I
recently addressed the 11th World Islamic Banking
Conference in Bahrain on how Arabs and Muslims
are perceived in the West. In preparation for
my presentation, Zogby International (ZI) conducted
a December poll to discover what Americans think
about doing business in the region.
The
results were mixed, but on some key issues there
was a disturbing downward trend.
| "The
most disturbing results came when Americans
were asked if they would be more or less likely
inclined to do business with an entity if
they knew it was Muslim-owned. 40% said they
would be less likely to patronize such a business
against only 23% who indicated that they would
be more likely to support a Muslim-owned business." |
Dr.
James J. Zogby, President
of Arab-American Institute in Washington,
DC |
While
favorable attitudes towards "Arabs" are now up
to 55% (an increase of 10 points in two years),
this must be balanced against a significant increase
in negative attitudes towards Muslims. In just
the past few years these unfavorable attitudes
have doubled to include more than two in five
Americans.
Maybe
more disturbing is the fact that when asked if
they wanted to learn more about Arabs or Muslims,
more than half indicated no interest in learning
more about Muslims. This contrasts with two-thirds
who indicated a desire to learn more only two
years ago.
All
of this appears to reflect the success of the
continuing negative information campaign against
Islam that has been reinforced by outrageous killings
carried out by groups claiming to act in the name
of their faith. As a result, although most Americans
still really do not know Islam, they now think
that they do.
On
the matter of doing business in the Middle East,
results are also mixed.
Majorities
feel that the region is important to US security
and economic interests. Almost two-thirds of all
Americans think that doing business with Arab
nations "promotes US interests," but only 55%
think that doing business with Muslim nations
does so.
When
measuring the Middle East region against five
other regional markets (Latin America, Eastern
Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and
Central Asia), the Middle East comes in fifth
place, just ahead of Central Asia. The Middle
East also has the highest negative rating of any
of those six regions, with two of five saying
that it is not a desirable location for US business
opportunities.
The
most disturbing results came when Americans were
asked if they would be more or less likely inclined
to do business with an entity if they knew it
was Muslim-owned. 40% said they would be less
likely to patronize such a business against only
23% who indicated that they would be more likely
to support a Muslim-owned business.
Clearly
for the Islamic banking industry which has indicated
an interest in opening branches or banks in the
US, increasing their already substantial investments
in the US and attracting more US business to the
Middle East, these poll results are important
to consider.
The
challenge that must be addressed is what can be
done to change these attitudes that have come
to define the post-9/11 environment.
First,
it is important to note that most of the positive
and negative attitudes toward Islam and Muslims
are perceptions, based on "received knowledge"
and not "acquired knowledge." They are, therefore,
to some degree, "soft" attitudes that can be changed.
Americans
might think they know about Arabs and Islam because
of what they've heard on television or read in
newspapers. What our polling tells us is that,
despite this, many are still open to new information.
Thus far, the Arab side has failed to directly
engage in a substantial effort to undo the effects
of 9/11 and the negative campaign against Islam
that followed. As I've noted time and again, the
battle over ideas is like a football game-if one
side is playing and the other is not, it's easy
to predict who will win. Despite having lost precious
time, it's not too late to begin.
I
offered the conference three specific suggestions:
Pay
attention to the problem that exists, not the
one you think exists.
The
biggest problem facing Arabs and Muslims in the
US is that most Americans have never been to the
region, don't know any Arabs from the region (not
Arab Americans) and have had their attitudes shaped
by decades of negative stereotypes projected by
media and popular culture.
The good news is that Americans who have been
to the Middle East or who know Arabs have significantly
more positive attitudes than those who have not.
In
addition, our focus groups tell us that American
aren't asking about the theology of Islam, the
beliefs of Muslims, or the policy positions of
Middle East governments. The most common concerns
are "What are they like?" and "Are they like us?"
Americans
wants to meet Arabs. Paid advertisements and policy
speeches can't replace real encounters. And Arab
Americans and American Muslims can't and should
not be seen as substitutes for Arab citizens,
men and women, young and old.
Delegations
need to come to the US and meet their counterparts-not
elites in Washington and New York-but Americans
in cities across the US.
And
it can't be a one shot deal. It must be sustained
and done according to a campaign plan designed
to inform and change attitudes.
Change
will not occur overnight. After all, it took years
to get into this hole, it will take long hard
work to get out.
Pay
attention to people and what the polls tell us.
Businessmen
and women, especially, should understand the need
to study and understand the market as a prerequisite
to any investment effort.
Changing
ideas is no different than selling a product.
For
example, our polling shows us that young people
(18-29 years of age), women, Hispanics, African
Americans and Asian Americans (the last three
groups constitute almost one-third of the US)
are the most receptive to new information about
Arabs and Muslims. And they have told us what
they want to know. In polling, they have indicated
that they want to meet Arabs and Muslims, women
and young people.
From
my decades of involvement in the Middle East,
I know that there are many enterprising and creative
young men and women who would, if encouraged,
make a real contribution to changing US attitudes.
Pay
attention to other potential assets that should
be mobilized.
Any
bridge-building effort will require a two-sided
effort. It will require mobilizing assets on both
sides of the divide. The Arab world has plenty
of them in the US, all underutilized at present-Americans
who have worked in the Middle East, US businesses
who have benefited from the region, and Arab American
who are well-placed in American businesses and
political life. Efforts must be made to mobilize
them and enlist their support. They can arrange
for visits of touring Arab delegations and perform
important follow-up to the visits.
These
were but a few of the suggestions I offered. I
closed with the following advice: Such an undertaking
won't be easy, but it is necessary. It is both
unacceptable and dangerous to continue with "business
as usual." The misconceptions, real as they are
now, will only worsen if left alone.
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