Middle East Press on Nagorno-Karabakh, Arab Youth and Iranian Militia: New Age Islam's Selection, 17 October 2020
By New Age Islam Edit Bureau
17 October 2020
•
Still No Peace in Sight for Nagorno-Karabakh
By
Nagehan Alçi
•
Arab Youth Survey Is an Eye-Opener
By
Osama Al Sharif
•
Time for Palestinians to Adapt To the New Reality
By
Khaled Abou Zahr
•
Ahead Of Presidential Elections, Israelis Cheering For Trump
By
Mazal Mualem
•
Why Iraq’s PM Should Heed Al-Sistani and Disband Iranian Militias
By
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
•
2020: America’s Year from Hell
By
Susan E. Rice
------
Still
No Peace in Sight for Nagorno-Karabakh
By Nagehan Alçi
OCT 17, 2020
A cemetery damaged by Armenian shelling in the Tartar province of Azerbaijan, Oct. 15, 2020. (İHA Photo)
-----
Is there finally a light at the end of the
tunnel for Nagorno-Karabakh? Will a just and long-lasting peace prevail in the
region? Maybe, but for now, the fighting goes on despite a cease-fire.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said his
country will sit down at the negotiating table with Yerevan as soon as it
leaves occupied Azerbaijani territory. Can it happen? It can, if Armenia is
convinced to leave Azerbaijan's territories, Aliyev said.
The two sides have been at war for more
than two weeks with mounting casualties, especially on the Armenian side.
The renewed fighting is the heaviest since
the war of 1992-1994, encompassing the entire line of contact, with artillery,
missile and drone strikes.
A cease-fire agreed on by both sides last
weekend appears to be unraveling over the disputed enclave of the region.
Armenia continues to hit Azerbaijan,
killing civilians mercilessly. The main street of the second-largest city of
Azerbaijan, Ganja, was shut down and carpeted in glass following the attacks
last Sunday, violating the cease-fire.
There are many civilian losses, most
importantly the youth is terrified of the idea of war and is growing up with
hatred of the other country. According to international law, Armenia is the
occupying force and should hand over Nagorno-Karabakh to Baku and the
Azerbaijani community in the region should be able to return to their homes.
Once the original inhabitants have returned
to their lands, there should be a just distribution of the government and
parliament in Karabakh after it is handed over to Azerbaijan. However, this
needs to be done as soon as possible to avoid further fighting, killing and
displacement of many.
It may take time for the parties to return
to peace talks, but Turkey is struggling to find a way to end the fighting.
Ankara is stressing that it wants international law to be implemented, which
requires an Armenian retreat from Nagorno-Karabakh.
International actors like the United
Nations should take initiative and aim for a durable peace.
But I should admit that a lasting solution
is not an easy one to find in this region. Foreign actors matter, but they can
not impose a lasting peace. The failure of the Oct. 1 cease-fire shows that
Russia's – which is seen as a "protector" for both sides and also has
a treaty with Armenia and a long-standing relationship with Azerbaijan –
influence over both sides is limited.
Despite this difficult picture the
international bodies and countries like Turkey and Russia should focus on a
cease-fire and Armenia should be pressured to stop acting against international
law.
Once the occupied land is given back to its
legal owner Azerbaijan, there should be mechanisms to monitor a peaceful
transition of power and resettlement.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/still-no-peace-in-sight-for-nagorno-karabakh
----
Arab
Youth Survey Is an Eye-Opener
By Osama Al Sharif
October 16, 2020
Dubai skyline
Image Credit: Ahmed
Ramzan/Gulf News
------
The findings of this year’s Arab Youth
Survey, conducted annually since 2008 by ASDA’A BCW, a Dubai-based PR agency
and published earlier this month, present some disturbing indicators compounded
by the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey covered 17 Arab
countries, conducting 4000 interviews of Arab youth, split equally between
males and females, in the 18 to 24 age group — it is the only poll of its kind
that delivers crucial findings about what half of the Arab population, almost
200 million, think, believe in and hope for in the MENA region.
