Anti-Western sentiment

Anti-Western sentiment, also known as anti-Atlanticism or Westernophobia, refers to broad opposition, bias, or hostility towards the people, culture, or policies of the Western world.^[2][3]

This sentiment is found worldwide. It often stems from

The phenomenon is often exacerbated by contemporary events. In recent decades, anti-Western feelings have been fueled by factors such as the Iraq War, support for Israel, and sanctions against countries like Iran.

Definition and usage

In many modern cases, anti-Western sentiment is fueled by

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba blamed the Western world for imperialism. On 1 August 1960, he "gave a speech that indicated in no ambiguous terms that the United Nations, its Secretary-General, the United States, and the Western powers were all corrupt entities."^[5] During the Congo Crisis, Lumumba received support from the Soviet Union, which contributed to his overthrow and execution by the Western-backed Mobutu Sese Seko.

When Mobutu became leader of the Congo, he renamed the country Zaire and created the national policy of Authenticité or Zaireanization, which aimed to remove all Western cultural influence from the country.

In 2001, anti-Western sentiment skyrocketed in the Congo following the assassination of the Congolese president

Anti-Western sentiment was broadly expressed in Ethiopia during the Tigray War as a result of resentment over pressure in internal politics and request over resolution of the conflict.^[7] On 30 May 2021, a pro-government rally took place in Addis Ababa to protest an international pressure denouncing "Western intervention" and US economic and security assistance sanctions. Protestors also waved banners supporting the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project.^[8] On 22 October 2022, tens of thousands protestors took a demonstration in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square, whereas the other cities in Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar, Gondar, Adama, Dire Dawa and Hawassa also hosted a similar demonstration to denounce the intervention.^[9]

Ghana

Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, had a staunch anti-Western stance and blamed the United States for many of Africa's difficulties.^[10]

Nigeria

Located in northeastern Nigeria, the name of the extremist Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram translates to "Western education is forbidden" or "Western civilization is forbidden."

Zimbabwe

Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe used anti-Western rhetoric in his speeches, and he implemented policies that seized farmland from white European farmers.^[11]

Asia

China

Anti-Western sentiment in

India

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Although opinion polls suggest positive views towards Western countries today, anti-Western sentiments were common in early 20th century India due to the Indian independence movement.^[22]

Japan

There is a history of criticism of the so-called West within the intellectual history of Japan.^[23]

Korea

Historically, anti-Western sentiment in Korea has been linked to the opposition to the Christian missionary activities in the region, most notably by the Donghak Movement.^[24][25][26] More recently, it has been related to the occasional difficulties in the American-Korean relationship in South Korea and, to a more pronounced extent, North Korea.^[27]

Anti-western sentiments was just that extreme in the early phases of the Republic of Korea.^[28] It was confined to a very small number of people who faced arrest and jail under the National Security Law (1948).^[29] The Rhee administration largely exploited the National Security Act to garner support for his extreme right-wing power base. Its use also ensured that anti-Americanism remained the preserve of extremists ready to risk arrest. In practise, this meant that anti-Americanism remained intimately intertwined. It was associated with Marxism-Leninism until the onset of the democratisation movement.^[30]

Singapore

Islamism

Together with political

During the

Samuel P. Huntington in Clash of Civilizations classifies Russia and the rest of Orthodox Europe as a different civilization from Western civilization.^[40]

Anti-Western sentiment in

Under the Soviet Union, 'the West' eventually became synonymous with 'the capitalist world', resulting in the appearance of the famous propagandist cliché 'corrupting influence of the West'.

After the

Vladimir Putin has promoted explicitly conservative policies in social, cultural and political matters, both at home and abroad. Putin has attacked globalism and neoliberalism^[41] and promoted new think tanks that stress Russian nationalism, the restoration of Russia's historical greatness, and systematic opposition to liberal ideas and policies.^[42] Putin has collaborated closely with the Russian Orthodox Church in this cultural campaign. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Church, endorsed his election in 2012, stating Putin's terms were like "a miracle of God."^[43][44] The Russian Orthodox Church is known to host groups that promote nationalist and anti-Western tendencies.^[45][46]

The

Anti-Western sentiment exists in Latin America, especially in countries where the population consists mostly of Native Americans, such as Bolivia, Guatemala, or Peru.^{[citation needed]} On the other hand, in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, Europeans are more represented in the population. Consequently, there are many Latin Americans who identify as Westerners, so the anti-Western discourse is therefore not as prominent as in other regions. That is not to say, however, that there is no anti-Western discourse. Indeed, it can be found in countries with nationalist and populist leaders or movements, including left-wing political parties in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, or Venezuela.^{[citation needed]} In recent years, Latin American nations have increasingly turned away from the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Anti-Western sentiments are related to the history of American and European political interventions in Latin America. Many people in the region lay sharp criticism on the United States for supporting

Samuel P. Huntington in Clash of Civilizations controversially^{[citation needed]} classifies Latin America as a different civilization from Western civilization.

See also

• Anti-Americanism
• Anti-Australian sentiment
• Anti-Canadian sentiment
• Anti-Europeanism
  • Anti-Armenian sentiment
  • Anti-Austrian sentiment
  • Anti-British sentiment
  • Anti-Croatian sentiment
  • Anti-Dutch sentiment
  • Anti-Estonian sentiment
  • Anti-French sentiment
  • Anti-Georgian sentiment
  • Anti-German sentiment
  • Anti-Greek sentiment
  • Anti-Hungarian sentiment
  • Anti-Irish sentiment
  • Anti-Italian sentiment
  • Anti-Polish sentiment
  • Anti-Portuguese sentiment
  • Anti-Romanian sentiment
  • Anti-Russian sentiment
  • Anti-Serbian sentiment
  • Anti-Slavic sentiment
  • Anti-Spanish sentiment
  • Anti-Ukrainian sentiment
• Anti-Israeli sentiment
• Anti-Japanese sentiment
• Anti-Palestine sentiment
• Anti-South Korean sentiment
• Anti-imperialism
• Anti-Christian sentiment
• Clash of Civilizations
• Occidentalism
• Criticism of globalization
• Neocolonialism
• Pan-nationalism
• Left-wing populism
• Racism
• Right-wing populism
• Active measures

References