WHEN A MAN OF GOD? SPEAKS
Abdul - Kadir O. Etuazim
August 24, 2005
"If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words."
-- Chinese Proverb
Statements made by a popular man of God in the United States are causing ripples all over the world. The unbelievable words have been played over and over in many countries. I have seen it over ten times.
Though it is still early days, Americans should rise up and condemn the act in its entirety. The vituperation is reminiscent of taped audio messages from the caves of Afghanistan.
It is not enough to just ignore the outburst or claim that he was exercising his right to free speech. The import and impact on the America’s image overseas will take years to gauge.
At the same time, the incident is a shot in the foot of evangelicals. There are some compelling reasons why all hands should be on the damage control console.
First, there is a perception in the world – rightly or wrongly – that America is infatuated with natural resources, especially oil and that this obsession drives her various foreign policy initiatives. So, when the man of God picks on an oil rich third world country to demonstrate his love for a people and their economy, you can figure the near global deduction.
To buttress the allegation of obsession with oil, the critics may go on to cite the case of North Korea as deserving greater and more urgent attention from the gentleman.
The preponderance of worldwide 24-hour news service increases the probability of more people receiving the information. Policy wonks and analysts should figure out how to tackle short term and long term fall out.
Treating such cases as unimportant is one of the reasons no one seems to understand polls on how the rest of the world perceives the USA.
Another reason is a likelihood that Al Qaeda would pounce on the case as another example of a hidden Christian agenda against Muslims. There is no doubt that the profile of Pat Robertson would be blown out of proportion by the terrorists to justify their perverted logic.
Propaganda is an integral part of any conflict. For some reasons, it is not appropriate to state how the counter moves should be pursued on the pages of a newspaper. The important point is to act fast and now.
Thirdly, the USA cannot afford to alienate the citizens of any country. While the leadership can change, the society remains. The best intelligence asset is human resources. In the war against terrorism, the critical role of the general public in the early identification of likely suspects cannot be overemphasized.
The majority in the third world is not so sophisticated to distinguish between an ordinary citizen who is popular internationally and the government of the most powerful country.
Pat Robertson is a popular Christian figure outside the United States. It will not be enough to characterize him as an ordinary citizen. It is also a fact that he has been close to some American Presidents. Therefore, taking the reasoning pattern in other cultures into account, it will be a hard sell to portray him otherwise. This does not mean it is impossible.
It is only going to require a lot of doing in new ways. There should be a paradigm shift at all levels on how to solve public relations issues in a global world. Old patterns would no longer be suitable.
-- Chinese Proverb
Statements made by a popular man of God in the United States are causing ripples all over the world. The unbelievable words have been played over and over in many countries. I have seen it over ten times.
Though it is still early days, Americans should rise up and condemn the act in its entirety. The vituperation is reminiscent of taped audio messages from the caves of Afghanistan.
It is not enough to just ignore the outburst or claim that he was exercising his right to free speech. The import and impact on the America’s image overseas will take years to gauge.
At the same time, the incident is a shot in the foot of evangelicals. There are some compelling reasons why all hands should be on the damage control console.
First, there is a perception in the world – rightly or wrongly – that America is infatuated with natural resources, especially oil and that this obsession drives her various foreign policy initiatives. So, when the man of God picks on an oil rich third world country to demonstrate his love for a people and their economy, you can figure the near global deduction.
To buttress the allegation of obsession with oil, the critics may go on to cite the case of North Korea as deserving greater and more urgent attention from the gentleman.
The preponderance of worldwide 24-hour news service increases the probability of more people receiving the information. Policy wonks and analysts should figure out how to tackle short term and long term fall out.
Treating such cases as unimportant is one of the reasons no one seems to understand polls on how the rest of the world perceives the USA.
Another reason is a likelihood that Al Qaeda would pounce on the case as another example of a hidden Christian agenda against Muslims. There is no doubt that the profile of Pat Robertson would be blown out of proportion by the terrorists to justify their perverted logic.
Propaganda is an integral part of any conflict. For some reasons, it is not appropriate to state how the counter moves should be pursued on the pages of a newspaper. The important point is to act fast and now.
Thirdly, the USA cannot afford to alienate the citizens of any country. While the leadership can change, the society remains. The best intelligence asset is human resources. In the war against terrorism, the critical role of the general public in the early identification of likely suspects cannot be overemphasized.
The majority in the third world is not so sophisticated to distinguish between an ordinary citizen who is popular internationally and the government of the most powerful country.
Pat Robertson is a popular Christian figure outside the United States. It will not be enough to characterize him as an ordinary citizen. It is also a fact that he has been close to some American Presidents. Therefore, taking the reasoning pattern in other cultures into account, it will be a hard sell to portray him otherwise. This does not mean it is impossible.
It is only going to require a lot of doing in new ways. There should be a paradigm shift at all levels on how to solve public relations issues in a global world. Old patterns would no longer be suitable.
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