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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Wishing Death To Islam |
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| WhatDFish |
| 04/18/02 at 17:24:24 |
| Wishing Death To Islam by Abid Ullah Jan The chilling theme of the leading American newspapers in the first week of April revolved around the problem with Islam. Washington Post's editorial, "Islam's death wish" (April 5) was preceded by New York Times editorial "The Cancer of Suicide Bombing" (April 03) and followed by a series of articles from "Why Suicide Terrorism Takes Root," to "Kids with Bombs," and "Suicidal Lies." In a well orchestrated hate campaign, Islam is presented as an individual who wishes death and destruction. The reality, however, is that the world mastering demi-gods, recently energized by the impotency of the Muslims, wishing death to Islam. What really hurts the leading opinion makers in the US is the recent resolution passed by the Muslim states, which specifically rejected the idea of equating Palestinian resistance with terrorism. Washington Post writes the word resistance in quotation marks, because unlike Saddam's incursion into Kuwait, it doesn't view Israel's occupation illegitimate. In such a situation, is it extremism to doubt impartiality of such opinion makers? Such blatant rejection of Israel's occupation and terrorism is, in fact, prolonging the conflict. It is senseless to brush aside 50 year's of Israeli repression, begin discussion with a story of suicide bombing, and then turn around to hold Islam responsible for the ongoing bloodbath in the Middle East. Israel and the US are not out there to combat terrorism; they are there to combat resistance to their totalitarian designs. According to the Post, the Muslim countries' approval to resist any external domination is "self-destructive and morally repugnant." To the same great minds of the editorial board, the Israeli and American terror campaigns, which lead to such resistance, are fully justified and morally acceptable. There is no "extremist Islamic ideology" which the Post wants the Muslims to renounce; nor is the Palestinian cause a "terrorist cause." There is no need for the Muslim media to incite anti-Semitism. The news from Israel is sufficient to help everyone make an opinion. The reason the Muslim governments are not ready to label Palestinian resistance as terrorism is that they not only see Israelis dying in pizza parlour or a discotheque, but also the Palestinians throughout the occupied Arab land for the last fifty-five years. If it is a "shameful evidence of their [the Muslims] own moral and political corruption," so is justifying Israel's occupation a shameful evidence of the double standards employed by the leading American papers. The Post wants us to believe that the Palestinian resistance has damaged the peace process and cost them American favours. Why should ending Israeli occupation require a 12-year long process of negotiations, when Iraqis were repeatedly told that there would be "no negotiations" until they withdraw from Kuwait? If Bush Senior could draw a "line in the sand" for Saddam, why can't Bush Junior draw a line for Sharon? If Judaism is not responsible for Israel's terrorism, why shall Islam be blamed for the Palestinian resistance? The New York Times' editorial "The Cancer of Suicide Bombing" is a clear sign of Israel and its supporters' weariness with the suicide bombing. There is hardly anything else that makes Israel pay the price of its occupation. Hence, Israeli supporters need Muslims from around the world to distance themselves from the weapon that hurts Israel dearly. It is easy for other Muslims, sitting on the sidelines, to decide any way they may like, but the final decision is for the Palestinians to make between getting killed by the Israelis or get killed while killing the Israelis. It is hard for the New York Times to accept the reality of Palestinian desperation under the Israeli occupation, than to easily denounce an 18-year-old Palestinian girl, who blew herself up in a Jerusalem supermarket. Is anyone living a free and happy life even imagine to die such a horrible death? Why can't the New York Times feel the pain of the suicide bomber when it editorialises the pain of Israelis? Definitely, Islam is against repression and clearly instructs it followers: "Allah does not like that the evil should be uttered in public except by him who has been wronged." (4:148). "And those who, when oppressive wrong is done to them, take revenge." 42:39). "And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way [of blame] against them. The way [of blame] is only against those who oppress men and revel in the earth without justification; for such there will be a painful torment." (42:41-42). However, those who have tried to associate suicide bombing to religious doctrines have been proved wrong. These and other jihad related verses from the Holy Qur'an are equally applicable to all the Muslims. Why don't we go to commit suicide for the Palestinians? Shibley Telhami, while writing in the New York Times (April 04) admits the fact that Islam has no major role in the suicide bombing because "from nonreligious young women to members of the semi-Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to the secular Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, groups and individuals have begun emulating the suicides of Hamas." The reason is simple: they didn't see anyone coming to their rescue so far. The teenage girl "suicide bomber" left a taped message speaking of "sleeping Arab armies" and impotent Muslim governments. Had anyone, the Muslims, the UN, the US or its super-humanist allies had taken a meaningful step to end Israeli occupation, as they did in the case of Kuwait, the teenage girl along with hundreds of other Palestinians would have been alive and well today. Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that the totalitarians would face the same kind of resistance anywhere they go because our liberal and secular mind makes us see the validity of Qur'an only when we are personally oppressed. The women who bombed herself to kill American soldiers in Kabul, is a glaring example of this attitude. Thomas Friedman declared in his NY Times column (March 31) that the Palestinians have a "tactical alternative to suicide: non-violent resistance, á la Gandhi" to overcome their desperation." It is amazing that Mr. Friedman didn't give this advice to Kuwaitis, or the Americans after September 11 or to the Israeli occupiers after the suicide bombing. He believes the Palestinians "have not chosen suicide bombing out of 'desperation'," they "have adopted it as a strategic choice." Why didn't the Kuwaitis adopt suicide bombing as a strategic choice? Because they knew the American have become more Kuwaitis than the Kuwaitis. Why don't the Americans adopt this strategic choice? Because they know they can drop bombs from 40,000 feet, kill others and stay safe. The US is unleashing terror without any desperation. Imagine the extent of American response if they were dying in as many number as the Palestinians on a daily basis for more than 35 years and had no other weapon than their limbs. Islam or the "narcissistic rage" did not blind the Palestinians. The super humanists have betrayed them. There can never be peace in the Middle East and in the world as long as people like Friedman are sitting in the New York Times and the Washington Post offices, personifying Islam and labelling Muslims as "Devil." Mr. Friedman writes: "The Devil is dancing in the Middle East, and he's dancing our way." Giving the Muslims a lecture on the sacredness of human life doesn't suite Mr. Friedman who can't see Israel bulldozing the basic truth civilization is built on: the same sacredness of every human life. The American pundits' unflinching support to the Israeli occupation and wishing death to Islam shows that the Devil is already in their minds. Instead of wishing death to Islam, we hope the West would follow its noble tradition of drawing line in the sand for Sharon, put an economic embargo on Israel for its "naked aggression," occupation and amassing -- and using its weapons of mass destruction against innocent civilians, call Israel to withdraw immediately or get ready to face a coalition of 32 countries for throwing it out of the occupied Arab lands. Sounds crazy? Must be! At least, to the hypocrites, following multiple standards for the basic truths. |
| 04/18/02 at 17:25:41 |
| WhatDFish |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |