is marked by a
festival, the 'Id al Adha, which is celebrated
with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This
and the 'Id al Fitr, a festive day
celebrating the end of Ramadan, are two key holidays of the Islamic calendar.
MAJOR FACTORS OF ARAB BEHAVIOR
The Family.
The first major factor overshadowing all other
societal demands of an Arab is that of family and kin.
The family is the foundation of Islamic society. The
peace and security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued and seen
as essential for the spiritual growth of its members. A harmonious social order
is created by the existence of extended families; children are treasured and
rarely leave home until the time they marry.
Parents are greatly respected in the Islamic
tradition. Mothers are particularly honored: the Qur'an teaches that since mothers suffer during pregnancy,
childbirth, and child rearing, they deserve a special consideration and
kindness.
It is stated in the Qur'an: "And we have enjoined upon man (to be good) to his
parents. With difficulty upon difficulty did his mother bear him and wean him
for two years. Show gratitude to Me and to your parents; to Me is your final goal."
(Qur'an 31:14)
A Muslim marriage is both a sacred act and a legal
agreement, in which either partner is free to include legitimate conditions. As
a result, divorce, although entirely uncommon, is permitted only as a last
resort. Marriage customs vary widely from country to country.
An Arab's concept of the world has occasionally been
described as a series of seven concentric circles with the individual Arab at
the center. He is surrounded by the circle of his immediate family, and outside
that circle is his extended family or tribe. Next are his immediate geographic
region and then his country. Outside of his country ring is the rest of the
Arab world; then the rest of the Muslim world, the "Dar al Islam," or the area of Muslim peace and stability.
Outside this ring is the rest of the world viewed by the Arab as the "Dar al Harb" or war area.
The principal means of reinforcing familial
relationships is through marriage. Arab marriage patterns are usually within
their own family group with the most desired partners being cousins. One of the
long-term results of this custom has been the development of a highly organized
social structure among a closely-knit family. Even with extended family
members, the goals of family well being and honor are principal considerations.
The style of Arab parenting is responsible for much of
their behavioral traits according to the noted Arab cultural expert, Dr.
Raphael Patai who claims that Arab children have difficulty establishing a
predictable pattern arid a differentiation between love and discipline. This
fluctuation between a loving mother and stern disciplinarian father can add to
the complexity of growing up and often fosters schizoid personality traits. Many
Arabists have commented on the rapid change of Arab emotions and reasoning.
Lawrence of Arabia spoke of this when he said that the Arabs view
"everything black or white with no middle ground." This roller
coaster type of behavior is often demonstrated by cool self‑control followed
by uncontrolled public outbursts of emotion. This also illustrates the ease
with which a crowd can become violent in the Arab world. No doubt, tightly
controlled families, closeness of living space and intense family pressures
contribute to another important Arab behavioral trait stemming from group
dynamics. That trait is conflict.
CONFLICT
Arab behavior has a propensity for conflict.
The Muslim community expanded rapidly after the
Prophet's death. Within a few decades, the territory under Muslim rule had
extended onto three continents--
Reasons for Arab conflict may lie again with the
family where competitiveness is instilled at an early age, and life generally
exists under various forms of intense pressure. An old Arab saying aptly
describes the competitive, hostile spirit bred into Arab children:
"I
against my brother, my brother and I against our cousins, my brother, my
cousins and I against the world."
Another probable cause of this intense conflict is
Arab history itself, which has been dominated by warfare, domestic upheaval and
struggles against invasions from outside the Arab world. The legacy of this
history is a basic, almost visceral mistrust of‑ any outside group, or
more specifically, any Western state whose true ultimate intentions cannot
readily be determined, but which they feel will most likely be bad for the
Arabs.
There are many other internal sources of conflict in
the
Also economically, the conflict over scarce resources
now continues with oil, land, water, and mineral rights taking the place of
food, (although still strategically important in some countries), and caravan
routes. Today's ideological conflicts often place the progressive socialists (
When asked why the more recent Iran‑Iraq war
began, one Arab historian noted that it really began at the battle of Qaddisiya
over a thousand years ago when Mohammed's son‑in‑law, Ali, was
defeated by the forerunners of today's Sunni Arabs. Viewed from this perspective,
even the Christian‑Muslim struggle in
In dealing with Arabs, consideration must always be
given to their patterned behavior for dealing with potential conflict.
