Summary:

Arab-West relations have been one of the most controversial relationships in the international arena for decades. Analyzing the long and often turbulent history of the two sides' interaction sheds light on how the two parties perceive each other and may also highlight why the Arabs are angry with the West.

However, it is also important to examine how Arabs have responded to Western policies. Have they articulated their anger and frustrations in the public and political sphere? Or have they been guided by their emotions and used these to dictate their responses and retaliations? In any case, what is certain is that both the Arab and Western press plays a major role in shaping one side's perception of the other and the persona created influences interactions between members of Arab and Western societies. Furthermore, the media has the ability to hinder the possibility of honest dialogue between the two sides by how far it sensationalizes stories and exaggerates claims. And yet as one of the main instruments for influencing the public's opinion the media is a valuable resource that can be employed to examine how these perceptions and misperceptions are formed.

This project focuses on the media from 2003, a year which has not been chosen by chance. It was an important year for Arab-West relations, primarily because in March 2003 the U.S invaded Iraq, a move that was universally unpopular in the Arab region. In the wake of the September 11 attacks and following George W. Bush's launch of his 'war on terror' there had already been a distinct downturn in Arab-West relations, however in the months leading up to the war in March 2003 the tensions and accusations being lobbed between the two camps reached a critical point.

By investigating Arab press reporting before and during the U.S-led invasion it is possible to get a clearer view of how the Arab (and primarily Egyptian) press perceived the West's actions and stances. One direct impact of the war was that the Egyptian press devoted considerably less space to international issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Nonetheless, the subject of Muslims living in the West was still at the forefront of much Arab reporting because it was linked to a continuing growing disdain for Western policies and a change in attitudes in the West that were deemed to be becoming more anti-Islamic. Of course, in spite of the dramatic events taking place abroad the Egyptian press continued to focus on important domestic issues such as political liberalization and Muslim-Christian relations; issues that were affecting people on a day-to-day basis.

And now, five years on, with Western powers still struggling to "win hearts and minds" in Iraq it is interesting to look at Arab opinions before the war and consider what long-term effects the war has had on the future of Arab-West relations and the Arab anger that exists toward the West.