WCC Holds Debate On Arab Spring

The annual President’s Forum at Westchester Community College hosted a debate called The Arab Spring: Prelude to Democracies or Dictatorships? this past Sunday afternoon.

The debate was moderated by President Lester M. Crystal and the panel consisted of Elliott Abrams, Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and currently Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council for Foreign Relations; Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations; Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Ambassador Richard Murphy.

On the table for debate was what the Arab Spring really is, what it might become and how it might impact our nation and world in the future.

Each political expert on the panel had strong beliefs concerning the Arab Spring and there were definite moments of contention, most notably between Ambassador Richard Murphy and the rest of the panel.

Murphy kicked off the debate by saying he felt hesitant to call the Arab Spring a revolution and instead he said he would call it a coup d’état.

His optimistic view on the Arab Spring seemed to be the biggest bone of contention for the rest of the panel.

Ambassador Richard Murphy stated that he thinks that the Arab Spring will have three impacts on a post-9/11 American view of the Arab world: 1) The Arab world seems more complex. 2) Islam appears less ominous and menacing. 3) Our influence is shrinking in the region and our reliance on them is growing.

He finished up his comments on the matter by noting that, “We need to reevaluate our policies on terrorism.”

These statements as well as others set the tone of the debate as each of the panelists referred back to them throughout the event.

Abrams specifically pointed out that he disagreed with Ambassador Murphy’s comments on America taking a different policy on terrorism.

This sentiment was strongly held with the other panelists.

Gelb, who called the Arab Spring “a western delusion” railed: “The Muslim brotherhood has gotten smarter and they are pretending to be more moderate than they are. We will see women draped to their eyeballs and Sharia law implemented.”

The panelists also mentioned being more concerned with the peripheral issues that may arise as a result.

I think it has to be very, very clear to people around the world that the relationship between Israel and the United States is solid,“ interjected Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who seemed mostly worried about the state of Israel being compromised by the Arab Spring.

Her concerns included America continuing to not only politically support Israel, but financially as well.

In all, the discussion was heated and made it clear that there are more questions and issues than could possibly be contended with on a stage with a panel of four in a two hour debate.