The Israel We Do Not Know

[Solomon2]

The Israel We Do Not Know

31/01/2013
By Amal Al-Hazzani


Dr. Amal Al- Hazzaniis is an Associate Professor in King Saud University in Riyadh.

Being something of an exception in the Middle East, the Israeli elections are often great fun and full of surprises. This time we saw the emergence of politician Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party that has won the admiration even of its political rivals after gaining 19 seats in the Israeli Knesset. Lapid is a TV presenter and a news anchor who decided only a few months ago to enter politics, competing with and even embarrassing senior politicians such as Tzipi Livni and Avigdor Lieberman, and forcing Benjamin Netanyahu to ride on the back of coalitions in order to remain as prime minister. Lapid, a moderate political leader who we will hear more of in the future, is primarily concerned with developing education and achieving social equality. His liberal concepts are completely alien to the Jewish clergy and a source of ridicule among the far right.

Another interesting observation from these elections is that the majority of rival parties' platforms emphasized improving the internal situation, including living standards, health and education, as well as achieving greater social justice. Political parties were largely indifferent towards foreign policies such as the Iranian nuclear issue and the two-state solution with Palestine; they were more inclined towards internal affairs. We saw this previously with the recent US elections when Barack Obama and Mitt Romney tried to portray the US as a small family home where the owner only wished to support its inhabitants and ensure that they were warm and well fed. It seems Hamas was right when it said that the results of the Israeli elections were a reflection of the recent battle in Gaza. This is true because the existing truce there has achieved a degree of safety that has enabled Israeli political parties to focus on their country’s internal situation.

It is sad to say that Israel - the invasive, oppressive, occupying state - lives amongst us but we still do not know it.

It seems that the Arab street's awareness of Israel came to a virtual standstill in October 1973. The Arabs may only remember the Camp David agreement because it surfaced recently in Egypt after the ruling regime changed there. What I mean by the Arab street is the youth category—which makes up the backbone of any country—rather than the intellectual or political elite that is engrossed in reading books, issuing condemning statements, and making notes of Israeli aggression over the past sixty years. Young Arab generations lack awareness about Israel; a country that is now totally different to how it was in 1948, 1956, 1967 or 1973. This is not because it has transformed into a friendly state, for it is still considered our bitter enemy that continues to occupy Palestinian soil. What has changed in Israel, like any other state, is that now there is an emerging generation that harbors dreams and expectations different to those cherished by a leader like Netanyahu. Young Israelis have their own vision that is detached from military life and is inclined towards civil interests, a love for life, and decent living standards.

What Arab youths do not know is that in Israel there is a strong sector that opposes the state's supremacist policies towards the Palestinian people in particular, and the Arabs in general. These youths are not only leftists; there are also centrist civil servants and university graduates who strongly believe that Israel's stability is conditional upon its coexistence with the Arabs.

However, it is ridiculous to read political analysis comparing these Israeli youths with the Arab youths that revolted in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya, in the sense that those Israelis took to streets against Netanyahu last year to demand social justice in the same manner that the Arab Spring revolutionaries also took to streets to demonstrate. This is untrue because the youths in the Arab Spring states were rising up against ruling regimes that were light years away from their citizens. The rulers of these states stayed in their palaces and were unable to hear their people or sense their needs. Here, people became outraged because of their needs and their leader's negligence or arrogance, and whenever they sought to make their voice heard in the elections, these same leaders would return the next day and declare their victory with an overwhelming majority. In Israel, this situation does not exist; the regime in Tel Aviv is truly democratic and the rungs on the power ladder are fixed. What the demonstrators in Israel are demanding is an improvement in living standards; they are not starting from scratch as in the Arab Spring states. In these states there was no democratic political climate prior to the revolutions, and in fact we are still waiting for such a climate to emerge amidst the security, economic, and political failures that we see every day.

In Israel, politicians are distinguished by their sincerity and devotion to the higher interests of the state, rather than their affiliation to a certain group, and this is something we have yet to see in the Arab Spring.

The Arab youths turned to poets with their cheap words, and to politicians who heap insults upon Israel from their luxurious hotel rooms. However, they are still unaware as to where, why and how these feelings of hatred towards Israel came about.

