Theos-Talk Archives (October 2001 Message tt00076)

-----Original Message-----
From: Michele Lidofsky [mailto:officerjenny@mindspring.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, 2 October 2001 3:15 AM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Theos-World Why US 'Imperialialism', 'Racism' is NOT 
to Blame...


Jonah Goldberg writes:

"Bernard Lewis, perhaps the greatest living English-language historian
of the Middle East, wrote a brilliant essay eleven years ago in
the Atlantic entitled "The Roots of Muslim Rage." It is the 
best short piece I've found on this subject to date, and I 
think anyone interested in this topic should read it. 

Lewis (also) shows that while Israel is obviously unpopular in 
the Arab world, it may not be for the reasons so many knee-jerk 
Israel foes believe....."

An important set of articles giving a valuable brief synopsis 
of East/West history and cultural conflict. Well worth reading.

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/90sep/rage.htm

Michele

 
****************************************************8

Open letter from Saddam Hussein to the American peoples and the western
peoples and their governments.

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most merciful”

Once again, we would like to comment on what happened in America on
September 11, 2001, and its consequences. The comments we made on the
next day of the event represent the essence of our position regarding
this event and other events, but the aftermath of what happened in
America, in the West in particular and in the world in general, makes it
important for every leader to understand the meaning of responsibility
toward his people, his nation, and humanity in general to follow up the
development of the situation, to understand the meaning of what is going
on, and hence to elaborate his country’s and people’s position so as not
to restrict oneself to only following the event.

When the event took place Arab rulers and the rulers of countries whose
religion of their people is Islam, rushed to condemn the event. The
Westerners rushed within hours to make statements and adopt resolutions,
some of which are dangerous ones, in solidarity with America and against
terrorism.

Even before being sure, western governments decided to join their forces
to the America even if that meant declaring war on the party that will
be proved to have been involved in what happened.

It is only normal to say that by the explanation of the present
situation, as it has been said or by comparison to the action previously
taken by America against specific countries, it could be enough for some
of the executors of the operation to have come from a country named by
America or said to have instigated the operation, for the American
military retaliation on what they call an aggression. We don’t know if
they would do the same thing whether any of the planners and executors
of the operation were found, to have lived or held the nationality of a
Western country or whether the intention and the designs are already
made against an Islamic party.

It is most probable from the beating of media war drums that America and
some Western governments are targeting a party who won’t be but Muslim.

The event that took place in America is an extraordinary event. It is
not a simple one. According to figures announced by official American
sources or by what has been spread by the media, the number of victims
is great. Nobody has any doubts, or denies that America and the West
have the capabilities to mobilize force and use it, to inflict
destruction on others on the basis of simple doubts or even whimsically,
and can send their American missiles and the NATO fighters to where ever
they want to destroy and harm whoever America decides to harm in a fit
of anger, by greed, or by being pushed by Zionism.

Many countries of the world have suffered from America’s technological
might, and many peoples do recognize that America had killed thousands
or even millions of human beings in their countries.

The event that took place in America was an extraordinary one. It is not
a simple event.

It is the first time that someone crosses to America to unleash the fire
of his anger inside it, as indicated by what was said by the media, on
the hypothesis that the executors of this act came from abroad.

Since this event is unprecedented, is it wise to deal with it by
precedent methods that can be used by whoever has the technical and
scientific capacities of America and the West !?

If the target and the aim is one or more Islamic countries, as it has
been said by the media and the intelligence services of some Western
countries, this would only fall in the same direction that America and
the West have always taken by targeting their fire on wherever they want
to experiment a new weapon on.

We ask again : America’s targeting the fire of its weapons on specific
targets, and harming it or destroying it with the support of Western
governments and of a fabricated story would it solve the problem? Would
this bring security to America and the world? Or Isn’t the use by
America and some Western governments of their fire against others in the
world including, or in the forefront of whom the Arabs and the Muslims,
is one of the most important reasons of the lack of stability in the
world at the present time? 

Isn’t the evil inflicted on America in the act of September 11, 2001,
and nothing else is a result of this and other acts? This is the main
question and this is what the American administration along with of the
Western governments or the Western public opinion should answer in the
first place with serenity and responsibility, without emotional reaction
and without the use of the same old methods that America used against
the world. 

