Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Mass Media Wars | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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It is incomprehendable why dialogue between two neighboring Arab countries should be way of a media war instead of diplomatic negotiations?

The statements by Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika concerning the western desert was followed by Algerian prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia canceling his scheduled visit to Morocco. These series of events are harmful to both sides. Any one who thinks the world is free of conflict is wrong. But thosethat think that media wars can resolve a problem are even more mistaken.

What role can the rest of the Arab Maghreb Union countries play? What about the Arab League? How long will these conflicts continue between Arab countries?

The loss for Algeria and Morocco is both on political and economic levels. The two countries have wasted enough opportunities and have deprived each other of potential economic exchanges that would have benefited both sides. Nothing shows the deterioration more than the fact that the boarders between the two countries were closed for numerous years.

The Arab world will not find its way out of this hopeless case unless they learn the merits of dissimilarity. We must realize that people may disagree on some points but that does not warrant the severing of all relations, the sealing of common boarders or the punishment of citizens for their political discrepancies.

The Arab world is familiar with conflicting political blocs and their disastrous consequences. Progress has been hindered and resources exhausted on Arab armies fighting each other instead of battling enemies. Arab meetings and summits, Arab league and foreign ministers” meetings were turned into battle royals. This hostile situation is attributed to the invasion policy that some countries have applied in the past to their neighbors, or other policies of axis and blocs, sometimes the failure to understand that it is normal to find differences between countries, but they should not mean complete rupture of relations.

Both leaderships in Morocco and Algeria know how the world operates, and have healthy relations with the international community. It is unacceptable to improve our relations with all eastern and western countries and fail to have healthy relations with our neighbors and brothers.

Waging wars through media is a failing method. No solution can be found except through tranquil diplomatic relations in private. Nothing is too complicated to be solved, if intentions are good.