Hypocrite UN hypocrite clergy [Archives:2006/972/Opinion]
By: Mohammed Al-Qadhi
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Two weeks ago, I wrote in this column about the devastating attacks by Israel in Lebanon. I criticized the paralyzed stance of the international community towards what is happening, mainly the position of the US president, as the leader of a superpower, who has done nothing to stop the destruction of a country and the killings of its helpless citizens. I also criticized the Arab regimes and the Arab and Muslim citizens who broke all hell loose over the Danish newspaper cartoons, but are doing nothing now.
I do not know why this opinion upset one of my readers; he was angry and even sent me one of the cartoons of the prophet Mohammed made by the Danish newspaper. He wanted to wind me up. He didn't upset me because of the cartoon but because I realized mad and fanatic people do not only exist in the Arab and Muslim world but also in the West. What a pity!
Fanaticism, whether religious or political, brings about more counter fanaticism and hatred in the world. Such an environment of hostility will not make the world a better place to live.
Personally, when we criticize the war in Lebanon, it does not necessarily mean we side with Hezbollah. It means we are with Lebanon and denounce the destruction of its infrastructure and killings of its citizens as we denounced the September 11 attacks in the US. I was shocked and horrified by the destruction of the twin towers in New York. I described the attacks as black infamy. We all felt sorry for the US people. Similarly, we are panic-stricken by the vicious and evil acts the Israeli aircrafts are committing in Lebanon. I will be moved by any acts of killings and destruction in any part of the world. My dream is to see the world community in peace.
I do not have any religious or ethnic problems. I have friends in different corners of the world and I feel I belong to the whole world for I believe in human relationship as the most important religion or dogma in the world.
I know sometimes it is ridiculous to demand firm positions from the Western governments to the war on Lebanon while the Arab regimes have kept mute. However, we most of the time rely on the position of some Western governments more than the Arab regimes which never line up with their peoples. This time the whole world is paralyzed.
However, what really stir my anger are our religious citizens who made a big fuss about the Danish newspaper cartoons and the destructions of holy shrines in Iraq. But when it comes to the killings of innocent citizens in Lebanon, they have said nothing. Where is Sheikh Abdulmajeed al-Zindani? He collected YR5 million to finance a group of hypocrite advocates to sue some of our colleagues for reproducing the cartoons.
I also remember when the US forces entered al-Najaff city in Iraq in 2003 the former leader of the Iraqi Islamic Revolution Movement Mohammed Baqer al-Hakeem warned the US forces against attacking the holy shrines. He never talked about the killings of citizens at all. This view is ridiculous and nonsense. I wonder which is more disturbing the cartoons, the shrines or the massacres we see these days in Lebanon.
The human being has no value in the thinking of such clerics. I am not asking them to make a similar reaction to the cartoons where we saw fire and destructions in some parts of the world, but at least to take to the street and condemn. Maybe they have followed the UN Security Council model in just expressing concerns and not condemning the massacres.
The UN condemned the Israeli attacks against the international peace forces in Southern Lebanon when two soldiers were killed. Killing two soldiers deserves “condemnation” while killing thousands of innocent civilians deserves expressing “worry.” Both the two institutions are driven by hypocrisy. It is a hypocrite clergy and a hypocrite UN, isn't it?
Mohammed Al-Qadhi is a Yemeni journalist and columnist.
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[archive-e:972-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-08-14-p:opinion]
