A 21st Century Holocaust
August 5, 2006
Ibtissam Al-Bassam, Arab News
Is it not appalling that the so-called “democracies” are going about smashing countries, destroying lives, killing men, women and children in cold blood and with total immunity?
Is it not sad that hundreds of murdered and injured Lebanese men, women and children, have failed to soften cruel hearts and waken sleeping conscience?
Is it not despicable that the illegal policy of expansion of borders through aggression continues to receive the support of warmongers, who applaud the destruction of crowded cities, enjoy the sight of demolished homes, relish the death of innocent citizens and celebrate the imprisonment and torture of “suspects”, who are in most cases innocent?
Is it not ironic that ostensibly out of respect for the sanctity of life in the fetus, a veto privilege was used to curb embryonic stem cell research, while an order was given to speed up the delivery of some of the most lethal arms in military arsenal to be used in destroying a sovereign state?
Do we not see contradiction in the denunciation of Syria and Iran for allegedly arming Hezbollah, while the most sophisticated weapons are being rushed to the Middle East to accelerate the massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians?
Is it not shocking that voices, which can end the mad war on Lebanon, have been raised to support naked aggression and block an immediate cease-fire?
Is it not outrageous to call bloodshed, destruction, and aggression “birth pangs”? Is not such a description an insult to every woman who has given birth? One wonders what monster would emanate from the womb of a deadly, unjust war!
Since Sept. 11 2001 the world has gone mad.
On that dark day in modern history, America was attacked, the Twin Towers were destroyed and three thousand innocent victims of different nationalities, cultures, faiths and colors lost their lives. America was deeply hurt, Americans were stunned, and the world at large condemned the crime.
An endless war on terror was declared.
Iraq had nothing to do with an act of terror that came to be known as “Sept. 11” and it had no links with its perpetrators, yet it fell prey to a war which has developed a dangerous tendency to go off the track.
The world was told that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that threatened America and its allies and had to be destroyed. When no such weapons were discovered, the world was told that the invasion and destruction of Iraq was part and parcel of the ongoing efforts to eliminate evil from the world, to topple a cruel dictator, to end a ruthless regime and replace it with an elected, democratic government that respects the human rights of all Iraqis and treats all Iraqis equally. The world was also told “New Iraq” would be a showcase of freedom and democracy, a role model to be emulated by its Arab neighbors and a catalyst of positive changes in one of the most troubled regions of the world.
Sadly, New Iraq is a showcase of bloodshed, torture, conflicts, destruction and insecurity. It is a graveyard where truth, international laws, Geneva Conventions and human rights lie buried.
Everyday bombs kill and injure scores of innocent Iraqi men, women and children and destroy cities and ancient ruins. The land of the Euphrates and the Tigris and the cradle of great ancient civilizations has been the scene of hair-raising torture, gory crimes and vicious acts of terror.
The misery and the slaughter of Palestinians have gone unabated. In fact, it has increased. Ironically enough, when Palestinians chose the path of democracy, they were punished by starvation and bankruptcy, their homes were demolished, their infrastructure was smashed, their electricity and water systems were destroyed, their loved ones killed, their leaders assassinated and many of their ministers kidnapped and placed behind bars.
And as if the bloodshed, the violence and the mayhem in New Iraq and old Palestine were not enough, Lebanon too has fallen victim to a raging madness with no cure in sight.
“The only democracy in the Middle East” has waged a bloody, vicious, open war on a small Arab democratic country. Hundreds of innocent men, women and children have been injured or burned to death. The number of displaced Lebanese is escalating sharply, hundreds of families have lost their breadwinners, homes, roads, hospitals and schools have been bombed and demolished and miserable citizens have joined the ever-growing number of homeless and handicapped.
Once again Qana is the site of a horrendous massacre or war crime.
When a mess reaches an unacceptable level, truth begin to emerge and lies come out of the closet.
The conflict and the tragedies in the Middle East have exposed many falsehoods and uncovered many lies.
