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Opinion

Dubai Ports controversy baseless

Hasan Rizvi
Opinion Columnist

Earlier this year, Dubai Ports World purchased Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, a British shipping company whose operations span the globe including the United States. 

Dubai Ports World has delayed its plans for 45 days to try to smother the flames of controversy surrounding its acquirement of the rights to operate terminals in six major American ports. The controversy is quite an unnecessary one, which stinks of pure politics and the exploitation of people's ignorance. Dubai Ports World is owned wholly by the government of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. 

From my experiences in the extremely cosmopolitan Dubai City, there is no, or very little, animosity toward the West; in fact, many Westerners call Dubai home. It is home to the world's only seven-star hotel, and in 2008, it will be the home of the Burj Dubai Tower, the tallest building in the world. The locals speak English fluently and seem more concerned with the latest seasonal line from Gucci rather than some apocalyptic war based on the perversion of a great religion against America. Unlike Saudi Arabia, the large expatriate communities, which, in part, are comprised of many Christians and Hindus, are free to attend religious services in their respective houses of worship without fear of harassment. 

By solely watching the news on television, it is doubtful one would know this. Instead, you're probably exposed to sound bytes of mentally defective New Yorkers such as Chuck Schumer and George Pataki condemning the arrangement as somehow being a threat to national security. 

The unfortunate truth is that today's political climate proves conducive to the bashing of Arabs and the greater Islamic community, no matter how unwarranted or how nonsensical the bashings are. With this political landscape, defending anything that is seen in any way related to Islam has proven to be politically detrimental, as the Bush administration has learned the hard way. 

If one were to take those blowhard politicians at their word, it still doesn't add up. Where were they when a British company operated in American ports? Are they aware that the United Kingdom, rather than the United Arab Emirates, has more of a problem with people adhering to demented violent groups masquerading as somehow related to Islam? 

When, or if, Dubai Ports World does start operating in American ports, opponents to the presence of an Emirati company in American ports are still struggling to explain how it would endanger the well being of America. Americans work in those docks and will continue to do so no matter who operates them. We won't be outsourcing security inspections, and customs officials will still be Americans working under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security. 

In fact, the U.S. Navy prefers to dock in the extremely secure Emirati ports of Jebel Ali and Fujairah both of which are coincidentally operated by Dubai Ports World. It would be beneficial for all parties involved if our lawmakers and political pundits to quit antagonizing an ally in a region in which we have few friends.

Rizvi, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at hrizvi@uh.edu.