Diminishing reservoir of goodwill
Southeast Asia's Muslims have long been united in their condemnation of US policy in Iraq. Given the atmosphere of distrust, the graphic images of abuse at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison have only served to exacerbate the fury.
There are four main reasons for the current anger towards America and, more especially, the current administration. The first is linked to the deceit and dishonesty surrounding the arguments relating to the actual invasion; the second is American moral self-righteousness - its self-professed 'civilising' mission in the Middle East; the third is the element of hypocrisy now that the abuses have been uncovered; and lastly there is the complete lack of trust and confidence in George W. Bush's leadership.
Moreover, the region's Muslims are not alone in their anger. Buranaj Smutharaks, a Thai businessman and politician, explains: 'The Americans have disgraced themselves by flaunting the very values they purport to uphold.'
Similarly, members of the commercially powerful Chinese community - perhaps mindful of Beijing's distrust of US 'adventurism' - are equally critical of America's role in Iraq. Siew Nyoke Chow, group editor of Sin Chew Daily based in Kuala Lumpur (the sister paper of Hong Kong's Ming Pao) and the region's largest Chinese-language daily, said: 'These are crimes against humanity. Our readers have been shocked by the depths to which Americans can sink.'
Despite all this, it is important to stress that Southeast Asia has never been virulently anti-American. In fact, the superpower's staunch anti-communist stance during the cold war years earned the US considerable goodwill in the region, especially from many conservative Muslim forces. Zin Mahmud, features editor of Malaysia's largest circulation Malay language daily, Utusan Malaysia said: 'You must remember that Southeast Asian Muslims aren't Arabs. Our views of America aren't uniformly negative. We really do think of Americans as civilised people.'
Still, there is no doubt that most westernised Muslims feel deep disappointment - if not betrayal - in the way the US has placed itself above both the Geneva Conventions and other widely accepted human rights standards. Hishamuddin Hussein - Malaysia's British-trained education minister is no Muslim rabble-rouser. But when he discusses Abu Ghraib, his tone momentarily loses its usual equanimity.
'Today, there are no signs of the weapons, democracy seems to have receded into the future and after the discovery of the systematic torture and abuse of Iraqi PoWs, the moral justification for the entire invasion is sounding very hollow indeed,' he said.
Surin Pitsuwan, Thailand's former foreign minister and a Muslim, also expresses a deep sense of regret and unease at the American failure. 'Abu Ghraib has undermined the collective effort to push forward democracy and the rule of law in the Middle East. Frankly the Americans are not practising what they preach,' he said.
Suryapratomo, the editor of the largest Indonesian national daily, Kompas is more forthright: 'The Americans have shown themselves as hypocrites. They have lost their moral leadership and are tainted. They must work hard to resurrect their reputation. However, words alone are not enough, they must prove their sincerity through their actions.'
The crisis in American credibility and legitimacy might have been manageable had Mr Bush enjoyed greater popularity internationally. Certainly in Southeast Asia, his crass Texan-style rhetoric, his unwavering belief in the efficacy of raw power, as well as his crude prosecution of the war on terror has been deeply loathed.
There is a strong sense that America's moral standing and credibility in the region, and indeed globally, will only be recouped when the present policies are reversed and Mr Bush is removed.
Karim Raslan is a lawyer and writer based in Kuala Lumpur