They have defeated the brittle argument that anti-Americanism is promoted by an envy of the prosperity of the developed world and the appetite of Arabs and Muslims for democracy and freedom is blocked by a wave of fanaticism and extremism, a reluctance to embrace modernism and an adherence to a religion that promotes hatred, violence and brutality.
The strong solidarity between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon is ample proof that Christians and Muslims are best of friends and that the Middle East wars are political, not religious. They are not about the God we worship and the faiths we follow. They are the outcome of decades of injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people, conflicting interests of countries, personal interests of individuals, illegal occupation of lands, a belief that might is right and a devilish desire to destroy Arab countries, occupy Arab lands and imprison, humiliate and kill innocent Arab women, men and children.
The heart breaking images from Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza and the occupied territories defeat the toothless argument that Arabs are barbarians and the Arab countries a threat to the existence of the “only democracy in the Middle East”.
The atrocities in the Middle East prove beyond doubt that Arabs and Muslims are victims of a 21st century holocaust, just as their cousins were victims of a 20th Century holocaust.
Nazis burned innocent Jews in gas chamber, Iraqis, Lebanese and Palestinians are being burned in homes, schools, hospitals and shelters by “smart bombs” and sophisticated weapons made in the developed world.
Peaceful Muslims, who practice their religion, are considered potential terrorists. Homes of Muslims, who wear beards and pray five times a day in mosques have been raided, their occupants humiliated or wounded. A year ago an innocent young Latino with Arab features was killed by the police, who mistook him for a “terrorist”.
Arab and Muslim “suspects” have been detained and imprisoned, Arab and Muslim prisoners have been humiliated and tortured, innocent Arab and Muslim blood has been shed profusely, thousands of Arab women and children have been kept behind bars for years.
History is busy recording a shameful “New Holocaust”. Is it not time the entire international community spoke with one voice and demanded an immediate cease-fire? Is it not time a fair and just solution was found to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, which is the real source and the true cause of the wars, the conflicts and the violence in the Middle East?
Ibtissam Al-Bassam, Arab News
Is it not appalling that the so-called “democracies” are going about smashing countries, destroying lives, killing men, women and children in cold blood and with total immunity?
Is it not sad that hundreds of murdered and injured Lebanese men, women and children, have failed to soften cruel hearts and waken sleeping conscience?
Is it not despicable that the illegal policy of expansion of borders through aggression continues to receive the support of warmongers, who applaud the destruction of crowded cities, enjoy the sight of demolished homes, relish the death of innocent citizens and celebrate the imprisonment and torture of “suspects”, who are in most cases innocent?
Is it not ironic that ostensibly out of respect for the sanctity of life in the fetus, a veto privilege was used to curb embryonic stem cell research, while an order was given to speed up the delivery of some of the most lethal arms in military arsenal to be used in destroying a sovereign state?
Do we not see contradiction in the denunciation of Syria and Iran for allegedly arming Hezbollah, while the most sophisticated weapons are being rushed to the Middle East to accelerate the massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians?
Is it not shocking that voices, which can end the mad war on Lebanon, have been raised to support naked aggression and block an immediate cease-fire?
Is it not outrageous to call bloodshed, destruction, and aggression “birth pangs”? Is not such a description an insult to every woman who has given birth? One wonders what monster would emanate from the womb of a deadly, unjust war!
Since Sept. 11 2001 the world has gone mad.
On that dark day in modern history, America was attacked, the Twin Towers were destroyed and three thousand innocent victims of different nationalities, cultures, faiths and colors lost their lives. America was deeply hurt, Americans were stunned, and the world at large condemned the crime.
An endless war on terror was declared.
Iraq had nothing to do with an act of terror that came to be known as “Sept. 11” and it had no links with its perpetrators, yet it fell prey to a war which has developed a dangerous tendency to go off the track.