In presenting this year’s findings, Sunil
John, president of ASDA’A BCW, wrote that “several of our surveys did predict
future events, including the Arab Spring. The continued discontent on the street
among young Arabs — especially their sense of economic, political and social
marginalisation..” Aside from the importance of delving into the mindset of an
important demographic component of Arab societies, the survey provides ample
data that no government can do without while drawing future strategies and
correcting current trajectories. It is an understatement to say that Arab youth
make up the critical mass that determines the future path, politically,
economically and socially, that each Arab country is destined to take.
With almost 30 per cent youth unemployment
in the MENA region, one of the highest rates in the world, it is no wonder that
a majority of young Arabs feel desperate about the future. One of the most
disturbing findings of the survey is that more than four in 10 people aged
18-24 have considered emigrating from their home countries. About 42 per cent
of all Arab youth surveyed had considered emigrating to another country, with
15 per cent actively trying to leave. This was evident especially in the Levant
region, compared to the GCC countries, where the rate of young people hoping to
emigrate jumped to more than 60 per cent.
Even before the pandemic most Arab
countries were still recovering from the seismic events that accompanied the
2011 Arab Spring. The issues that triggered the Arab Spring remain the same:
poor leadership, rampant corruption and deteriorating economy. The COVID-19 has
amplified the state of despair that young Arabs are feeling. The pandemic has
had a dire effect on local economies across the region. In most Arab countries,
especially in the Levant and North Africa, unemployment rates have spiked and
the category that was most affected is youth. With unemployment come poverty,
crime and social instability. Lebanon today is a stark example of a perfect
storm where a political impasse, deepening an economic free fall amid wide
corruption and mismanagement, has driven a majority of young Lebanese to
actively seek emigration. According to the survey’s findings economic factors
and corruption are the two strongest drivers of emigration among Arab youth.
With general disregard to the suffering of
youth it is no wonder that a majority of young Arabs support antigovernment
protests as is the case in Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan and Algeria. In war-torn Libya
more than 85 per cent of youth surveyed expect antigovernment protests to break
out. Drivers for protests include bad governance, corruption, lack of social
justice, lack of political reforms, unfair taxation and lack of human rights, among
others.
An alarming 77 per cent of all Arab youth
report there is government corruption in their country. This is probably the
single most dangerous malaise that constitutes a major driver for public
despair, anger, extremism and readiness to disengage and leave. Iraq is a clear
example of widespread and institutional corruption that has alienated the youth
and driven many to embrace extremism.
Aside from corruption, dire economic
conditions are seen as a crucial factor for Arab youth discontent. Between 2015
and 2020 those who suffered from the burden of personal debt had risen from 15
per cent to 35 per cent. About 34 per cent of Arab youth in the Levant
described their current personal financial situation as pretty bad and poor.
One-third of young Arabs say their household debt has increased since the
pandemic. The COVID-19 effects on local economies are yet to be determined and
its reverberations will be felt for many years to come. A number of vital
sectors that usually employ the young, like tourism, aviation and services have
been damaged as a result of the pandemic. While some governments, especially in
the GCC, have been able to reduce and contain the negative effects of the
pandemic, others have not.
A staggering 87 per cent of those surveyed
say they are concerned about unemployment while 51 per cent say they are not
confident in their national government’s ability to deal with unemployment.
There is a wealth of data to be examined in
the findings of the survey. Arab governments will do the right thing by looking
into such data in order to reset and adjust policies. Governments that ignore
what the most active sector of the population think and believe in will
continue to move in the wrong direction. The general picture is not promising
and is a cause for concern but understanding the problems and acting
accordingly is a small step in the right direction.
-----
Osama
Al Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/arab-youth-survey-is-an-eye-opener-1.74589986
----
Time
For Palestinians To Adapt To The New Reality
By Khaled Abou Zahr
October 16, 2020
Palestinians leave a mosque
after attending Friday prayers in Biet Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip,
January 30, 2015. (Reuters)
----
I remember being in the US in early March
2017, soon after President Donald Trump was elected. At the time, Daesh’s
presence in Syria and Iraq was the biggest geopolitical worry. During a meeting
with the founder of a private equity firm I had just met — he had no particular
interest in the region beyond security implications for his home country — we
discussed this topic.
