Egyptian Author Iqbal Baraka on the Differences between the Western and the Eastern Minds

The following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian author and women's rights activist Iqbal Baraka, which aired on ON TV on December 14, 2009.

Interviewer: What is the difference between the Arab mind and the English mind?

Iqbal Baraka: There is a great difference between the Eastern mind and the Western mind. The Western mind is inquisitive and meticulous. It asks questions. It refuses to accept anything without discussion or examination. The Western mind is susceptible to debate with others. It listens with interest and accepts... We used to have a one-hour course called "debate" at university. The class would be divided into two, and the teacher would raise an issue, and one group would argue for it and the other against it. We were taught how to conduct a dialogue, a debate. I present my opinion and you respond, but the question is the way it is done. Nobody attacks or criticizes his [fellow student]. You always hear them say: "I agree with you, but..."

Interviewer: They are polite...

Iqbal Baraka: Yes, in English... The motto of the Eastern mind is: "Don't ask why." It is despotic. It is not interested in dialogue. It is incapable of accepting others. It is incapable of permitting other opinions.