TERRORISM

Hollywood often defines Arabs using stereotypes. One may have the impression that Arab and terrorist are synonymous. In Hollywood, Jews are portrayed in positive ways such as having one of their members as a hero in Independence Day, showing their traditions and musical side. We do not ask for a favorable portrayal such as that, for we do not seek this attention. We seek only to be not victims of negative propaganda.

In the Arab world, the movie industry rarely mentions Americans let alone in a negative way. We use the many facets of our culture to create the plots in our movies. Why do not Americans do more of that?

Recently, I saw a replay of the TWA hijacking that occurred in Lebanon in the 1980s. Yet, there is another side to these stories. The Israelis promised to release Lebanese hostages taken to Israel, in violation of international law, and then Israel broke its promise. The hijackers sought to have their friends released and say their side. Americans put themselves in an ackward position when they provide Israel with lethal weapons, billions of dollars, and veto the overwhelming majority of UN resolutions, and overlook look the napalming of villages. What of the US encouraging and arming the financially deprave Contras of Nicaragua who blew up hospitals and terrorized civilians?

The bombing at Qana, Lebanon was far worse than what occurred in the TWA hijacking but the US vetoed the resolution condemning it. It sends the message to Arabs that Americans can do as they please, use the UN as they please, help others create destruction in our region and then portray us as terrorists. In short, Arabs are somehow less human in the media. I condemn the TWA hijacking and the killing of American civilians and the kidnapping of Joe Ciccipio, Terry Anderson etc… We ask you to see our side of the story and think of the people we sometimes can not recognize after a bombing or shelling. Just as Americans care about their people and anger over their dead, so do we.

Then there is Hamas’ Izzedin Qassam brigades -the Palestinian resistance. People try to overplay the Islamic affiliation of these people to dehumanize them. Many of Hamas’ recruits are people who suffered in Israeli jails, lost brothers etc…. As the Palestinian human rights activist Iyyad Sirraj said, the more desperate the people become, the more fundamentalist they become. It is correct sometimes religion is used, but did not the US government use a religious tool for its republican governments and we are fighting for our lives.

The Hamas organization and the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and the SSNP are parties opposing the Netanyahu Paxa Hebraica, or false peace. Hamas traces itself to the Latakia, Syria born leader Izzedin Qassam who fought against British and French colonialism and the creation of the state of Israel. Hamas was actually encouraged, ironically, by Israel in the 1980s to fight against the PLO. They wanted Palestinians to terrorise one another.

The other group resisting Israeli opposing the Netanyahu’s unfair peace, is George Habash the founder of the PFLP which is largely Socialist.

Many Western people would say they can not understand what would lead to bombs. Well, the building of settlements around East Jerusalem could serve to cut off Jerusalem from the West Bank and Israel continually revokes the residency permits of Arabs in East Jerusalem. Hamas has Christian and Muslim Palestinians among its ranks. When you have 3,000 Palestinians in jails, economic blockades, avoid withdrawing from occupied land, deprive Palestinians of their own water resources, bulldoze homes, confiscate land, then you create a violent atmosphere.

In any case, the Arabs are amateurs in terrorism compared to the Israelis. Israel violated international law by bombing Tunisia in 1985. Israel was the first nation in the Middle East to engage in plane hijacking. It hijacked a Syrian Arabic Republic civilian plane, in 1954, to exchange them for spies captured by the Syrian government. The Achille Lauro is often mentioned ad nauseum and how bad the Palestinians were. Speak to Lebanese and Palestinians of how many boats were captured along the Cyriot-Lebanese coast and their passengers were killed.

They say among Arabs that the Jews largely influence the media. This is true as Victor Ostorovsky can tell you from his experience as a Jew trying to expose Zionism. He was even threatened on in a live exchange with an Israeli official surnamed Lapid and said he should be killed. This took little coverage. I also saw with my own eyes how my local newspaper hardly reported certain bombings of Lebanon and then would report and magnify small Katyusha attacks on the Galilee.

They purchase newspapers to speak of the holocaust ad nauseum, though 44 million other Europeans died, do not mention in large detail how Palestinians and Lebanese get bombed if at all, and then portray us Muslim terrorists when they are also Jews and engaging in worse terrorism. We do feel sorrow when we hear of the dead in WWII be it Russian Orthodox or Jewish Orthodox. Yet, if you say all this you would be labeled an anti-Semite, and if you are a Jew then you are just a Leftist apologist. The truth does not matter - only Eretz Yisrael’s Zionism is correct. Stories are chosen often to show their side; we are never a chosen people.  We know that Zionists wanted to create a Jewish state prior to Adolf Hitler's genocide and it appears he was part Jewish but denied his ancestry.  Some Zionists even found the holocaust as vehicule to make Zionism and the expelling of Palestinians a savoury idea.  Whether the holocaust was going to occur or not, the Zionist Jews were wanting to displace the Palestinians. 

Some say violence is not the answer. No, it is not the long-term answer. However, we know that Israel withdrew to south Lebanon after the heavy casualties disgraced Begin. Israel left the Sinai to Egypt after the war of 1973 threatened her and it sought to isolate Syria from Egypt. Our people are defending themselves. I do not agree with the killing of civilians, but if you accurately study the Israeli record they have had complete total disregard for Arab civilians.

