During the summer of 2008, two months in lackluster Amman, Jordan, drove me to take a last minute flight
to Beirut, Lebanon. I figured I would seize the opportunity to allow my eyes a break from the monotony of sandstone and flee a city without walking paths. One of the most memorable views during my stay in Lebanon was from the campus of the American University of Beirut (AUB). Steps leading down to tennis courts traveled further to the Paris Parkway that runs along the Mediterranean Sea. But it would be dishonest for me to claim that the spectacular view of the “Roman” or “Middle White Sea” is my only fond recollection at AUB’s campus.
A second memory: the campus bookstore. In Jordan, a family friend detailed the arduous process involved in hunting down copies of the myriad banned books. He described the excursions to the First Circle and Old Amman, where he would comb through bookshops, indirectly asking booksellers if they were involved in the black market trade of the written word. Yet on Beirut’s campus, a bold examination of political and cultural taboos was clearly a longstanding tradition demonstrated by the scope of literature available to students. This was a sight I found more welcoming than even the aesthetic beauty of the campus.
From Beirut To Cambridge
It is from this setting that guest lecturer Rami Khouri visited the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in the fall of 2008 for his lecture “New Challenges Facing a New American Administration: A View from Within the Middle East.” Khouri is currently the Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at AUB and is featured in numerous publications.
Khouri was brought to Harvard as part of the Director’s Series at CMES, chaired by Steven Caton. During his presentation to a packed room, Khouri detailed ten issues and general trends that would contribute to diplomatic relations in the region. At the cusp of a new Presidential era, one that has the potential for a notable shift in U.S. relations abroad, the significance of this subject matter was not lost on Khouri’s audience.
Khouri acknowledged the historic moment in which we live. At this crux in time, the United States, Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine have recently reelected or will be reelecting their leadership by June of 2009. The ability of this new leadership to affect change and engage constructively with one another will undoubtedly set the tone for generations to come.
Khouri also highlighted issues that included contemporary developments such as the intrusive policies of the United States in the Middle East and the growing problem of terror and anti-terror. In discussing the former, he highlighted the trend of U.S. policy-makers who desire a change in the value systems present in Arab and Muslim societies. In doing so, the United States often encourages leadership that is not credible or responsive to the people in their societies.
In regard to the growing trend of terror, he made the appeal to look beyond religion for the root causes of this complex issue. He cited terrorist instances in the region from all three major faiths at different time periods, and posed that to treat this issue seriously we must respect the complexity of circumstances that leads one to commit an act of terror.
Perhaps the most contentious issue that Khouri spoke to was the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. Khouri pinpointed it as the single most destabilizing and radicalizing issue in the region. Part of his rationale for the claim is that this matter in particular strikes a chord with ordinary people all over the region, not just the obvious parties involved.
But despite his focus on difficult issues, Khouri continues to express optimism: “these are all man-made problems; they can all be fixed”. He cited that the Israeli public desires to negotiate peace along with the growing recognition by neighboring countries that negotiations and compromise are imperative as signs for hope. He acknowledged Israeli settlements as a hindrance to peace and that moreover they are something that the United States simultaneously acknowledges yet does nothing tangible to discourage. Perhaps the most poignant argument Khouri made was that of a litmus test for peace. There can be no peace he warns, if there is Israeli security without Palestinian rights. The two must be weighed equally in consideration of future negotiations.
Khouri also addressed violence as another problematic aspect of the region. He pointed to four principle purveyors of violent acts: regional governments and militaries, opposition groups displeased and frustrated with the ruling elite of various nations, terrorist groups and, lastly, foreign governments. Disturbingly, Khouri argued that violence has become so routine that a bomb blast is lucky to be reported at all.
The final challenge Khouri addressed is the lack of “serious democratic processes in the Arab world.” He reminds that there is not a single Arab nation where leaders and all inhabitants (not just citizens, as there are many disenfranchised persons in the region) participate in a consensual governing relationship. The need for systems whereby inhabitants validate their leaders is dire in providing legitimacy to the current ruling elite. The most sinister repercussion of oppressive regimes is a lack of societal and regional security along with active ethnic cleansing, notes Khouri.
Despite expressing a detailed awareness of the challenges plaguing all sides, Rami Khouri finished his lecture with a concrete optimism for the region in this time of transition. Stability in the Middle East will undoubtedly be a priority for President Barack Obama’s administration, and centers like CMES will continue to serve as uniquely situated hubs for leading open and intellectual discourse pertaining to the Middle East.