As the discussion went on, I explained the
situation in Syria, the regime’s role, and delved into all the main issues in
the Middle East and how they correlate, from Iran’s influence to the dangers of
youth unemployment. Following about 10 minutes of me speaking, he interrupted
and asked a simple question: So, what is the solution? I must admit that it
caught me off guard and I was not able to answer for a good minute.
At that moment, I realized that we have
been facing so many issues in the Middle East that we stopped thinking of
solutions. The Arab world has become, from kindergarten onwards, a land of
geopolitical experts, but we are all mostly like Western economists, who can
explain a crisis after it happens but not find a solution or predict the next
problem.
Discussing the Palestinian issue and the
peace process is exactly like this. Many reasons can explain the situation,
such as the failed peace initiatives, repeated mistakes by the Palestinians,
the divisions in the leadership, etc. All of this and a bigger focus on
domestic issues by citizens and leaderships in the Arab world have made the
Palestinian situation a topic and less of a regional cause for which you search
for a solution.
Therefore, the question I would like to
start asking is not what is the solution, but what do the Palestinian leaders
want? What do they consider a victory? What is their objective?
Fatah does not want victory for its people,
it wants to keep receiving subsidies — this is victory for its leaders. As for
Hamas, it seems that its leaders are not looking for victory either. Despite
their useless screams of destroying Israel, they know very well that they will
never achieve this. What they aim to create is the concept of perpetual
martyrs. It is not important for them to achieve for their people, it is
important for them to keep the will of sacrifice going, and this means more
Palestinians deaths, more misery and more losses. This line of thought
resonates well with both the Iranian mullahs and the Ottoman brotherhood.
So, in this perspective, what is the
solution for a better life for Palestinians? How do we make sure they can live
in peace and security? How do we make sure Palestinian children have access to
electricity, water, education, and health care? I cannot say I have the answer,
but I can provide a beginning, which starts with accepting a new reality and
adapting.
One thing I wish Palestinians would understand
is that those who scream oppression, injustice, apartheid and call for the
boycott of Israel on their behalf live comfortably and their children are safe
and go to nice schools. They will move on and have a nice cappuccino with
almond milk as soon as they are done writing their Facebook post in support of
the Palestinian struggle. But they will do nothing for them. All they do is
make themselves feel better and grant themselves a judgmental status. Once
again, this line of thoughts runs through the mullahs in Iran, the Muslim
Brotherhood, and the left-wing movements in the West. All three claim to pursue
equality and justice, but their leadership is strangely always more equal than
others.
Palestinians should instead focus on the
new reality that was first presented to them by Jared Kushner. I argued then
that the Palestinians should accept the dialogue and seek to enhance, in the
best possible way, what was originally offered — and this time take the deal.
The deal was not about justice for the land but a better future and better
lives: A new starting point with stability and peace.
At the time, I made a comparison between
the Palestinian cause and what are known in the business world as zombie
companies. A zombie company is one that no longer generates revenues but,
instead of being shut down by its stakeholders, is kept alive and financed at a
continuous loss. In that sense, the Palestinian cause has become a zombie
cause.
However, prior to reaching an agreement
with Israel — no matter what form it takes or however unfair or unjust it is —
the Palestinians should start by unifying their leadership, agreeing on a road
map to peace, and renouncing violence and terrorism. Unfortunately, if they
were to choose Hamas’ road map, which refuses peace and whose stated objective
is to destroy Israel, then they would end up even more isolated. Not only would
they be at odds with the Arab countries, but they would also continue to be the
tools of the Iranians one day and the Turks another. Their suffering would not
stop and would be traded as commodities by these powers.
