Opinion The story that refuses to die

What is scary is that even though he was born,raised and educated in America,The Narrative still got to him.

The Narrative is the cocktail of half-truths,propaganda and outright lies about America that have taken hold in the Arab-Muslim world since 9/11. Propagated by jihadist Web sites,mosque preachers,Arab intellectuals,satellite news stations and books — and tacitly endorsed by some Arab regimes — this narrative posits that America has declared war on Islam,as part of a grand “American-Crusader-Zionist conspiracy” to keep Muslims down.

Yes,after two decades in which US foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying to help free them from tyranny – in Bosnia,Darfur,Kuwait,Somalia,Lebanon,Kurdistan,post-earthquake Pakistan,post-tsunami Indonesia,Iraq and Afghanistan — a narrative that says America is dedicated to keeping Muslims down is thriving.

Have no doubt: we punched a fist into the Arab/Muslim world after 9/11,partly to send a message of deterrence,but primarily to destroy two tyrannical regimes – the Taliban and the Baathists — and to work with Afghans and Iraqis to build a different kind of politics. In the process,we did some stupid and bad things. But for every Abu Ghraib,our soldiers and diplomats perpetrated a million acts of kindness aimed at giving Arabs and Muslims a better chance to succeed with modernity and to elect their own leaders.

The Narrative was concocted by jihadists to obscure that.

It’s working. As a Jordanian-born counterterrorism expert,who asked to remain anonymous,said to me: “This narrative is now omnipresent in Arab and Muslim communities in the region and in migrant communities around the world. These communities are bombarded with this narrative in huge doses and on a daily basis. [It says the West,and right now mostly the US and Israel,is single-handedly and completely responsible for all the grievances of the Arab and the Muslim worlds. This narrative suits Arab governments. It allows them to deflect onto America all of their people’s grievances over why their countries are falling behind.

“Liberal Arabs like me are as angry as a terrorist and as determined to change the status quo,” said my Jordanian friend. The only difference “is that while we choose education,knowledge and success to bring about change,a terrorist,having bought into the narrative,has a sense of powerlessness and helplessness,which are inculcated in us from childhood,that lead him to believe that there is only one way,and that is violence.”

What to do? Many Arab Muslims know that what ails their societies is more than the West,and that The Narrative is just an escape from looking honestly at themselves. But none of their leaders dare or care to open that discussion. In his Cairo speech last June,President Obama effectively built a connection with the Muslim mainstream. Maybe he could spark the debate by asking that same audience this question:

“Whenever something like Fort Hood happens you say,‘This is not Islam.’ I believe that. But you keep telling us what Islam isn’t. You need to tell us what it is and show us how its positive interpretations are being promoted in your schools and mosques. If this is not Islam,then why is it that a million Muslims will pour into the streets to protest Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad,but not one will take to the streets to protest Muslim suicide bombers who blow up other Muslims,real people,created in the image of God? You need to explain that to us — and to yourselves.”

The New York Times