Oppressors

To study the Middle East is to expose a dilemma. The far left has long supported the Arabs because they see them as under the thumb of the White Western countries the same way they see the Blacks in the West as being treated as second class citizens. In both cases it is the oppressors and oppressed. On the other side is the fact that the liberals in the West see themselves as the champions of the equal rights for women and gays yet in Arab countries these groups have little to no rights. When the leader of Iran was asked how his country treats gays he responded saying they have no gays. Everyone knows how women are treated. It was considered a sign of progress a few years ago when women in Saudi Arabia were allowed to drive a car. In the West liberals champion the free democratic societies where the people elect their leaders but this is not the case in many Arab countries particularly those in the Middle East. The West promotes freedom of speech and freedom of religion but in many Arab countries those freedoms are not allowed. There are no christian churches allowed in Saudi Arabia. So for now many left leaning liberals will be faced with the dilemma and over the next few weeks or months they will slowly find themselves defending the Palestinians. The cannot chose the side of the oppressor. Going back to the 1960's groups like the Students for Democratic Society (SDS), Students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Yippies all groups composed of young Whites who were pro Palestinian were joined by Black Power groups. Many of these young people later became college teachers who promoted their pro Palestinian ideas.