Especially in military affairs, the undercurrents of traditional conflict can
limit the number of options available to a decision maker and limit his overall
capability to correct a problem. Historically, this has been evident in the
difficulty in making and maintaining Middle Eastern alliances. Suspicion of a
traditional enemy's territorial ambitions die hard, and international troop
movements to shore up Arab allies or as part of a peacekeeping force are usually
very difficult because of the fear that the visiting soldiers may be used
against the host government or that they will be very reluctant to leave.
Likewise, new pacts on military agreements with western foreign powers are
initially viewed negatively by an Arab state's neighbors because of the
potential impact on inter‑Arab affairs as well as a xenophobic fear of
the West. Experience has shown that it is fairly unusual for an Arab state to
enter into an agreement with an outside power without first consulting with its
neighbors to allay their fears about a potential change in the local balance of
power and to forestall potential conflict.
Because conflict appears to be such a normal
behavioral characteristic in Arab group dynamics at the individual. group or
even international levels, it seems reasonable that the Arabs would have
developed a traditional means of settling their differences--and they have.
Over the centuries they have developed a ritualized. form of mediation for
dealing with conflict. A study of Arab history, and even present day events.
points out that the traditional methods of mediation have been used time and
time again. In large scale hostilities the mediation may at times seem ineffective
to a Westerner, but it does serve several purposes. It interrupts the fighting,
lets cooler heads prevail and gives each side an honorable way out of the quarrel.
The methodology is essentially the same for a small
personal quarrel or a war. It is arranged around a mediator who plays a
specific role. The mediator or wasit
is usually a man (or country) of personality, status, respect, wealth and
influence with both sides. Picking or persuading the perfect mediator is
obviously the sine qua non of successfully mediating a conflict. Traditionally
it has been the rule that a mediator meets with much greater success if he is a
man of prestige. Custom requires that the steps in mediation follow a specific
pattern: separate the fighting parties, make it physically impossible to
continue the fighting, arrange a solution which will not cause a loss of face
or honor to either side, and then guarantee the restitution or final agreement.
There are numerous examples of conflict mediation in the Arab world from the
personal to the international level. They are all ritualized and it appears
that the major difficulty lies in getting the right mediator at the outset. A
lesson the
CROWD MENTALITY
In the Arab world there is little stigma placed on the
loss of self control and what westerners would consider hysterical public
outbursts of emotion. This is a particularly frequent factor in group dynamics,
and it is often demonstrated by the way in which a crowd can suddenly give way
to outbursts of anger and violence. Reasons given for this generally lead back
to the Arab family--closeness, competitiveness and conflict. Also, some cause
might be related to the Arab means of vocal expression where they routinely
express themselves by shouting, often accompanied by angry gestures in the
marketplace, when correcting children, at funerals, etc. Opportunities for
emotional outpourings are frequent in an Arab's daily life, and with the
impetus of crowd mentality, these emotions are likely to break loose with chain
reactions.
An Arab crowd is high strung emotionally, and violent
crowds are a frequent occurrence during periods of stress and crisis. Deaths of
national leaders, political rallies, anti‑western rallies, etc., all
qualify as reasons for Arab disorders. There can even be less serious reasons,
for example in
EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF THE ARABIC LANGUAGE
Arab Emotions and Hyperbole.
The second major factor influencing Arab culture is
language. The Arabs place a high value on the Arabic language, and it exerts an
overpowering psychological influence over their behavior. Arabic scholars have
long known that even though most languages are influenced by the culture and
people who speak it‑, Arabic has an influence over the psychology and
culture of the people who use it. "English cannot even challenge Arabic
for its sheer power and ability to impact on the emotions of the
listener," according to the noted Arab‑‑American historian, P.
K. Hitti who also states that "no people in the world has such
enthusiastic admiration for literary expression and is so moved by the word,
spoken or written."
Not only are the listeners moved, but Arabic has an
impact on speakers as well. Orators are prone to be carried away in verbal
exaggeration when speaking before an audience. This exaggeration is called mubalagha in Arabic, but it is not
considered to be a derogatory term by the Arabs. Rather it is considered to be an admirable
capacity for oratorical eloquence. A key point in understanding Arab hyperbole
is that their mentality finds nothing wrong with eloquent exaggeration because
they feel that words really shouldn't be taken at all times at their face
value. The Arab Scholar, Edward Atiyah, supports this by his comment that Arabs
as a people are swayed "more by ideas than by facts." The mastery of
a rich rhythmic vocabulary with lyrical phrases is a highly valued oral skill
which is often attained even by illiterates.
It is an understatement to say that the Arabs merely
value their language, for it is a most beloved possession. One reason for their
love affair with Arabic is the melodious pleasure derived from hearing and
saying certain traditional words and patterns of words derived from its rich
literary heritage. But probably the most important underlying reason for their
love of Arabic is the Qur'an and the
belief that this holy book, set forth in Arabic, is an expression of man's
highest earthly linguistic achievement.
