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| THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| bhaloo |
| 02/20/03 at 23:36:18 |
| [slm] THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. by Eric S. Margolis 30 Jan 2003 http://www.foreigncorrespondent.com/archive/arab_knees.html NEW YORK - Never has the old maxim `hang together or be hanged separately' been more fitting than for the Arab states now quailing in fear before President George W. Bush's evangelical crusade against Iraq. The Arab World's startling weakness and subservience to the west has never been more evident than in its open or discreet cooperation with Bush's plans to invade `brother' Iraq. Though 99.99% of Arabs bitterly oppose an American-British attack on Iraq, their authoritarian regimes, which rely on the U.S.A. for protection from their own people and their neighbors, are quietly digging Iraq's grave. Every Arab leader knows the US will crush Iraq, so none will support unloved megalomaniac Saddam Hussein and risk ending up on Washington's hit list. In order to deflect the coming fury of their people over the almost certain invasion of Iraq (baring a last-minute coup against Saddam Hussein), Arab rulers have ordered their tame media to launch broadsides against Iraq and lay blame for the impending Gulf War II on Saddam. Never has the Arab World's chronic disunity, backstabbing, and petty tribalism been more pathetically on display. Particularly so because Arab leaders are keenly aware the strategy for the U.S.A. attack on Iraq, and attendant propaganda campaign - the biggest since WWII - were drawn up in 1998 by American neo-conservatives linked to Israel's rightist Likud government. The plan was then made Bush Administration policy by its three champions, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and Lewis Libby. Earlier this month, the establishment `Washington Post' published a remarkable article revealing how this cabal of neo-conservative hawks within the Bush Administration had stealthily engineered a war against Iraq. `Many ( neo-conservatives) were also strong supporters of Israel,' wrote `Post' staff writer Glenn Kessler , `and they saw ousting Hussein as key to changing the political dynamics of the Middle East. ' Translation: the war on Iraq was designed to leave Israel dominant and unchallenged in the Mideast, put an end to Palestinian resistance, exact revenge on Hizbullah, ensure Arab regimes would be subservient to Israel and the U.SA. Control of Iraqi and Saudi oil by the US, Israel and Turkey might follow. Yet in spite of knowing full well that their bitter enemy Israel was pressing the Bush Administration into a war against one of their `brothers,' a war whose stated objective is to re-draw the Mideast map, topple some of its regimes, perhaps even Saudi Arabia, and loot Iraq's oil, Arab rulers and potentates remain paralyzed like deer in the headlights of a Abrams tank. If ever Mideast regimes have shown an utter lack of legitimacy, it is now. Arab governments are ferocious at internal repression, but fainthearted and inept when it comes to facing external threats. In contrast to Israelis, who are clever, organized, and determined, Arabs rulers appear a frightened, dithering, bunch of hand-wringers, whose interests rarely transcend personal power, wealth, and extended family. What could Arabs do to prevent a war of aggression against Iraq that increasingly resembles a medieval crusade? 1. Form a united diplomatic front that demands UN inspections continue. 2. Stage an oil boycott of the U.S.A. if Iraq is attacked. 3. Send 250,000 civilians from across the Arab World to form human shields around Baghdad and other Iraqi cities. 4. Boycott Britain, Turkey, Kuwait and the Gulf states that join or abet the U.S.A. invasion of Iraq. 5. Withdraw all funds on deposit in U.S.A. and British banks. 6. Accept payment for oil only in Euros, not dollars. 7. Send Arab League troops to Iraq, so that an attack on Iraq is an attack on the entire League. 