Monday, December 29, 2008
A letter to the Editor: THE CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS IS NOT DEAD - By Ghulam Muhammed
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A letter to the Editor:
THE CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS IS NOT DEAD
Samuel Huntington is dead. But the clash of civilisations is not dead.
Picking up from the British Jewish strategist, Bernard Lewis, who could see the world only in terms of wars --- perpetual wars for perpetual peace, and who could make out, that after the dethronement of Communism as the most menacing ideological threat to the Western world, the world's next most intractable division will be along the fault-lines of civilizations grown up around organised religions. Bernard Lewis termed it as 'Clash of civilizations'. With Jews, history is sacrosanct. Just as in the millenniums of the past, when the King was confronted with the prophecy that he will be destroyed by a first born child, the King ordered the wholesale slaughter of all first borne in his realm. However, the prophecy has to be fulfilled, even after shedding so much blood. In modern times, the Jews and Christians are acting like that Egyptian King, and unleashing bloodshed all around the globe, trying to fight a prophecy, that another civilization, will threaten them and will take them over. But the inevitable is bound to happen. Not for reasons of the stars managing the changeover, as stars are only the signs, but even they, the Jews and Christians and their supporters, will make that change inevitable, by their own evil deeds.
Samuel Huntington had gone into some detail, putting flesh on the bone structure of Bernard Lewis's prophetic warnings. And no longer that the 'enemy' was identified by the soothsayers; all that remained was to order the wholesale slaughter of the first borne, so that that inevitable could be either be postponed or derailed. Peace-loving Brahmins would prefer to do havens, to ward off the inevitable. Jews and Christians do not let the spirituality intrude into their secular regime and indulge in blood sport as a means to fight destiny.
Palestinians will die by Israeli bombings, but the way they are defending themselves with rockets that are as if meant to avoid human suffering and do with shock treatment only, it is going to be a long drawn battle; unless they get their hands on some lethal weaponry and match the excessive firepower that Israelis are inflicting on them. But that will bring in a second level of engagement.
The world has stake in the maintenance of peace in the region. In this connected world the flutter of butterfly wings could trigger storms half a world afar. It should move fast to bring justice to the victims and not use the conflagration to trigger wars and strife around the world.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
www.ghulammuhammed.wordpress.
Open letter to Condoleeza Rice From Anisa Abd el Fattah
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2008
Open letter to Condoleeza Rice
From Anisa Abd el Fattah
December 29, 2008
Dear Secretary. Rice,
Since there was no one to respond to your December 28th statement condemning Hamas for launching rockets into Israel, and blaming Hamas for the end of the cease fire with Israel, and Israel’s subsequent massacre in Gaza, it seems appropriate that I respond to you since I follow the Palestine/Israel conflict closely and I happen to know that neither the facts, or international law agree with your statement, and neither do most of the people of the world.
As an American woman, and also a woman of African American descent, I am shocked by your total disregard for the loss of innocent human life taking place in Gaza. Obviously the history of your own people has had little effect on your sense of justice, and even though you are Secretary of State, you also seem to have absolutely no knowledge of, or respect for international law.
According to the law, Israel is a belligerent and illegal military occupier of Palestine. This might not agree with your Zionist Christian view, but it is the view of those human beings who respect law and justice, and who realize that there can never be peace without these two essentials. Hamas is not bound by Talmudic or Biblical law, and neither are they bound by US law. They are only bound by international law which includes the Geneva Conventions, a treaty to which the US is a signor. We signed this treaty with the intention to serve all of humanity equitably, and not only Jewish people, or Israel.
Israel not only failed in its duty to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, which is only part of their Geneva Convention obligations, Israel went so far as to actually impose an illegal economic blockade upon the Gaza Strip that resulted in the deaths of 251 people. It did this with the approval of the Bush Administration, in violation of international law.
The US has continued to arm Israel and to provide military and security aid to Israel, even though Israel is clearly in violation of US law. The law prohibits the use of US manufactured armaments and monetary aid to carry out illegal acts of aggression, war crimes, or to violate human rights. Israel is guilty of all three of these prohibitions, yet the US has continued to turn its head to Israel’s crimes, and we continue to fund and supply Israel, and we also continue to block all attempts by the UN Security Council to bring Israel into compliance with international law.
As for the cease fire, the terms were clear. They included a cessation of Palestinian rocket fire in exchange for Israel ending the economic blockade. To impose an economic blockade, according to international law is an act of war. The Palestinians were within their right not only to launch rockets in an attempt to pressure Israel to lift the blockade, they also have a right to defend themselves, acting to deter Israeli violence which never abated even after the cease fire came into effect. Israel killed 50 Palestinians in one month, and Hamas held to the cease fire and asked other Palestinian resistance movements to do the same, hoping that the international community would convince Israel to abide by the cease fire agreement. It never happened.
Israel is not justified in its brutal attack upon Gaza that has so far taken more than 300 innocent lives, and injured 1000 others. Whether or not the US and Israel are able to understand this, the facts of these matters have been documented by numerous human rights organizations, including Israeli human rights organizations, and are available to any interested party. The fact is that Israel is carrying out one of its numerous acts of illegal military aggression, and war crimes in Gaza, and your administration has given Israel tacit approval, and possibly even made the US complicit in this act.
