A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Simply put: wow! |
|---|
| Kashif |
| 04/15/02 at 19:53:29 |
| assalaamu alaikum News like this again reminds me of what Muslims face in the political arena. The aspiration that Muslims in the West - particularly America - have, to compete against the Israeli lobby, i think is just a dream. Muslims have entered the arena way too late, and it is sealed up tight not allowing ANYONE else entry into it. While Muslims try to get politicians to make some statement of support for Arabs/Muslims, the Jewish lobby doesn't even have to click its fingers and they'll all be out there trying to outstrip each other in professing their love and allegiance to Israel. Kashif Wa Salaam ---------------------- Thousands in US rally for Israel Thousands of people have gathered at a mass rally in Washington in a show of support for Israel. More than 1,200 busloads of demonstrators from more than 15 states and from neighbouring Canada joined the event on Capitol Hill. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and members of the US Congress were among scheduled speakers. The National Solidarity Rally for Israel was the latest in a series of demonstrations across the United States, as rival supporters of Israel and the Palestinians try to galvanise public opinion. Mr Wolfowitz told the crowd that US President George W Bush "wants you to know that he stands in solidarity with you". The rally was being held as US Secretary of State Colin Powell continued his mission to the Middle East to try to end soaring violence between Israel and the Palestinians. 'Double standards' Some demonstrators were angry that Mr Powell had met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, whom Israel has branded as an enemy of the state. "I thought sending Powell was a bow to the bombers," said New York Democrat congressman Anthony David Weiner. "But that being said, I think President Bush has been for the first 13 months of his administration one of the best friends Israel has had," he said. Mr Bush has avoided meeting Mr Arafat, while Mr Sharon has visited the White House four times since Mr Bush took office in January last year. Many supporters of Israel have accused the United States of double standards in its fight against terrorism after the US called on Israel to cease its military operations in the West Bank. Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland, said: "The United States and Israel stand shoulder to shoulder in the war on terrorism. We both have suffered terrible losses, and we have both decided to fight those who dare to attack our people." http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1931000/1931885.stm |
| NS |
| Re: Simply put: wow! |
|---|
| Kashif |
| 04/15/02 at 20:03:08 |
| Thousands Rallied on Mall to Support Israel By Steve Twomey Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, April 15, 2002; 6:47 PM Dozens of Israeli flags fluttered in gentle breezes and scores of homemade signs bobbed under a perfect sun as supporters of Israel massed on the west side of the U.S. Capitol today in an impassioned defense of its right to strike back against Palestinian attacks against civilians. Descending upon Washington from near and far for a rally only a week in the planning, demonstrators spoke of a need to urge the United States to stand with Israel at a time when the Sharon government's military actions in the West Bank have been denounced in Europe, and the Bush administration has urged it to withdraw from Palestinian towns its army has occupied. There were signs boasting that Ohio supported Israel, that Hoosiers did, that Atlanta did, and many others places as well. There were bands of children dressed in identical T-shirts, released for the day from their private schools to fill the lawns and closed streets reaching west from the Capitol steps. There were so many buses from so many places that many demonstrators could not be delivered to the rally site in time for the1 p.m. start. Len Sausen, who said he arrived on one of three dozen buses from Elizabeth, N.J., likened Israel's West Bank actions to America's response to Sept. 11, a theme voiced often today. In both cases, Sausen said, a nation is using its armed forces to thwart any more attacks on its civilians. Israel, in fact, should have acted months ago to prevent more suicide bombings by Palestinians, he said. "Words don't work here," said Sausen, 56, a businessman, who said he was "overjoyed" with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon's decision to get tough. "I think he should be tougher," he said. Ira Meisels, a doctor from New Rochelle, N.Y., brought his daughter, Samanatha, 7, who had made her own, colorful sign: "Let Israel Fight Back." Meisels, who said he had to scramble to find someone to take care of his patients today, said he was troubled that the Middle East conflict is being portrayed as "a symmetrical fight" between two equally bad combatants, when it is not. As he spoke, a knot of pro-Palestinian demonstrators appeared on the fringe of the rally crowd, holding signs, which prompted Meisels to yell, "Get out of here! Get out of here!" Others accosted the small band as well. Police intervened, and ushered the pro-Palestinian marchers to one side. By 2 p.m., Metro had carried 354,220 passengers today, or 54,604 more than it did by the same time last Monday. Around noon, the Capitol South Metro station grew very crowded and Metro officials used station announcements to encourage riders bound for the rally to use other nearby stations. Things also got so packed at the Stadium-Armory station that Metro officials began diverting tour buses headed to the lots at RFK Stadium to the parking garages at the New Carrollton station, Metro spokesman Ray Feldmann said. Metro officials are hoping crowds would leave the rally before the start of the evening rush hour. "We're hoping there's no overlap with the regular commuter rush or we could have problems along the Orange and Blue lines," Feldmann said. Regular Orange Line riders are encouraged to avoid Capitol South and Stadium-Armory stations, he said. © 2002 The Washington Post Company http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51192-2002Apr15.html |
| NS |
| Re: Simply put: wow! |
|---|
| AbdulBasir |
| 04/15/02 at 22:09:07 |
| [slm] It was rather surprising to see that there was less media coverage of this rally than one would have expected. C-Span did televise part of the rally, but C-Span never really reports the news it just televises events really without commentary or much filtering. So C-Span doesn't really count I guess. But for the places where the majority of Americans get their news, the network television news, the rally was oddly marginalized. ABC News did not even bother mentioning it all in their telecast, and CBC News gave a very short snippet without even a sound byte from the rally. CNN as well did not mention it except on their more in-depth 1 hour Live from Jerusalem program, where they left it for the end. And strangely, the reporting was not entirely positive. For example, what was mentioned were not really Wolfkowitz's pro-Israel statements, but that he was sharply booed on several occasions, when he mentioned that Palestininans too were suffering and dying, and when he stated that compromises and concessions would need to be made by both sides. That these incidents were even reported in television reports and articles was very strange, especially considering that this constituted much of the little news that was reported from the rally. It will be interesting to see what will be the reporting outcome of the, how shall we say, less pro-Israel, more pro-peace demonstrations coming up. It will be interesting to see how reporting trends have changed, if any, say since the rally for Bosnia in DC years ago. Just some random observations on media coverage of this conflict...trends have changed a little bit over the past few years...not to say it's progress toward more impartial reporting by national outlets or anything, but more like the knife in the back inches deep being pulled out just an inch type "progress", as Malcolm X put it... [slm]:) |
| Re: Simply put: wow! |
|---|
| mujaahid |
| 04/16/02 at 04:35:06 |
| [slm] Kashief, this is nothing!! What about the demonstrations in support of the palestinians? Support coming from the people, not governments? In Morocco an estimatated 2 million marched. Only this week around 80'000 Marched in London in support of the palestinians!! |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |