STING ON LIBYA TURMOIL

Sting has expressed his hope that Libya’s anti-government protests will end repression in the North African nation. In an interview with The AP, he expressed concern over Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi’s calls for a crackdown by the country’s military on any demonstrators still calling for reforms. Sting insisted that the relatively peaceful pickets in other Arab countries should be a model for the region, saying: “Things like this should be handled just like in Egypt and Tunisia.” The musician also suggested that Western countries should be begin “treating the Arab culture [in] a better way”.
Arriving in Lima, Peru ahead of a concert, Sting says, “What’s happening in Libya is appalling. It’s really about a man desperately trying to hold onto power when he has no business holding onto power. I hope it stops soon.”
But Sting has put a positive spin on the protests in the Middle East, insisting they help to show the world that the stereotype of simple Arabs is wrong.
He adds, “I’m very intrigued by what’s going on in the Middle East at the moment. I think one of the most useful things about the events is that I think in the west we have looked upon Arab culture as being monolithic and very simple, and what has come out of this conflict is how complex their society is.
“It’s just as complex as ours, and therefore, those stereotypes have been counterproductive, so we need to treat the Arab world in the same way we treat each other.”
Source: AP