A simple means of demonstrating our ignorance of Israel can be found in the fact that its neighboring states are ignorant of the Hebrew language. In Lebanon and Syria, people prefer to study French rather than the language of a country that continues to jeopardize their own security every day. In Egypt and Jordan, people do not prioritize of publicize the study of the Hebrew language, while in Israeli educational institutions there is ample opportunity to study the Arabic language. It is for this reason that we find a considerable number of Israeli politicians and media representatives who speak Arabic fluently. I do not know many Arab foreign ministers in Israel's neighboring states that can speak Hebrew. As for those who say that the Israelis speak Arabic because the language is more common than Hebrew, or because the Israelis have intruded on our region, this justification is irrelevant. The reason why Israel enjoys superiority over the Arabs is because it has sought to understand them through their language; it can gauge the thinking of the young and old. Israel is well aware of the Arabs' strengths as well as their weaknesses, and it can understand them simply because it has immersed itself in their culture.

Therefore, it is no wonder that we hear youths in Tel Aviv listening to Umm Kulthum songs, eating hummus and considering the television series ‘Rafat El-Haggan’ to be a comedy. The Israelis are not only occupying our soil, but they also highly active in our culture, which is the real cause for their power.

 

[muse]

Young Arab generations lack awareness about Israel; a country that is now totally different to how it was in 1948, 1956, 1967 or 1973. This is not because it has transformed into a friendly state, for it is still considered our bitter enemy that continues to occupy Palestinian soil. What has changed in Israel, like any other state, is that now there is an emerging generation that harbors dreams and expectations different to those cherished by a leader like Netanyahu. Young Israelis have their own vision that is detached from military life and is inclined towards civil interests, a love for life, and decent living standards.

What Arab youths do not know is that in Israel there is a strong sector that opposes the state's supremacist policies towards the Palestinian people in particular, and the Arabs in general. These youths are not only leftists; there are also centrist civil servants and university graduates who strongly believe that Israel's stability is conditional upon its coexistence with the Arabs.

However, it is ridiculous to read political analysis comparing these Israeli youths with the Arab youths that revolted in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya, in the sense that those Israelis took to streets against Netanyahu last year to demand social justice in the same manner that the Arab Spring revolutionaries also took to streets to demonstrate. This is untrue because the youths in the Arab Spring states were rising up against ruling regimes that were light years away from their citizens. The rulers of these states stayed in their palaces and were unable to hear their people or sense their needs. Here, people became outraged because of their needs and their leader's negligence or arrogance, and whenever they sought to make their voice heard in the elections, these same leaders would return the next day and declare their victory with an overwhelming majority. In Israel, this situation does not exist; the regime in Tel Aviv is truly democratic and the rungs on the power ladder are fixed. What the demonstrators in Israel are demanding is an improvement in living standards; they are not starting from scratch as in the Arab Spring states. In these states there was no democratic political climate prior to the revolutions, and in fact we are still waiting for such a climate to emerge amidst the security, economic, and political failures that we see every day.

In Israel, politicians are distinguished by their sincerity and devotion to the higher interests of the state, rather than their affiliation to a certain group, and this is something we have yet to see in the Arab Spring.

The Arab youths turned to poets with their cheap words, and to politicians who heap insults upon Israel from their luxurious hotel rooms. However, they are still unaware as to where, why and how these feelings of hatred towards Israel came about.

A simple means of demonstrating our ignorance of Israel can be found in the fact that its neighboring states are ignorant of the Hebrew language. In Lebanon and Syria, people prefer to study French rather than the language of a country that continues to jeopardize their own security every day. In Egypt and Jordan, people do not prioritize of publicize the study of the Hebrew language, while in Israeli educational institutions there is ample opportunity to study the Arabic language. It is for this reason that we find a considerable number of Israeli politicians and media representatives who speak Arabic fluently. I do not know many Arab foreign ministers in Israel's neighboring states that can speak Hebrew. As for those who say that the Israelis speak Arabic because the language is more common than Hebrew, or because the Israelis have intruded on our region, this justification is irrelevant. The reason why Israel enjoys superiority over the Arabs is because it has sought to understand them through their language; it can gauge the thinking of the young and old. Israel is well aware of the Arabs' strengths as well as their weaknesses, and it can understand them simply because it has immersed itself in their culture.

