Saudi says Arabs cop out by blaming U.S.

Unable to examine themselves because criticism equated with defamation

In a scathing critique, a Saudi writer charged Arab media largely avoids serious critique of Arab society and instead takes the easy way out by simply cursing the United States.

"Arab writers and columnists have a tendency to affirm populist notions, whether they're good, bad, factual or false," wrote Abdul Rahman Al-Habib of the Saudi daily Al-Watan in the English-language Arab News, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

The Arab media writes "what people want to hear," he said, and invariably end up with a common scapegoat.

"If a columnist runs out of ideas, there's always one ace in the deck, one thing that is bound to get a cheer from the choir. It's almost too easy. Out of ideas for the day? Simply write an article cursing the United States of America! That's an easy way to earn a day's pay."

The "difficult path" of hard research and analysis of the problems in Arab society is left aside, according to Al-Habib, in exchange for giving readers "some hackneyed diatribe against America."

"The problem here is a lack of understanding about the process of criticism," he said. "Our society is one that lacks dialogue and rejects the mere concept of criticism. There is a severe lack of understanding behind criticism as an application. In our society, criticism is a synonym for defamation."

Al-Habib said that when "something tragic happens, such as an act of terrorism against the West that is committed by one of our children, our 'critics' end up falling back into the trap of painting complex conspiracy theories that depict us as the victims."

When it comes to assessing why Arabs and Muslims are behind in development, the answer always is "because of the West and its agents."

"… [W]hen we ask ourselves why the West is developed and advanced, the answer is always satisfactory: because the West stole the sciences of our ancestors and they are still plundering us to advance themselves!

"Can you find prettier, more populist answers than this?"