HAS UNITED STATES (US) PUBLIC DIPLOMACY FAILED IN PAKISTAN?
Being a major world power the US, like other world powers, comes under close scrutiny and criticism which is why it has actively sought to create a positive image, specifically since the cold war. To be perceived positively, the US used an efficient Public Diplomacy (PD) over Europe. When world politics changed after the end of the Cold War, the US started to practice its diplomacy over Islamic countries.
Pakistan is a specific example where the US wanted to implement its diplomatic steps. In a speech by Colin Powell, he insisted that the US put in more effort to convince Pakistan that US promotes goodwill saying:
’’US-Pak relationship was not a temporary marriage of convenience, but rather a partnership for the long term [1] ”
However it seems that US diplomacy through music, art or cultural educational programmes does not work in Pakistan as it worked in other nations. The question now is why? here are a few main reasons why US diplomacy is not efficient in this region.
Firstly there is a strong antipathy towards the US, especially following the intervention of Afghanistan and the Iraq war. Similarly when Bush polarized the World into Muslim and Christian ‘clubs’ this further created scepticism and prevented US policies from being implemented. This has now been partly repaired by the Obama administration, and visits by the Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton, however it has not changed much in the long term. According to research during 1999-2000, there was a 74% positive perception in Europe of the US, and 68 % in some Islamic countries. However, the level has subsequently decreased to 46% in Europe, and down to 42% in the Islamic countries such as Turkey, Indonesia and Morocco[2].
The second reason why the US is struggling to practice PD, is because of the existence of terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda in the Muslim states. These insurgent bodies now appear to have more popularity than the government itself, with sympathy for the organisations creating the national and religious goal that Pakistan should unite against “American imperialism”. Because of this ‘Robin Hood Syndrome’, it is easy for Al Quaida to find logistics, money and other resources, while for the US to gain information from individuals or institutions, it is not. An example can be seen in the level of confidence Bin Laden enjoyed at a remarkably high 41% Indonesia, and 38% in Pakistan[3] where Al Quaida is seen as the Saviour of Muslims against American Imperialism.
Because of this very strong belief that the US wants to divide and control Islamic nations, any step taken by the US, regardless of intention, is met with suspicion by Pakistani society thus hampering any it. Also, as the Pakistani society has strong religious faith, it is very easy for religious zealots to win support and mobilize the people through jihads and other religious preachings. For example, in a recent speech Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, warned Pakistan saying that the "US wants to break up this nuclear-capable country and transform it into tiny fragments, loyal to and dependent on the neo-crusaders [4] ".
In summary then, it is true to say that the US has yet to go a long way to practice its public diplomacy in the Muslim region to gain the confidence of that society. While the US homeland popular jingoism may have been sated by the death of Bin Laden, this act, and subsequent American jubilation seems to have backfired and instead strengthened the Pakistani resolve. Unless the US can stop representing all Muslims and Islam as evil, and convince its population to behave respectably and maturely, it cannot win the hearts of the people of Pakistan, which is the key to winning the intellectual argument.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Asghar R, 2011, University of Southern California, Public Diplomacy : Sorry About Osama can we still be friends? http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/newswire/cpdblog_detail/sorry_about_osama_can_we_still_be_friends (Accessed : 14.07.2011)
Evera. S,V, 2009, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Public Diplomacy: Ideas for the War of Ideas - http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/19550/public_diplomacy.html (Accessed : 14.07.2011)
Walsh. D, 2009, The Guardian, Bin Laden deputy warns Pakistan the US wants to seize its nuclear Arsenal - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/15/al-qaida-pakistan-us-nuclear
(Accessed : 15.07.2011)
(Accessed : 15.07.2011)
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