McLean Hospital – Engaging Peace

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome the second of several contributions by our guest contributor, Dr. Majed Ashy. And be sure to listen to his recent interview on Internet radio; just click on the sidebar links.]

Egyptian protests, January 25, 2011 — Egyptian protests. Photo by Muhammad Ghafari (licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic; from Wikimedia Commons)

Some international stereotypes about the Middle East might be convenient, but can mislead those who hold them, lead to inappropriate responses, and serve as obstacles to further development in the Middle East.

It is important to acknowledge that relative freedoms already exist in several Arab countries such as the Gulf States; many of these countries adhere to Islamic laws in various degrees and many have experienced remarkable economic and social development in the past 40 years, along with good and responsible relations with many other nations.

I suggest that there is an international need to develop what I call Responsible Democracy. Responsible democracy would require that people take their freedoms seriously and understand the consequences of their choices and political participation. It entails gathering information from multiple sources on the issues at hand, and attending to principles of morality, peace, and international law before making political choices. Successful governments adapt to and respect the needs and the development of their peoples.

Responsible democracy rejects intellectual laziness, stereotyping, and adolescent tendency towards screaming, adventures, taking sides, fighting, and winning. It is based on a healthy understanding of politics, citizenship, patriotism, international law, one’s own place in the world and history, and recognition of how the world and its people are interlinked.

I think the Middle East is evolving towards responsible democracies driven by internal forces of morality, culture, and history. Some of its governments have been reforming wisely, gradually, and peacefully towards that achievement.

I believe that a fair form of government that respects, takes seriously, and responds to its peoples’ needs and aspirations, as well as their natural rights, and their historical and cultural developments, is a prerequisite for mental health. In turn, mental health can contribute to responsible democracy and governance, and to international peace.

Majed Ashy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and a research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison: Today we welcome the first of several contributions by our guest contributor Majed Ashy. Dr. Ashy is an assistant professor of psychology at Merrimack College and a research fellow in psychiatry at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He was born in Lebanon and is a Saudi Arabian. He earned his B.A, M.A, and Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University. His research in psychoneuroimmunology and political psychology focuses on childhood experience of adversity and its psychobiological consequences. He authored the Saudi Arabia chapter in State Violence and the Right to Peace: An International Survey of the Views of Ordinary People Greenwood Publishing Group / Praeger series. He is contributing several chapters to two volumes to be published by Springer Publishing Co.: Handbook on War, Torture, and Terrorism, and Handbook on Protest, Peace, Reconciliation, Apology, and Forgiveness.]

By Majed Ashy, Guest Author

Two arguments are presented repeatedly in discussions of the evolution of democracy in the Middle East: “Arabs are not ready for democracy,” and “If Arabs get more democratic rights, then some Islamic extremists will come to power and that is a threat to the whole world.”

Army trucks surrounding Tahrir Square, Cairo (Photo by Ramy Raoof; licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic; from Wikimedia Commons)

I heard similar alarmist arguments against women’s suffrage, African American civil rights movements, and Black liberation in South Africa. President Lincoln, whose birthday is this week, did not accept the arguments against freeing the slaves in America, but millions of people still lack freedom.

With advancements in communication technologies, Internet resources, social networks, media, satellite TV stations, and international travel, the evolution in individual empowerment and the rise of social collective awareness are natural consequences. Masses of people are rejecting as self serving and racist the “old” narratives about the necessity of oppression.

One of the problems faced in the Middle East is the communication gap between governments and the general populations. Many Middle Eastern governments are still using a “language” that does not speak to people who are educated, aware, and able to see through the narratives of oppression. The image of men on camels and horses in Tahrir square in Cairo beating protesters summarize this divide.

We have in the Middle East youth who represent the future, are linked through the Internet to people all over the world, watch satellite TV stations from almost every country, and call for human rights. On the other side we have people who come from the ancient past and deal with their problems by riding camels and beating people up.

The current conflict in the Middle East is about narratives. One narrative that has not been given a chance yet is that the Middle East can evolve into a responsible democracy that takes into account human rights, international law, and democracy. All lovers of freedom and democracy should respect and help sustain this effort.

Majed Ashy