Therefore, it is no wonder that we hear youths in Tel Aviv listening to Umm Kulthum songs, eating hummus and considering the television series ‘Rafat El-Haggan’ to be a comedy. The Israelis are not only occupying our soil, but they also highly active in our culture, which is the real cause for their power.[/SIZE]
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Great post Sol - really excellent - perhaps even here on this forum, there should be more Israelis and not just internet warriors?

 

[Solomon2]

Great post Sol - really excellent - perhaps even here on this forum, there should be more Israelis and not just internet warriors?

Perhaps if some Pakistanis here made an effort to seek out Israelis and invite them to this forum?

 

[muse]

It's an open forum and all are welcome - the disadvantage would be that most Pakistanis do not know any Israelis, but those who do are welcome issue an invite - it's an open forum and all are welcome

 

[Solomon2]

It's an open forum and all are welcome - the disadvantage would be that most Pakistanis do not know any Israelis, but those who do are welcome issue an invite - it's an open forum and all are welcome

It'll be tough. The Jews who think about Pakistan are few, the Israelis who do so less. And if Pakistanis seek them out by personal choice there won't be an accurate representation. There will have to be some sort of random statistical system to do it well...something I'll leave to the hosts of PDF, as the effort will be more to their immediate profit than anybody else's.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

I thanked both Sol and Muse its not us knowing each other enough but also the hostilities that the Israelis will have to face by Pakistanis and pretend Pakistanis to spoil this welcome step.

I do know 2 Israelis one is a young scholar and the other is an old war veteran. I haven't been in contact with them but I will invite them and see if they can spare some time.

by the way, thanks for posting the article. I agree that breaking the language barrier is the first step towards a meaningful peace, respect and coexistence (if that is the dream between the two nations).


its a tough ask I must say, in the recent times we have become far more intolerant and have bag full of reasons not to trust and accommodate each other.

I will think of the ways to invite some Israelis here lets see.

 

[Solomon2]

I agree that breaking the language barrier is the first step towards a meaningful peace, respect and coexistence (if that is the dream between the two nations).its a tough ask I must say, in the recent times we have become far more intolerant and have bag full of reasons not to trust and accommodate each other.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, I think the next step is to move Israel-Pakistan relations out of the covert realm of ISI-Mossad relations and furtive diplomatic meetings into something more open. The Mossad won't push this, of course, as bad public relations empower it at the expense of accountable government - and may empower its upper management to make personal fortunes through covert trade. The Israeli gov't is willing but of course open direct contact is currently out of the question for any Pakistani diplomat.

For now, the Israelis in D.C. can only glance out the window towards their Pakistani counterparts a hundred feet away across International Drive. Do the Pakistanis ever look back?

 

[RFS_Br]

"The reason why Israel enjoys superiority over the Arabs is because it has sought to understand them through their language"

Well, how good is Israel's understanding of Arabs? The country has not been able to put an end to its conflict with Palestinians (in fact, it seems, if anything, to want to prolong it). In the 80s, it added another Arab country (Lebanon, which was previously an ally) to its list of enemies; and it seems to be on the brink of losing the support of its two Arab friends, Egypt and Jordan. It has already lost that of the only other non-Arab country in the Near East (Turkey). Israel's superiority, strategically, derives far more from brute force and alliances than from any intellectual virtue. No, Israel does not have a superior understanding of the Arab world, and its infinite blunders in its relations with the Arab world unarguably prove it.

"it can gauge the thinking of the young and old."

Bullshit. To give but just one proof: did Israel predict the youth-led revolution in Egypt? I think it didn't. Instead, Israel put all of its Egyptian eggs in relations with whoever was the strong man du jour, never guessing that one day its authoritarian friends could be ousted in a popular revolt. If there is one Arab country Israelis ever paid attention to, it's Egypt -- the largest Arab country and a close neighbor, the one whose friendship would earn Israel geopolitical stability. Yet Israel was caught off-guard by Egyptian events. How can we say, then, that Israel knows "the young and old" in that country, let alone in the broader Arab world?

