Post-September 11... Post-Katrina

15 Sept. 2005

By Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban

It is hard not to compare between the human suffering in Iraq and that in New Orleans, regardless of differences in reasons and consequences. With New Orleans, the citizens of the richest country in the world were shocked by their media accounts of the pre-Katrina situation of the city, concerning the deficiencies in the level of education, cultural and ethnic integration with the rest of the country, and the high rate of crime.

Today, calls are being made for rebuilding New Orleans on higher standards to give its inhabitants better opportunities and humane conditions.

Some extremist Americans interpreted this natural disaster as "heavenly punishment" to the people of New Orleans for neglecting the Torah. Some rabbis said it was because "the American administration approved the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza."

These fanatic reactions are reminiscent of similar comments we heard after September 11, 2001, and the Madrid bombings, leaving a wedge between the West and Islam.

Post-September 11, the world talked about a new world order, with new rules and new standards. Today, four years later, the post-September 11 world brought around only more racism, anger, and bitterness. It brought more occupation and violence, and more ethnic and civil conflicts. It feels like we are re-living the time of expansion wars and colonialism, with the ethnic, racist and cultural barriers they bequeathed. After the bombings on July 7th in London, it only got worse. The wedge increased, and all calls for cultural, religious and ethnic bridging were neglected.

Had the world reacted to theses tragedies the same way it reacted to Katrina, humanity would have been saved much suffering. After Katrina, the ailing reality on the ground was examined, reasons analyzed and solutions sought. The solutions included creating economic incentives, better educational opportunities and a higher employment rate. In short, the reactions were positive and constructive. They targeted cultural and ethnic integration, justice, equality, and higher rates of development to achieve real stability, freedom, and democracy.

From the onset of "Desert Storm" till Katrina struck this month, millions in the Middle East and the U.S. have suffered disastrous consequences of political events totally opposed to the declared goals of prosperity, freedom and democracy. Billions of dollars were wasted on wars rather than development, be it development in Iraq or in New Orleans. Terrorism spread on wider grounds and extremism gained more followers, while secularism, freedom and democracy were undermined. One of the most alarming consequences is the undeclared war on secularism from Iraq to Palestine by extremists from all religions. This has been undermining all secular efforts for building states on a base of citizenship, not ethnicity, race, or individual interest. The national interest has been lost in wars of conflicting small interests.

Many analysts confirmed that the best answer to Katrina is true cultural integration, economic prosperity, and solid social and educational foundations that can resist any future catastrophe. What the Middle East needs today is a similar approach, one that builds bridges between the East and West through more integration, economic development and investment.

Openness, not suspicion, accusation and exclusion, will remove cultural barriers. What the Middle East needs today is not more wars and sanctions, leading to more strife, violence, and instability. What the Middle East needs today is more dialogue, development and integration with the rest of the world on bases of equality and cooperation. Otherwise, the extremists will continue leading the world toward more crises and more catastrophes.