Theodore Kattouf: We are working to end stereotypes between Arabs and Americans
Regional-USA, Culture, 1/12/2004

Theodore Kattouf, is a former US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and to Syria. He also served in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday January 7th, Ambassador Theodore Kattouf, President of AMIDEAST, and in the course of the activities carried out by the American cultural center in Damascus answered questions put by Syrian journalists on ways to re-establish links of confidence between the Arab states and the US, and to further boost relations of understanding and cultural exchanges.

On the mission and objective of the program, Kattouf said AMIDEAST is an organization that has been in existence for over 52 years, aiming for better understanding and cultural relations between the Middle East and the United States. It has fifteen offices in 11 Arab states and in the Palestinian territories, the West Bank and Gaza. "One of our educational and training programs in the United States and the region. One for instance, we were involved in the Fullbright programs that have been working for the US government to select qualify individuals, managing the programs here in this country, making sure they get to the right universities with the right programs, and they get a good experience over here. And hopefully go back with a much better understanding of the United States than they had on ( in ) Iraq."

"We also have one of the leading programs in the region. We worked with many countries in institution building. For instance we have a project to try to improve the administration of justice in Egypt, we have a number of programs in which we have dealt with those who teach English trying to improve the methods of teaching English and working with their curricula and alike. In addition to that we have professional training courses, particularly the training programs in Egypt, and this is done in partial cooperation with the future generation foundation. In that program we put college graduates who have may not found jobs, though they have all the skills they need.. through intensive thirteen week- program where they get computer skills, the English language skills improve, and they learn basically just what it takes (for success)." He said that when he visited the region, he met with the executive director of the foundation, and was told by him that eighty percent of the graduates of this thirteen week training courses are finding gains for employment. And they were people who had no jobs when they began the courses.

On his impressions regarding promoting better understanding between the two sides, Ambassador Kattouf said: I went recently to Beirut, to the Emirates and to Egypt. Obviously we know that there is a lot of anger about American policies, about the distrust of the American intention to the region and that was reflected in public discourse. On the other hand, I must say I was treated extremely well with hospitality, and I believe that the idea that people are anti Americans, more and more, may be exaggerated. I know that there is a lot of anger against the US policy, but I think that that individual Americans are still treated exceptionally well by the people.

He added : in the first time I was able to go to Lebanon without security ( as he is no longer an ambassador), and was very pleased to see how the country is developing. Beirut has been obviously rebuilt, and Beirut which was flat on its back until 1991, and physically and spiritually devastated is now enjoying the fruits of years and years of government's policies and reconstruction.

He added that in his trip to Egypt, he was impressed with their interest in the region, and trying to improve education, trying to take the challenge of the new opportunities. He continued "Clearly there is more and more emphasis by governments in that region on trying to improve the quality of the school curricula, trying to improve the skills of the graduates.. but there is still a lot to be done."

On his impression on the cultural life in the Arab states, especially following his recent visit to Egypt, ambassador Kattouf said that Egypt is still the cultural center of the Arab states. "Whether we are talking about films, theater, or music."

Replying to a question on that following the events of September 11, how can we reestablish confidence as the trust has gone between the Arabs and the Americans, Kattouf said that obviously that September 11 was a catalysts event that further drove apart the Americans and the Arab world and visa versa. "But I do not think it is the only event, the collapse of the peace process, the Intifada, all those contributed to the growing of distrust." Kattouf added " In the part of people in both regions. Nevertheless, I have to say that here in the United Stated I sense that most Americans want to know more about the Arabic and Islamic world. I do not sense a lot of hostility against the Arabs. That is greatly exaggerated. On the contrary, I think that most Americans .. like to see themselves as good people, and as fair people. And of course a lot of Americans do not support various aspects of the US policy in the Middle East, whether relating to Iraq, or relates to the Israeli- Arab struggle.

"As I said my organization have been involved in the region for 52 years. There is a tremendous interest on the part of the US non- governmental organization and businesses in becoming involved in the various aspects of education, training and other programs of cultural nature in the Arab world. And there are several American groups heading for the Middle East. I recognize that lot of Arab students are now hesitant to come to the USA for study, and that was not the case before September 11." In this sense Ambassador Kattouf encourages Arabs to continue coming for the United State for study as a destination. He recommended that to understand each other better "I just waant to say that one thing I want to see, whether be in Syria or elsewhere, is more American study centers. We have a number of Middle East study centers in this country."

Replying to another question on changing Arab educational curricula, and that most protesters to this American attitude are the students of the American University in Cairo; Kattouf: There is maybe somewhere, somebody in the US government who thinks that by changing the Arab approaches towards education, that they will get better view of the United States. "I do not think that this is what most people will believe. I think that the Arabs must be very careful about rejecting anything that America is in favor of."

He on the other hand, warned that if there is a rejection of any thing that America is in favor of, you end policies that could benefit development in the Arab world, both political development, economic development, and development of human rights, and the dignity of the individual.

He indicated that Arab students should have be exposed to teaching methods which allow them to think for themselves more and more, to question the teachers more and more, and hopefully therefore to become better players in the global economy, and to become into contributors to the development of their society.

Asked for instance why in this country so many Arabs who have immigrated to the United States have done so incredible well. Is there some thing about the water there that makes them more capable than the Arab states. Of course the answer is the opportunity, they have the freedom and the ability to achieve this potential. And in this country we have Noble prize winners in Chemistry .. from Arab backgrounds, and we have some of the top doctors in this country. I am not saying you do not. So in this country, people can achieve their potentials for number of reasons and some of these reasons need to be studied in the Arab states.

On AMIDEAST main program in Syria ambassador Kattouf said " Our main program in Syria is English Language teaching. We are proud to have been chosen to manage the American language center, and frankly my organization would like to expand its language teaching programs in Syria. Obviously, I believe that fluency in English today is very very important for a number of reasons, including just opening up the whole world of research to young Arabs, and I think that we could make a big contribution in that area.

"As I said in Egypt, we are trying to work with foundations there to help ensure that universities graduates can get good professional level jobs. But I think that universities and organizations in this country can assist in that, and can certainly play a facilitator role and putting people in contact with others who can make a contribution in that area."

Replying to a question on what can the organization can offer to improve the image and make a change, ambassador Kattouf said:" that to change and to improve our image, whether being the image of Syria in the United States, or the image of the Arabs in the United States, or the image of the US in the Arab world, we need Arabs to come to this country, we need your young people to come to this country, stressing that stereotype is broken by people-to-people contact.

Replying to another question on the concept of terrorism, Kattouf said " First of all, perhaps there is a misunderstanding, we have nothing to do about fighting terrorism or security issues or the like. We are an organization that is dedicated to promoting understanding through education and through exchanges between the people of the Middle East and the people of the United States. That is our goal. As far as hatreds and religious fanatism, I am not aware than any society has a monopoly on this. I myself. I am very very concerned about the way that religious fanatics can (produce) destructive tendencies within any society.. for me fundamentalism is not a dirty word. A fundamentalist in my opinion is somebody who might be very concerned with observing religion as faithfully as they can and getting back to the roots of their religions ensuring they are keeping the traditions of their religion. We are talking instead about people who misuse religion for political purposes and those can be Christians, they can be Jews, they can Muslims, or they can be Buddhists. Any system that is totalitarian, any system that claims that the only way to satisfy its needs and its requirements is by harming others and by carrying out acts of terrorism is dangerous.

Answering another question on his assessment to interaction to the Arab appeal to the American culture and not the opposite, Kattouf said " If we are talking about popular culture, I take the point that it seems to be there are a lot of young Arabs who are attracted by the US music, the US films and alike. This is not a phenomenon that is restricted to the Arab world. It is a world- wide phenomenon and the French are concerned about it and other countries are also concerned about it. People have to decide for themselves what they want to watch, what films they want to watch, what music they want to listen to, what news programs to listen to. But in this country, there is increasingly fusion music, and you have a lot of influences from Latin and African traditions in American music and now you are starting to see some Arab musicians starting to enter into the popular consciousness of the Americans. Their music started to enter the popular consciousness, and so what we are seeing more globalization on every thing including in popular culture. And I do not think it is a one way stream... If it is a free market place of ideas it is really up to the other countries to respond to make the films, to create the music that their people want to listen to.

About cultural exchange, he said "I would like to see the United States government institutes work for Fulbright scholarships. I think it should be a two way stream. The United States does fund some programs to bring Americans to the Middle East, but I would like to see the Middle East countries capable of doing it," to do the same.

On how can the average citizens can reach such usefull information; Kattouf said that AMIDEAST has an advising contract to grants with the US government. "We pay about one third of the costs, the US government pays about two thirds. We have offices in a number of Arab countries where we have the ability to help young students get online and to research what universities might offer programs that the best to suit their interests and their field of study that they desire to pursue. We also give a complete line of testing to administer that right there in our offices. In Damascus alone we have 2,000 students at any given time studying English, and I am proud of the quality of the teaching.. We are going to try to expand other countries where we are not currently present."

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