"Israel is well aware of the Arabs' strengths as well as their weaknesses, and it can understand them simply because it has immersed itself in their culture."

Propaganda. Rachel Shabi, on her book about Middle Eastern Jews in Israel -- and herself an Iraqi Jew --, wrote that teaching of Arabic lags far behind that of Western languages in Israeli schools. Apart from Israeli-Palestinians, very few in Israel speak the language. Why would they? It appears hardly anywhere in the country other than in Palestinians villages. Even in so-called mixed-cities the language is suppressed. Eating hummus or listening to Arab music likewise provides no deep insight into the Arab culture -- it does not make one a conaisseur of the Arab world.

Look, Paris Hilton's eating sushi! Is she now a shrewd observer of Japanese society?

What pseudo-intellectual BS.

I'm not opposed to Arabs getting a nuanced approach towards Israel, one more substantial than the slogans of resistance movements. But unearned flattery to Israel isn't the way to go. Israel is a very parochial country -- a rare quality in a small nation. It is very insulated from its neighbors and knows very little about them.

 

[for truth]

Bullshit. To give but just one proof: did Israel predict the youth-led revolution in Egypt? I think it didn't. Instead, Israel put all of its Egyptian eggs in relations with whoever was the strong man du jour, never guessing that one day its authoritarian friends could be ousted in a popular revolt. If there is one Arab country Israelis ever paid attention to, it's Egypt -- the largest Arab country and a close neighbor, the one whose friendship would earn Israel geopolitical stability. Yet Israel was caught off-guard by Egyptian events. How can we say, then, that Israel knows "the young and old" in that country, let alone in the broader Arab world?.

Great analysis, but i have one problem with the above one. If you are talking about revolution in Egypt, even the common Egyptians could not have seen it coming ,and it did catch on all of a sudden, they were inspired by what they were seeing in other Arab spring states. Understanding other nations does not mean predicting the rise and fall of the dictators or authoritarians, neither the youth of Egypt had shown any signs of great revolt against the previous regime.So, somehow expecting the nations which are preoccupied with defining themselves as superior to others and in proving that, it would be foolishness on our part to expect that Israelis could have predicted the Arab spring. We have to also bear in mind that even after having great thinkers and economists in west, no one had seen the recession coming nor the occupy wall street. Often these revolutions are result of what is unseen and un- sensed, that is why we use the term 'revolution' to it. And revolution like the one in Egypt, i don't think any power could have predicted or foreseen it coming.If that could have been noticed-the hate for the ruling regimes- then the revolution could have been stopped or delayed, like the ones that are happening in other nations like Bahrain or Saudi.

 

[muse]

Could Israel and Pakistan become friends?
Monday, February 18, 2013 | Elizabeth Blade


It’s hard to imagine a Muslim state that would be cordial to Israel. Pakistan is no exception. Last year, it promised to retaliate against Israel in the event of a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Then – during Israel’s recent operation in the Gaza Strip – Pakistan condemned the effort to curb Hamas rocket fire, calling on the United Nations’ Security Council to demand an immediate cessation of Israel’s military action.

But the hostile rhetoric doesn’t come as a shock, especially given the fact that Pakistan’s education system breeds hatred towards non-Muslims. In November 2011, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom published a report according to which Pakistani school textbooks were saturated with hatred towards other religions.

The report that pored through more than 100 books from grades one to ten across four provinces, visiting 37 public schools and interviewing 277 students and teachers read: “Dislike of Christians is found in religious textbooks where Islam is described in opposition to Judaism and Christianity as creeds that rejected the pure message of Islam”.

This, however, is nothing new. In 2005, The Times of India reported that “some material taught in Pakistani schools includes describing Jews as tightfisted moneylenders, Christians as vengeful conquerors, and Hindus as devious and cowardly people…”

Pakistan’s mass media has also played a vital role in stirring anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment. In March 2011, the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based think tank devoted to the exploration of the region through its media, published a detailed analysis of anti-Semitism in Pakistan.