Understanding the Arab's love of Arabic makes it
easier to comprehend that speakers are admired, not so much for what they say,
but how they say it. For example,
EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF THE ARABIC LANGUAGE
Arab Emotions and Hyperbole.
The second major factor influencing Arab culture is
language. The Arabs place a high value on the Arabic language‑, and it
exerts an overpowering psychological influence over their behavior. Arabic
scholars have long known that even though most languages are influenced by the
culture and people who speak it‑, Arabic has an influence over the psychology
and culture of the people who use it. "English cannot even challenge
Arabic for its sheer power and ability to impact on the emotions of the
listener," according to the noted Arab‑‑American historian, P.
K. Hitti, who also states that "no people in the world has such
enthusiastic admiration for literary expression and is so moved by the word, spoken
or written."
Not only are the listeners moved, but Arabic has an
impact on speakers as well. Orators are prone to be carried away in verbal
exaggeration when speaking before an audience.
One should never underestimate the behavioral impact
that the Arabic language has on the Arab people. Its psychological influence
lies in three main areas: general vagueness of thought; overemphasis on words
at the expense of their meanings and stereotyped emotional vocal responses to specific
situations. The most difficult of these behavioral influences for Americans to
understand is overemphasis and exaggeration. There are numerous examples of how
exaggeration and emphatic overemphasis can lead Arab speakers down the path to
outlandish public statements. For example, Patai tells the amusing story of the
A‑‑bomb made by a Syrian tinsmith: "On the eve of the 1948
Israeli War of Independence, Musa Alami. a well known Palestinian leader was
attempting to gain support in various Arab capitals. In Damascus the President
of Syria told him: "I am happy to tell you that our Army and its equipment
are of the highest order and we'll be able to deal with a few Jews; and I can
tell you in confidence that we even have an atomic bomb ... yes it was made
locally; we fortunately found a clever fellow, a tinsmith..."
Most Arabic scholars feel that this mubalagha as well
as tawkid (assertion) is almost a linguistic game played between speaker and
listener. In his article on the influence of language on Arab psychology, the
Arab scholar, Dr. Edward Shouby, comments on mubalagha and tawkid, and his
words are worth remembering:
"Arabs are forced to over‑assert and
exaggerate in almost all types of communications, as otherwise they stand a
good chance of being gravely misunderstood. If an Arab says exactly what he
means without the expected exaggeration, other Arabs may think that he means
the opposite. This fact leads to misunderstandings on the part of non‑Arabs
who do not realize that the Arab is merely following a linguistic
tradition."
Shouby's comments emphasize the important concept that
the average Arab uses exaggeration and overemphasis without even being aware
that he is doing it. It is very difficult for an Arab to make a simple
statement of fact. For this reason it usually pays to be cautious about
focusing on exact translations of Arabic statements such as the long rambling
tirades of Gadhafi from which the emotional and inflammatory mubalagha
statements are usually quoted directly by the Western press
There is also a bit of wish fulfillment in Arab
exaggeration. They at times can have such a strong desire for an event to take
place that they make a statement that confuses the desired action with an
accomplished fact. The general vagueness of thought and ambiguous structure of
the Arabic language itself also contributes to this tendency to exaggerate and
substitute words for action. For example, in sentences expressing wishes such
as Wallahi la fa' altu which can be literally translated "By Allah, I did
not do (it) , can actually mean "By Allah I shall not do (it)."
Another example is the word phrase badrab which literally translates "I
want to beat," but actually means "I shall beat." This
linguistic subtlety between desired actions and accomplished fact should be
considered when listening to the emphatic statements of Arabs. It is obvious that time and action can have
very subtle connotations in the translation of Arabic. Westerners should be wary of this.
ISLAM
Arab idealism as expressed through Islam is a
dominant cultural feature.
Based on its linguistic origin, the Arabic word
'Islam' means to achieve peace--peace with God, peace within oneself, and peace
with the creations of God through submission to God and commitment to His guidance.
Islam is not a new religion but the final culmination
and fulfillment of the same basic truth that God revealed through all His
prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is not
just a personal religion but a complete way of living.
