<font color=magenta>*****Thread*****
washingtonpost.com
Before it was published in The Washington Post last week, I published my translation of this piece here at SI, in its entirety (The Post made some cuts of course). I did this because I saw increasing escalation and polarization coming out of recent events, and because I believe that it is long since time that moderates from the Arab and Islamic worlds speak out against the use of indiscriminate terror and murder as a political weapon. We have now seen such an escalation here, last night.
This throws the issues we now face in high relief. I stand behind all words I have stated here. With the notable exceptions of King Abdullah of Jordan and Jehan Sadat, wife of slain Egyptian President and peacemaker Anwar Sadat, I find the statements coming out of the Middle East lately very disturbing. I am not surprised, however. More than any, the statements of a leading member of the Saudi Royal family, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, daring to lecture the victims of mass murder committed largely by his subjects was an outrage and deeply offensive to not only myself, but also a vast majority of Americans.
We should be clear on a few things. The United States is not responsible for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kashmir is not the obligation of the U.S. to solve. Civil wars and border disputes across the globe are not U.S. responsibilities, either. The United States and its citizens have been viciously attacked and murdered. The United States has a right to self-defense. Leaders of nations with a history of producing virulent hatred of Americans, and again in this case, violent fanatics who murder Americans and destroy American property, cannot possibly expect that the United States should sacrifice its right to defend itself so that it might not offend the hypersensitivities of these people who have not only sat idly by during this crisis, but have actively funded, supported and shielded those who would target the United States and its citizens.
I believe Saudi Arabia has become a flashpoint because it is one of the wealthiest nations in the Gulf, and believes it should be treated as an equal partner by the U.S. The reality is it most certainly is not. Saudi Arabia is a despotic, illegitimate regime which pillages, rapes and brutalizes its own citizens, as well as those from many other nations, which has displayed complete disregard for the rule of international law and the safeguarding of fundamental human rights, elemental decency towards and between peoples. I have no respect whatsoever for such a nation. Those who would characterize arbitrary arrest and detention, routine torture, cruel and unusual punishment such as the cutting off of hands and feet, gouging out of eyes, public beheadings in response to non-violent crimes such as "apostasy" as simply "cultural differences" are disingenuous, if not outright dishonest and deceitful. This has nothing to do with culture. Or does it? As stated in that piece above (the unabridged version published here at SI), if the leaders of these cultures and religions do not speak out against brutality and terror, then they consequently run the risk that the civilized world shall deem them illegitimate, enemies to all peaceful citizens who believe in respect for human dignity.
It has now been nearly six weeks. It has gone on long enough. I am now of the opinion that the Gulf States are completely illegitimate, one and all. I believe that Islam is not a peaceful or tolerant religion at all - in any event, not as it is currently preached and practiced in the Middle East. I am now beginning to believe that these nations bear a stupendous jealousy of and resentment toward Western achievement and advancement the past 200 years, and that they now seek to destroy it, in order to "cleanse" the world of the "infidel" virus which has infected their "pure" culture. The actions of the Taliban and Arab and Islamic States in the Gulf region can be drawn parallel to some of those of Nazi Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. I stated this yesterday evening. I believe it to be true. Here are some parallels:
1. religious persecution, leading to summary execution
2. arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention without charge
3. torture as a standard method of interrogation
4. the banning of all political parties and labor unions
5. banning of free public assembly, free speech and expression
6. forced servitude
7. segregation of races
8. confiscation of travel papers
9. state-controlled media
10. state-run Ministries of Propaganda (in Saudi Arabia that would be a combination, also similar to Hitler's secret police, the Gestapo: The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, usually known as al-Mutawa'een)
11. compulsory, strictly controlled education, teaching the young and impressionable of the superiority of their own race, culture and religion over that of all others, and at the same time going on to instruct hate, intolerance and violence against selected races and religions.
The list goes on and on. I now firmly believe that were these Arab and Islamic states to gain control of nuclear weapons, they would not hesitate in, without warning, deploying them against the United States and other industrialized western democracies, and spreading the arm of their hate-filled governmental and religious policy far and wide, across the world.
We must not allow this to happen. Today an attack on this scale is not likely. In fifty years times may be different. Never forget, the attack on New York was intended to kill over 100,000 innocent human beings. Don't ever believe that it cannot be far worse down the road. Unless and until Americans and their friends understand the true meaning of this attack, and widespread Arab and Islamic silence and reluctance concerning any remedy, grave danger remains. As not all Germans and Japanese were responsible for atrocities some sixty years ago, neither are all or even most Arabs responsible for the current crisis. However, we must recognize evil where it resides, and be ruthless in stamping it out now, as we so clearly were then. It takes moral clarity. I recall one day there was such a thing that led us to combat pure evil... |