At the time of Kushner’s deal, I was
criticized by some for putting the obligation on the oppressed instead of the
oppressor. My answer was clear: When, since the beginning of history, have we
seen the oppressor, or the stronger party, forfeit what they acquired? And why
would they? In the current situation, I see no events that could change the
balance of power to the advantage of the Palestinians and get them better
conditions — not now or in the coming 50 years. All I see is a continuous
downward trend that will only keep on accelerating.
After decades of unconditional support,
each Arab country is now moving ahead in pursuit of its own national interests
and those of its citizens. They have the right to do so and the Palestinians
should do the same.
The Palestinians have been dealt awful
cards; they have suffered and will continue to suffer if they do not adapt to
the new reality. This is undeniable. Yet their leadership is misleading them. A
courageous leader is one who speaks the truth to his people, who clearly states
what is achievable, and ultimately gives a better life to his citizens and
agrees to the best deal possible. It is time for the Palestinians to reset
their objectives. The world is different, with wars being fought for data and
cyberspace, hence a small land with bright minds and resolve can make Palestine
unmissable. The Palestinians have the power and capacity to do so. This should
be the goal of their leadership: To create a land of entrepreneurs and free
thinkers.
Unfortunately, for now, the main wind being
blown at the Palestinians is extremism and socialism. These both present bad
solutions and the wrong thoughts, but the misery and oppression in Palestine
make it a fertile ground. This should also be understood by the US and the
Israelis.
I doubt the current leadership is
interested in finding a solution. It seems that Hamas is now focused on making
a successful move into the West Bank with the support of Iran and/or Turkey. It
is not in a hurry to make the lives of Palestinians better, but it is in a
hurry to see the end of Fatah so that it can attempt to take over the West
Bank. For Hamas, this is the solution, and it would also be a good one for the
Israelis. Maybe Palestinians will change the game and look out for themselves.
-----
Khaled
Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of
Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1749901
-----
Ahead
Of Presidential Elections, Israelis Cheering For Trump
By Mazal Mualem
Oct 16, 2020
Almost two-thirds of Israelis believe that
Donald Trump will be a better president for Israel than his Democratic rival
Joe Biden. This finding, which appeared in a poll that was released this week
by I24 TV, reflects the support, and in some cases, admiration, that Israelis
feel for Trump before the upcoming election. The results also show that Trump’s
popularity is not limited to the right or supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.
Actually, Trump is one of the most popular
American presidents in Israel ever. He is certainly more popular than his
predecessor Barack Obama, who was considered cold and aloof. Right-wing circles
even considered Obama pro-Palestinian. Polls conducted over the last few years show
the clear difference in popularity between Obama and Trump, which trend in
favor of Trump. So, for example, a poll by the Haaretz newspaper, on July 4,
2018, to mark US Independence Day, found that almost half of Israelis support
Trump, while only 19% had a positive view of Obama.
This romance between Israelis and Trump was
hardly love at first sight. During the 2016 election campaign, he was
considered to be a loudmouth, known mainly for his vast wealth, the towers
bearing his name and the scandals surrounding his personal life. In December
2015, Knesset members from the left even signed a petition calling on Netanyahu
to prevent Trump from entering Israel during his election campaign. This came
in response to his statement that Muslims should be banned from entering the
United States. Knesset members from Meretz even called Trump a dangerous
racist.
But Israelis quickly learned to admire the
“politically incorrect” president. Why not? He showered gifts on Israel, showed
warmth to the country and its leaders, and did the impossible, like moving the
US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s annexation of the
Golan Heights and killing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who always managed to
evoke Israel’s ire.
Netanyahu’s close personal relationship
with Trump after years of crises between him and Obama added to the president’s
popularity locally. The climax was, of course, the normalization agreements
with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Furthermore, Trump’s Jewish
son-in-law Jared Kushner, his daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism, and
their Jewish children won the hearts of Israelis and gained Trump even more
support. Plenty of Jewish religious children took to the streets during the
Purim festival dressed as Trump.