The world was told that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that threatened America and its allies and had to be destroyed. When no such weapons were discovered, the world was told that the invasion and destruction of Iraq was part and parcel of the ongoing efforts to eliminate evil from the world, to topple a cruel dictator, to end a ruthless regime and replace it with an elected, democratic government that respects the human rights of all Iraqis and treats all Iraqis equally. The world was also told “New Iraq” would be a showcase of freedom and democracy, a role model to be emulated by its Arab neighbors and a catalyst of positive changes in one of the most troubled regions of the world.
Sadly, New Iraq is a showcase of bloodshed, torture, conflicts, destruction and insecurity. It is a graveyard where truth, international laws, Geneva Conventions and human rights lie buried.
Everyday bombs kill and injure scores of innocent Iraqi men, women and children and destroy cities and ancient ruins. The land of the Euphrates and the Tigris and the cradle of great ancient civilizations has been the scene of hair-raising torture, gory crimes and vicious acts of terror.
The misery and the slaughter of Palestinians have gone unabated. In fact, it has increased. Ironically enough, when Palestinians chose the path of democracy, they were punished by starvation and bankruptcy, their homes were demolished, their infrastructure was smashed, their electricity and water systems were destroyed, their loved ones killed, their leaders assassinated and many of their ministers kidnapped and placed behind bars.
And as if the bloodshed, the violence and the mayhem in New Iraq and old Palestine were not enough, Lebanon too has fallen victim to a raging madness with no cure in sight.
“The only democracy in the Middle East” has waged a bloody, vicious, open war on a small Arab democratic country. Hundreds of innocent men, women and children have been injured or burned to death. The number of displaced Lebanese is escalating sharply, hundreds of families have lost their breadwinners, homes, roads, hospitals and schools have been bombed and demolished and miserable citizens have joined the ever-growing number of homeless and handicapped.
Once again Qana is the site of a horrendous massacre or war crime.
When a mess reaches an unacceptable level, truth begin to emerge and lies come out of the closet.
The conflict and the tragedies in the Middle East have exposed many falsehoods and uncovered many lies.
They have defeated the brittle argument that anti-Americanism is promoted by an envy of the prosperity of the developed world and the appetite of Arabs and Muslims for democracy and freedom is blocked by a wave of fanaticism and extremism, a reluctance to embrace modernism and an adherence to a religion that promotes hatred, violence and brutality.
The strong solidarity between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon is ample proof that Christians and Muslims are best of friends and that the Middle East wars are political, not religious. They are not about the God we worship and the faiths we follow. They are the outcome of decades of injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people, conflicting interests of countries, personal interests of individuals, illegal occupation of lands, a belief that might is right and a devilish desire to destroy Arab countries, occupy Arab lands and imprison, humiliate and kill innocent Arab women, men and children.
The heart breaking images from Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza and the occupied territories defeat the toothless argument that Arabs are barbarians and the Arab countries a threat to the existence of the “only democracy in the Middle East”.
The atrocities in the Middle East prove beyond doubt that Arabs and Muslims are victims of a 21st century holocaust, just as their cousins were victims of a 20th Century holocaust.
Nazis burned innocent Jews in gas chamber, Iraqis, Lebanese and Palestinians are being burned in homes, schools, hospitals and shelters by “smart bombs” and sophisticated weapons made in the developed world.
Peaceful Muslims, who practice their religion, are considered potential terrorists. Homes of Muslims, who wear beards and pray five times a day in mosques have been raided, their occupants humiliated or wounded. A year ago an innocent young Latino with Arab features was killed by the police, who mistook him for a “terrorist”.
Arab and Muslim “suspects” have been detained and imprisoned, Arab and Muslim prisoners have been humiliated and tortured, innocent Arab and Muslim blood has been shed profusely, thousands of Arab women and children have been kept behind bars for years.
History is busy recording a shameful “New Holocaust”. Is it not time the entire international community spoke with one voice and demanded an immediate cease-fire? Is it not time a fair and just solution was found to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, which is the real source and the true cause of the wars, the conflicts and the violence in the Middle East?
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 5:42 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home