European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay Example for Free

European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay It is recognized that the first resistance was the betrayal of pan-Arab nationalistic aspirations in order to spare western economic and political interests. It was in the year 1917, when the Ottomans allied themselves with the Germans against the French and British empires. In what Antonios (1938/1946). This was known as the â€Å"Arab Awakening, where there is a description of how Shareef Hussein of Mecca, allied themselves with the British and the French. They were also found revolting against the Ottomans. Similarly, they also helped put an end to a rule that continued for more than four centuries. This understanding was based on a treaty between Arabs and the Allies. This was a British promise made to Shareef Hussein a pan-Arab Meccan leader – where the Arabs were seen as a sovereign nation on the ruins of the Ottoman empire. Returning the gesture for this promise, the Arabs revolted against the Ottoman empire which has fallen under the control of the Young Turks. However, the Europeans had another agenda that they wanted to implement. They apparently had other plans for the region. had other plans for the region. Author Said (1993) notes that, the Arabs after liberating themselves from the Ottomans in 1917 and 1918, took British promises for independence as the literal truth(Said, 1993, p. 247). Antonios (1938/1946) describes what happened at the San Remo conference where British and French leaders changed the geography of the region: Whatever else may be said of the San Remo decisions [of spring 1920, in which the whole of the Arab Rectangle lying between the Mediterranean and the Persian frontier was to be placed under mandatory rule], they [allies meeting in San Remo] did violate the general principles proclaimed and the specific promises made by the Allies, and more particularly by Britain. The purport of the pledges given in secret is now known: with that the Arabs had come into the War and made their contribution and their sacrifices, and that fact alone sufficed to turn the corresponding obligation into a debt of honor. What the San Remo did was, in effect, to ignore the debt and come to decisions which, on all the essential points, an counter to the wishes of the peoples concerned (305-6). It was this San Remo agreement between the British and the French that placed the Arabs under their rule. This was to the cornerstone of the animosity between the two. This encouraged the British and thus the Arab-Israeli conflict happened for 65 years (Hourani, 1991). The British leaders also gave promises to the Arab leaders which became known as the Balfour Declaration. This gave Zionists the promise of having a home in Palestine. This betrayal by the West was sown deeply in the hearts of the Arabs. Thus, at the heart of the Arab nationalism is a story of betrayal and bitter disappointment. (Said 1981). Colonialism was no longer called as that. It came to be known as colonialism and more betrayal came as the Arabs were betrayed when a sudden control of Arabs by Muslim non-Arab Ottomans was replaced by the non-Muslim Europeans. The seriousness of this situation was enhanced by the fact that Arab activists were misled into helping assisting the Europeans in their own adoption of colonial rule. The British and French colonialists suppressed national movements within the olonized nations, silenced voices for national independence and self-determination and installed local puppet leaders to help suppress Arab populations in the newly created states. Colonialism is the act of one political state in influencing and exercising its power on a weaker nation, continuing to control its resources and the citizens of that country. In fact, it became a practice that extended far and wide by the powerful European states during the later half of the nineteenth century and most of these colonies were eventually granted its independence. However, the powerful nations exerted its influence as it created lasting impact on former colonies. Colonialism helped shape the world today. (Colonialism). Approximately 20 percent oil exports of the Persian Gulf pass through the port of Rotterdam, there is an awareness that the Dutch will have their economic importance in insuring that there will be a smooth flow of navigation through the waterway. Meanwhile, in Brussels, Prime Minister Wilfried Martens announced that Belgium will send two minesweepers and a support ship to the gulf. These ships will operate south and east of Qatar under British protection. This mission will last for four and a half months (Markham). The mission of the other frigates will be to protect Italian ships after a grenade attack happened on an Italian merchant ship. This was however, not a welcome move as the flotilla was sent â€Å"without enthusiasm. † Their contention is that there is no one who looks forward any military action in Italy. But the Goria government was obliged not only because of its European allies but also because of the demands from the socialist leader and former prime minister, Bettino Craxi. (Markham). Meanwhile, in Paris, Defense Minister Andre Giraud revealed that three minesweepers went to France on Aug. 17 with a support vessel that operated in the gulf of Oman. The minesweepers were dispatched on Aug. 11 and the French officials said they would be confined at Gulf of Aden, which is some 1,000 miles southwest of the Persian Gulf region. A French fleet at the Djibouti rarely penetrates the Persian Gulf and does not accompany French ships through the waterway. Military was not the only factor that influenced France to send its minesweepers to its fleet. Frances decision to add minesweepers to its fleet was not prompted solely by military considerations. It is considered that France and Iran have been at odds over an Iranian diplomat who had some knowledge about terrorism. It was on July 17 when France broke diplomatic relations with Iran, even as nine French diplomats are still hostages in the embassy in Teheran. (Markham). As one looks at the present European colonialism, it is worthwhile to examine the history of the European colonists in the past. The changes in European society began with a series of religious wars called the Crusades. From 1095 to about 1300, European Christians fought Muslims, people who believed in the religion of Islam. Christian fought to gain control of Jerusalem and other