Over a billion people from all races, nationalities
and cultures across the globe are Muslim--from the rice farms of
The Islamic religion has always been a source of law
and sociopolitical ideology, and from past to present,
As Muslim civilization developed, it absorbed the
heritage of ancient civilizations like
Over the years, Arab philosophers have attempted to
rationalize and legitimatize their ideals in terms compatible with Islamic
idealism. The Islamic scholar. W. Cantwell Smith, has aptly described the
Muslim's almost quixotic loyalty to the Islamic ideal as "a passionate but
rational pursuit of that social justice that was once the dominant note of the
faith and the dominant goal of its forms and institutions." The idealism
of Islam can be viewed as the ultimate set of personal rules for Arab behavior,
and it provides an all encompassing code of interpersonal relations. This code
is embodied in the Shari'a which is a
sacred body of Islamic law derived from the Qur'an The Shari’a dominates all
aspects of life and society in a way that is almost incomprehensible to an
American.
The Qur'an
is the very word of God, Almighty. A complete record of the exact words
revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur'an
was memorized by Muhammad and his followers, dictated to his companions, and
written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during the Prophet's lifetime.
Not one word of its 114 surahs (parts or chapters) has been changed over the
centuries. The Qur'an is in every detail
the same unique text that was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.
The Qur'an
is the principal source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all
subjects that concern us as human beings, including wisdom, doctrine, worship
and law; but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures.
At the same time, the Qur'an provides
guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and equitable economic principles. For example, it encompasses how they run
their government, their legal courts, their schools, their businesses, their
social life, and their religion. It has been described as being as totally
encompassing. It is as if one single
document contained our constitution, our legal code, national education policy,
business practices, inter‑personal etiquette, and the Bible.
Some might argue that Islam is another means developed
by Arab culture as a way to cope with and forestall the Arab's basic behavioral
tendency towards conflict. Nonetheless, Islam is interwoven with Arab culture
and its rules give a distinctive pattern to the Arab's daily life. Various
verses of the Qur'an symbolize this acceptance by man of God's pattern. The
Arab doesn't always live in a tight patterned world of justice and order, but
as Smith says: "he tries".
It is this mixture of Islam and Arabism which provides
an interesting combination of many prized elements of Arab culture. Pride and
sensitivity, the ideal of manly virtue, the Arabic language, dignity, and the
all important concept of honor are all interwoven between Islam and Arabism. it
is these valued ideals which hold Arab society together. Consider that Arab
society, like most societies, has common loyalties and traditions. Yet, in the
Muslim world there is an additional system based on personal conviction with a
carefully worked out system of values and beliefs based on Islam as the common
ideal. In a very real sense the Arab community is a living example of a
religious ideal with "religious" being used in a truly personal
sense.
THE BEDOUIN
Even though the nomadic bedouins presently make up a
very small portion of the Arab population, they have always been considered the
"Arabs par excellence" and the repository of traditional Arab culture
and values. The bedouin ethic is thought to be the ideal moral code by most
Arabs. The code of the bedouin is simple: it is essentially based on courage,
hospitality, honor, generosity and self‑respect. These simple but
admirable virtues make up the basic code of the desert which is admired as an
ideal by all Arabs. In fact, tracing one's lineage to bedouin stock has been
considered a claim to social status for many Arab leaders. For example, in
Some motivation for this could be attributed to a form
of nostalgia for a better time, when life was simpler and more manageable, such
as it was with the nomadic bedouins. It must be emphasized here that most
bedouin traits are derived from honor, dignity and self‑respect, and an
American would heed well the importance of these to an Arab. Honor (sharaf) has
been highly valued since early Arab history because it was conducive to group
cohesion and survival. Sharaf probably follows from the fact that shameful
behavior or cowardice would weaken the group and endanger society.
Arabs are extremely sensitive to any slight to their
honor, and it follows that any insult to one's honor must be revenged. There
are even times when a personal incident can bring dishonor on an entire family,
such as a scandal involving a female family member's sexual honor or in the
instance of a blood feud. During 1968, the author observed that as part of
their security duties, Israeli Druze border guards would kill or injure
Palestinian commandos operating in the
Honor can also be the collective property of as large
a group as an entire army. For example the relaxed, conciliatory approach taken
by King Hussein towards the gradual takeover of the country by Palestinian
fedayeen in 1970 shamed and angered his Bedouin Army. The King's strategy was
essentially to avoid a fight until a solution could be worked out, but this
situation, along with strident Palestinian actions, caused the Jordanian Army
to feel insulted and to have lost face (more specifically in Arabic terms "to
blacken their face"). Symbolically, some armored units tied women's
brassieres to their vehicle antennas to express their collective dishonor and
the feeling that Hussein had made them into women.
