Globalization in the Middle East

Globalization in the Middle East

Experts herald globalization as damnation and a savior to the planet. Particularly in the Middle East[1], there is an intense debate among the Islamic scholars regarding the source, benefits, and woes of globalization. Currently, it is clear that the response in the Arabic states towards globalization is negative. Therefore, the question that must be asked is what makes the Middle Eastern states to sharply criticize the globalization? One of the main reasons for such a rejection is that the region lacks previous penetration of Western institutions, ideas, and culture in the Islamic states of the Middle East. While Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Asia may be worried about Western music and food items, it is probable that the Middle East will regard all globalization ideas, products, and outcome as dangerous for regional stability. History suggests that globalization is only accepted by different societies if it assists the society to prosper and develop albeit in a new form. Some of the sources of information for this research include scholarly articles, first-hand information, and observation.

Arguably, there is no area in the world today that exhibits strong resistance to globalization as the Middle East. With the exception of a handful of Gulf States, other opposition movements, regimes, and intellectuals evidently push for anti-globalization. Decades of the struggle for anti-globalization have resulted in an all-out war against the western values. Most recently, Osama bin Laden led the Al-Qaida movement to radicalize Islamism and to solidify the application of Sharia law in the region. The latest expression of interest by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is a clear testament of the strong effort to establish a caliphate to safeguard Islamic values in the Middle East (Henry & Springborg, 2011).

Globalization refers to the spread of institutions, customs, attitudes, and ideas that originate from one part of the globe to the other. Presently, ideas spread from the west to other regions such as China, Russia, South America, and the Middle East. Thus, it is undeniable that Westernization is equivalent to globalization. Most of the developing countries in Africa and East Asia are open to globalization because the West played a critical role in their civilization, hence are considered as components of the West already. When particular aspects of Westernization challenge a region’s ethos as observed in the Middle East, nationalism dramatically sets in.

Historically, globalization was regarded as modernization. In the Middle East, modernization entailed beliefs and set of behaviors that challenged the traditional society. However, as globalization evolved over the years, the Middle East become increasingly critical because of a growing threat to the foundation of Islam. Notably, religion in the Middle East is directly linked to the system of governance. Consequently, the defense of Islam conflicts with the acceptance of globalization, westernization, or modernization.

Distinct factors of cultural synthesis and benefits ought to render globalization attractive. For instance, globalization will be accepted if it strengthens the society through improvement of living standards, stabilizing the existing governance order, or replacing the existing political structure with an order considered better by the majority. On the other hand, the cultural synthesis concept implies that the existing norms and tradition in the Middle Eastern society can be integrated with foreign ideas to ensure a stronger and beneficial hybrid.  Japan’s modern history, for instance, indicates how a synthesis should be constructed in the Arab world. Additionally, the society should play a central role filtering what it must reject or accept. Specifically, the institutions and values that threaten regional stability or traditional views should be blocked. Eventually, the acceptance of globalization in the Middle East will occur if the authorities perceive it as non-destructive to the local society, but helpful in its prosperity and survival.

Of keen to note is that even the most extreme rejection of globalization in the Middle East does not imply that its introduction does not infiltrate into the regional establishment. In Iran, the Islamic government often tries to block foreign intellectual and cultural influences but to no avail. In fact, the opposition has taken up these western concepts and is increasingly enjoying a wider support especially from the younger population. Political experts speculate the inevitability of cultural synthesis and globalization in Iran in the foreseeable future. However, both the government and the opposition propose that globalization should be a two-way affair, where the West should also borrow some of the beneficial ideas and cultures from the Middle East. 

Though it is clearly paradoxical, the Middle East strongly opposes globalization because the past attempts of Western culture penetration in the Islamic world failed considerably. Even though there are some signs of influence (especially in the Gulf States and moderate Arab nations like Egypt) the penetration and rate of success of western ideas are far less as compared to other Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. Some of the Western societies include New Zealand, Europe, Australia, and North America. Despite local differences in former Soviet states, central and eastern European states adapted quickly to the ideas of Globalization and Western culture after the fall of USSR. South America was influenced by Spanish Europeans in terms of culture, religion, and language.

In Asia, the success of globalization is evident in cultural exchange. The English language is usable in former Asian British colonies such as Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore.  Considerably, Eastern Asia is tolerant to globalization contradictions otherwise unacceptable in the Middle East. The image of globalization in the Arab world is dramatically different. Even worse, Christianity, for the most part of the regional history, has remained a marginal religion. In places where the practice of Christianity is allowed (for instance Egypt), its role in globalization is declining sharply. Statistics indicate that the penetration of Christianity in Lebanon, Kuwait, and the rest of the Middle East has dropped significantly in the past decade because of increasing nationalistic views and the negative perception of Western military intervention in majority Muslim nations like Iraq, and Libya and Syria. While Islam is a religion that was heavily influenced by Christianity and Judaism during its early years, it has since drifted away from the global consensus and now bears a hegemonic claim. The Islamic religious community is remarkably large, thus allowing it to build a cultural and religious wall that bars numerous globalization aspects.

