Slaves cannot liberate nations [Archives:2002/19/Viewpoint]

Ever since the Israeli incursions in Palestinian territory, I turn on Arab TV satellite channels, especially government-run channels and watch how they strongly criticize Israel, the USA, and the West for what is going on in Palestine. I can hear national anthems, songs, and poems being played all day long. I can also see how government officials are proudly asking for donations and starting campaign after campaign. I can hear words spoken by leaders asking for the opening of borders and destruction of Israel to liberate Palestine. I can see state-hired preachers preaching for Jihad, and telling the people, You have a duty to take care of. Go liberate Palestine!
My heart bleeds with sorrow to see the theatrical act played by our governments and leaders. They are taking us for granted, asking us to donate, and requesting us to liberate Palestine. But at the same time, they are killing their people, oppressing their freedoms, and enslaving citizens in their own countries.
I say, Slaves cannot liberate nations. We have become slaves in our own countries. Rarely will you find an Arab citizen, who would say that he/she feels truly free. We should not live in an illusion and imagine that we are totally free and that we already enjoy all our human rights.
How many times have you, as an Arab citizen, felt you are oppressed and degraded when you try to ask a powerful politician why his envoy breaks traffic lights? How many times have you seen high ranking officials disrupt the queue and have their work done illegally before people waiting for hours in line? How many times have you felt injustice in courts because you dont have a powerful individual to depend on for your case to get through? How many people have been put to prison without a court ruling, and how many imprisoned people have not been freed after their due date? In other words, how many times have you felt oppressed and how many times have you seen others oppressed? Far too many times would probably be the common answer.
Let us not stick our heads in the sand like an ostrich and ignore the injustice that we are going through. We are treated unjustly and inhumanely by our own governments? We are slaves and will continue to be so if we dont stand up for our rights.
While we see that only truly democratic countries are the ones that prevail today, and as we realize that those countries that preserve peoples respect, dignity, honor, and human rights are the ones that prosper, we can also see why we are at the bottom of all nations. It is not difficult to realize that we will never ever get out of the list of backward countries while we are imprisoned within our own. We, as Arab citizens, were not treated as true humans with soul and spirit. Regimes in our countries have always given humans the least of significance, causing millions to immigrate and seek a freer future elsewhere.
Yet, they are asking us, captive Arabs, to liberate Palestine. Shouldnt our own liberation from injustice and oppression be the priority?
My message to Palestine is this Dear Palestinian brothers and sisters, we feel that it will take quite a long time before we liberate your lands. Just keep up the fight against oppression and pray for us to fight our own oppression. It is we who need to be liberated first. Only then will we be able to promise you liberation, simply said, because slaves cannot liberate nations!

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