Israelis really loved US President Bill
Clinton. They still look back fondly on what he said at the funeral of
assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995: “Shalom, haver” (“Goodbye,
friend"). Who can forget Clinton's tears at the event? There was real chemistry
between Clinton and Israelis. He spoke directly to them and succeeded in
convincing them of his sincere love of Israel. During Netanyahu’s first term as
prime minister, in 1996, the crises in his relationship with Clinton actually
hurt him. In fact, Netanyahu always used to check Clinton’s popularity in the
polls, and it was always very high. A common joke at the time was that if
Clinton really wanted he could easily get elected as Israel’s next prime
minister.
And yet, it doesn’t take a poll to realize that
Trump is even more popular than Clinton among Israelis. In the last year alone,
several major cities explored naming streets after Trump. That never happened
during the Clinton era.
Last September, the Rishon Lezion city
council discussed naming a street in the city after Trump. Reasons included his
contributions to Israel, his decision to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem and
his recognition of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights. Yossi Golan, who
heads a neighborhood in the city, and the one who came up with the idea,
explained at the time, “Trump won me over as soon as he took two major steps
forward on behalf of our country. He moved the embassy to Jerusalem and he
recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. I think this merits recognition.
He continues to support Israel and advance the peace process. There has never
been another US leader like him, who did as much for the State of Israel.”
There are already two main squares in
Israel named after Trump. The first, in Jerusalem, is located at the top of the
road leading to the US Embassy; the second is in Petah Tikva, where the main
city square was renamed Trump Square. The renaming took place in July 2017, at
a ceremony attended by Likud ministers that received extensive media coverage.
At the event, Mayor Rami Greenberg explained that he decided to go ahead with
this gesture since “Israel has never seen a more understanding and supportive
[US] president than Donald Trump.”
Then there is the settlement of Ramat Trump
(Trump Heights) in the Golan Heights, which was formally approved by the
government in June 2020. This was the most important gesture of appreciation
for Trump, who did what his predecessors would not do by recognizing Israeli
sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Ramat Trump is only the second settlement
in Israel to be named for a serving president. The first was Kfar Truman, which
was named after the 33rd US president, Harry Truman, who supported the
establishment of a Jewish state in 1947. Then, after Israel declared its independence,
Truman became the first world leader to recognize the State of Israel.
What is the secret of this president’s
appeal? It seems to be a combination of several distinct elements. First and
foremost, of course, is all that he has done for the country, which proved his
deep ties to Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel. Then there is his blunt
temperament, informal style and his chutzpah, which are well suited to the
Israeli temperament. That is why Israelis are so willing to forgive him for all
his scandals and embarrassing behavior, including, most recently, his reckless
attitude in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.
The upcoming US elections have been
receiving extensive coverage on all of Israel’s news channels, not to mention
social media platforms. Given that so many polls predict that Biden will win
the election, some commentators are now saying that this will be a devastating
blow to Netanyahu. After all, many of Netanyahu’s successes can be attributed
to his excellent relationship with Trump. Netanyahu makes sure to use every
available platform to talk about Trump’s contributions to Israel. He certainly
did that this week, when he brought the agreement with the UAE to the
government and Knesset for their approval.
Still, as tempting as it is to see Trump’s
defeat as a blow to Netanyahu, and perhaps even an omen of his imminent
collapse, this is probably exaggerated. Netanyahu will always be able to
present himself to the right as the only person who can stand up to a
Democratic president and prevent the implementation of any diplomatic plans
that would put the settlers and settlements at risk. After all, he was able to
do that during the Obama era.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/10/israel-us-donald-trump-bill-clinton-barack-obama-netanyahu.html
-----
Why
Iraq’s PM Should Heed Al-Sistani And Disband Iranian Militias
By Hussain Abdul-Hussain
October 16, 2020
Iraq’s top cleric, Ayatollah Ali
Al-Sistani, last month called for the disbanding of all militias. This would
involve the state disarming the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). In
turn, this would neuter Tehran’s most reliable partner in Iraq, Kataib
Hezbollah, the most dangerous alternative to state power in the country. Such
then is the importance of Al-Sistani’s call for the integrity of the Iraqi
state. Indeed, the prime minister, now provided cover by the religious
leadership in Najaf, should act with haste. Yet all we have witnessed so far is
an exhibition of inertia.
