Dr. Hala Maksoud

By Janet McMahon

When asked by American audiences if she is typical of Arab women, Dr. Hala Maksoud replies that most of them are taller than she is. This answer comes as somewhat of a surprise, because the strength and vitality of her ideas seem to give her physical as well as intellectual stature.

Growing up in Beirut in a politically active family (one of her uncles, Saeb Salaam, a prominent Sunni Muslim leader, was prime minister of Lebanon), politics have always been a part of her life. She describes Beirut in the '60s as a center of intellectual thought for the entire Third World, extending beyond the Middle East to include Vietnam, Cyprus and other international focal points.

The Six-Day War of June 1967 revitalized the younger generation of Lebanese intellectuals, who believed that the defeat of the Arab states was due in large part to the failure of that generation to take an active part in political life. Dr. Maksoud recalls the ambitious optimism of those years, when everything seemed within reach; she herself was involved in the establishment of such organizations as The Jerusalem Fund and the Arab Women's Information Committee.

Dr. Maksoud now believes that her generation "erred in not taking seriously the strength of the reactionary elements" of society. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war and the ensuing oil embargo saw a transfer of political power and "initiative" to the more conservative, established sectors of society.

Dr. Maksoud came to the United States 10 years ago with her husband Dr. Clovis Maksoud, the ambassador to the United Nations for the League of Arab States. The two met in Cairo at a conference on game theory and option analysis, an outgrowth of Hala Maksoud's first career as a mathematician.

Upon her arrival in the United States, she resumed her schooling, this time with an emphasis on the inexact—political science and philosophy—earning her Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Georgetown University. She describes herself as a "theoretical" thinker and speaker who likes to put events into historical perspective. Her topics include religion and social change, the role of Arab and Muslim women, the Arab-Israeli conflict and, of course, Lebanon.

When asked to compare Arab and American women, Dr. Maksoud observes that American and Lebanese women pride themselves on being modern and socially visible. However, this does not necessarily translate into greater rights and political participation. The women of these two countries, Dr. Maksoud believes, have not been forced to enter the work force, as have European women, for example; and it may be precisely the necessity, rather than the option, to participate that is essential to the development of real political power.

Dr. Maksoud says, with a touch of irony, that she is "cautiously optimistic" about events in Lebanon, noting that one result of the years of fighting and numerous failed peace efforts is a fear to "let optimism take over. " She cites the positive developments of a real Arab commitment to a peace process for Lebanon, international support for that commitment, and the resilience of Lebanese institutions like the central bank and the civil service.

However, in addition to their commitment, Arab states must provide "actual assistance in recreating the central government. " The various militias have created an intricate, sophisticated "war system," and now have a vested interest in keeping the war going. Dr. Maksoud notes that the reasons for the war have changed totally: Initially, the fighting was explainable in political, economic and social terms; now, however, the entire country is being held hostage by "armed bandits" who profit from the fighting.

Americans have been negatively touched by her country's civil war, Dr. Maksoud observes with regret. For them, "Lebanon" conjures up images of hostages and attacks on American Marines and the US Embassy, She believes that this view of Lebanon, and of the Middle East in general, results in part from Arabs not being "forthcoming enough in presenting their side, in not using American sympathies to make an incremental change" in public opinion.

For Dr. Maksoud maintains that these "American sympathies" do exist, that there is a "basic fairness in Americans which surfaces" when the facts are presented to them, and she is pleased that the reaction to her lectures is "always more positive" than she anticipates.

Unfortunately, these sympathies do not translate into American policy, but tend to be a response to particular events rather than being integrated into a new political analysis. Again, Dr. Maksoud sees this as a challenge which the Arab world must address.

This challenge is made more difficult, according to Dr. Maksoud, by a tendency in America for process to take the place of real policy. She cites the current US efforts to promote Palestinian-Israeli talks, without recognizing the PLO as the only real representative of the Palestinian people, as an example. It seems not to matter what the talks are about, or who undertakes them, as long as they occur.

America, she notes, is still very isolated from the rest of the world, having been thrust into world power at the end of World War II. Even now, this country "does not realize how seriously the rest of the world takes it."

Dr. Maksoud says she is never offended by any question she is asked, whether it is after a lecture or on a radio talk show. She attributes such questions to naivete rather than ill will or prejudice, and is adamant about Americans being "extremely sensitive" to charges of racism—although she describes the dehumanization of Arabs as "the Israeli lobby's greatest success."

Individuals like Dr. Hala Maksoud are the best antidote to that dehumanization.

AROUND THE CIRCUIT

Publisher of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and former Ambassador to Qatar Andrew I. Killgore addressed on Dec. 6 the University of Virginia's Association for Arab-American Understanding (Box 439, Newcomb Station, Charlottesville, VA 22904; (804) 296-9826) on "The Intifada After Two Years."

Mr. Killgore also participated in a Dec. 10 panel discussion on "The Intifada: The Road to Statehood," as part of a daylong program organized by the Palestine Shabiba Committee of Washington, DC (1730 K Street, NW, Suite 703, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 785-8394), commemorating the second anniversary of the intifada.

Janet McMahon directs the AET Speakers Bureau. She and Program Coordinator Uzra Zeya assist organizations seeking speakers and can be reached at the AET office.