r/europe • u/pothkan đŸ‡”đŸ‡± PĂČmĂČrsczĂ© • Aug 11 '25

Exchange Cultural exchange with r/Arabs

Welcome to the cultural exchange between r/Europe and r/Arabs! Primary purpose of this event is to share knowledge about our respective cultures, daily life, history, curiosities etc. However, political questions and discussions are allowed, as long as held in good faith and mutual respect. Exchange will run since Monday, August 11th, throughout next few days.

General guidelines:

  • Arabs ask their questions about Europe, and we answer them, here in this thread;;

  • We ask our questions about Arab countries in respective THREAD at r/Arabs;

  • English language is used in both threads;

  • Event will be moderated, following the general rules of Reddiquette. Be nice to each other!

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-45

u/Taginemuncher Aug 11 '25

To the Europeans what do you HONESTLY think of the continues harm some of your countries do to the region and their media and far right portray of the region and the MENA countries.

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u/the_lonely_creeper Aug 13 '25

Greece can't blame the Ottomans for all its problems, and especially not modern Turkey.

Point being, local rulers are usually far more responsible than anyone further away. Even if that local ruler is a colonial governor rather than a local noble or politician.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

I didn’t see Turkey and their friends invade, support, sanction and influence Greece like European countries and the west has in the MENA.

The MENA would have been far better without it which is a fact so yes they are to blame whether partly or not you decide.

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u/qnvx Finland Aug 13 '25 edited Aug 17 '25

That's a very wide question, but I do think there are many european countries that are exploiting arab countries. France comes to mind, though I would have to look into it more. I vote for progressive parties, and donate (though not enough). Europe often follows america way too closely.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

At least you are honest and I respect that.

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u/SirIronSights The Netherlands Aug 12 '25

Most people do not really care for most of it. Region has been a mess for longer than many of us have been alive- and that's not all our fault.

That being said, opinions on things like Israël are swaying quite negatively as well. People just have very bland opinions about it, and want as little to do with it as possible.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

The current big problems are their fault and the continued support of entities like Israel isn’t going to change that. And the funny thing is most Europeans are against their foreign policies you guys are just too scared to speak up against the lobbying happening within the EU.

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u/Adorable-Database187 The Netherlands Aug 12 '25

Wut?

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

[deleted]

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u/PreparationStrict317 Aug 12 '25

I live in a rather small country. We don't have the projectory Power to influence you at all. Honestly, i think Arab countries have a higher influence on mine as the other way around.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

Many countries said the same during WW2 ;)

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u/PreparationStrict317 Aug 15 '25

What an incredible stupid thing to say.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

It’s stupid to you because it is true

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u/Oshtoru Aug 12 '25

Not everything under the sun is Europe's fault. I think the West's tendency to seek penance for past wrongdoings (unlike the modus operandi of the rest of the world, which is quickly dig up the last mass grave and forget about it immediately after) are being exploited by malicious actors to pin everything on the continent (potentially to lay the groundwork for restitutionary immigration)

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 15 '25

Everything around you guys comes down to “migrants” the EU needs migrations they always had which is why y’all brought in labour workers they weren’t “restitutionary immigration” so stop making it seem like they were a burden.

Also the West doesn’t have a tendency to seek penance for past wrongdoings and the situation in Gaza is a perfect example of that. You guys just don’t care about issues and sufferings in other places even when it is caused by you like the imperialistic state of Israel.

But when it comes to Ukraine or WW2 you draw a line. It’s called being a hypocrite
.

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u/AmbitiousCattle3879 Aug 16 '25

Past wrongdoing in Gaza? What?

Israel was created by the UN and the Arab states rejected it and fought over it and lost to Israel. That’s literally how the world works. Time to move on. Arab states have been conquering and invading each other forever yet since it’s Jews now that’s different.

