Five key interests why the Arab nations should recognize Kosovo
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By Ridwan Al Sayyid Advisor to Lebanon Prime-Minister Fouad Siniora
World War I led to the disintegration of two empires, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; it could’ve also led to the fall of the Russian Empire and thus all multinational empires would crumble, but this did not happen. It did not happen because the communist revolution brought a new dictatorial system which gave the Russian nation leadership and rule over other nations that were part of the Empire. Russia grew even more stable after it emerged victorious from World War II. In the end of 1940s, the Cold War began and this aggravated relations between the victorious powers and aggravated all world developments, therefore, Arab states and the nations of the Balkans could not benefit from the liberation movement.
The Cold War aggravated the results of World War II and when the liberation movement was launched in the 1950s in Africa, Asia and Latin America, Arab states and the nations of the Balkans could not benefit from it because their countries were ruled by those that encouraged the liberation movement and which emerged victorious from World War II, although one was ruling in the Balkans and the other one was ruling in the Middle East. Now that the Cold War is over, we Arabs and nations of the Balkans share the experiences of the final moment of that war and that world whose fate was sealed by World War Two and was then left in the same state by the Cold War. After the end of the Cold War, the Balkans, Middle Asia and the Caucasus, unlike Arab countries, were off to a quicker start because of the cleverness of the people of these countries and because of the opportunity to seek their rights, liberties and independence. These countries had experienced difficult times and were subject to great injustice over four centuries by the great empires and powerful states such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire and the averagely powerful Serbian state. Injustices committed upon these nations gave birth to a national feeling and they desperately waited for the right opportunity to seek their rights, liberties and independence. Such developments are yet to take place among Arabs. There are two facts why these developments took place among the nations of the Balkans and not among Arabs: 1. The pursuit of rights and liberties among the nations of the Balkans is fortunately linked to the request for the democratization of the governing system, whereas leading Arab countries were formally independent and there the Cold War solidified a dictatorial leadership and kept in power the same military rulers that after World War Two began exercising their power in the name of Arab nationalism and in the name of liberating Palestine but meanwhile failing to do a single good action for their nations. 2. The country that has influence over our states is the United States of America and this has not changed, so the U.S. continues to this day to exercise its influence over us and does not promote changes in the system of Arab leadership which is still a dictatorial system. This system has remained the same throughout the Cold War and unfortunately still persists, because as we said before the same system that had influence on these countries during the Cold War continues to have the same degree of influence today on Arab countries who were formally pro-Russian but which in reality worked for American interests. Therefore, we Arabs are awaiting developments that have already taken place in your countries, developments that push forward progress and the democratization of governance. After this brief summary of the overall circumstances in your and our countries, I ask you not to be surprised why Arab countries still have not recognized the independence of your country. One also needs to explain that depending on the levels they represent, Arabs have different perceptions concerning the developments that have taken place in your country. At the popular level, these developments have enjoyed extraordinary support. In almost all Arab countries there were protests and other forms of organization expressing outrage over Serbia’s actions against your people and earlier against Bosniaks. I witnessed the arrests of many such protesters, some of them even expressed their outrage in extreme manner, because the people simply knew that justice was on your side. The situation is seemingly different when it comes to the perceptions by Arab governments. I attended the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in the Arab League when the decision was made to postpone the recognition of the state of Kosova, and together with Prime-Minister Fouad Siniora I attended the session of the Islamic Conference which discussed on the recognition of the state of Kosova. It should be known that the pretext that Arab countries do not want to recognize Kosova’s independence because they don’t want to ruin relations with Russia and Serbia is not true. It is also not true that Arab countries do not want to recognize Kosova because they fear that the precedent for Kosova could be used to solve some problems in the Arab world and this would not suit them. This false concern and pretext for non-recognition does not stand, because over 90% of residents of Arab countries are of Arab ethnicity, Arab is their mother tongue and also over 90% of them are Muslim, so in the Arab world there are no cases of ethnic or religious duality as in other non-Arab countries which had no problem with recognizing the state of Kosova. So if someone should be worried about this it is those states and not Arab states because like we said they don’t have cases of ethnic or religious duality, with the exception of Iraq and the Kurdish problem. The real reason why Arabs are running late in recognizing Kosova’s independence is simple: Arab government officials do not like the idea of a nation fighting a liberation war, as it is said in leftist terminology, and to declare independence despite the rejection by the state that ruled over it and that immediately after the war – which is the very source behind this disapproval – to build in that country not a military system but a popular democratic system based on elections and other democratic values. Arab governments cannot accept this and this is precisely the reason why they are hesitating to recognize Kosova’s independence. If we accept the new reality in Kosova and if we properly analyze the resolution of the issue of Kosova, we Arabs have 5 interests: 1. The right of the people of Palestine for self-determination. Notwithstanding international decisions, an armed conflict and 7-8 wars, we still haven’t managed to drive Israel away from at least 28% of Palestine territory which is inhabited by an absolute Palestine majority. Presidents of the USA on a daily basis take pride that in declaring for two states, but the problem has been going on for 60 years and nothing has changed for Palestine. Arabs should recognize the new reality in Kosova and bring to the attention of the United States of America and European states that assisted Kosova with force that they should use the same experience in finding a solution for the Palestine issue. 2. Cultural expansion. We are witnessing how France and Britain are building together with countries that have made cultural rather than political invasions, whereas it has a been long time that we Arabs have not come up with a genuine strategy for cultural expansion. When we see that countries like Kosova are open to us why shouldn’t we be open to them? 3. European Islam. I know that initially this term was used for negative purposes in the sense of claiming that Islam is characterized by fundamentalism and that Muslim communities that migrated to Europe from Turkey, Pakistan and Arab countries would prove this. Later on, this term took on a new meaning and in my opinion this should be the crucial meaning: the fact that there are native Europeans that have embraced the religion of Islam, and they don’t feel a minority because they are native Europeans, they have an experience influenced by the European experience of statebuilding, about the relation between religion and state and religion and nation and we in Eastern Arabia, where we are facing problems with religious fundamentalism and attempts to create a religious state, can benefit greatly from such an experience. It is true that in Turkey there are cases where this European Islam is displayed, but circumstances in these countries are closer to the circumstances of countries of Eastern Arabia than to circumstances in Turkey. We can benefit from this new experience, especially with regards to the democracy of institutions, the relations between religion and state and state and nation. 4. Revival of cultural and religious relations. It is not known that throughout centuries we had good cultural and religious relations be it during the rule of the Ottoman Empire or later, in times that are still fresh in the memory of the scholars of these areas. I believe it is in the interest of both parties to study, revive and renew these relations. 5. Kosova would prove an ideal country for the wealth of Arabs especially in the last decade and for which they are having difficulties of choosing countries where to invest. Investments can be made not only by Arab governments but also by Arab capitalists on individual basis. I have talked to some Arab businessmen and I have noticed that a great number of them do not know that Kosova can prove a successful investment. The recognition of Kosova’s independence by some or all of our countries would certainly stimulate them to invest in Kosova. In closing, I would like to say that our common task is to familiarize Arabs with these beautiful countries and with this wonderful people, with their experiences and with the necessity and interest to have as much connections as possible, while you as the government and civil society have the task of raising the voice even higher and increasing the voices that speak on your behalf in the Arab World. This presentation was during the international conference “Kosovo and the Arab world” organized in Prishtina.
" The Constitution of Kosovo is a democratic Constitution which guarantees the rights of the minority communities and in this regard it should be noted that it is unique and it has no equal even in Europe. "
Alber Rohan, former Deputy Special Envoy of the UN on the status
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