The report charged: “The new generations of Pakistani youth are being taught by the influential Urdu-language press that all major problems facing the society and state of Pakistan are created by Israel, the US and India”.

Where’s the Hope for Peace?

But there are some who challenge the system and question some of its fundamental principles. Pirzada Hasaan Hashmi, a political activist, blogger and a spokesperson for Interfaith Harmony for Religious Peace, anon-governmental organization that promotes tolerance towards all religions, says anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment is deeply rooted in the Pakistani society.

“Hatred and propaganda against Israel is very strong. Radical thinking is mainly advocated by extreme mullahs, who portray Jews [and Israel] as our biggest enemies,” Hashmi told Israel Today.

The reasons for this hatred (and hence the lack of ties) were suggested by Iqbal Jafar, a Pakistani essayist and columnist, who held an array of important positions under various administrations.

“Israel and Pakistan don’t have any ties because the two countries think of themselves as the embodiment of an ideology. Ties are [possible] between countries, not ideologies,” explained Jafar.

The notorious Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Jafar, was also a factor that added fuel to the fire. “Pakistan doesn’t recognize Israel in order to show solidarity with the Palestinians; and also because of [the country’s] domestic political reasons. The recognition of Israel under given circumstances would be a very unpopular decision. [Although] Pakistan’s two military dictators [Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf] toyed with the idea of recognizing Israel, they got cold feet in the end”.

Hashmi agreed: “Religious clerics teach us that Jews have occupied Muslims’ holiest lands and that the rightful owners of those lands – the Palestinians – don’t get their rights. Mullahs (supported, funded and inspired by Saudi Arabia and Iran) are the ones who control Pakistan,” he said stressing that politicians cannot do much to improve the situation primarily because they fear to lose the support of their people.

Attempting the ‘Impossible’

Nevertheless, hatred didn’t prevent the two countries from making several attempts at bolstering relations.

The first contact was initiated by David Ben-Gurion, when he dispatched a telegram to Governor General Muhammad Ali Jinnah asking him to recognize Israel. But Jinnah was hesitant and gave no particular response, fearing the reaction of the Arabs.

Then in 1953, US diplomats arranged a meeting between Pakistan’s first foreign minister Muhammad Zafarullah Khan and Israel’s then ambassador to the US, Abba Eban. Although Khan told Eban that improved relations between the two states were not on the horizon, he did stress that“…the Pakistani government does not bear any hatred toward Israel and understands that it is a factor in the Middle East that must be taken into consideration.” He also gave a green light to mutual visits of experts, students, and professors.

The 1990s saw another wave of attempts from leaders of both countries to boost ties. Israel was looking for a “friendly” state in Asia, whereas Pakistan was motivated by its difficult economic situation, shaky relations with the US (primarily because of its nuclear program), and strong desire to improve its image in the eyes of the world community – things that ties with Israel could provide.

Meetings were organized between Israel’s then President Ezer Weizman and his Pakistani counterpart Muhammad Rafiq Tarrar; Pakistani UN ambassador Jamshi Merkar and Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, to mention but a few.

Things also looked promising in early 2000s, when Israel’s former foreign minister Silvan Shalom met his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri, and soon after, during a visit to the US, General Musharraf agreed to be the guest of honor at an American Jewish Congress dinner.

But as Jafar recalls, apart from numerous meetings, the two countries have also seen instances of cooperation. “Israel and Pakistan have cooperated at least once, but secretly, when Israel Military Industries upgraded Pakistan’s T55 tanks at the request of General Ziaul Haq…” pointed out Jafar, stressing that the two states could find other – equally important – spheres of cooperation.

Mutual Benefit

“Pakistan and Israel can cooperate in dealing with militant extremism, which is a common challenge. A fruitful and peaceful cooperation can be in the field of agriculture. Israel’s unmatched expertise in taming the desert for agricultural purposes can be a boon for Pakistan, which has vast desert areas [many of which] lie uncultivated,” Jafar added.

