Teaser

From the title of this story to its content, the tease is on. There is, in fact, nothing directly relating to the popular American television show, American Idol, in this article. The use of the title, however, is a surefire hook that reels in a readership not necessarily likely to click on other articles dealing with any aspect of the current Middle East conflicts. Beyond the initial sensation of a hoax, however, there is an intriguing suggestion that the writer clearly recognized. There is, in fact, a dim hope in an increasingly desperate situation.

The article is based on a simple fact: the results of a pan-Arabic talent competition called Star Academy that is based on a French model. It is noteworthy that the contestants are described as classmates at this academy, not as competitors. This fact is particularly significant in light of the fact that the article presents the results of the show's finale as a unifying factor for a war-torn country. Participants are "mates", not rivals, just as the Sunnis and Shi'ites of Iraq are fellow countrymen, not just warring factions.

Likewise, the winner is both a young woman and of mixed Moroccan and Iraqi heritage. The fact that the image of a young woman presenting herself unveiled in public performance has evoked a positive response rather than a negative one in a country as conservative as Iraq has to be a good sign. The fact that Iraqis in large numbers accept her as their own despite the fact that she lives in Morocco, from whence her mother comes, is another plus. Though her Iraqi father has chosen to live outside his homeland's geographic boundaries, they view his daughter as one of their own in terms of national pride. As long as he remains publicly quiet about his personal politics, that should be a good thing.

Of course, one can still worry that the noted public response to the news of this young woman's success was the sounds of intensifying gunfire, but the report is that the guns were aimed skyward, not at any individuals. It may be a small step, but it does seem to be a step in the right direction, if one desires peace. The other question, of course, is whether or not the price of peace is affordable. To that, conservatives may not return quite so optimistic an answer.