Anti-Western sentiment

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 Congolese president Laurent Kabila, with many Congolese citizens blaming the Western world for his death.[6]

The first president of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah had a staunch anti-Western stance and blamed the United States for many of Africa's difficulties.[7]

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

Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe used anti-Western rhetoric in his speeches, and he implemented policies that revoked farmland from white Western farmers.[8]

Anti-Western sentiment in mainland China has been increasing since the early 1990s, particularly among Chinese youth.[9] Notable incidents which have resulted in a significant anti-Western backlash have included the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade,[10] the 2008 demonstrations during the Olympic torch relay,[11] and alleged Western media bias,[12] especially in relation to the 2008 Tibetan unrest.[13] While available public opinion polls show that the Chinese people view the United States in a positive light, there remains suspicion over the West's motives toward China stemming largely from historical experiences and specifically the "century of humiliation."[14][15]

These suspicions have been increased by the Chinese Communist Party's "Patriotic Education Campaign".[16] Although Chinese millennials are largely apathetic to politics, China's Gen Z has recently formed an unprecedentedly low opinion of the West and Western values since the Chinese economic reforms of the 70s. Young Chinese have grievances such as the Western alienation of Chinese tech companies, anti-Asian racism, anti-China propaganda push, and pressure on China's internal affairs, among other issues. In a study conducted by Toronto University in April 2020, 4 out of every 5 Chinese under 30 years old said they do not trust Americans.[17][18]

There is a history of criticism of the so-called West within the intellectual history of Japan.[19]

Although opinion polls suggest positive views towards Western countries, anti-Western sentiments were common at one point in Colonial India during the Indian independence movement.[20]

Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, argued that East Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam should be based on "Asian values."[21] Countries such as the Four Asian Tigers should aspire to have Western-style standards of living, but without accepting liberal democratic social institutions and principles.

Together with political Salafis, jihadists (also called militant Salafis) view Europe as lands inhabited by infidels (Dar al-Kufr). For jihadists this makes Europe a just target for armed jihad, e.g., acts of war or terrorist attacks. Such lands go under the name of Dar al-Harb (lands of war).[22] Jihadists themselves motivate their attacks in two prominent ways: to resist Western military intervention in Muslim countries and to discourage insults against Islam such as Muhammad Cartoons.[23]

John Calvert writes that in their critique of the West the Islamists use Western thinkers like Alexis Carrel, Oswald Spengler, Arnold J. Toynbee, and Arthur Koestler.[24]

Terrorist groups al-Qaeda and ISIL/ISIS are said to be both anti-Western. They have been known to promote terrorism in Western countries.[25]

During the Ottoman period of Turkey, a tradition of anti-Westernism developed.[26][27]

Russian President Vladimir Putin with religious leaders of Russia, 2001. Putin has promoted religious traditionalism and the rejection of some Western liberal principles, like toleration of homosexuality.

Anti-Western sentiment in Russia dates back to 19th century from an intellectual debate between Westernists and Slavophiles. While the former deemed Russia to be a lagging Western country, the latter rejected these claims outright and dubbed West to be 'rotten'. An important figure in Western criticism under reign of Alexander III was Konstantin Pobedonostsev, a former liberal who eventually renounced and thoroughly criticized his former views.

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

After the Cold War, a number of politicians in the Russian Federation have supported an explicit promotion of Russian Orthodox traditionalism and a rejection of Western liberalism.

Some ultra-nationalist politicians, such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky, express the most anti-Western sentiment.

Vladimir Putin has promoted explicitly conservative policies in social, cultural and political matters, both at home and abroad. Putin has attacked globalism and neoliberalism[28] and promoted new think tanks that stress Russian nationalism; the restoration of Russia's historical greatness; and systematic opposition to liberal ideas and policies.[29] Putin has collaborated closely with the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Church, endorsed his election in 2012 stating Putin's terms were like "a miracle of God."[30][31] The Russian Orthodox Church is known to host groups that promote nationalist and anti-Western tendencies.[32][33]

The Russian government has restricted foreign funding of some pro-liberal NGOs. Pro-Russian activists in the former Soviet Union frequently equate the West with homosexuality and the gay agenda.[34] Russian gay propaganda law was welcomed by nationalist and religious political figures in Russia as a bulwark against Western influence.

The Yarovaya Law prohibits evangelism by religious minorities. It was used to ban the U.S.-based Jehovah's Witnesses.[35]