Fatima's Revenge: On Flawed Stereotypes about the West in the Muslim World

 

Eight South Africans and four Afghans were killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. The Hizb e Islami- a ‘veteran’ group in Afghanistan which fought against the Soviets- claimed responsibility for the attack. The group’s spokesperson claimed that the attack was carried out by a female suicide bomber, named Fatima. It was further asserted that the attack was in the nature of a revenge attack over the blasphemous and vulgar film, ‘The Innocence of Muslims’-snippets of which were released on YouTube a few days ago. The ensuing protests have claimed many lives so far. Female suicide bombers came into prominence after female victims of the Russian state’s atrocities in Chechnya took it upon themselves to avenge their humiliation or loss of near and loved ones. This genre of suicide bombers came to be known as ‘black widows’. Apparently, the trend (if it may be called a trend) has now caught on in Afghanistan.

 

The victims of the suicide bombings were South Africans and fellow Afghans. These South Africans may have been white South Africans. They may have been chosen as victims purely because of their skin color. That is, they may have been mistaken as westerners. There are then two aspects to this gory incident: first, profound anti westernism exists in the Muslim world and this anti westernism largely stems from ignorance (about the west and westerners) , and second this leads to a compressed, flawed  and reductive understanding about the west. The world view that stems from this reduces the west and westerners to white, English speaking people who represent and are complicit in  the policies and approaches of western states towards Muslim countries. The chief culprits, in this view, are the Americans and the United States. This is a travesty. It not only leads to flawed and simplified stereotypes about the west and westerners but also gratuitous violence.

 

The question is: why are the Muslim masses and some extremist groups beholden to stereotyping and profiling? What accounts for this? Can this be remedied? And how can this be remedied?

 

This stereotyping is predicated upon a couple of salient factors. The  primary and the most germane one is ignorance- ignorance about the nature of the west and westerners. The second reason is historical memory. Ignorance and historical memory of the Crusades and western colonialism gets compressed and conflated in the minds of the Muslim masses and leads to squeamishness and a flawed, warped and reductive view of the West. Any negative act, real or perceived, emanating from the west, is then judged and assessed from these flawed benchmarks. Lack of real and substantive contact between the west and the Muslim world amplifies these stereotypes. They become real and vivid when films like ,’ The Innocence of Muslims’, the Danish Cartoons, or the Rushdie affair become public. The west as an entity gets implicated in this in the minds of the Muslim masses and the stereotype gets further entrenched and validated. These factors sometimes blend into the politics and political condition of some Muslim state and society and the result is violence. A mind bloc defines the condition of the Muslim masses and no effort at understanding and curiosity about the nature of the West is even countenanced.

 

The question is can this condition be remedied? The answer is a qualified yes. Given that it is largely premised on ignorance, it can potentially be remedied to a large extent. What would it take for this condition to be obviated? The answer lies in a more open world, democratization of the states comprising the Muslim world and vigorous public diplomacy by the state that matters the most in the world: the United Stated. An open world with the attendant people to people contacts can potentially ameliorate if not eliminate the stereotypes about the west in the Muslim world. Exposure to the west can potentially make Muslims see the west in its totality and see westerners as people, with the same aspirations, foibles, and flaws as other people.( There are bold and beautiful people in the west and like in other societies rascals and ignoramii as well)  Democratization will empower Muslims and open their minds, make them think critically and question what is fed to them by either authoritarian regimes or obscurantist Mullahs. This can be aided by vigorous public diplomacy by the power of the day-the United States- wherein the country opens itself to , for want of a better word, scrutiny by Muslims and where the country explains itself to the peoples of the Muslim world over the heads of the governments. This has got to be a two way street. Muslims must get rid of the historical baggage and flawed images/perception of the west and try to understand it.

 

In concert and in combination, application of these prescriptions can go far in obviating the stereotypes about the west and westerners in the Muslim world. This is very important. The West and Islam should not talk at each other. They should speak to and understand each other. The time is ripe. Dilly dallying and delay will cist more lived and entrench stereotypes. Prudence dictates that steps to bring about mutual understanding and amity between Islam and the west be taken.  Till then, expect more black widows and more strife and violence. It is incumbent upon all to stem the tide. Let haste me made slowly to bring light, reason and prudence to all.