Lebanon and the Handicapped Conscience [Archives:2006/968/Opinion]
By: Mohammed Al-Qadhi
The Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories are beyond description and imagination. It is something horrible and disgusting to see the pictures of the human bodies being cut into pieces due to the Israeli air strikes. All these massacres are taking place while the international community keeps silent, amusing itself with the massive destruction and killings.
It is really painful to see a country whose democratic movement, which inspired the rest of the other Arab countries and was instrumental for the rise of reformists in many corners of the Middle East fall into such a miserable situation. The Lebanese who set the model of civilization do not deserve this. They suffered a lot due to civil war. The beautiful city of Beirut which is the attraction of tourists and people adorning beauty should not become a city for death and ruins.
The Arab regimes which used to even make verbal condemnations to such attacks have felt shy to do it this time. It is a shame. Even the Arab and Muslim people, who broke hell loose and went crazy over the Danish newspaper cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, are paralyzed now. Which is more horrible the attacks on the Lebanese and Palestinian civilians or the cartoons? We have seen protests against the war in many countries around the world, even Israel. But, the Arabs and Muslims went to debate whether it is religiously allowable to support Hizbollah or not, neglecting the civilians who are most afflicted in such crazy strikes which do not differentiate between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. We, of course, disagree politically with Hizbollah and its right to launch a war without the approval of the elected government. But, this does not in any way mean that we should bless the Israeli attacks against Lebanon because the person or party that triggered the war is Shiite. This is ridiculous and even awful.
Some of my European friends told me they felt ashamed of the European stand to the war Israel is waging against these people. What about me? What should I say? Ashamed is not the appropriate word we Arabs and Muslims should use to express our regret over what is happening.
Some of the Arab countries started fundraising to support the Lebanese people. This is fine. Yet, this not what they all need. I saw a Lebanese citizen completely helpless. He told al-Jazeera TV reporter: “We do not need bread; we do not need water. We need a firm stand from the Arabs.” They need Arabs and the international community power to stop the war and the disgraceful stand of our regimes.
Unfortunately, the international conscience during times of madness and interests rule becomes handicapped and unable to stop such atrocities. What happened during the war in Iraq? Millions of protesters took to the street all over the world but were unable to stop Bush and Blair to go to war. The UN and Arab League could do nothing. They are now unable to do anything. It is Bush who can do it but does not want. He is rather adding fuel into the fire, sending more bombs and missiles to Israel. He is mistaken that by his biased and blind support to Israel he would be able to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. This would not create the State Secretary Condolezza Rice new Middle East but would definitely incite more escalations, more terrorism. When Collin Powel announced the Middle East Greater Initiative, I was one of those reformists who hailed for it. But, what is happening in Lebanon it is not that Middle East we have aspired to.
I am one of the people who are impressed by the US values of democracy and the fathers of this democracy like Thomas Jeferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincolin and others who laid the foundation for such noble values. But, I feel sorry that this country has brought to the world a person like Bush who appeared on TV, laughing, blessing the attacks in Lebanon and Palestine. Bush would like to show the US model through missiles and rockets, rather than the wonderful democratic system the founders of the US set for the world. I really feel sorry for the US citizens whose noble values are being tarnished by this man. When I remember, however, that a man like Bush can never continue running the US for good, I feel the power of such this democracy which we miss.
Mohammed Al-Qadhi is a Yemeni journalist and columnist.
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