Findings

The testimonies of these interviewees do not support the notion that Arabs are uniformly hostile to the West, nor the theory that fundamental differences in values are the cause of conflict between our countries. In fact, most participants express admiration for certain aspects of American culture and contributions of the US, including technological advancements and the high quality of educational institutions. Yet, they identify a sharp contradiction between the values they associate with American people and culture and the way in which the US government deals with Arab and Muslim peoples. They also note that while the US claims that its mission is to spread democracy, it actually supports dictatorial regimes throughout the region including: King Abdullah in Jordan, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and the Saudi ruling family. This hypocrisy serves to intensify participants’ resentment over the injustices they see the American government as perpetrating against their communities. In their eyes, the most egregious of these injustices is the US government’s unwavering support of Israel. They identify an American imperviousness to the deaths of Palestinians and Iraqis and wonder why their lives are deemed expendable, while those of Israelis and Americans are valued and their deaths treated as tragic. The participants’ prescription for improving Arab-American relations in the future is simple: American foreign policy must change, specifically in regards to Iraq and Israel/Palestine.