Eisenhower and Dulles pathologized Arab nationalism as incapable of self-rule

Evidence

John Foster Dulles, as Eisenhower’s secretary of state, called Nasser and other Arab nationalists like him “pathological” for their suspicion of the West and referred to the nationalist Iranian leader Mohammad Mossadegh as “a wily Oriental.” Eisenhower believed that Arabs were incapable of democratic self-rule. He said: “If you go and live with these Arabs, you will find that they simply cannot understand our ideas of freedom and dignity … They have lived so long under dictatorships of one form or another, how can we expect them to run successfully a free government?” — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 380

Categorization

• XREF: Directly extends the chapter-8 claim that US officials racialized Arabs as incapable of democracy while arming their dictators; gives Dulles’ and Eisenhower’s exact words. — connects to: US officials justified backing Arab dictators by deeming Arabs incapable of democratic self-rule — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 368; US elites pathological labeled Arab nationalists resisting Western interests; US officials pathologized Arab nationalists as unfit for democracy — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 207 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• US officials pathologized Arab nationalists as unfit for democracy #expands (0.95) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 207
• US officials openly framed Arab peoples as incapable of self-rule while backing dictators #corroborates (0.90)