Kataib Hezbollah has been busy building a
“statelet” within Iraq. If the government does not act quickly, it will soon
become stronger than the Iraqi state itself; it will dominate Iraq in the way
Hezbollah dominates in Lebanon and will seal Iraq’s slide into failure as a
client state of Iran.
For those unfamiliar with Iraq’s recent
history of distressing politics, a little elucidation might be helpful.
Modeled after Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Kataib
Hezbollah is the spine that holds the PMU up. It controls the PMU’s “internal
security” unit, the intelligence operation that keeps tabs on fighters and
disciplines rogue ones. Kataib Hezbollah’s chief, Abdul Aziz Al-Muhammadawi, is
also the effective leader of the PMU instead of its titular chairman, Falih
Al-Fayyadh.
It is not hyperbole to describe Kakaib Hezbollah
as a statelet. It controls territory within Iraq’s borders since it managed to
force Baghdad to lease it vast amounts of agricultural land in Jurf Al-Sakhr,
south of Baghdad, and on the Iraqi border with Syria. It operates these
territories as fiefs into which it prohibits access by the legitimate state. At
its bases, Kataib Hezbollah trains and garrisons its fighters and stocks caches
of arms. Western intelligence reports suggest that, with Iranian assistance, it
manufactures precision guided missiles at these sites.
Like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Kataib
Hezbollah’s fighting wing is only one component of the mini-state. It maintains
welfare organizations for the families of its fighters, including those who die
in battle. These organizations offer medical care, schooling, housing, social
and financial support and religious indoctrination.
Now with the religious leadership in Najaf
speaking out against the pro-Iranian militias, and anti-Iran sentiment growing
in the country, the legitimate state has an opportunity to reassert its
sovereignty. The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, can count on international
assistance in defeating Kataib Hezbollah, which Washington has placed on its
list of foreign terrorist organizations. Any US administration, whether Republican
or Democratic, would be more than willing to help Baghdad put down Iran’s
proxies.
So far, Al-Kadhimi has made no move. It is
a puzzle; no one knows why. Maybe there are some as yet unrevealed political
calculations. Or perhaps he simply fears for his life. Whatever the reason,
Al-Kadhimi surely must realize that time is of the essence. Either he takes the
opportunity to neuter Kataib Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies or he gets out
of the way and lets someone else do it.
Indeed, he should appreciate that doing
nothing only diminishes his own power, as Kataib Hezbollah and the other
Iranian proxies it leads carry on constructing an alternative state power to
Baghdad. To add insult to injury, Tehran has even managed to force successive
Iraqi governments to fund the PMU’s payroll, in effect getting Baghdad to
subsidize the expansion of Tehran’s influence and the diminution of Baghdad’s
authority. And if Hezbollah in Lebanon is any example, once Kataib Hezbollah is
firmly and indubitably entrenched as a shadow state, it will be near impossible
to dismantle.
With Iran cash-poor because of renewed US
sanctions and weakened by domestic crisis, Al-Kadhimi has his opportunity: He
should take advantage of it and remove the cancer of Iran’s militias that is eating
away at the sovereignty of his government. Should he not, an eventually
resurgent Iran will come after him and any other leader of the legitimately
constituted state. If recent history is any guide, the most disposable figure
in the Iraqi state is the prime minister.
-----
Hussain
Abdul-Hussain is the Washington bureau chief of Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai and a
former visiting fellow at Chatham House in London. Copyright: Syndication
Bureau
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1749916
----
2020:
America’s Year from Hell
By Susan E. Rice
October 16, 2020
Finishing up the dinner dishes one evening
last week, I was jolted by a song on my teenage daughter’s playlist. In the
radio-edited version of “F2020,” Avenue Beat delivers a captivating chorus,
followed by: “I am kinda done. Can we just get to 2021?”
Turning to my daughter, I joked, “Shouldn’t
that be a sort of anthem for this year?”