areas they believed were holy. The Crusades took Europeans to the Mediterranean area, northeast Africa, and southwest Asia. There they discovered Italian and Arab merchants in control of busy trade centers. These merchants traded spices, fine silks and gems from India, China and Japan. Word of these riches excited Europeans and they dreamed of trading with Asia themselves. Besides dreams of riches, Europeans had other reasons for wanting to open routes to Asia and Africa. They saw exploration as a way to spread Christianity. The Crusades had not won Jerusalem from the Muslims. However, Europeans had not lost their crusading spirit. They were certain that Christianity was the only true religion. Therefore, they believed it was their duty to convert all non-Christians to Christianity. With the spread of Islam in the seventh century AD, the Arab world came into the limelight. Soon enough, the Arabic language became the main communication of the Arabs who shared a sense of kinship with history. This paper looks into six Gulf States and the possibilities/risks/benefits that a Western company faces as it projects doing business in the Gulf regions. These nations include Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. It will first analyze what a company needs to know before doing business in that region. To gauge this needs an overview of the region’s culture, government and society. Providing a framework of reference, the researcher will then delve into the possible risks that the company may face as well as its benefits. From there, the researcher hopes to identify which region is the most risky and most beneficial to enter into a business venture. Interspersed along the way are examples of companies who have already done business in the region so that the reader is afforded data on actual company experiences. (Doing Business in Qatar). The first oil discovery in Qatar occurred in 1939, which gave Qatar a per capita GDP equal to that of some West European industrialized nations. When this happened, there was a change in control and wealth into Qatar. The introduction of different policies in pricing showed the economic value of oil. Thus began the continuous flow of wealth into this small Kingdom. And what is unique to Qatar is that it is not only from oil but more recently from the massive natural gas reserves that is presently under development (Doing Business in Qatar). We are talking here of recoverable oil reserves of 15 to 23 billion barrels and natural gas reserves estimated to exceed 900 trillion cubic feet. And to think that a country that holds this wealth possess a population of less than a million people of whom just over 200,000 are Qatari citizens. Considering a small region, Qatar is also an excellent start-up market. Its social infrastructure and physical speed of development offer attractive prospects for countries interested in establishing its business in a great potential area. One can just imagine the immensity of its oil reserves when it is revealed that Qatar today holds oil and gas reserves that should last another 300 years. Qatar’s recent development has been closely aligned to the rise and fall of international oil prices This is because oil production represents about 85% of the country’s total income, 55% of its GDP and 70% of the government revenues. † (Doing Business in Qatar). During the Middle Ages, the Muslim countries of the Middle East had exerted its control of the East-West trade. But this dramatically changed in the fifteenth century. The Portuguese were able to make long journeys because they possessed hips with deep hulls that stood stable in high seas. They were able to go longer than the usual routes and = down the west coast of Africa until they found their way around the southern tip of the continent making contact with Muslim cities. Also in the East Africa, the Portuguese were able to get Arab navigators to take them across to India, where they settled themselves in Calicut on the Malabar Coast in the southwestern part of the country. (The Age of Colonialism. Qatar). Today, considered by many as interconnected with colonialism or as the new form of imperialism, globalisation pertains to â€Å"a process of increasing integration between units around the world. This definition encompasses nation-states, corporations, households, and other organizations. The concept of globalisation emerged from three forces for development, to wit: (1) the role of human migration, (2) international trade, and (3) rapid movements of capital and integration of financial markets (Wikipedia 2007). Cheung, citing an OECD paper, explained globalisation as follows: †¦ a shift from a world of distinct national economies to a global economy in which production is internationalized and financial capital flows freely nd instantly between countries and driven by the information revolution that has helped overcome national barriers so that even the framework of social policies affecting individual citizens is becoming more sensitive to international influences, including the global new media (as cited in Cheung 1997, p. 437). Written by John A. Hobson in 1902, imperialism is considered as a political-economic discourse. Essentially, this claimed that the quest for imperial expansion is motivated by explorations for new investment opportunities and markets from coast-to-coast. For Hobson, the â€Å"taproot of imperialism† is found in industrial oligarchy and not in nationalistic pride. He further averred that imperialism, in a capitalist society, â€Å"is a result of the maldistribution of wealth that created a desire to spread markets in search of profit† (Wikipedia 2007). Looking at the history of the western influence and the continuous political decisions of the West in Arab countries during the past century, it can be gleaned that this has set the stage for more tensions and distrust of the West by the Arab people. Many Arab national movements had adopted an anti-western political speech. The interests of the West have not jibed with that of the Gulf regions. (Alkadry). In the post-colonial period, the confrontation with the Arab with Europe was transformed into a confrontation between the Arabs and the United States. It was said that the Arabs in the post-colonial era were in one of three camps: â€Å"repressive regimes friendly to the United States, repressive regimes not friendly to the United States, and occupying regimes that are sustained economically and militarily by the United States. †