Furthermore, Islam is the only religion with a particular set of laws and regulation for establishing a coherent order in the society. In light of this, numerous globalization elements contradict Islam, which is hardly the case with African traditions, Taoism, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Moreover, application of modern technology in the Middle East has allowed Islam to reinforce and regularize its values.

The western culture is rejected significantly in the Middle East as symbolized by the limited use of English, French, Spanish, and other European languages. Specifically, English is highly restricted despite it being a major international language of global interchange. Over the past five decades, French use in North Africa (part of the Middle East) has declined sharply partly because of strong negative views of colonialism. All countries in the Middle East except Iran use Arabic as a principal language because of its status as an official language of Islam. Historically, this existence of a culturally powerful and large Arabic community has automatically built a linguistic wall to block penetration of European languages, hence inhibiting globalization.

Due to these and other factors, globalization’s basic aspects and elements are more alienated in the Middle East as compared to other regions and cultures. Therefore, any attempts to force globalization in the region through regime change or military intervention are often met with hostility and retaliatory violence. Given the close links between Christianity and globalization, the Middle East looks at the entire list of globalization elements as a direct threat to their religion, culture, and way of life that have survived for millennia. Not all is lost, however, as several elements of contemporary financial and political aspects of elite globalization form part of the cosmopolitan ideas, behavior, and habits. Still, this process of integration proceeds at a far lesser pace in the Islamic world as compared to other parts of the globe. Further, there is a strong pressure from the government for the citizens to maintain national or traditional authenticity through absolute opposition to external influences.

Another reason for Middle East’s opposition to globalization is the existence of an alternative view of the West and the rest of the world (Meltcalfe, 2012). Some of the major ingredients of this doctrine involve Islam and a deeply rooted Arab nationalism. The majority of the public in Islamic countries are convinced that globalization mandates them to surrender to a non-indigenous but dominant standpoint. Not only does the move threaten to undermine the existing system but also it violently contradicts it. According to most Middle Eastern scholars, the word should adjust to the region’s beliefs rather than the Arab nations adapting to globalization. Interestingly, nearly all of the inhabitants, including the dictatorial leaders, are prepared to pay material and historical costs for their contrasting and extreme attitude.

It is true that on one hand, Islamic extremists and Middle Eastern nationalists are convinced of their emergence as a dominant civilization in the region and world. However, a profound inferiority complex is evident in their archaic policies. Essentially, it is the sense of lagging behind development-wise that precipitates their vulnerability. Many leaders in the Middle East suspect that the emerging inter-continental political system may in the future become more superior to theirs. If this becomes the case, any compromise will probably result in a full absorption. Indeed, they are highly doubtful of their survival in case of a cultural synthesis. Therefore, rejection of a challenge remains the only viable option, which is not the case for other societies that are wholly prepared to confidently undertake it to update their culture and improve their understanding of the world.

Gulalp (2013) observes that the nature of the Middle Eastern political systems and their intellectual and social structures contrast the need for globalization. The introduction of modernization in Europe wiped out autocratic oppressive regimes. The totalitarian Arabic regimes have used the European experience to learn how to mobilize mass support to survive. Some of the tools used to pursue the dictatorial agenda include repression, demagoguery, persuasion of the public for government support, and the formation of a pervasive system. Besides, the dictators use trump cards to formalize their claim that anti-globalization is the only effective way to defend Arab culture and Islamic religion. Other acute tactics employed include anti-Israel and Anti-American sentiments.

To keep the people’s support, the totalitarian regimes in the Middle East present change as a dangerous threat while a compromise is viewed as surrender to the biased West. The elements of globalization that are abominable in the Arab world include civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise. For example, according to Fandy (2014), the Saudi Arabian government keeps the independent business class through the introduction of policies that guarantee state’s domination of the economy. In the process, the national wealth and efficiency are sacrificed for control. Consequently, the upper middle class in countries like Iran and Algeria are heavily reliant on the state for direct employment and patronage. In addition, successful intellectuals are absorbed into state-controlled enterprises to ensure that they are the bearers of the government’s ideology.

The opposition in Egypt, Iraq, Yemen and Tunisia pursue goals that echo the hegemonic doctrine[2], though their demand for its implementation of radical policies is at the core of their ideology.  In essence, their flavor for leadership change is slightly different in comparison to the existing regime. Failures of Islamist revolutions in the Middle East have sharpened the tone of ISIS, Taliban, and Al-Qaeda to be more violent and direct towards Europe and the United States. Over the past decades, numerous jihadist movements are evolving to instill more fear to the Western nations and their sympathizers. Over time, the iron wall against globalization is thickening rather than weakening to allow for reforms, democratization, and liberty.

