Understanding the Retributive Impulse Posted by Shadi Hamid

I was talking to an American friend the other day, in an unassuming but quite satisfying Indian restaurant in London, somewhere along Queen’s Way. The conversation turned to the matter of "dignity," in the context of our difficulties in the Arab world. I told him about a disturbing, but illustrative, conversation I had with my uncle in Egypt. It was the summer before last, during the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

My uncle and I launched into a heated debate about Hezbollah’s initial strike across the green line in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed. I took upon myself the thankless task of trying to convince him that Hezbollah’s move was not only a mistake, but a stupid, self-defeating one. Apart from the fact that it was illegal and unprovoked, it was also damaging to the Palestinian cause, and certainly to the Lebanese themselves. Put aside your emotions for a moment, I told him. What did Hezbollah actually accomplish in doing this? How did it help the Palestinians or the Lebanese? I challenged him to cite any positive result. He had nothing to say, because there was nothing to say. These, after all, weren’t the questions he was interested in. I pushed him some more. Why? Then came the answer. He said one word, and that was enough, and, in his own way, he was able to capture the depth of the tragedy unfolding before us. Karameh, he said, looking hard into my eyes, with a mixture of sadness, anger, and exhaustion, as if needing to ready himself for a fight he didn't want to fight, but knew he had to. 

Karameh is the Arabic for "dignity." Back to my friend in London. After telling him about my uncle, I concluded: “It's critical for Americans to understand the centrality of dignity in the Arab psyche.” I pulled back feeling I had gone too far. “Well, I know that sounds ethnocentric, but still…” Indeed, this was not the right thing to say, because this was not unique to the Arab world, although it may appear, at the current moment, a more pronounced cultural trait. “Shadi,” my friend responded, “you’re certainly right, but we have the same problem.”

He went on to talk about the retributive impulse that had defined the post-9/11 American “psyche;” how we, too, have acted irrationally and done things that have not only failed to help us, but have so obviously hurt us. Our pride and our honor took a hit on 9/11. And what came out of it was a visceral reaction, one full of confused anger. Such impulses are necessary at first, even healthy. Anger can be a good thing, particularly when channeled constructively in support of a national cause. But we went far beyond healthy responses, and we’ve drawn out a long, six-year process of cathartic retribution, in some way aiming to erase the humiliation - the affront to our dignity – that the attacks of September 11^th brought upon us. And, in doing so, we have descended into a spiral of irrationality, both self-destructive and self-defeating.

Well, my friend was right. We may have more in common with our Arab counterparts after all.

Comments

[Greg Sanders]

Well said. Desire for retribution is hardly unique to any part of the world.

There may be some differences in reaction to more cultural phenomenon, see Rushdie et al, but those may often just be proxies for more life and death issues.

[Mike M.]

I'm glad the conversation took the turn it did, towards America's self-defeating choices. Too often, when I read about people from the Middle East or from Asia or Native Americans fighting for "pride" or "Honor" is sounds like Star Trek Klingon talk. Let's remember that everyone, as an individual, has done something irrational over a perceived or very real slight. We all want to protect our identities and our power in the world, after all.

That said, Americas mistakes after 9/11 were not committed by any sort of "us." They were committed by the Bush Administration. Let's be clear on that. The American people reacted to 9/11 in a level-headed manner. The American government, including some Democrats, reacted like a bunch of morons, first with the Patriot Act and then with the invasion of Iraq.

[wow power leveling]

wow gold
wow gold
wow power leveling
wow power leveling
wow power leveling
wow powerleveling
wow powerleveling
wow powerleveling
World Of Warcraft power leveling
World Of Warcraft power leveling
World Of Warcraft power leveling
World Of Warcraft powerleveling
World Of Warcraft powerleveling
World Of Warcraft powerleveling
wow power level
wow power level
wow power level
cheap wow power leveling
cheap wow power leveling
cheap wow powerleveling
cheap wow powerleveling
codeheart article
Warcraft Gold
World of Warcraft Gold
cheap wow gold

[ugg boots sale]

UGG Boots is your best ugg boots sale online Outlet where you can buy the cheapest
Ugg Boots.

[cheap coach handbags]

Thank you for your sharing! I like i very much!

[link building india]

I would like to say if we do compare with the action taken in Afganistan to road rage then we are ignoring the instinctual act of self preservation.The equivalence of road rage would be nipping or snarling at an intruder on a piece of meat.

[uggsofaufanfan]

welcome to china

[NFL Jerseys]

If I speak in the Cheap Authentic NFL Jerseys tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all Official NFL Jerseys knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my USA Jerseys Shop body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.Love is patient, NFL Jerseys love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it NHL Jerseys keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always MLB Jerseys hopes, always perseveres.Love never NHL Hockey Jerseys fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in MLB Baseball Jerseys part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappea. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a NBA Basketball Jerseys man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.And now these three remain: faith, hope and NFL Football Jerseys love. But the greatest of these is love.

YQ

[werh]

Everyone likes stylish clothes, ed hardy brand favorites.

[Swiss replica watches]

I came across this when searching info on Google. I will use it to complete my report for this weekend, thanks for the info.

[charlene]

Convenience for you to buy Cheap NFL Jerseys.

[watchstore]

I'm sorry, but it's not good enough to say "do over." The pundits' second thoughts should carry the cargo of their previous assumptions, heady projections and salient selling points.I'm a businessman, but also about this thing.nike air max .

[watchstore]

I'm sorry, but it's not good enough to say "do over." The pundits' second thoughts should carry the cargo of their previous assumptions, heady projections and salient selling points.I'm a businessman, but also about this thing.nike air max .

[moncler Boutique]

I provide information that is truly unique and the service they offer too have lived, I love this service so I request please visit the others.

[P90x]

This is a great post; it was very informative. I look forward in reading more of your work. Also, I made sure to bookmark your website so I can come back later. I enjoyed every moment of reading it. internet marketing