An interesting e-mail.....
From: "Farhad Radmehrian" <......02@hotmail.com>
To: ilatif@yahoo.com
CC: jj@iranian.com
Subject: RE: Martyrdom is for lesser men
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 09:22:13 -0800
Dear Iqbal Latif,
Though I appreciate the very eloquent elaboration you have offered on
how
the Palestinian leadership has ignored the reality on the ground and
the
historical facts, etc. etc. the one reality that drives this whole mess
in
the Middle Eastern conflict is "occupation". I would be the first to
admit
that Arab and Palestinian leadership is laughable and have completely
misled
their masses in many aspects. Their position in the Gulf War and the
Iran-Iraq war is among them. But Intifadha and the suicide bombings are
a
grass roots movement and not (at least originally) the work of the
leadership and the Arab politicians, including Arafat, who has had to
play
catch up with the kids in the streets!
Your argument seems to boil down to the basic belief that Palestinians
should have assimilated into the areas they were driven out to (Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, etc.) and learn to live with their new reality! Your
argument reminds me of the argument coming from a breed of aliens
depicted
in the popular Star Trek series known as "The Borg". The Borg's only
message
and negotiation with their victims is that "resistance is futile!" But
the
humans always fight the Borg because that is the human nature. We fight
aggression and injustice and that's what the Palestinian kids are
doing.
Your article and it's central reasoning ignores the very central fact
that
Israelis are occupying Arab lands in defiance of United Nations
resolutions
and the opinion of International community. There are countless
Palestinian
farmers who hold the deed and keys to homes and olive groves in the
occupied
territories. These people have to stay out of their lands because a
Jewish
guy and his family just had to migrate from Cleveland or South Bronx to
these lands just because a religious text from 3000 years ago says that
the
guy from Cleveland has a God given to someone else's land and also
because
the British Empire decided back in 1940's it was a good idea to
displace one
group of people from their land and move in another group. And while
the
peace process was moving forward in the 1990's the Israelis continued
to
build settlements and seize people's land in violation of the Oslo
accord,
etc. It was all supposed to be "Peace for Land" except the Jews don't
really
want to pay the real price and give completely back but they still
wanted
complete peace and security!
In addition to the frustration stemming from occupation, there is the
huge
problem of mistreatment, economic injustice, prejudicial treatment by
the
administrative and governmental entities, unfair water rights and
usage,
unfair educational opportunities and many other facts on the ground
that
have led to the frustration and suffocation of the Palestinians into
the
current rage. You can't ignore all these facts on the ground and chuck
it
all up to these people being misled youngsters who are victims of
corrupted
leadership. The fact is that these kids have dragged their leaders
kicking
and screaming to this point!
So, I'll ask you and every other person who has difficulty grasping the
frustration that leads to one blowing himself/herself up to consider
what
the youth of Poland or France would have eventually been driven to do
if the
Nazi Germans had managed to continue their occupation of Europe and
other
places. And if the occupying Nazi officers settled their children and
families in occupied territories, how safe would those civilians be (or
should be) from the wrath of freedom fighters.
So, my dear Iqbal, I still don't understand what Ameer Abul Hasan of
Granada
has to do with a people's desparate struggle to survive under the seige
of
an occupying army but I will tell you that because of the nature of
occupation and the very facts on the ground, your arguments don't hold
water. And the sooner world powers, especially US administration, face
the
facts and make things right and fair to everyone involved, this inferno
will
burn hotter and hotter, claiming more victims than ever imaginable! I
fear
the day when Israel will have to use her nukes and drag the world into
an
abyss!
Regards,
Farhad Radmehrian
April 4, 2002
My reply.....
Dr Mr Radmehrian,
I thank you for your passionate arguments in favour of
the Palestinian cause however I will like to elaborate
a little further if that may help to clear some
aspects of my article! continued as the next post..... |
