The policies of members of the international community, led by the United States, are driving the world slowly, but inexorably into a deep and permanent conflict with the people of the Muslim world.
IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY
There was widespread revulsion over the attack on the World Trade Centre; and there was plenty of Muslim support for action against the Taliban.
But many who were pro-west at the time of 9/11, became less so after the invasion of Iraq, which most Muslim Arabs saw as foolish and unnecessary.
The Arabs…indeed most of Muslim world are increasingly critical of western and particularly American actions. They are beginning to see what is happening today as part of a longstanding pattern of behaviour. Unfortunately, they see the American behaviour as representative of western attitudes.
The sad part is that they’re pretty much right.
The attitudes are there.
The goodwill that existed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 has been dissipated.
The pointless invasion of Iraq, the American willingness to engage in torture, indiscriminate killing and the refusal of the U.S. to even speak with Iran or Syria have added to the hardening negative view of Muslims toward the west.
Most observers have tracked the growth of this phenomenon during the years following the New York attack; but the fact is that it has been developing ever since the United Nations voted to divide Palestine in 1947.
Since then, unquestioning western support of Israeli policies toward the
Palestinians- has been at the root of growing Arab and Muslim anger. There’s
the
impression that Israel can do whatever it wants and no one will say boo.
Decades of neglect and injustice toward the Palestinians and an utter failure to rein in Israel’s expansionism in the West Bank are viewed as proof that western nations despise Muslims. That- along with the more recent military conflicts, combined with belligerant rhetoric- have resulted in what I call the "palestinization" of moderate Muslims who would otherwise be friendly to us.
At least a year ago JOHN DUGARD, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, noted that his report told the old story of serious violations of human rights. He also noted violations of international humanitarian law against an occupied people by Israel- a State that has always claimed to be committed to civilized legal values.
Dugard was reporting on a deteriorating situation. Higher unemployment, widespread malnutrition amongst Palestinians and continuing human rights violations by Israel against them.
Western silence and inaction in the face of this rapidly worsening situation are turning more and more moderate Muslims into enemies. John Dugard has been pointing this out for years and now a committee of the British parliament is paying attention. The committee says that the continuing boycott of the democratically-elected Palestinian government is ill-advised.
According to the BBC, "The Commons International Development Committee said the boycott could set back the Middle East peace process and lead to more violence."
We can’t say we haven’t been warned.
In the past 5 years I’ve noticed a real shift in dinner party opinions about the Israel Palestine ‘situation’. It started before 9/11. Among people I know it’s shifted from ‘Israel is justified in anything they do and the US is right’ through a more balanced ‘there’s right and wrong and shades of grey on both sides’ to a current position of ‘Israel and the US have their heads up their butts and the world needs to speak up and help the Palestinians’.
The trouble is that politicians always lag far behind public opinion – at least the opinion of people that I have dinner with.
Do you remember at the height of the Quebec referendum someone – I think a provincial government but it could have been the feds – had a program to send Albertans to Quebec and Quebecers to Alberta for a week so they could learn about each other without the rhetoric?
It was a brilliant idea.
The US should use some of the aid money they pour into Israel to send American Jews to Palestine for a week.
No, I’m not anti-Jewish. Yes, I think the holocaust was horrific. Yes, I think that Palestinian camps are horrific. I don’t see how anyone can believe that two horrifics are going to make the Middle East a better place for everyone who lives there.
There has been much planning by the U.S. and it’s allies including Israel for many years as to control of the ME. I don’t think it’s turning out the way they planned and I believe the World is getting very sick of the one sided attempts at fairness towards the Palestinians. Kudo’s to you, Sam, and your dinner party companions for being able to discuss politics without high stress levels and temper tantrums abound. In my circle we are so passionate about our feelings regarding this we stay clear of Politics for fear of an uprising and missing out on dessert.
Jim you were so right about the gift the U.S. has given to Iran by illegally invading Iraq. I couldn’t beleive an article the other day about the U.S. chastising the Iraqi’s about the “civil war”, they are in and how they don’t want to be in the middle, so step up to the plate you inepts and take care of your own country. I could not beleive the fact that now NATO is awarding the head job to another U.S. Military Man who has been responsible for nothing but failed plans and cruel agenda’s including torture at the Prison he was in charge of. Yes, Jim, and “Baby Huey” is sending more troops into Afghanistan so we must warn our Soldiers to watch out for U.S. friendly fire. Please Canada do not give Stephen Harper a majority or it will get much worse for our involvement and repuation.
Relative to the rest of the world, Canada has a unique position of influence with USA.
Jack Layton said some time ago it’s our job as a good neighbour to be clear when they step over the line.
Might not make any difference, but at least we can look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning….
CBC……”Canadian troops who are part of the 35,000-strong NATO force in Afghanistan are now taking orders from a new commander.
U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill took over from British Gen. David Richards on Sunday as part of a regular rotation of command”.
If we didn’t previously have a clear reason to get out of Afghanistan……. we do now.
In crisis there is opportunity, say the Chinese… this should be where Dion’s Liberals step up and tell Congressman Harper (R) we don’t want anything to do with US bunker-busters or their slaughter of civilians and Canadian soldiers.. It’s not what we’re about, he should say. We’ll bring down your minority government.
(This has to happen sooner or later, and on this very issue)
But they won’t, they’re aping the US Democrats. Tut-tut. Tsk-tsk. Getting good at it.
The nightmare continues.
Thanks for the link to The Far Queue. Given the quality and subject matter here I will, of course, reciprocate.
My personal and entirely unsupported opinion is that what we’re seeing is also in part due to a counter revolution to political correctness. We put a lid on our societies most racist and xenophobic tendencies we never really eliminated them. The lid is now off and like a beer can that has been shaken too hard it’s foaming over.
The neocon agenda isn’t dictated by anti-muslim demaogoguery but they are cerainly bedfellows.
I’m not a conservative myself but I see a value in having 40% of the voting public being skeptical late adopters. Unfortunately the conservative movements in the United States and Australia and to a lesser extent Canada have replaced the skepticism with religious and political dogma.
Unfortunately bad ideas like these die hard.