I stumbled across a blog by an American woman writing from Jordan. The title of the blog, “Terrorism Unveiled,” disturbed me to no end. Is she expecting to unveil terrorism from Jordan!! I mean, really, she seriously needs to re-visit her analysis!
One entry that I found particularly condescending and very upsetting was one entitled “not all camels and mosques” in which Athena (her pen name) says she was shocked to realize Jordanians go out at night and party.
Well, Athena, Jordanians do go out, they do party. They also fall in love, get married, go on honeymoons, arrange social gatherings and believe it or not even have barbeques. They also go to work, vote for representatives in parliament, write poetry, go to the movies, go out to eat, play sports, go on vacations and even surf the net. Believe it or not Athena, Jordanians are homosapiens.
I’m going to track back this post to give her a chance to present her side of the story.
American Too,
You raise a number of interesting points.
However, I reject the idea that one needs to be an “expert” in order to form or voice an opinion. It seems Athena’s critics (and I’m half-assuming that American Too is also Natasha’s “Hubby”, Jeff) have moved from accusing Athena of claiming expertise (which she hasn’t) to irresponsibly leaving the impression that she is an expert (which is silly) to being responsible for the view of her blog’s visitors (which she isn’t) to now forming and voicing an “inexpert” position.
The ambiguity of “expertise” seems to be the attractive element to the people appealing to it:
“You’re not an expert.”
‘Um. What is an expert?’
“What I think it is; and you are not it.”
A bit of a circular argument, that one. At the end of it all there seems to be the idea that Athena “owes” someone something. Maybe a clearer idea of what her obligations are are in order.
And … nice try accusing me of committing a “You too” error.
I wasn’t attempting to validate Athena’s argument by arguing that people do it to Americans too. Hardly. Instead, I was trying to point out that Americans put up with nonsense from foreigners all of the time without finding the nearest high horse to proclaim they are victims of racism. There’s a difference there; if you look for it.
Second, you quote Athena’s statement about Jordanian society, which seems to the point from which people who are accusing her of racism.
Now what I think the problem is here is that if Athena makes a statement about Jordanian society, people think that she is therefore making an accusation against each and every member of Jordanian society. This is an illogical leap.
A statement about a “society” doesn’t necessarily apply to all of the members of a society. There is a distinction between an “object” and the components that make up the object. Thus, a statement about an object doesn’t necessarily transfer to the components of the object. So, when Athena talks negatively about Jordanian society, she is not necessarily talking about each and every Jordanian, or even about “Jordanians” I suppose. If she expressly does make that connection, then she is of course making an absurd claim; but I am not sure she does so, or that it is fair to assume that she does do so.
For instance, take a look at some classic critical theorists. Marcuse’s *One Dimensional Man*, a well known example, is entirely made up of a series of generalizations about society — and the kind of “individual” consciousness it promotes and rewards — without really saying that “Each and Every” member of society is exactly and inevitably the way he says it is. Foucault’s work can be understood in a similar way, I suppose. If anyone was given to grandiose (and unconfirmable) pronouncements, it was Foucault.
Theorizing or arguing about society, and even about an individual’s “typical” life in a society, is different from saying that each and every member of a society must resemble the social paradigm.
Thus, Athena is under no committment to ‘hold her tongue’ or repent of any “racism.” She’s doing just what she should be doing, even where she can–and should–be constested. Contest and dispute; don’t accuse and stigmatize.
Perhaps one thing that is going on here is that Americans are long used to arguing about what it is to be “American” and argue about what an “American” society is. These kinds of debates are at the root of our political tradition. We argue about our society, and the state of it, all of the time without believing it to be an act of self-abuse. Look at other comments on this very page. People from countries all over the world have a lot to say about American society too, most of it critical. We often embrace these critics (if they aren’t too boring about it).
The Guess Who’s “American Woman” comes to mind; especially since that hack Lenny Kravitz appropriated it to gyrate to.
So we are used to saying “this” or “that” about a society without expecting (or even understanding) offense. To us, to be defensive about a society’s faults is a very unhealthy thing.
Mental and Hubby,
Glad to have found a Jordanian blogger. I look forward to reading your archives soon. Since the Jordan Times either won’t print my letters or censors the meaning out of them, I’ve been looking for alternative media.
I’m an American and have lived in Jordan a number of years. Although I understand your concern for her manner of delivery and the impact on Jordan’s reputation, my experience here with neighbors in East and West Amman is not unlike hers.
As an American who hasn’t lived in the US for 17 years, I’ve learned to get a very thick skin and listen hard to folks who criticise my country. I can barely stand Eid visits anymore for the heaping condemnation we receive. But I love my friends, so I go. I think Jordanians would become their idealized selves faster if they also listened for the kernal of truth, grabbed hold and ran with it.
As a foreigner who is perceived as safe and trustworthy, female friends and even strangers open up very deeply about personal secrets they have told no one else, not even their sisters or best friends. It reveals a very dark side of life.
My question is why do girls have such a low value of self that they are willing to risk their lives, their reputations, their chance for good marriages, their cousins chances for good marriages, just for sex? Sexual promiscuity is the most soul-damaging activity there is. I was hoping, as I watch Jordan cast off some of the best of it’s old culture and embrace the worst of Western culture, that this wouldn’t happen. But I am losing hope. Maybe a topic for another day.