Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Egyptian Ambassador-at-Large, Nabil Fahmy, spoke to a crowd of diplomats and members of the local community on Wednesday April 29, 2009 at the Diplomatic Club in Doha.

The lecture was part of the Distinguished Lecture Series organized by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar).

Fahmy’s speech centered on the impact of American politics in the Middle East, and how the Arab world can leverage that impact to achieve peace and prosperity for the region.

In his speech, he urged greater unity and coordination in the Middle East.

“The United States is going through a transformational change,” Fahmy said. This shift is affecting how America deals with foreign policy.

As a result, citizens of the Middle East have a responsibility to understand those changes and what it means for them. “What happens in America affects the whole world,” said Fahmy.

The former Egyptian ambassador to the United States also pointed out that the Arab world is going through a transformation as a result of globalization. Increases in tourism and travel, as well as the influx of foreign workers to the Arab world will change society. “They are a positive contribution, not a negative one,” he said. “Ultimately, they will affect our traditions and our norms.”

Fahmy mentioned the impact that the large Arab youth population will have. Crediting the media, he described how youth are using varied information sources such as TV and the internet to gather information used in their decision-making. “Our children may actually know more than us,” he said. “They won’t be wiser than us, but they may be able to get more information more quickly.” This access to information, according to Fahmy, will require a shift in thinking from conservative elements in society.

Fahmy decried the lack of unity in the Arab world as a key reason for the stalled growth and unrest in the region. “We in the Middle East have not found a way to disagree in a civil fashion,” he said.

According to Fahmy, growth and stability will only occur when the Arab world has a single voice on important issues. He listed regional priorities of the US and Arab governments in the region, pointing out how they differ in importance. “The international agenda is being set by others,” he said. “The Arab world must be proactive and make its own case for political and social issues.”

Issues of common importance include the conflict in Iraq, as well as the ongoing situation in Palestine. “As a practical diplomat, I’m looking at a two-state solution…We want to indicate that what’s on the table is a two-state solution,” he said.

Fahmy pointed out that both America and the Arab world need each other, but the region must be clear about what it needs. “Not a single Arab-Israeli agreement that was signed was started in America,” he said. “Not a single one was concluded without America … the Middle East must be clear and concise with America.”

In closing, he reiterated the need to bring both the US and the Arab world together. Citing the European Union as an example, the ambassador pointed out that differences can be overcome. “Europeans have less in common with each other than the Middle East,” he said. “We have to understand how to disagree with each other.”