As a former intern for the State Department, a UC Berkeley student, and an American citizen, the recent passing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens is particularly tragic. While the exact motives and nature of the horrible and brazen attack on the U.S. Embassy at Benghazi remain a mystery, one thing is clear: American foreign policy in the Middle East is in flux.
The
protests now roiling the region are a testament to the difficulties of shaping the future of the Middle East. Obama’s foreign policy, previously one of his greatest strengths, is being
questioned given the instabilities unleashed by the Arab Spring. Are the expectations of liberal, Western democracy feasible in a region that remains culturally conservative and traditional? How is a Middle Eastern social contract different from a Western one?
The protests are purportedly in response to an obscure, American-made video posted on the Internet that mocks Islam. What do religious tolerance and freedom of speech mean in these contexts? How can the U.S. government project a positive image abroad while also protecting intrinsic rights at home?
As numerous government officials, including Secretary Clinton, have already noted, the U.S. government had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of the movie. The U.S. government should apologize when it has made mistakes; so far, it has done nothing wrong. As a free society that allows a great deal of personal autonomy, the United States government cannot be held responsible for every single inflammatory idiot who uses his or her liberty in non-constructive ways. The views expressed in the video are hurtful and demeaning, yet to use these pretenses as an excuse to attack U.S. embassies, businesses, and citizens cannot be tolerated.
On a more positive note, some of the attacks may be the result of a small number of Islamic militants instead of popular, mass protests. In Libya, where Ambassador Stevens was killed, everyday Libyans gathered to pay their respects, mourn, and
decry Ambassador Stevens’ murder. Moving forward, we must forge a Middle East foreign policy that both respects the beliefs of Muslims while simultaneously condemning violence and extremism. While being sensitive to others’ faith, we cannot and should not apologize for things outside our control. Now more than ever, facilitating religious dialogue and tolerance remains an important and salient issue.
