Salman Al-Dossary
Salman Al-Dossary is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
TT

The Issue Is Bigger than Twitter

The exposure of the falsehood of western principles is the best thing that has happened in recent years. If we had spent vast sums and exerted the greatest of efforts, none would have revealed that truth as it is now coming to light today.

What the West has promoted for long decades was refuted by minor incidents and at rapid pace.

The West never ceases in attempting to create a world for everyone, but according to its standards, or rather, its principles.

Whatever aligns with the West’s agenda, plans and leanings is described as “moral”, “legal” or “legitimate”. These descriptions are dropped when issues don’t align with western views.

Many believe in the particularities of each people and their right to choose what aligns with their ideas and way of life; however, they strongly oppose the promotion of unique values of specific societies in other societies.

The West’s (eternal) problem is that they want to rule us according to their history, experience and values, not our history, experience and values. They rule us from over 5,000 miles away. They continually seek to mobilize support for their views and fight those who oppose their way and “principles.”

I don’t deny that the West (specifically the United States and Europe) boasts an impressive ability to promote what it wants to become common and accepted across the globe. Media, digital platforms, Hollywood and modern broadcasting platforms are prevalent. This is coupled with political mobilization, the abuse of resources, influence, soft power, rights organizations, threats, tradeoffs and other means. All of these tools are in the western camp.

Even if the West has the reach and ability to persuade, their attempts at clashing with other peoples, under the pretext of principles and freedoms, should not be met with absolute acceptance and silence.

Our strength must lie in intellectual resistance, ahead of political resistance. Our strength must lie in clarification and explaining of contradictions and attempting to counter what is possible through awareness, such as journalism and media, and legislation, as a core role of governments and organizations.

The West has long been attached to making weak principles. They are adept at coming up with ideas that seep into all societies in a way that the world often overlooks or fails to contradict what it is promoting. When the world does react, it is often too late. The West banks on time and achieving quick gains as much as possible and with high efficiency.

I am reviewing the West’s methodology of exported principles as I observe the “Twitter battle”. Elon Musk has decided to destroy one of the houses that promotes what they describe as “human rights” or at least this is what some of the observers describe. They are the favorite dress that is tailored according to their agendas and is fitted to suit their changes.

Musk decided to expose the lie out in the open. He released the wasps from their nests, leading to statements, boycotts and other developments. What happened at Twitter is one of the thousands of files that are lying under the embers and are awaiting the winds that would ignite them when the time is right.

Some are made to achieve short-term goals, while others require patience. Some seek to introduce major change and are banking on successive generations and their acceptance. The most important challenge is for us to be on alert and stand firm.

Returning to the not-too-distant past, we have seen how western media portrayed the mercenaries in Syria and how they welcomed and portrayed them as heroes in Ukraine. Everything is documented in the news and political statements.

Another issue we have been witnessing recently is the systematic campaign to tarnish the rights of children and force them to live a life without a father or mother by strongly attempting to impose homosexuality on society. These ideas contradict any sound reasoning, regardless of society or religion. They violate children’s rights according to western principles themselves.

Haven’t we said that principles change without anyone noticing?

These are ideas from the living memory. The history books hold greater and more comprehensive issues.

We must never be defeated or believe things simply because they have been imported with labels of civility and knowledge. We are faster than them now. The West is slower than it has ever been and this is the truth.