 |
| Volume XI, Summer 2004, Number 2 |
| |
| EXCERPT: Post-9/11 Changes in the Gulf: The Case of the UAE |
| |
| Fatma Al Sayegh |
| |
Dr. Al Sayegh is professor of history at the UAE University, Al-Ain.
One important outcome of September 11 is the Gulf's realization that Western powers no longer viewed them simply as petit-oil-rich bourgeois states sprung up in the desert. They were no longer authoritarian allies but actual enemies who were denying democratization and, therefore, instigating terrorism.3 Their faith was characterized as "evil and wicked" and their people the product of autocratic manipulation.4 Gulf leaders also realized that if they were to preserve their existing political systems and avoid the risk of a clash with the United States, they should face up to local factors that gave raise to the September terrorists. All were encouraged to undergo a profound shakeup in the centuries-old political culture, a culture that governed their daily life with some success. Under the careful supervision of the United States, all Arab Gulf states started to implement an extraordinary series of political, social and educational reform measures. The United States maintained that such reforms will, eventually, transform the lives of people throughout the Gulf states, eradicate the roots of terrorism and lead to the emergence of friendlier democratic powers. Gulf political elites, on the other hand, viewed the American pressure as a major external threat to their political stability. They argued that such pressure would create public opposition, which, in turn, might endanger ongoing gradual reforms that could lead to more political instability and intolerance.
Using the UAE as a case study, this article seeks to investigate forces of change and the challenges faced by Arab Gulf monarchies in the post 9/11 era. The research investigates three main questions. First, at the state level, how should the UAE deal with Western pressure for change while protecting its national values? Second, how should it deal with the growing public awareness as well as the influence of Islamic groups within its borders? Finally, how can it balance various sociopolitical changes successfully?
The essay will also investigate three main dilemmas faced by the UAE. First, as the promotion of democracy is a long-term effort that requires a solid foundation, which is unavailable in either the UAE or any other Gulf country, how can UAE leaders deal with this fundamental concern? Moreover, how sincere can the UAE and its Gulf neighbors be in promoting democracy in their states? Second, since the UAE and its Gulf neighbors have embarked on a series of economic, political and social reforms, how connected are these reforms to the country's genuine needs and not to U.S. priorities? Finally, as rapid structural reforms may dramatically alter the nature of Gulf societies, would these diminish or increase opposition?
3 Adam Garfinkle, "The Impossible Imperative? Conjuring Arab Democracy," The National Interest, Fall 2002, p. 159.
4 Abbas Hamdani, "Is the War on Terrorism a Clash of Civilizations?" DOMES, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 2002, p. 52.
|
| |
|