Hashmi elaborated: “Pakistan can benefit from Israel’s market in terms of food, cotton and gems, whereas Israel could export its military and hi-tech know how to the Pakistani market”. But it doesn’t stop there.

“The states could also cooperate on the political and diplomatic levels,” insisted Hashmi. “Both countries could pose as mediators. Pakistan can mediate between Israel and the Palestinians, whereas Israel can exert influence on India in the Indian-Pakistani dispute over Kashmir”.

Moreover, Hashmi believes that good relations with Israel could help Pakistan to improve its image in the eyes of the international community: “Israel has the strongest lobbying powers in the world. If Israel and Pakistan are on good terms, we can use this lobbying to foster healthy relationships with other countries, because other than Saudi Arabia [and China], no major country supports Pakistan”.

Reality for Fantasy?

But are these plans feasible or will they always remain a fantasy? Jafar shared his view: “To kick off, an enabling environment has to be created. This would take some time and can be initiated only after January 2013 [after the elections in Israel and Pakistan]. The first and easiest step for Israel to take is to normalize its relations with Turkey. The Turks and Pakistanis have a close emotional bond going back to the 1920s when the Muslims of this part of the world supported the Turks in their struggle against occupation by the victors of the First World War. Turkey is also fast emerging as the leading Muslim power in the region. It can play a decisive role in [forming] an understanding between Israel and Pakistan”.

The expert also suggested that Israel should seize the opportunity and establish ties with the Syrian rebels that “desperately need support and recognition”. Jafar explained: “This would enable Israel to reach an understanding with the new Syria, after the exit of the present regime, [and can help] to resolve the dispute over the Golan Heights. This, by itself, would be a great breakthrough that could be linked to the recognition of Israel by Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, if not all Muslim States”.

Sowing the Seeds

Hashmi had a different approach, suggesting that moderates on both sides should create a basis for communication, while the government should take active steps in changing the education system and influencing the biased media.

The good news is that some of it is already happening. In July, Israeli news website Ynet reported that a Jerusalem-based Tazpit News Agency launched a joint venture with Weekly Press Pakistan, a Toronto-based news outlet published in Urdu (Pakistan’s official language).

Apart from that, in recent months, mainstream Pakistani news websites published numerous articles and statements by the country’s commentators, intelligentsia and political leaders calling for the country to follow India’s example and establish ties with all international and regional players, including Israel.

Yet, so far, these words have not been backed by concrete deeds. Israelis are still not allowed to visit Pakistan, and Pakistanis (even if they have a foreign passport) are barred from visiting Israel.

So what makes Hashmi and Jafar feel that now (after years of confrontation and fruitless dialogue) the situation is going to be any different? Jafar concluded: “We should try even if the possibility of a change is remote. The flutter of a butterfly in a Brazilian forest can, it has been suggested, bring about a storm in the Caribbean”.

 

[Ayush]

Israel and Pakistan becoming friends is difficult to imagine, .

 

[muse]

Israel and Pakistan becoming friends is difficult to imagine, .

Indeed, however:

“We should try even if the possibility of a change is remote. The flutter of a butterfly in a Brazilian forest can, it has been suggested, bring about a storm in the Caribbean”.

 

[Ayush]

Indeed, however:

“We should try even if the possibility of a change is remote. The flutter of a butterfly in a Brazilian forest can, it has been suggested, bring about a storm in the Caribbean”.

well said sir.i will try and follow your quote in my life.

 

[FaujHistorian]

The Israel We Do Not Know

31/01/2013
By Amal Al-Hazzani


Dr. Amal Al- Hazzaniis is an Associate Professor in King Saud University in Riyadh.

Being something of an exception in the Middle East, the Israeli elections are often great fun and full of surprises. This time we saw the emergence of politician Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party that has won the admiration even of its political rivals after gaining 19 seats in the Israeli Knesset. Lapid is a TV presenter and a news anchor who decided only a few months ago to enter politics, competing with and even embarrassing senior politicians such as Tzipi Livni and Avigdor Lieberman, and forcing Benjamin Netanyahu to ride on the back of coalitions in order to remain as prime minister. Lapid, a moderate political leader who we will hear more of in the future, is primarily concerned with developing education and achieving social equality. His liberal concepts are completely alien to the Jewish clergy and a source of ridicule among the far right........


