Introduction

The heightened sense of conflict and mistrust commonly referred to as the "post 9/11 climate," necessitates the investigation and analysis of the  current relationship between the West and the Arab world.  Analysts and scholars in both the Western and Arab worlds are actively engaged in the examination of this changing and complex relationship. "Revisiting the Arab Street: Research from Within" -- undertaken by the Center for Strategic Studies of the University of Jordan -- hopes to add to this body of inquiry by providing an up-to-date analysis of the beliefs and perceptions prevalent with the Arab public. Using public opinion surveys conducted in five Arab countries, the study presents a picture of the attitudes found on the Arab Street.

The study confirms that many Arabs perceive important differences between the cultures and societies of the Arab world and the West.  It shows, also, that Arabs across the region hold more complex and nuanced views than may have been expected.  Most significantly, the study identifies Arab reaction to Western, and most specifically US, foreign policy in the region as being the single most important factor influencing Arab opinions about the West.

Respondents in the study were asked to express their opinions on a variety of issues, and to specifically address their feelings with regard to the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.  Participants in the countries studied -- Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine -- were found not to perceive "the West" as a  unified whole.  Rather, they differentiate between countries, particularly with regard to politics.  For example, the Arab public views France much more positively than it does either the United States or the United Kingdom, primarily because there is a more positive perception about French foreign policy in the Middle East.

Contrary to what some observers, particularly in the US, have suggested, Arabs do not uniformly see "the West" in entirely negative terms.  Indeed, they have a high value for many of the attributes Western countries and societies.  Arab public opinion does not view the tension between the Arab world and the West in either cultural or religious terms.  Despite views frequently promulgated both inside and outside the region, Arabs do not see that there is an ongoing struggle between "Crusaders and Muslims" nor do they support the notion of a "Clash of Civilizations." Rather, they differentiate significantly between states, particularly with regard to politics.

This study finds that Arabs do not “hate” the US and UK for "who they are" or for the cultural values they hold.  Negative sentiments are being fueled, rather, by "what they do" -- that is,  for specific policies and the impact these policies have on the Arab world. Neither a cultural nor a religious  gap is found to be  the fundamental reason for tensions between the Arab world and the West.  Rather, this study finds that the Arab public disagrees profoundly with the foreign policies of the US (and the UK when they are in agreement) and that this disagreement is at the root of anti-American, and, by extension, anti-Western, sentiments which permeate the region.