8. Cancel billions worth of arms contracts with the U.S.A. and Britain. At least make a token show of male horomones and national pride. But the Arab states won't. They will cringe, temporize, then join the vultures who will feed on Iraq's bleeding carcass, while vying to prove their loyalty to Washington. The brutally efficient Arab security forces will crush popular uprisings caused by the U.S.A. attack on Iraq, particularly in Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan. The Arab states will continue torturing and executing those who protest their craven policies. Self-proclaimed Arab champions, like Libya and Syria, have gone mute. No wonder Osama bin Laden remains so popular. The only Arab leader to show any gumption over the past decade is Saddam Hussein. However cruel and disastrous his rule, Saddam alone stood up to the Mideast's modern colonial power, the United States of America. Saddam's refusal to surrender in 1991, and his continuing defiance of Washington, is why the U.S.A. and Britain have bombed Iraq for the past ten years, and why President Bush is so determined to crush Iraq and kill its leader. It's not about weapons of mass destruction, it's about defiance. The U.S.A. is determined to make an example of Iraq to teach the rest of its client Arab states the terrifying cost of disobedience. `Good' Arabs that cooperate will be rewarded with more money and arms. Those that fail to join the Bush's crusade may face `regime change' and `liberation.' Palestinian resistance will be crushed. Nadir is an Arabic word, meaning the lowest point. The Arabs are about to reach their nadir. |
| Re: THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| panjul |
| 02/21/03 at 01:26:51 |
| [slm] NEW YORK - Never has the old maxim `hang together or be hanged separately' been more fitting than for the Arab states now quailing in fear before President George W. Bush's evangelical crusade against Iraq. The Arab World's startling weakness and subservience to the west has never been more evident than in its open or discreet cooperation with Bush's plans to invade `brother' Iraq. Exactly my sentiments. If *all* of the populations in each arab country arose, the leaders can't do anything! However, i don't support any uprising in Saudi Arabia, but once the leadership in other countires change, so will the leadership in Saudi Arabia--without any violence, or the least amount of violence anyway. The Saud family will be isolated. I was in Dubai--and may Allah never make me live there as long as it's ruled like that. In fact--don't ever want to visit again either. Beautiful country, nice people. Love the bazars and the malls! It's clean! and it's amazing how cleaner it was from pakistan, i thought it would be dirty like pakistan. i dont' know why. That was a sure welcome change for the eyes and my allergies. And in so many places they had grass growing in the sand! i thought that was cool. anyway, i guess i'm veering off topic. well everytime my sister-in-law's husband saw a special liscence plate for "shiekhs", he would slow down and let the car pass, so would the other around him. he said if you didn't, u might get in trouble. :o I was at a resturaunt and wanted to discuss a particular controversial subject, my sister-in-law gave me this *look.* I got the hint that i should stop talking about that and i did. when we got into the car she explained u never know who might be listening. But she also said that some of the arab shieks are very nice and if a poor person goes to them for help, they will buy him a house even or a car, or give cash right then and there into his hands. *That's* the kind of the arab people i have always admired while reading stories about the Prophet (S) and his companions. |
| 02/21/03 at 01:29:53 |
| panjul |
| Re: THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| Halima |
| 02/21/03 at 05:40:34 |
| Said once before in one of the forums that the Arab Governments have let down the Muslim world. But what they are now doing to themselves and their people is a great injustice. Subhanallah!!! |
| Re: THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| salaampeaceshalom |
| 02/21/03 at 17:23:53 |
| UGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!! This kind of stuff really gets to me!! For ages I've been asking my Dad where are these so-called Arab leaders? How can they not give a damn and do something when so many ppl ACROSS THE WORLD, and who aren't even MUSLIM are getting together and DOING SOMETHING!! And what about that kenneth dude, who got together groups of ppl to form human shields in Iraq so that Brit and US will be killing their own ppl at the same time they kill Iraqis?!! Siurely this is the type of stuff us so-called Muslims should be doing! And what on earth happened with that downright frightening statement 'the gates of hell will be opened' or however the statement went?! When I first heard that I was so so so scared. Wow that really shook me up. All I could think about was: WW3, every1's going to die (I guess slight exaggeration in my then thoughts, maybe not everyone), antichrist, end of the world, Day of Judgement. I rememebr the media went crazy as well, and so many ppl were asking Brit and Us what on earth they were thinking of doing, and