Therefore, it is no wonder that we hear youths in Tel Aviv listening to Umm Kulthum songs, eating hummus and considering the television series ‘Rafat El-Haggan’ to be a comedy. The Israelis are not only occupying our soil, but they also highly active in our culture, which is the real cause for their power.

Really nice essay. Thanks for sharing.


However it is not about Arabs vs. Israelis,

or Arabic language vs. Hebrew.




The real comparison is between cultures and the resulting behavior of people living with a specific culture.

At the moment

The real comparison should be based upon "Tribal culture" and a more "civilized culture".

Tribal culture is based on verbal father-to-son knowledge transfer. Universities be damned. My grandpa-knows-everything type of attitude.


Civilized culture is based on documented learning. Reading books, all kinds of books, building upon the knowledge of grandpa but going far far beyond it. And if at some stage grand pa's assumptions, suppositions, perceptions have to be ditched, then so be it. Ditch em.


Thus the tribal people are stuck with the old habits, burqas, and hijabs, and constipated conspiracy theories.

Whereas

civilized people open new books, challenge existing ethos, learn more, beyond, far beyond their grand-pa's little world.


So all those tribal people, don't just look at the cvilized cultures and say Oh, look they have the technology and we don't. What if we can acquire this tech and then we too would become "advanced".

It doesn't work that way.

Science and tech are the product of cultures and not just universities. Science and tech go hand in hand with the art, with the paintings, the music, the literature, and above all how you view the world.


This is why civilized societies emphasize on learning new things about their environment, the things next door, the things in the house first and then go to the next outer circle, and then the next and next until you leave mother earth and reach other planets and stars.


Thus, Arabs being stuck with tribal culture will not learn Hebrew, or Torah, or Israeli music, or literature. They will not.

But the response from Israelis' studdied approach will obviously be in a totally different plain.


Why even talk about Arabs here.


In Pakistan too, 50s and 60s was the civilized era. We learned new languages, studied other cultures, traveled to, and marveled other countries, did the back packing through Europe, and Iran, and Turkey, and even Afghanistan in our youth, developed modern art, music, and eveyrthing in between.


Then we became tribal. Sadly!


We quit developing and appreciating art, new literature, and new languages. We became Hijabis and beardos all in the name of religion, But the religion never demanded Hijab and beard. it always asked us to be fashionable in our appearance and in our thought process, and in our attitude.

Yes being fashionable is good, being modest is good, Always good.



So now when music department is set up in Punjab university, what happens?

Bunch of tribal beardos protest against it, and kick out the whole damn department from the university (thankfully the department had a place in alhamra arts council).


So if we the tribals are this much allergic to the music department, then forget about setting up classes on Sanskrit, Hinduism, or reading Bhagvad Gita.

Yes the tribal and uncivilized attitude in Pakistan will not allow large universities to start classes for teaching Hebrew language, or study of Torah or Bible. Even though these books are as Holy for us as they are to Jewish and Christian people.

We by Gollie will study in Mad house madrassahs, far far away from science, maths, modern literature, and art.

Yes

Because we have become tribal and thus uncivilized.


peace


p.s. Just to clarify. Cultures change overtime. Sometimes people living with tribal cultures change and start living with civilized cultures. This is good and desired characteristic of human beings and society in general.

Unfortunately sometimes, relatively civilized cultures move back to the tribal cultures in the name of nation, or God or both.

Is tribal culture absolutely bad? Heck no! there are good things otherwise why people would be living with one.

Is the "civilized culture" or the "modern/contemporary culture" absolutely good? Heck no. Otherwise why would people see crime and other issues in civilized societies.


However the difference is that tribal culture is relatively stuck in the past, old, obsolete habits. So there is no hope of improvement in the near term.

whereas civilized cultures are constantly evolving, challenging existing norms, so there is a lot of hope that after experimenting with different ideas, some existing issues will be solved, while new ones will continue popping up.