A key point to consider is that right or wrong, in all
matters involving honor, an Arab must behave with dignity and self‑respect
or lose face (wujah). It is important in any confrontation to leave the Arab a
way to withdraw or back down without losing face.
Because dignity, self‑respect and honor are so
vulnerable to external actions, the Arab is extremely heedful of being slighted
and may often see personal insult in comments or deeds which carry no such
intentions. Even long‑time residents of the
Any discussion of the role of bedouin traits in Arab
ideals would not be complete without mentioning hospitality and generosity
which go hand in hand. Providing hospitality is a matter of both face and honor
to an Arab. To be inhospitable is shameful. During the hospitality, the host is
always expected to be generous and Arabs often entertain lavishly. It is
interesting to note that the Arab word for generosity, karim, also means
distinguished, noble‑minded, noble‑hearted, honorable and
respectable. This gives some idea of the esteem with which generosity is
valued.
PAN ARABISM
The Pan Arab movement involves a "one world"
consciousness of the Arab world as well as an important Arab political concept.
Indeed, this feeling of a monolithic Arab entity is enhanced by the strong
religious, linguistic, social and economic ties uniting most Arabs. This would
appear logical because of their similar attitudes toward life, language and
history. The Islamic religion itself provides a powerful cohesive effect and
gives a further spiritual sense of commonality within the Arab world.
Pan Arabism as a powerful political ideal has been a
unifying force in the Arab's struggle for independence, first from the Turks,
and in recent times, from the West. Arabs can become very emotional about Pan
Arabism, and a strong feeling of solidarity with Arabs in other countries has
become a potent political consideration. These feelings of Arab solidarity have
also been given expression by the Arab League which was founded to promote inter‑Arab
cooperation. It is in these expressions of brotherhood that Pan Arabic ideals
actually can occasionally cause political motives to disappear and internal
differences to be smoothed over in the emotional climate of Arab unity‑
It must be understood, however, that although Pan Arabism is an emotional state
of mind which is very important to Arabs, the Arab people are still a long way
from becoming one nation.
AREAS OF DOMINANT ARAB CONCERN
Although the Arab considers the family as the basis of
Arab society, he holds even stronger views about Islam as the complete solid
structure of society. Another area where there is a challenge to traditional
Arab identity is with the elite class, and especially the western trained
technocrats. These bilingual individuals frequently suffer an ethnic identity
crisis, not belonging to the West, yet not able to fully return to basic Arab
life.
The most dramatic response to the Arab identity crisis
is presently being made by the Islamic fundamentalists. These fundamentalists
such as seen among al Qaeda, the muhajidiin of
Another significant concern is the danger of the loss
of Arab identity. The proud Arab sees and intimately feels the daily impact of
modern technology, new social mores and western culture. The long haul diesel
trucks are replacing the camel caravan, the quick snack shops are replacing the
coffee shops, and western movies and music are frequently preferred by Arab
youth. Infringement on Arab identity may cause a nostalgic quest for the good
old days, and even in some cases, a reactionary backlash against symbols of
western progress.
One of the most bitter and frequent complaints of
theses groups against the West is that it is attempting to corrupt Arab society.
Some Arabs feel that even simple, innocuous entertainment such as Western films
and music are counter to the general morality of the Arab world. Relaxed
standards of dress, women's liberation, alcohol and rock music are all
considered by some Arabs to be an affront to Islamic purity. Not only do Arabs
see tangible evidence that individuals are falling prey to Western influence,
but they frequently sense that the fundamental values of the population are generally
being corrupted.
The disintegration of traditional Arab society, along
with loss of identity and outside corruption, is another paramount concern of
the Arab. Huge segments of the population simply cannot cope with modernity and
the social and political changes taking place. No one really knows where it will end.
Westernization of the education system, women’s rights and inclusion in the
work force, vastly improved literacy levels, better nutritional standards,
advanced health and hygiene, introduction of social services and inclusion of
the poorer classes in democratic political processes are all having tremendous
impact on the old way of life. The Arabs wonder if it will be for the better.
This paper was
initially written by Ed Badolato in 1980 when he was a student at the
Ed Badolato, a career
Marine officer, was the distinguished graduate of the
He served in various capacities in nearly every
country in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, including tours as the Defense and
Naval Attaché in Beirut, Damascus, and Nicosia where he organized various
special counter terrorism activities. Following his retirement from the Marine
Corps, he served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Presidents Regan
and Bush, (1984-89)where he was the
principal architect of the U.S. government's readiness and response to
terrorist threats to our energy infrastructure--as well as all counterterrorism
security planning for the US’ fifty-eight nuclear weapon facilities.