if they knew the ramifications, cos everyone got so scared. Then how come now, when war seems more imminent, have the Arab League, the Arab Nations, the so-called 'arab world' gone silent? Is silence their now chosen response? Run out of hot air already?! Why bother saying something so bold and nightmarish as that and then stop short? And then nothing? Bollocks to them, I only hope that they know that on the Day of Judgement they will most likely be asked about what they did in their ummah's time of need, when the ummah really needed them. I hope they have really good answers. Does anyone kw to who or what addresses I can write to? I have a lot to say and I really want to scream and get this all of my chest, so if anyone knows of any prominent so-called Muslims, Muslim leaders, or any Muslim with whatever power that I can write to, I'd really appreciate the info. And pls excuse this, I'm sorry for laying this on u, but I guess I needed to say it. Wa salaam |
| Re: THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| Tesseract |
| 02/21/03 at 19:11:53 |
| Wa'alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullah, [quote]2. Stage an oil boycott of the U.S.A. if Iraq is attacked. [/quote] I bet, they dont need to do anything else if they simply take this step now. US is so much dependent on oil and its dependency has been increasing since it has been a growing superpower. These Arab leaders can shake the world in 3 days, but it needs a lot of courage to do which these people do not have. I love this man King Faisal, the way he worked back in 1973. Check out this awesome article from time magazine on Man of the year 1974: King Faisal: [url]http://www.time.com/time/special/moy/1974.html[/url] [quote]Exactly my sentiments. If *all* of the populations in each arab country arose, the leaders can't do anything! However, i don't support any uprising in Saudi Arabia, but once the leadership in other countires change, so will the leadership in Saudi Arabia--without any violence, or the least amount of violence anyway. The Saud family will be isolated. [/quote] Panjul, u are talking of a very ideal situation which all of us know for a fact, isn't possible. All these "ifs" that we think of aren't happening that is why we are weak. Naturally, if we ever reach that situation u talkin' about, then definitely we wont be far off from that day when we would see a khilafah. But, unfortunately, that's not the reality as of now and its all ifs only situation. [quote]well everytime my sister-in-law's husband saw a special liscence plate for "shiekhs", he would slow down and let the car pass, so would the other around him. he said if you didn't, u might get in trouble.[/quote] I have spent almost 16 years of my life in Dubai, UAE. I have seen that country growing, flourishing, changing. It used to be such a cool and calm place, but to my utter disappointment, it was since around 95 that these Arabs in UAE changed the whole city of Dubai into a den of prostitution, gambling, clubs within few years. They built so many hotels there, made Dubai a tourism industry, just to attract the Westerners. The "sheikhs" always used to drive those luxurious cars with special plate numbers, but never did people use to slow down their cars and let them pass unless they were escorted by police vehicles. Its unbelievalble! That really shows the growing pride of superiority and power amongst them which is very unfair. :( Wassalam. |
| Re: THE ARAB WORLD ON IT'S KNEES. - and a solution |
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| panjul |
| 02/21/03 at 22:29:15 |
| [slm] These Arab leaders can shake the world in 3 days, but it needs a lot of courage to do which these people do not have. Spot on! I love this man King Faisal, the way he worked back in 1973. Yeah, that was nice, but then OPEC signed a resolution that it will not ever use oil again as a political weapon. Way i see it, they should break it cuz the U.S. and the European countries keep breaking their resolutins. but then again it needs courage. Mass resistance to a government will work if only people rose up and had the courage. When the U.S.S.R. broke up, it was because the people rose up. Britian was kicked out of India when the Hindus and Muslims rose up against them. And very recently in Serbia, the people rose up against milosevic and his party and installed a govt. of theri choice. Why is it so idealistic? People kept telling Dr. King that his ideas were too idealistic. But King did not give up his ideals and it one day became a reality. Positive attitude is the way to go in life. |
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