During your 4 year tenure as Secretary of State, the United States has suffered the greatest loss in credibility and international prestige in our country’s history. The US veto of the UNSC resolution calling for Israel to end its military aggression against Gaza is an example of why this loss occurred, and your statement blaming Hamas for Israel’s violence is another.
Ultimately, neither my opinion of the facts or yours will make much difference in respect to what will be the verdict of an international court, once any willing court takes up the case of Israel’s 50 year illegal occupation of Palestine, genocide, and the US role in that genocide
As international public opinion continues to mount against Israel and its continued violence and militarization and destabilization of the Muslim world, you should keep in mind that it is also mounting against the US. The US and Israel have been voted “the greatest threats to peace” in the world. This should make it easy for a judge or jury to reach the appropriate conclusion as to who violated the cease fire, and who has a right to self defense.
One can only imagine our country’s founders crying in their graves at the very thought that our country, once an independent and powerful beacon of light to the oppressed, and those longing for freedom, has become a quisling and sycophant of a brutal and lawless occupier, that is destroying the birthplace of Jesus Christ, which is in Palestine. That Israel chose to carry out this carnage only days after Christmas is very telling. Perhaps it is indicative of how much Israel appreciates the loyalty and support of America’s “new” Christian Zionist Jews and their American Zionist Jewish counterparts.
December 29, 2008
Dear Secretary. Rice,
Since there was no one to respond to your December 28th statement condemning Hamas for launching rockets into Israel, and blaming Hamas for the end of the cease fire with Israel, and Israel’s subsequent massacre in Gaza, it seems appropriate that I respond to you since I follow the Palestine/Israel conflict closely and I happen to know that neither the facts, or international law agree with your statement, and neither do most of the people of the world.
As an American woman, and also a woman of African American descent, I am shocked by your total disregard for the loss of innocent human life taking place in Gaza. Obviously the history of your own people has had little effect on your sense of justice, and even though you are Secretary of State, you also seem to have absolutely no knowledge of, or respect for international law.
According to the law, Israel is a belligerent and illegal military occupier of Palestine. This might not agree with your Zionist Christian view, but it is the view of those human beings who respect law and justice, and who realize that there can never be peace without these two essentials. Hamas is not bound by Talmudic or Biblical law, and neither are they bound by US law. They are only bound by international law which includes the Geneva Conventions, a treaty to which the US is a signor. We signed this treaty with the intention to serve all of humanity equitably, and not only Jewish people, or Israel.
Israel not only failed in its duty to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, which is only part of their Geneva Convention obligations, Israel went so far as to actually impose an illegal economic blockade upon the Gaza Strip that resulted in the deaths of 251 people. It did this with the approval of the Bush Administration, in violation of international law.
The US has continued to arm Israel and to provide military and security aid to Israel, even though Israel is clearly in violation of US law. The law prohibits the use of US manufactured armaments and monetary aid to carry out illegal acts of aggression, war crimes, or to violate human rights. Israel is guilty of all three of these prohibitions, yet the US has continued to turn its head to Israel’s crimes, and we continue to fund and supply Israel, and we also continue to block all attempts by the UN Security Council to bring Israel into compliance with international law.
As for the cease fire, the terms were clear. They included a cessation of Palestinian rocket fire in exchange for Israel ending the economic blockade. To impose an economic blockade, according to international law is an act of war. The Palestinians were within their right not only to launch rockets in an attempt to pressure Israel to lift the blockade, they also have a right to defend themselves, acting to deter Israeli violence which never abated even after the cease fire came into effect. Israel killed 50 Palestinians in one month, and Hamas held to the cease fire and asked other Palestinian resistance movements to do the same, hoping that the international community would convince Israel to abide by the cease fire agreement. It never happened.
Israel is not justified in its brutal attack upon Gaza that has so far taken more than 300 innocent lives, and injured 1000 others. Whether or not the US and Israel are able to understand this, the facts of these matters have been documented by numerous human rights organizations, including Israeli human rights organizations, and are available to any interested party. The fact is that Israel is carrying out one of its numerous acts of illegal military aggression, and war crimes in Gaza, and your administration has given Israel tacit approval, and possibly even made the US complicit in this act.
During your 4 year tenure as Secretary of State, the United States has suffered the greatest loss in credibility and international prestige in our country’s history. The US veto of the UNSC resolution calling for Israel to end its military aggression against Gaza is an example of why this loss occurred, and your statement blaming Hamas for Israel’s violence is another.
Ultimately, neither my opinion of the facts or yours will make much difference in respect to what will be the verdict of an international court, once any willing court takes up the case of Israel’s 50 year illegal occupation of Palestine, genocide, and the US role in that genocide
As international public opinion continues to mount against Israel and its continued violence and militarization and destabilization of the Muslim world, you should keep in mind that it is also mounting against the US. The US and Israel have been voted “the greatest threats to peace” in the world. This should make it easy for a judge or jury to reach the appropriate conclusion as to who violated the cease fire, and who has a right to self defense.
One can only imagine our country’s founders crying in their graves at the very thought that our country, once an independent and powerful beacon of light to the oppressed, and those longing for freedom, has become a quisling and sycophant of a brutal and lawless occupier, that is destroying the birthplace of Jesus Christ, which is in Palestine. That Israel chose to carry out this carnage only days after Christmas is very telling. Perhaps it is indicative of how much Israel appreciates the loyalty and support of America’s “new” Christian Zionist Jews and their American Zionist Jewish counterparts.
