The Anti-American Century

How “Big Brother” Became the “Great Satan”—Changing Perceptions of the United States among the Muslim Communities of Southeast Asia

how “Big Brother” Became the “Great Satan” chAnGinG PercePTiOnS OF The uniTeD STATeS AmOnG The muSLim cOmmuniTieS OF SOuTheAST ASiA Farish A. Noor Anti-Americanism is not a new phenomenon in Southeast Asia,1 but over the past few years, and certainly in the wake of the attacks on the united States of America on September 11, 2001, it has taken on an increasingly religious character . While the ASeAn (Association of Southeast Asian nations) region has always been troubled by insurgent, autonomous and militant movements,2 the rise of religiouslyinspired militancy with the united States as its primary focus is a new phenomenon that troubles the ASeAn heads of state. understanding this new phenomenon of religiously inspired anti-Americanism requires some understanding of the history of the ASeAn region itself, and of its convoluted relationship with the united States, which has been a major player in Asia. America’s presence in Southeast Asia was felt during and immediately after the end of the Second World War. The united States came stepping into the void that was left by the former colonial powers, and established a firm foothold in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines3 as well as malaysia4 and indonesia. America’s universities became the models for Southeast Asian universities , America’s industries were emulated and replicated locally, and American political culture was seen as the stan- 110 The AnTi-AmericAn cenTury dard against which constitutional democracies should be run and managed. American technocrats, consultants and specialists worked hand-in-glove with their Southeast Asian counterparts, helping to re-model the economies and societies of the region according to the American prototype.5 it should be noted that America’s entry into Southeast Asia at the time was widely welcomed by the governments and political elites of the region, who regarded the united States as a crucial ally during the cold War and the sole power that could stop the advance of communist forces that were on the move in countries like Vietnam, the Philippines , indonesia and malaysia. The American government in turn openly endorsed and supported the governments of malaysia (under the leadership of Tunku Abdul rahman (1957–1969), Tun razak (1970–1976) and hussein Onn (1976–1980), the Philippines, Thailand, South Vietnam as well as those of Laos and cambodia. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, much of the support shown by Washington to its Southeast Asian allies during the cold War was guided mostly by Realpolitik concerns . yet, as commentators like Pilger (1990) and mcmahon (1999) have argued, the conduct of the anti-communist campaign in Southeast Asia was to incur a devastating cost in terms of the loss of lives of Southeast Asian citizens and the loss of respect for the united States.6 in Vietnam, the American government proved to be the most stalwart and influential supporter of the embattled regime of ngo Dinh Diem. Due to extensive media coverage of the war, news of the Vietnam conflict spread throughout the region and became the rallying point for anti-American activists in the neighboring countries of Southeast Asia. in the Philippines, the legacy of American involvement has likewise been a sore point with many local oppo- 111 How “Big Brother” Became the “Great Satan” sition groups. While the Vietnam War was raging, Washington was keen to ensure that the Philippines would not fall under the sway of the communists. Through agencies such as the Joint u.S. military Advisory Group (JuSmAG) and the American-created Philippine civil Affairs Office (cAO), the American government managed to reorganize the Philippine armed forces and intelligence services and place pro-American leaders like ramón magsaysay in key positions of power. A similar scenario was developing at the same time in the neighboring country of indonesia, where American –indonesian relations had been problematic from the beginning. When indonesia unilaterally declared its independence from the netherlands in 1945, it was the united States that attempted—on more than one occasion—to block subsequent attempts by the Dutch to regain control of their former prized colony. however, the indonesian government under Sukarno was unwilling to accept any form of aid or military assistance from the united States for the simple reason that such a move would jeopardize indonesia ’s neutral stance. in April 1955, in an attempt to keep the countries of the developing world beyond the sphere of influence of both the Western and eastern...