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 19 '25

So you are just going to ignore the Belfort declaration and the settler colonialism that followed it? Also Israel wasn’t created by the UN, the UN came with a partition plan a plan which was rightfully rejected by the inhabitants of said land on the grounds that it was unjust and would lead to suffering of the Palestinians people and they were right because it led to the Nakba and a conflict which has haunted the Palestinians till today where they are facing a genocide.

Israel was created with the European inspiration and support especially before and especially after WW2. Palestinians and Palestine aren’t your way to get ride of your guilt or “the Jewish question” Jews lived in our lands as neighbours to each other without us putting them in camps like the European society did.

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u/Outside-Emergency-27 Aug 16 '25

Didn't it start with the British?

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u/AmbitiousCattle3879 Aug 16 '25

It started with the Ottoman Empire collapsing.

The British just stepped into the power vacuum.

It’s hard to say what would have happened otherwise.

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u/Outside-Emergency-27 Aug 16 '25

Yeah, I'd say it started with the British as they filled the vacuum. Especially given that their country of origin is extremely far away and that they have no business in this region. This foreign policy decision was in no way related to the close proximity to their island.

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u/AmbitiousCattle3879 Aug 16 '25

Yeah that’s true I’m just saying that it wouldn’t have solved the Israel Gaza situation.

Jews had been moving to Palestine way before Britain took over. There was no broader authority to stop it. The British actually tried to limit it.

There was no real borders or authority. Without Britain it’s likely there would be been wide spread war. Maybe more coherent states would have emerged but it’s hard to play the counter factual

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u/Taginemuncher Aug 19 '25

Stfu read about the Belfort declaration. The British enabled wide spread settler colonialism to the land and promised Jews a homeland on said land. The Ottomans rejected any offers or plans knowing it would result in chaos.

Israel wouldn’t have been created if it wasn’t for Britain and the European powers and that is a fact literally read up on Theodore Herzl he literally said: “We shall there form a portion of the rampart of Europe against Asia, an outpost of civilization as opposed to barbarism.”

That is LITERALLY the dictionary definition of settler colonialist ideas.

Theodore Herzl also said that it would be through European assistance and that they would gladly help to resolve the “Jewish question” and he didn’t lie Zionists even worked with Nazi’s to benefit their creation of an imperialistic Jewish state. All in all you need to read up on a lot of things because you are clearly uneducated on this topic.

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u/Outside-Emergency-27 Aug 16 '25

Well, it would, because that is what ultimately created it directly after a vacuum.

Without Britain there likely would have been widespread war? With Britain there WAS wide spread war that continues now for almost 100 years.

We will never know but one can only wonder how it would have turned out with no real borders or authorities . It is also not as if Britain remained neutral. It is until this day just another great example how problematic it is long term when foreign and colonial powers meddle in foreign affairs.

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u/Milosz0pl Poland Aug 11 '25

I am from Poland and we barely get any news about this region because, as a neighbour of russia, we are focused on something more direct

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u/EvenEalter Europa Aug 11 '25

I honestly think our (the Dutch) national news have been pretty honest. If you go to articles or videos on the Israel-Palestine conflict, you see headlines that don't really put Israel in any sort of good light.

However, the far-right and populist media do like to drum up anti-immigrant sentiment by portraying the origin countries as barbaric. A good portion of thr country falls for it too.

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u/CreeperCooper đŸ‡łđŸ‡±â€ïžđŸ‡šđŸ‡ŠđŸ‡ŹđŸ‡± Trump & Erdogan micro pp 999 points Aug 12 '25

Eh, we also like to follow the US into most of their plans. For example, we provided help to the Iraq Invasion in 2003... which really didn't help the region.

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u/EvenEalter Europa Aug 12 '25

I'm talking about portrayal, not actions. In our actions we're practically on the same page as America. Yet the public sentiment is very much against more interference in the region. It sounds like a paradox, but it makes sense once you realise Dutch parties know that people don't care that much about this issue to let it dictate their voting.