“For many in my generation, it already is,”
she replied.
It’s only October, and 2020 feels like the
longest, most brutal year in memory. There are now almost 217,000 lives lost in
the United States, vulnerable children missing months of education and tens of
millions of people facing economic devastation. President Trump’s wilful
failure to confront Covid-19 has brutalised our country.
If that is not enough, Trump continuously
stokes division, fear and hatred in this moment of historic racial reckoning,
while running roughshod over the rule of law, and our democratic norms and
institutions. Almost every day, it seems something crazier happens than on the
day before, further straining our collective credulity.
Still, we are most likely facing even worse
in the next few months. The pandemic could crescendo in winter. The Senate is
poised to ram through a radical and illegitimate Supreme Court nominee.
Political tensions are escalating, as Trump musters white supremacist groups
and threatens to thwart the peaceful transfer of power should he lose
re-election.
The sense of exhaustion, frustration and
foreboding so many of us feel is aptly captured in the Avenue Beat song. But so
is what gives me hope — getting to 2021. The prospect of sweeping change, while
by no means assured, appears to be in sight.
To dull the pain and bolster my sanity, I
allow myself occasionally to take a few deep breaths and just imagine.
I imagine a future with competent,
compassionate presidential leadership, which trusts science and adopts policies
designed to protect the American people. A future in which we truly bend the
Covid-19 curve, a future with a safe and effective vaccine that is free as well
as fairly and rationally distributed. I conjure a time when a constructive
Congress swiftly enacts economic relief that will ease the suffering of
ordinary Americans, support our state schools and other essential state and
local government services, and rescue small businesses.
Daring to dream really big, I envision a
president who insists on the dignity and worth of every human being, who
fervently believes that what unites us as Americans is far more powerful than
what divides us. A president committed to equal justice and healing; to
ambitious reforms to combat systemic racism and reduce inequality; to humane
immigration policies; and to transformational investments in education,
housing, health care, the environment, jobs and economic mobility for those who
need it most.
Exhaling, I think about sleeping soundly
again at night, knowing we have an experienced, empathetic, sober and steady
president — one who refrains from tweeting personal attacks on his opponents.
One who respects rules and norms, understanding that the law applies equally to
him. I long for a leader who aims to serve all Americans, who doesn’t bilk
taxpayers to line his own pockets or corrupt the federal government to preserve
his own power.
Finally, straining not to let my
imagination run too wild, I indulge my national security fantasies. I pine for
a commander in chief who knows personally the stomach-turning fear of what
could befall a loved one deployed in harm’s way, one who treats our veterans as
heroes instead of denigrating them as “suckers” and “losers.”
I imagine allies who allow themselves to
trust and respect us again. Adversaries who know they cannot influence an
American president with flattery, lucrative deals or election assistance. A White
House that upholds our national interests and consistently promotes democracy
and human rights — from Xinjiang to Saudi Arabia to Venezuela. The United
States would return to the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World
Health Organisation, as we seek to reinvigorate international institutions,
because we understand that many of the most pressing global challenges can be
tackled only through effective collective action.
Then, I check myself. Soothing as it may be
to disappear briefly into my own dreams, I’m inevitably smacked by the
inescapable realities of this year from hell. Still, I remember that what may
seem like elusive hopes are no more than the reasonable expectations of a
deserving public.
In his Oval Office, President Barack Obama
had a large carpet with a border inscription: “The arc of the moral universe is
long, but it bends toward justice.” Those words, said often by the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., serve as an apt reminder that history is not linear.
While progress may ultimately prevail, it comes in fits and starts with severe
setbacks. Indeed, our dreams may never become our reality.
Yet in my experience, work matters; no one
will do the hard bending but you and me. Progress doesn’t happen automatically.
Together, we must drive it.
Surely, we can make 2021 a whole lot better
— if we all vote.
------
Susan
E. Rice was the 24th US national security adviser
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/2020-americas-year-from-hell-1.74609260
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/middle-east-press/middle-east-press-nagorno-karabakh,/d/123171
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism