Being a Foreigner 12/29/2009
In the past two years, I've lived in Turkey, the United States, and now Britain. It's been a fascinating experience. Evan has done the same, except he swapped Azerbaijan for Britain.
The Economist has a superb piece on the experience of being an expat over the ages. Both because it is a bit long and because it touched a nerve for me, I'll do a recap interspersed with my experiences.
First we must make a necessary distinction: there are some places where nobody is really a foreigner. After passing through customs, I certainly didn't feel like a foreigner in London. Admittedly, I am a fair-colored Anglophone, but that doesn't really matter. In the world's international city-states, nobody will stare at you because you look different. You can easily find compatriots and your local cuisine. You might not feel at home (does anybody feel truly at home in such an international city?), but you won't feel like a foreigner in the classic sense of the word.
Then there are places like Turkey, where outside of the tourist traps of Istanbul and the Aegean, it is impossible not to be a foreigner. You'll get that piercing stare. People will talk about you. When you enter a room, you can quickly become the center of attention, especially if you can speak passable Turkish. It's a veritable hamam for the ego. The writer of the article puts this phenomenon into a Freudian perspective, which I find interesting:
...living in a foreign country can evoke many of the emotions of childhood: novelty, surprise, anxiety, relief, powerlessness, frustration, irresponsibility.
This leads to the most notable difference I felt while living in Turkey: the incredible level of stimulation. Being a foreigner genuinely offered “an escape from the boredom and banality of the everyday.” Potential adventures lurked behind even the most mundane activities. This opportunity for excitement was paired with a sense of complete freedom. Nobody knew who I was, and nobody would remember. If I made a fool of myself, it wasn't my fault- I was a foreigner.
Moreover, I could (arrogantly) blame any issues that I encountered on the locals. Such irresponsibility is incredibly liberating.
But being so untethered to society has its downsides. There is a melancholic loneliness that comes with being "the other." In case you feel like you are finally breaking into the local society, there are always reminders that you haven't, and that you never will. In one instance, a friend invited my to visit his extended family in Usak, a conservative town in western Anatolia. He had to rescind the invitation after his family decided that they were uncomfortable hosting a non-Muslim.
And then there is the "dangerous undertow" of living abroad, which, before you know it, makes a return to "ordinary" life nearly impossible. You have changed, and so has the world that you left behind. Therein lies the tragedy. Again, the Economist puts it best:
Life is full of choices, and to choose one thing is to forgo another. The dilemma of foreignness comes down to one of liberty versus fraternity—the pleasures of freedom versus the pleasures of belonging. The homebody chooses the pleasures of belonging. The foreigner chooses the pleasures of freedom, and the pains that go with them.
- Jon
The Economist has a superb piece on the experience of being an expat over the ages. Both because it is a bit long and because it touched a nerve for me, I'll do a recap interspersed with my experiences.
First we must make a necessary distinction: there are some places where nobody is really a foreigner. After passing through customs, I certainly didn't feel like a foreigner in London. Admittedly, I am a fair-colored Anglophone, but that doesn't really matter. In the world's international city-states, nobody will stare at you because you look different. You can easily find compatriots and your local cuisine. You might not feel at home (does anybody feel truly at home in such an international city?), but you won't feel like a foreigner in the classic sense of the word.
Then there are places like Turkey, where outside of the tourist traps of Istanbul and the Aegean, it is impossible not to be a foreigner. You'll get that piercing stare. People will talk about you. When you enter a room, you can quickly become the center of attention, especially if you can speak passable Turkish. It's a veritable hamam for the ego. The writer of the article puts this phenomenon into a Freudian perspective, which I find interesting:
...living in a foreign country can evoke many of the emotions of childhood: novelty, surprise, anxiety, relief, powerlessness, frustration, irresponsibility.
This leads to the most notable difference I felt while living in Turkey: the incredible level of stimulation. Being a foreigner genuinely offered “an escape from the boredom and banality of the everyday.” Potential adventures lurked behind even the most mundane activities. This opportunity for excitement was paired with a sense of complete freedom. Nobody knew who I was, and nobody would remember. If I made a fool of myself, it wasn't my fault- I was a foreigner.
Moreover, I could (arrogantly) blame any issues that I encountered on the locals. Such irresponsibility is incredibly liberating.
But being so untethered to society has its downsides. There is a melancholic loneliness that comes with being "the other." In case you feel like you are finally breaking into the local society, there are always reminders that you haven't, and that you never will. In one instance, a friend invited my to visit his extended family in Usak, a conservative town in western Anatolia. He had to rescind the invitation after his family decided that they were uncomfortable hosting a non-Muslim.
And then there is the "dangerous undertow" of living abroad, which, before you know it, makes a return to "ordinary" life nearly impossible. You have changed, and so has the world that you left behind. Therein lies the tragedy. Again, the Economist puts it best:
Life is full of choices, and to choose one thing is to forgo another. The dilemma of foreignness comes down to one of liberty versus fraternity—the pleasures of freedom versus the pleasures of belonging. The homebody chooses the pleasures of belonging. The foreigner chooses the pleasures of freedom, and the pains that go with them.
- Jon
5 Comments
China Executes EU National 12/29/2009
In perhaps one of the most bizarre stories of the year, an aspiring world pop star and British citizen turned drug mule was executed yesterday by Chinese authorities.
Akmal Shaikh, who by all appearances was mentally disturbed, left his home in the Kentish Town area of London for Poland in 2005. He planned to start an airlines company, despite being broke and lacking any aviation experience. The venture failed, and he turned his sights towards music.
Akmal recorded an off-key single called "Come little Rabbit" which he was convinced would bring about world peace. Some unsavory characters found Akmal and told him that they had connections with a producer in Kyrgyzstan who could make him a star. Watch a video of the song here.
Eager to visit that world-renowned center for the music recording industry, Akmal accepted his new friends' offer to to take him to Kyrgystan. Once in Kyrgystan, he was introduced to another man who supposedly ran a huge nightclub in China. This nightclub, the man said, would be the perfect venue for Akmal's world-changing debut performance.
En route to China, Akmal and his handlers made a detour in Tajikstan, a world entrepot for Afghan heroin. They gave Akmal a suitcase, and told him that they would follow him on the next flight to China. Once Akmal touched down in Umruqi (Xinjiang Province, China) Chinese authorities seized his suitcase. It was filled with 4 kilos (around $500,000) of heroin. Akmal was tried for drug smuggling and sentenced to death.
In spite of Britain's last minute pleas to consider Akmal's mental state, which was clearly bipolar or schizophrenic, Akmal was executed yesterday.
The hottest fires in hell should be reserved for the heroin smugglers who took advantage of this hapless man. It is a disgrace that Chinese authorities did not have mercy on him, and that Britain and the EU didn't put more pressure on the Chinese government to deport him back to Britain. And it is tragedy that Akmal never received the mental help that he needed.
Akmal Shaikh, who by all appearances was mentally disturbed, left his home in the Kentish Town area of London for Poland in 2005. He planned to start an airlines company, despite being broke and lacking any aviation experience. The venture failed, and he turned his sights towards music.
Akmal recorded an off-key single called "Come little Rabbit" which he was convinced would bring about world peace. Some unsavory characters found Akmal and told him that they had connections with a producer in Kyrgyzstan who could make him a star. Watch a video of the song here.
Eager to visit that world-renowned center for the music recording industry, Akmal accepted his new friends' offer to to take him to Kyrgystan. Once in Kyrgystan, he was introduced to another man who supposedly ran a huge nightclub in China. This nightclub, the man said, would be the perfect venue for Akmal's world-changing debut performance.
En route to China, Akmal and his handlers made a detour in Tajikstan, a world entrepot for Afghan heroin. They gave Akmal a suitcase, and told him that they would follow him on the next flight to China. Once Akmal touched down in Umruqi (Xinjiang Province, China) Chinese authorities seized his suitcase. It was filled with 4 kilos (around $500,000) of heroin. Akmal was tried for drug smuggling and sentenced to death.
In spite of Britain's last minute pleas to consider Akmal's mental state, which was clearly bipolar or schizophrenic, Akmal was executed yesterday.
The hottest fires in hell should be reserved for the heroin smugglers who took advantage of this hapless man. It is a disgrace that Chinese authorities did not have mercy on him, and that Britain and the EU didn't put more pressure on the Chinese government to deport him back to Britain. And it is tragedy that Akmal never received the mental help that he needed.
Protestors demonstrate in Yemen after a raid against alleged al-Qaeda militants. Agence France-Presse
The New York Times has a new piece on the strengthening U.S.-Yemeni partnership:
American and Yemeni officials said that a pivotal point in the relationship was reached in late summer after separate secret visits to Yemen by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American regional commander, and John O. Brennan, President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser.
President Saleh agreed to expanded overt and covert assistance in response to growing pressure from the United States and Yemen’s neighbors, notably Saudi Arabia, from which many Qaeda operatives had fled to Yemen, as well as a rising threat against the country’s political inner circle, the officials said.
But as we all know, the U.S. is largely incapable of keeping secrets. So, it seems like we're going to have another "covert war" with "secret drone attacks" that everyone knows about. The problem is that this is likely to undermine President Saleh in the same way that American support has undermined successive Pakistani leaders. Unfortunately, the main alternatives to covert war-- overt war or doing nothing-- are less appealing. This anonymous Yemeni official hits the nail on the head:
The airstrikes of the past two weeks have been successful but have come at a price, Yemeni officials said. “They have been hit hard, but they have not yet been disabled,” said one high-ranking Yemeni official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic issues involved. “The problem is that the involvement of the United States creates sympathy for Al Qaeda. The cooperation is necessary — but there is no doubt that it has an effect for the common man. He sympathizes with Al Qaeda.”
What is clear is that Obama has greatly expanded the role of covert warfare in America's battle against Islamic extremism.
American and Yemeni officials said that a pivotal point in the relationship was reached in late summer after separate secret visits to Yemen by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American regional commander, and John O. Brennan, President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser.
President Saleh agreed to expanded overt and covert assistance in response to growing pressure from the United States and Yemen’s neighbors, notably Saudi Arabia, from which many Qaeda operatives had fled to Yemen, as well as a rising threat against the country’s political inner circle, the officials said.
But as we all know, the U.S. is largely incapable of keeping secrets. So, it seems like we're going to have another "covert war" with "secret drone attacks" that everyone knows about. The problem is that this is likely to undermine President Saleh in the same way that American support has undermined successive Pakistani leaders. Unfortunately, the main alternatives to covert war-- overt war or doing nothing-- are less appealing. This anonymous Yemeni official hits the nail on the head:
The airstrikes of the past two weeks have been successful but have come at a price, Yemeni officials said. “They have been hit hard, but they have not yet been disabled,” said one high-ranking Yemeni official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic issues involved. “The problem is that the involvement of the United States creates sympathy for Al Qaeda. The cooperation is necessary — but there is no doubt that it has an effect for the common man. He sympathizes with Al Qaeda.”
What is clear is that Obama has greatly expanded the role of covert warfare in America's battle against Islamic extremism.
According to a new poll by Rasmussen:
Seventy percent (70%) of voters believe it is more important to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons than it is to prevent war between Israel and Iran. That’s up 18 points from July 2008. Twenty-two percent (22%) say preventing war between the two nations is more important.
Seventy percent (70%) of voters believe it is more important to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons than it is to prevent war between Israel and Iran. That’s up 18 points from July 2008. Twenty-two percent (22%) say preventing war between the two nations is more important.
Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Yemen has returned to the headlines recently, and for all the wrong reasons. The Nigerian terrorist that failed to take down a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas appears to have been trained in Yemen. A Yemeni-American preacher inspired the Fort Hood shooter. The Houthi rebellion in the north of the country has triggered Saudi intervention (and perhaps Iranian meddling).
The best story is that of the "reformed" Yemeni terrorist who was released from prison after being rehabilitated. He appeared to have learned quite a lot in prison, and upon his release he tried to kill a member of the Saudi royal family with a suicide bomb stuffed up his butt. It's amusing that these hardcore salafis are spending their free time sticking their hands up each other's asses.
To deal with the problems in Yemen, the US is (amongst other things) assisting in airstrikes against al-Qaeda operatives in the country. Yemeni protests against these airstrikes have already begun.
In other words, Yemen is a mess, and few people know anything about it. If you feel as under-informed about Yemen as I do, check out this must-read interview of Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen expert at Princeton. It's definitely worth your time. I have posted an excerpt offering an overview of al-Qaeda in Yemen after the jump.
Click "Read More" to read the excerpt ----->
The best story is that of the "reformed" Yemeni terrorist who was released from prison after being rehabilitated. He appeared to have learned quite a lot in prison, and upon his release he tried to kill a member of the Saudi royal family with a suicide bomb stuffed up his butt. It's amusing that these hardcore salafis are spending their free time sticking their hands up each other's asses.
To deal with the problems in Yemen, the US is (amongst other things) assisting in airstrikes against al-Qaeda operatives in the country. Yemeni protests against these airstrikes have already begun.
In other words, Yemen is a mess, and few people know anything about it. If you feel as under-informed about Yemen as I do, check out this must-read interview of Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen expert at Princeton. It's definitely worth your time. I have posted an excerpt offering an overview of al-Qaeda in Yemen after the jump.
Click "Read More" to read the excerpt ----->
A Look Back at PBOM's First Year 12/27/2009
Evan launched the blog on June 5th under the name Hickory Smoke. I came on about a week later, just in time for the Iranian elections.
Since then, our blog has had 1,084 unique visitors from 52 countries. We've had frequent commenters, like Garrett, who have helped us to reconsider our opinions and strengthen our arguments. There is "Witness", our self-appointed copy editor. And there are the 1,000+ other readers who we look forwarding to hearing from more often as our blog progresses. Thanks to all of you guys for making the first 6 months a success, and look for the blog to return to its normal level of content after the holidays.
Happy New Year!
- Jon & Evan
Since then, our blog has had 1,084 unique visitors from 52 countries. We've had frequent commenters, like Garrett, who have helped us to reconsider our opinions and strengthen our arguments. There is "Witness", our self-appointed copy editor. And there are the 1,000+ other readers who we look forwarding to hearing from more often as our blog progresses. Thanks to all of you guys for making the first 6 months a success, and look for the blog to return to its normal level of content after the holidays.
Happy New Year!
- Jon & Evan
What Not To Read: Kuperman on Bombing Iran 12/27/2009
Alan Kuperman
Another misguided missive about bombing Iran was fired from John Bolton-land just in time for the holidays, courtesy of Alan Kuperman.
Kuperman, director of the respectable sounding Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Program at UT Austin, clearly outlines Tehran's efforts to paralyze the international community while it marches towards developing an atom bomb. The cognitive dissonance starts when he offers his prescription for stopping Iran-- American air strikes.
Kuperman begins with a dose of reality:
As for knocking out its nuclear plants, admittedly, aerial bombing might not work. Some Iranian facilities are buried too deeply to destroy from the air. There may also be sites that American intelligence is unaware of. And military action could backfire in various ways, including by undermining Iran’s political opposition, accelerating the bomb program or provoking retaliation against American forces and allies in the region.
But, perhaps realizing that he has just stumbled across the reasons why sane people don't advocate airstrikes against Iran, Kuperman quickly dusts himself off and trots out the classic neocon assertions: war is easy and cost-free, Tehran might hand over bombs to terrorists, and negotiations=appeasement. The main question that liberal bloggers are asking in response to this jejune repackaging of the argument for the Iraq war is why the NYTimes published it in the first place.
For a full takedown see Marc Lynch's response at Foreign Policy.
Kuperman, director of the respectable sounding Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Program at UT Austin, clearly outlines Tehran's efforts to paralyze the international community while it marches towards developing an atom bomb. The cognitive dissonance starts when he offers his prescription for stopping Iran-- American air strikes.
Kuperman begins with a dose of reality:
As for knocking out its nuclear plants, admittedly, aerial bombing might not work. Some Iranian facilities are buried too deeply to destroy from the air. There may also be sites that American intelligence is unaware of. And military action could backfire in various ways, including by undermining Iran’s political opposition, accelerating the bomb program or provoking retaliation against American forces and allies in the region.
But, perhaps realizing that he has just stumbled across the reasons why sane people don't advocate airstrikes against Iran, Kuperman quickly dusts himself off and trots out the classic neocon assertions: war is easy and cost-free, Tehran might hand over bombs to terrorists, and negotiations=appeasement. The main question that liberal bloggers are asking in response to this jejune repackaging of the argument for the Iraq war is why the NYTimes published it in the first place.
For a full takedown see Marc Lynch's response at Foreign Policy.
Smooth China, Real Smooth 12/23/2009
This past weekend China put on a master class in diplomatic manipulation at the Copenhagen Summit. The Guardian's Mark Lynas has the story:
Here's what actually went on late last Friday night, as heads of state from two dozen countries met behind closed doors. Obama was at the table for several hours, sitting between Gordon Brown and the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi. The Danish prime minister chaired, and on his right sat Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the UN. Probably only about 50 or 60 people, including the heads of state, were in the room. I was attached to one of the delegations, whose head of state was also present for most of the time. [...]
To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.
If last weekend's performance is any indication, its clear that China won't be ready to assume a leadership position on climate change any time soon.
Here's what actually went on late last Friday night, as heads of state from two dozen countries met behind closed doors. Obama was at the table for several hours, sitting between Gordon Brown and the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi. The Danish prime minister chaired, and on his right sat Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the UN. Probably only about 50 or 60 people, including the heads of state, were in the room. I was attached to one of the delegations, whose head of state was also present for most of the time. [...]
To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.
If last weekend's performance is any indication, its clear that China won't be ready to assume a leadership position on climate change any time soon.
Montazeri Passes Away 12/19/2009
Iran's highest cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri, died last night at 87.
Montazeri was originally set to be the successor to Khomeini as the Supreme Leader (Rehber) of Iran, but had a falling out with Khomeini after opposing political executions at the culmination of the Iran-Iraq war. Montazeri has since then been the leading liberal voice amongst the clerical elite. He condemned the recent fraud in the elections and was a strident opponent of Ahmadinejad.
Although Khamenei is nominally the highest religious figure in Iran, in reality he is not respected by the clerical class. He was a middling cleric when Khomeini chose him as his successor, and the rules had to be changed to allow him to take the position (because he was not an ayatollah). In reality, Montazeri was the highest religious figure in Iran and was revered by millions.
Montazeri's funeral should lead into the Ashura processions coming in a week. Ashura is the commemoration of the matyrdom of Imam Huseyn, which was the seminal event for Shia Islam. Huseyn, a grandson of Muhammad, was killed by forces of the Umayyad Caliph in a disupute over who should rule the Muslim ummah. This cemented the split between Sunnis and Shia, and helped frame the Shia psyche as a class oppressed by corrupt leaders. The resonance this event could have in terms of mobilizing popular resistance against the current regime is clear.
The combination of the mourning both for Montazeri and Imam Huseyn could bring huge crowds onto the streets and offer a perfect opportunity for the opposition to challenge the regime. Watch developments closely.
Montazeri was originally set to be the successor to Khomeini as the Supreme Leader (Rehber) of Iran, but had a falling out with Khomeini after opposing political executions at the culmination of the Iran-Iraq war. Montazeri has since then been the leading liberal voice amongst the clerical elite. He condemned the recent fraud in the elections and was a strident opponent of Ahmadinejad.
Although Khamenei is nominally the highest religious figure in Iran, in reality he is not respected by the clerical class. He was a middling cleric when Khomeini chose him as his successor, and the rules had to be changed to allow him to take the position (because he was not an ayatollah). In reality, Montazeri was the highest religious figure in Iran and was revered by millions.
Montazeri's funeral should lead into the Ashura processions coming in a week. Ashura is the commemoration of the matyrdom of Imam Huseyn, which was the seminal event for Shia Islam. Huseyn, a grandson of Muhammad, was killed by forces of the Umayyad Caliph in a disupute over who should rule the Muslim ummah. This cemented the split between Sunnis and Shia, and helped frame the Shia psyche as a class oppressed by corrupt leaders. The resonance this event could have in terms of mobilizing popular resistance against the current regime is clear.
The combination of the mourning both for Montazeri and Imam Huseyn could bring huge crowds onto the streets and offer a perfect opportunity for the opposition to challenge the regime. Watch developments closely.
The Partition of Sudan? 12/18/2009
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, at nearly 80% the size of India. It has been embroiled in near endless civil war since it gained independence in 1956 from Britain and Egypt. Aside from Darfur, most of this fighting has been between the Muslim north and Christian/Animist south.
The north is more culturally Arabic/North African, while the south has more in common with Sub-Saharan Africa. The south is also woefully underdeveloped, with only 10 km of paved roads, but it is rich in oil reserves. It sees little to gain from Arab rule in Khartoum. On December 13 both sides agreed to a referendum in the south for independence, scheduled for 2011. If the referendum is allowed to proceed peacefully, all signs point toward secession. It will be an interesting situation to watch. For background, read the Economist's piece here.
The north is more culturally Arabic/North African, while the south has more in common with Sub-Saharan Africa. The south is also woefully underdeveloped, with only 10 km of paved roads, but it is rich in oil reserves. It sees little to gain from Arab rule in Khartoum. On December 13 both sides agreed to a referendum in the south for independence, scheduled for 2011. If the referendum is allowed to proceed peacefully, all signs point toward secession. It will be an interesting situation to watch. For background, read the Economist's piece here.
Loading