Terrorism Part II

Libya is facing sanctions and this is of concern to our people. Since we are Arabs and are often labeled due to negative perceptions of sisterly nations, the Libyan Lockerbie issue will be discussed. It is an imperative because it parallels other situations in the East.

It may be true, that two Libyans had a role in this act of cowardice. In early 1992, the United States, Britain, and France muscled the UN into placing sanctions on Libya for not giving up for trial two suspected terrorists who were charged with the 1988 Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland. UN members were told to ban air travel, embargo arms, and reduce diplomatic contacts with Libya.

Libya offered to try these two men, but that was rejected in the resolution though no international law commands Libya to extradite its citizens to stand trial in a foreign land. Libya appealed to the world court and to reaffirm its right to refuse extradition. In an eleven to five decision, the Court declared it had not the authority to confront a Security Council decision, even though that UN agency had created dubious, ex post facto international law in its resolution.

Did the United States turn over CIA agents for mining of Nicaraguan harbour during the Contra war? What about the involvement of American agents in Lebanon? No. Did the United States extradite to India the head of Union Carbide who was under indictment for negligence by the company’s Indian subsidiary in the fatal gas leak that killed thousands? No, again. Although it is good politics to fight Libyan terrorism it is just the expression of power overcoming law or might versus right. Obviously, there is a double standard and flagrant hypocrisy.

Nelson Mandela of South Africa was assailed for deciding to visit Libya. He spoke of American hypocrisy. America sided with his enemies the white regime of South Africa and then tries to tell him of the evils of Libya and whom he can or not visit.

Peace?

One feels a cold wind of humiliation if one is a Palestinian hearing the two words –peace process. Thus far, it has been a process of Palestinian humiliation. Palestinians along with their brothers have been victims of Israel’s expansionist policies and its taking hostage of our economies. Binyamin was aptly called the "serial bungler" in the magazine called the Economist. Under him, security reached crisis levels, peace is faltering, settlements continue, Canada was insulted, Jordan was violated, and many Israeli young men lost their lives in the Lebanon and countless Lebanese and Palestinian men and women.

He defeated Shimon Peres narrowly by promising peace with security. Peace was closer to grasp under Peres and security was more certain. He also said Peres was moving too quickly in the peace process and then he later states he wants a quick settlement. The man’s mendacity is incredulous. In any case, the much spoken about Oslo agreement created apartheid-like Bantustans. It does not surprise us from the former allies of South Africa.   Oslo left the Palestinians with a vague understanding that allowed for the exploitation of the indigenous Palestinians.  Oslo is an unfair agreement that basically neglects to mention the Palestinian connexion to the 1948 lands seized by the Ashkenazis who founded the state of Israel.  Palestinians should have the right to return there.

All of the land prior to the creation of Israel in 1947, by the UN, was called Palestine. It was known in the Islamic and Roman world as being the westernmost Syrian province. The Jewish state was created at the expense of the Arabs of the area. The US, unfortunately, played a role in this tragedy and encouraged it. The American history involved displacing the indigenous Americans and the people of Palestine. We ask for a rectification of this grave injustice.

Certain people say it was Jewish land. The Hebrews were conquerors of the land of Canaan and Phillistine. One can read Joshua and Deuterotemy in the Old Testament and see the pride the Hebrews took in ethnic cleansing. Thus, they were not settlers; they were invaders and conquerors. Palestine was for the Jews once, just as it was once for Romans who were also conquerors. Let people not use religion improperly to suppress others.

Some may argue the Arabs did the same. No, this is not accurate. Arab Christians settled in Palestine with Lakhmids, Ghassasanids, Bani Taghlib etc… Arabs came prior to Islam. When the Muslim Arab tribes captured Jerusalem it was under the oppressive rule of the Byzantine Romans headquartered in Byzantium. Many Syrian Jacobite Christians fought alongside the Muslims against the Romans.

People often say the Palestinians should not have been belligerent and accepted the partition of Palestine. Who would agree to giving up half of their country when the other side does not even own half of that part? Tell this to the Irish who vociferously opposed the division of their homeland by England. The Israelis also coveted more land than historical Palestine. The Arab peoples knew about this and bitterly opposed the creation of an Israeli state.  It is natural that the entire Fertile Crescent sent armies along with the bold support of the Egyptians.

The Israelis sought to manipulate their neighbours. David Ben Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister, tried to appear as if Israel only wanted half of Palestine, when in fact he had a dream of an Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates. Many Zionists vehemently protested Chaim Weizmann’s willingness to accept only half of Palestine when the British offered them only that.   .Many Israeli Zionists feel Britain betrayed them when they did not give them Jordan, which they felt is part of "Israel".   No, it is not hasbara (Hebrew for propaganda); they came as invaders and occupiers.

We do accept a peace, but it is not the peace of submission to an occupier. The Israelis have tried using violence against their neighbours. It worked when we were just emerging from colonial status prior to the '48 and '56 wars. The war of 1973, the disastrous Lebanese campaign, and the Intifada, and Desert Storm are the main reasons behind Israelis’ consideration for peace. The Israelis can not build settlements and then blame Palestinians for a faltering peace process and it can not complain hypocritically about the PLO not removing a clause about the destruction of Israel in its charter, as Israel has not altered its flag that entails an expansionist Israel. Zionist still believes in a Nile to the Euphrates is their home.  Peace is not done by words only. It is done through sincere actions.