The presence of liberal forces in the Middle East is nearly pointless because they are shockingly weak and constitute only less than a percent of the total population. While there is a glimmer of hope, chances of embrace to globalization are dwindling fast, given the political unrest and the deeply-rooted Islamism. Besides, the support of strong opposition to political and cultural interference by Russia and China blunts America’s plans for the Middle East. The fading leadership of the West (particularly the United States) is also to blame for the rising anti-globalization stance in the region. It is arguable that the future Middle East will be more resistant to globalization, given the current systematic and intense indoctrination spearheaded by nationalist and Islamist regimes.

In several parts of the globe, cultural synthesis has succeeded greatly. In fact, the current debate in such regions involves the values that should be retained and those that must be borrowed. Contrastingly, the Middle East equates cultural synthesis (a product of globalization) to treason. Researchers question technological determinism, where the internet, radios, and televisions are used to spread the doctrines of extremism and anti-globalization while in the West, they are used to spread rock music. The application of social media and other technologies for revolution distinguishes the government’s ability to tighten controls.

Middle Eastern television channels such as Qatar’s Al Jazeera are often used to spread doctrines of extremism through programs that debate on militant nationalists and globalization or modernism.  In most instances, the program hosts conclude that extremism is better to conserve the ideals and culture from crooked foreigners. In fact, telephone calls are screened to ensure that the callers are strong supporters of extremism. The breadth of this technological application is sends a strong signal to the West that their ideas of globalization are unwelcomed. Given that tens of thousands of people in the Middle East watch the programs, it is hard for the west to shake off the negative view and penetrate their global ideas. Furthermore, majority of Arab students that study in the West often return home to reinforce and solidify their absolute rejection of the Western society as experienced. Having lived and experienced the European, lifestyle, their focus is on the fears and shortcomings of the values should they be introduced in their home countries. In most cases, the Middle Eastern students in the United States, UK or other European nations feel tempted and guilty. Therefore, their intention is to reinforce their own religious, traditional, national, and cultural character. A classical instance is the 9/11 hijackers and Paris Attackers that had lived and studied in the West for many years. Still, they retained their radical ideas by interpreting Islamic religion to focus on it as a shield against the influence of globalization. Eventually, they converted it into a sword to destroy the Western values and civilization altogether. 

Arguably, a subtle effect is observable in the spread of globalization and culture through television programs, books, and movies. Other materials items that aid globalization in the Middle East include clothes, cars, smartphones, and computers. How influential these tools can be in the long-run is subject to an intense debate (Scheve & Slaughter 2014). Yet, the developed world should not underestimate the depth of anti-globalization policies in the Middle East. All the current projections indicate that the negative view will continue deep into the future.

In summary, it is clear that globalization in the Middle East has defied all the expectations. The entire process has resulted in high turbulence because it has generated exclusions, hostilities and conflicts in different countries including Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Tunisia, and most recently Syria. However, opposition groups and individuals have an opportunity to participate in global politics and culture through social media and other communication networks. Local struggles in the Middle East are circulated through the internet and other platforms. While globalization was initially intended to spread peace, freedom and economic prosperity in the Middle East, a faulty American campaign against terrorism and unpopular or unrealistic peace treaties have fueled instability and unrest that contribute to anti-globalization.

References

Fandy, M. (2014). CyberResistance: Saudi Opposition Between Globalization And Localization. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 41(01), 124-147.

Gülalp, H. (2013). Globalization and political Islam: The Social Bases Of Turkey's Welfare Party. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 33(03), 433-448.

Henry, C. M., & Springborg, R. (2011). Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East (Vol. 1). London: Cambridge University Press.

Metcalfe, Beverly Dawn. "Women, Management and Globalization in the Middle East." Journal of Business Ethics 83.1 (2012): 85-100.

Scheve, K. F., & Slaughter, M. J. (2014). A New Deal for Globalization. Foreign Affairs-New York-, 86(4), 34.

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[1] The region being referred to in this research include countries between Afghanistan and Morocco with the exception of a moderate westernized state such as Turkey, and a Jewish state (Israel). While Kuwait, Lebanon, and UAE are showing signs of embracing globalization, the autocratic regimes hinder democracy and liberty (core values of globalization). 

[2] Evidently, there are sharp differences among the Middle Eastern countries. Specifically, contrasts are seen in classes, ethnic groups and minorities, and regions. Therefore, the daily practices of the citizens are separated from the state policies.