By Salama A Salama Following Farouk Hosni's failed bid for UNESCO's top post, a lot of nonsense has been said. Obviously, we still know very little about exposing ourselves to international curiosity, and the price one may have to pay. Admittedly, Egypt is an old hand at diplomacy and knows quite a bit about tricks in the backrooms of international organisations. But we have made a habit lately of getting into international quests without thinking too much. Decisions come from the top and no one stops to consider their wisdom, and the outcome is far from satisfactory. One such instance was the nomination of Farouk Hosni to the UNESCO's top post. We launched into that nomination without thinking of the international standards and specifications for that job. We all know that Hosni is a lovely artist and has served as culture minister for two decades or more, but other things have to be considered as well. Some people were stunned by the reaction of the US and some European countries to the UNESCO affair. Some went as far as accusing European countries of conspiring against the Egyptian candidate. Some noted with bitterness that France and Italy declined to vote in the last round for Hosni, although they voted in his favour in earlier sessions. This is not the time to malign UNESCO or deplore our luck. It is time to grasp the current mood in Europe, for this mood was a major factor in the UNESCO's recent saga. For one thing, Europe is getting stricter and fiercer in matters concerning Arabs and Muslims. Time was that Europe stood for coexistence and tolerance. This is no longer true. Racism and prejudice have been on the rise, especially with regards to Arab and African immigrants. Take for example Britain. That country, once famous for its humane treatment of minorities, has just joined France, Germany and Italy in tightening laws and stiffening procedures against immigrants. Europe is no stranger to bouts of racism. Every now and then individual assaults on foreigners take place, the murder of Marwa Al-Sherbini at the hands of a Russian-German being one example. Another example is prejudice against immigrants living in French suburbs. Still, I believe that the American and European involvement in Afghanistan and the apparent inability of the armies of seven NATO countries to defeat the Taliban has made things worse. Across Europe, there is a sense of frustration and embitterment. The public is angry, and it is not solely angry with the governments that started war. When news comes of soldiers killed in battle with the Taliban, people get angry. When reports describe one suicide attack after another, the mood changes. Right now Europe wants out of Afghanistan. And many election campaigns have been fought on that particular issue. Obama is coordinating US policies with European leaders. He's been working closely with Europe on the defence shield as well as on the economic crisis. The recent G20 summit was a further a sign of this increased international cooperation. The G20 summit is about to turn into an economic club for major nations, one in which the developing world may not have a voice. Europe stood firm on America's side with regards to Iran. European leaders threatened Tehran in the same language the Americans use, and were just as alarmed over a nuclear facility that Iran has been hiding from view. The saga of the UNESCO elections can be explained in the light of this newfound solidarity between Europe and America. I cannot stop thinking how great it would be if Europe and America shared the same solidarity on Middle East peace. How great it would be if they could twist Israel's arm a little. But that, as you know, is wishful thinking.
