To the Editor:
The first section of Monday's New York Times was bookended by two articles ("Her Dream, Branded as a Threat" and "Pariah Diplomacy," April 28) that illustrate the root of the colossal failure that is US policy in the Middle East.
By remaining ignorant of the Arab language and the various cultures and ideas that accompany it, we are destined to continue objectifying an entire region— and suffering the consequences. By stifling moderate Arab and/or/nor Muslim voices such as Dubai, Mahmoud Abbas, Debbie Almontaser, and, yes, Jimmy Carter, we create a vacuum for the more radical ones to step into.
And by refusing to listen to them, we end up stuck in situations that are in neither the US's nor Israel's long-term interests, such as Iraq and the Palestinian Territories, without an exit strategy.
original articles here and here
