Arabs see phobia behind US uproar over ports deal

[no_to_war_economy]

"Islamophobia is rising and has become like an infectious disease that spreads... in the West," wrote columnist Rashid Saleh al-Oraimy in the UAE daily Gulf News this week.

Mustafa Alani, security expert at the UAE's Gulf Research Center, said the furor over the impending sale was driven by politicians trying to thwart the U.S. government's drive to mend ties with Arab states.

"This is Arab phobia and it is clearly politically motivated," he told Reuters.

U.S. warships regularly dock at Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, which is also managed by DP World, and the emirate became the first Middle Eastern port city in 2004 to sign a U.S. pact aimed at deterring the use of shipping containers for terrorism.

http://reuters.myway.com//article/20060222/2006-02-22T152748Z_01_L22174752_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-SECURITY-PORTS-ARABS-DC.html

[sui generis]

1. eat me, dear United Arab Emirates.

You would just as soon allow Americans to run your ports, wouldn't you?

It's not phobia, it's cultural toxicity.

Your culture, in practice and in general, keeps women as second class citizens and in some cases as chattel. It starts and flames riots over cartoons. It blindly supports religion in government. It is anathema to Americans everywhere, not just to islamophobes.

And the reverse is true as well - you think we are morally loose because we let gays live, and because American women don't practice the same "modesty" practiced by women in Islam, because for the most part women refuse to be owned or traded for dowry.

You don't want us running your ports because you have western-phobia.

[Mythsaje]

2. I think a finer point on the issue would be

how would the chain of custody work for stuff shipped through their ports, and who would be ultimately responsible for the operations of security...would any of their officers be sympathetic to terrorist causes?

I think these are some of the questions we should be asking.

[no_to_war_economy]

4. racial profiling on the corporate level

ADC is strongly opposed to the rhetoric and bias surrounding the company solely because it is Arab owned. Those who purport that ports can be securely run by a British company, but not an Arab one, are engaging in racial profiling on the corporate level."

http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2740

[Mythsaje]

7. I think it's terribly disengenuous to evoke racism

in this context. It has nothing to do with their race, but their questionable ties to Bin Laden and the financial underpinnings of the 9/11 incident.

More to the point, even having the British running our ports seems a bit too much to tolerate, regardless of how friendly they are to us. All the money generated from the running of this port is funneled overseas rather than being put back into the American economy directly.

Seems like a many-headed hydra of mistaken assumptions here.

[no_to_war_economy]

14. greed before country

this deal is all about money

but alot of the gut reaction from some is definitely racist

[Mythsaje]

17. This is true...

Unfortunate, but true.

It's a distraction from the true issue at hand.

[mondo joe]

19. It's profiling the government. Not the race.

Or are you suggesting the only difference between one government and any other is the skin color of the citizens?

[Obamarama]

3. YEAH, and next we're gonna rename falafel "freedom-fried chickpea cakes"

So ya better watch out! :sarcasm:

Seriously, this is not about phobia or racism. It is about acting judiciously in the face of cold, hard facts.

[no_to_war_economy]

5. link for the cold hard facts

please and thank you

[tabasco]

6. Not a big secret.

http://www.thinkprogress.org/2006/02/17/ports-uae/

[Coastie for Truth]

16. Start here

www.uscg.mil and search under "Port Security"

[fasttense]

8. Right, it's all about racism and has nothing to do with the UAE's

regular support of terrorists around the world. We are just going to ignore the facts of the UAE's cooperation and assistance with terrorism and focus on the fact that they are Arabs. Hmmm, now who is the racist here?

[elehhhhna]

9. Yes, we re phobic about friends of Bin Laden. True. And?

[Avalux]

10. Of course a UAE representative would say that -

they're working in concert with the WH. Probably got the same fax from Rove.

[Poll_Blind]

15. Indeed! They'll play every card they can, regardless of...

...how little sense it makes.

PB

[rock]

11. We're allowed to not like Islam

"Phobia" is a little strong though.

[iconoclastNYC]

12. Follow these people.

They are connected to the Bush family, or the UAE, or some other shady group.

[bunkerbuster1]

13. right, and racism was behind our opposition to Condi

And since we liberals hates us some beaners, that's why we stood in Torture Boy's way!

what assholes.

[mondo joe]

18. It's phobia all right. Bomaphobia.

And Bushaphobia too.

[mondo joe]

20. What phobia is behind the UAE's oppression of gays

in their own countries?