6 Countries that Dislike America The Most and Why

If you ask the average American why America is hated by other countries, what you are most likely to hear is a veiled view of the truth — other nations are jealous of America’s wealth, freedom and position as a world power.

This type of response points to the perceived arrogance that cradles most countries’ discontent with the U.S., a nation that, as Egyptian-American activist Sherif Mansour frames it, “only values freedom within its borders.”

The most up-to-date research from 2013, with information gathered and analyzed by the U.S. Global Leadership Project, shows an improvement in America’s international approval ratings. However, many nations still dislike the only remaining superpower.

Here are six countries were anti-American sentiments run high.

Tunisia

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 54 percent.

Tunisia has historically maintained a friendly relationship with America dating as far back as 1809 when President Thomas Jefferson attended an iftar — the post-fast evening meal of Muslims — with the ambassador of Tunisia.

In later years, Tunisia opened the first Arab embassy in the U.S.

The recent discontent with America, which fueled the 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, stemmed from the production of a video that was considered to be denigrating to Islam’s prophet Muhammad. The 14-minute short titled “Innocence of Muslims” was created by Egyptian-born U.S. resident Nakoula Basseley Nakoula and was uploaded to YouTube.

Its anti-Islamic message quickly made the rounds on the Internet.

The film, which has sparked debates about freedom of speech, a founding American principle, “opens with scenes of Egyptian security forces standing idle as Muslims pillage and burn the homes of Egyptian Christians,” The New York Times reports. “Then it cuts to cartoonish scenes depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a child of uncertain parentage, a buffoon, a womanizer, a homosexual, a child molester and a greedy, bloodthirsty thug.”

These images fueled the U.S. Embassy attack.

Egypt

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 57.0 percent

Egyptian political writer Bassem Sabry says Egypt’s discontent with America is rooted in Egyptians’ dislike of American leadership, specifically President Barack Obama and U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson.

According to Sabry, Egyptians believe Obama supported terrorism by working closely with Mohamed Morsi, the former president of Egypt, before he was ousted in 2013 by a military coup in opposition to his dictatorship. Patterson, they believe, aided Obama’s efforts.

Sabry asserts that there are also grossly unfounded speculations circulating Egypt that are helping to taint America’s image. The belief, he says, is that the U.S. wants to divide Egypt into several states and that former leader Morsi was an American spy during his career.

An anti-American song by Egyptian performer Sama Elmasry titled “You Obama, Your Father, Mother,”which is the literal translation of an Arabic insult, has spread around the country. The video of the song shows images of Obama superimposed with derogatory statements. The attack on Obama and America reflects the current feelings of many in the country.

Lebanon

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 71.0 percent

Lebanon’s gripe is rooted in America’s foreign policy — specifically, its support of Israel, Lebanon’s longtime enemy.

In recent years, Israel has attacked Lebanon with American-made bombs, destroying land and homes and killing thousands of men, women and children. The pillage interrupted normal life and caused major damage to Lebanon’s infrastructure.

Citizens of Lebanon, once considered an ally of the U.S., felt abandoned by America’s refusal to push for a ceasefire when Israel attacked them in 2006 during President George W. Bush’s administration.

To many Lebanese, this situation, for which strains of discontent still exist, painted a picture of a two-faced America.

Ghassan Bouz, 30, a Lebanese citizen, said: “The U.S. has two kinds of democracies, the good kind for them and the foreign kind for us.”

Palestinian territories

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 80.0 percent

A new Pew research center survey polled international perceptions of America and the results were similar to the U.S. GLP ratings. Palestinians grossly categorized America as the “enemy” (76 percent), while Israelis responded by calling America their “partner.”

America’s interference in Palestinian foreign affairs often includes providing monetary aid — total contribution to the Palestinian infrastructure program recently hit $100 million. Despite this, the country’s perception of America is not positively swayed.

“Elder of Ziyon,” which has been called one of the most influential pro-Israeli blogs, analyzes these findings.

“Notice that there is no correlation between the amount of money the U.S. gives to a nation and their opinion of the U.S. Egypt and Jordan hate Americans more than Pakistanis,” he says. “I bet if you would survey BDSers , (a term representing participants in boycotts, divestments and sanctions), and the rest of the ‘hate Israel’ crowd, you will find that their opinions closely match the hate that Palestinian-Arabs have for the U.S. and Americans.”

Iraq

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 67.0 percent

Iraqis’ dislike of America stems from wars waged in their land. Although America’s “war on terrorism” brought about the death of Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s former oppressive leader, their view of America is mostly unfavorable.

Mark Kukis, author of “Voices of Iraq,” contends, “Many Iraqis were elated by [Saddam’s] downfall. [However], the fact that it came at the hands of a foreign army stirred a little anger, from what I heard.”

Saddam, considered a terrorist by the American government, represents an image of the perpetual execution of the relationship between America and Iraq.

William Blum, a writer and critic of foreign policy, exploring the subject of why so-called terrorists hate America, said America invites its own disapproval.

“Of course it’s not America the terrorists hate; it’s American foreign policy. It’s what the United States has done to the world in the past half century — all the violence, the bombings, the depleted uranium, the cluster bombs, the assassinations, the promotion of torture, the overthrow of governments, and more,” Blum asserts. “The terrorists — whatever else they might be — are also rational human beings; which is to say that in their own minds they have a rational justification for their actions.”

Greece

(U.S.GLP) Disapproval rating: 57.0 percent

Historically, the U.S. and Greece have shared close political and cultural ties based on common values, Western ideals and participation as allies during World War I, the Korean War and the Cold War. But at some point, the friendly waters became murky.

Journalist Malcolm Brabant explains the reason for the tension:

“There is an undercurrent of anti-Americanism in Greece, which began after the Great Powers carved up Europe at Yalta toward the end of World War II. It has been perpetuated every generation since, by some aspect of U.S. foreign policy.”

Polls from the Pew Research Center reveal Greece’s discontent with America, specifically American leadership. Sixty-two percent of Greeks said they have no confidence in Obama’s ability to handle international affairs.

References

Jackson, B. (2014). 6 Countries that Dislike America The Most and Why. Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved from http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/27/6-countries-dislike-america/

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