US/Middle East Relations

For decades now, the USA has not been seen in a very positive light by the Middle East.  Military intrusion and a completely different set of values and lifestyles have only heightened the tensions between two very different cultures.

After 9/11, many Americans wondered what would prompt the Middle East to commit such an egregious act. All the though the USA was the victim of 9/11, the attack did not come without a cause. The Middle East for years had been upset with the USA over issues regarding the Palestine, the Gulf War, and the US mistreatment of Arab troops (".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:.").

The Middle East also does not like that the USA has been the watch guard and protector of Israel, who literally every country in the region despises and wants to destroy. Since the USA has been fighting on the account of Israel for so long, many Middle Eastern countries have grown to resent the Red, White, and Blue ("How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion."). 

In October of 2001, the War on Terror commenced as President George W. Bush sent US troops into the Middle East to bring peace and stability to the region while wiping out Al Quaeda, the group responsible for 9/11. What resulted was a long, drawn out war that lasted for 13 years. Sure, corrupt governments were deposed while the USA set up puppet regimes, but I feel personally as if nothing significant was accomplished at the expense of American lives ( ".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:).

US troops were stationed there for 13 years, and those living in Iraq and Iran especially did not like seeing these soldiers occupy their country. I can relate to this as I would not be a fan of enemy soldiers being stationed in the USA if that day ever arrived. In addition to that, tensions grow even higher when you consider how much the Middle East and the USA square off about nuclear enrichment. The USA does not want any country in the Middle East to have significant nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Just the notion of W.M.D.s is what prompted George W. Bush to go after Iraq as hard as he did ("How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion).

If I leave the violent aspect out of it, Americans and Middle Easterners also do not see eye to eye in cultural aspects. In America, girls can wear whatever clothing they want and reveal as much skin as they deem necessary. In the Middle East, most women have to wear face veils and keep their bodies entirely covered. 

In the USA, though Christianity is the most prolific religion, any religion goes. In the Middle East, it is Islam or die in most cases. Islam plays a big role in the Middle East as the religion has a strict set of codes and values tied in with it. In the USA, really anything from an immoral standpoint is allowed and at times can be highly covered by the media. American society makes up its own code that is a complete opposite of what Islam teaches. Not to mention also that Christians and Muslims do not get along too much, and those groups are primarily located in the USA and Middle East, respectively (".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:.").

With various militant issues and completely different world outlooks and mindsets, it is easy for me to see how Americans and Middle Easterners believe what they believe about one other. I hope that these perspectives change in the near future as both regions currently tend to judge one another based on actions of the extreme. Americans look at the Middle East and think suicide bombers and 9/11. They also tend to think of Christians and various other people being persecuted and executed in this region. Conversely, the Middle East looks at America and sees a superficial culture that has no values and thinks that it is superior to all others. Both perceptions are misplaced. If citizens of both regions took time to actually study and learn the habits of each's respective common people, then tensions would be lowered and the USA and Middle East could begin the process of building an amicable relationship with one another. 

Sources

          "How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion." How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/330.php?nid=&>.

          ".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:." .:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=54458>.