Reply #11: Justice [View All]

Lets consider just one social value. Justice. We here in the west have developed a system of justice that is based on trusting our community and government to administer justice. We take this for granted. Its barely even noticed in our society any longer. But in Arab cultures justice often has a much more personal responsibility. Turning over responsibility to society or the community does not sit as well with them. They feel they have a personal responsibility to see that justice is done.

Now this is a critical problem we have when dealing with middle eastern cultures. We assume we can make things right by dealing with leaders and the government. But anyone we have wronged will carry a burden of justice that they believe they must resolve personally. We are blind to this because we presume justice can be dealt with on a communal level or through government officials. The Nuremburg principles alone would be an insult to them as it proposes to deal justice through a communal system rather than allowing each person to seek their own justice.

This is just one small cultural issue that is at odds here. This is not rebuilding a Europeon nation with a shared cultural history. This is a culture that is at a completely different place developmentally. We do not belong there building their nation. We screwed it up. But we do not have the knowledge or experience to rebuild their world.

If we wish to act on our sense of responsibility we should place ourselves at their disposal. To use as they see fit. Anything we do to rebuild their nation in an image we desire will be seen as cultural warfare by them. We should place our assistance at their beck and call. We must be humble. We have wronged them and we must make amends on their terms not ours.