Arab events confuse Europe
by
Marcel Van Silfhout |
Uprisings are eye-openers to many Europeans
It’s a dazzling world these days. How to deal with all the events in the Arab world no one really seems to know in Europe. While politicians in Holland are bitterly campaigning for a crucial left or right swing in the Dutch senate in this week’s elections, an unimaginable reality is unfolding at the other side of the Mediterranean. In Holland, the populist far-right party of anti-Islam provocateur Geert Wilders is still rising, in the Maghreb and the Middle East masses of people are crying out loud for more democracy. It’s about the ground beneath our feet, nothing seems to be sound and solid anymore.
Recently, Belgium achieved a new world record in lacking a government. After about 260 days there’s still no hope that the splintered country will have a new cabinet soon. In The Netherlands, the political landscape is severely polarised too. The country, since October, has been ruled by a controversial minority coalition cabinet of Liberals and Christian Democrats, supported by Wilders ‘Freedom Party.’ The Belgians might joke, “o well, at least you have a sort of government,” but they also have to admit that it’s not a stable political landscape either.
In recent days the real topic in the Dutch media was, after the elections, Libya and Gaddafi’s surrealistic and dangerous position. For many years most of the news coverage was about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and of course Israel and the fate of the Palestinian people.
But just in a few weeks Europe is confronted with a whole range of countries which were more or less known as nice and calm Arabian oases. Libya has always been a bizarre case.
The recent protests in Oman took place during the Dutch election time, just a few days before the Dutch Queen’s state visit. Although many experts in newspapers and current affairs programmes in Holland pointed out that the protests in the Sultanate are different and by far not as massive and severe as those in other countries, the Dutch politicians of almost all the parties used Sohar incidents for their own benefit in the election campaign.
The issue even unified the left and the right. Almost all the parties - except the ruling Liberals and Christian Democrats - said that Queen Beatrix better put off her Oman visit.
There are many things to say about Oman, but it’s clear that most people, even politicians, don’t understand much of the Sultanate.
The queen’s visit is a great opportunity for both countries to learn more about each other, let alone boost economic cooperation and trade ties.
A worrisome fact, however, is that - in the midst of an Arab turmoil - the Dutch public, press and politicians can hardly understand the difference between the Sultanate and other countries facing trouble.
Last week, Oman and its beautiful landscape were in the news in The Netherlands due to the Tour of Oman which was won by Dutch cyclist Robert Gesink. It’s a perfect prelude to the visit of Queen Beatrix, Prince Willem Alexander, heir to the throne, and the popular Princess Maxima. The state visit is planned for March 6 and 7. In the next few days we will know whether the visit would take place.
Whatever the outcome of Arab uprising may be, there’s this strange mixture of worry and hope.
However, Europe has rediscovered a totally different Arab world. Instead of 9/11, Al Qaeda, Taliban fighters and fundamentalists, the European current affairs TV programmes and newspapers are finding space for ordinary people who can surprisingly speak English or French fluently.
In other words, at last, Europeans are discovering that Muslim countries are full of normal moderate people who have the same demands and wishes as others have and they long for liberty and economic standards. It’s all about civil rights, democracy, jobs, health and less gap between the rich and poor.
It’s too early to predict the effect of the Arab turmoil on European and Dutch politics. In a recent Dutch election poll it appeared that the extreme right-wing political ‘Freedom Party’ of Geert Wilders is the big winner among young scholars.
Young people signal the future and reflect their parents’ thoughts. The bizarre thing is while the Arab world is struggling for more freedom and democracy, Europe is descending into right-wing chagrin, populism and xenophobia.
In both worlds, neo-liberalism is one of the biggest causes of problems, though, Europe hasn’t discovered this yet.
The Arab uprising might change Europe for the better. Bertus Hendriks, one of the Dutch experts on the Middle East, made an intriguing remark last week.
“All that is happening in the Arab world is the best example why Wilders is wrong. We don’t see radical Islamic fundamentalism leading the protests, we just see people like you and me struggling for democracy and freedom, it’s making clear that the vision of Geert Wilders is utterly false.’’ He was speaking my lines.
(Marcel van Silfhout is an investigative reporter working for public Dutch Television)
Oman Tribune
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