On September 12, 2001, we said that no one crossed the Atlantic to
America carrying weapons before this event, except the Westerners who
established the United States of America. America is the one who crossed
the Atlantic carrying arms of destruction and death against the world.
Here we want to ask a question: wasn’t the use of American weapons,
including the nuclear weapon against Japan, enough before September 11,
2001, for America to prepare to use it in a heavier and a stronger way?
Or isn’t using it in an irresponsible way, and without justification as
does any oppressive force in the world, is what made America the most
hated country in the world, starting from the Third World, to the Medium
World and passing to the civilized world, as is the world divided by the
West and America?

The national security of America and the security of the world could be
attained if the American leaders and those who beat the drums for them
among the rulers of the present time in the West or outside the West
become rational, if America disengages itself from its evil alliance
with Zionism, which has been scheming to exploit the world and plunge it
in blood and darkness, by using America and some Western countries.

What the American peoples need mostly is someone who tells them the
truth, courageously and honestly as it is. They don’t need fanfares and
cheerleaders, if they want to take a lesson from the event so as to
reach a real awakening, in spite of the enormity of the event that hit
America. But the world, including the rulers of America, should say all
this to the American peoples, so as to have the courage to tell the
truth and act according to what is right and not what to is wrong and
unjust, to undertake their responsibilities in fairness and justice, and
by recourse to reason, passion, according to the spirit of chance and
capability.

In addition, we say to the American peoples, what happened on September
11, 2001 should be compared to what their government and their armies
are doing in the world, for example, the international agencies have
stated that more than one million and a half Iraqis have died because of
the blockade imposed by America and some Western countries, in addition
to the tens of thousands who died or are injured in the military action
perpetrated by America along with those who allied with it against Iraq.
Hundreds of bridges, churches, mosques, colleges, schools, factories,
palaces, hotels, and thousands of private houses were destroyed or
damaged by the American and Western bombardment, which is ongoing even
today against Iraq. If you replay the images of the footage taken by the
western media itself of this destruction, you will see that they are not
different from the images of the two buildings hit by the Boing
airplanes, if not more atrocious, especially when they are mixed with
the remains of men, women, and children. There is, however, one
difference, namely that those who direct their missiles and bombs to the
targets, whether Americans or from another Western country, are mostly
targeting by remote controls, that is why they do so as if they were
playing an amusing game. As for those who acted on September 11, 2001,
they did it from a close range, and with, I imagine, giving their lives
willingly, with an irrevocable determination. 

For this reason also, the Americans, and the world with them, should
understand the argument that made those people give their lives in
sacrifi, and what they sacrificed themselves for, in that way.

When one million and a half Iraqi human beings die, according to Western
documents, from a population of twenty five million, because of the
American blockade and aggression, it means that Iraq has lost about one
of twenty five of its population. And just as your beautiful skyscrapers
were destroyed and caused your grief, beautiful buildings and precious
homes crumbled over their owners in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq by
American weapons used by the Zionists. In only one place, which was a
civilian shelter, which is the Ameriyah Shelter, more than four hundred
human beings, children, young and old men and women, died in Iraq by
American bombs.

In the same day, the 11th of September, one of their aggressive military
airplanes was shot down over Iraq. 

As for what is going on in Palestine, if Zionist let you see on your TVs
the bodies of children, women and men who are daily killed by American
weapons, and with American backing to the Zionist entity, the pain you
are feeling would be appeased.

Americans should feel the pain they have inflicted on other peoples of
the world, so as when they suffer, they will find the right solution and
the right path.

All that has been inflicted on the Arabs and Muslims by America and the
West, didn’t push Muslims to become racists and harass the Westerners
who walk in the streets of Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis, Cairo and other
Arab capitals, even when the Westerners, and especially Americans
insulted the holy sites of Muslim and Arabs by what is almost an
occupation of Saudi Arabia in order to launch their evil fires against
Baghdad, and when the American carriers roam the Arab Gulf, and their
fighters daily roam the sky to throw tons of bombs and missiles over
Iraq, so that about two hundred thousand tons of bombs have been used
against Iraq , in addition to using depleted uranium!! All these are
facts that are very well known not only to Arabs and Muslims, but to the
whole world also. But because of only one incident that happened in
America in one day, and upon an unconfirmed accusations so far , Arabs
and Muslims , including some who hold the American citizenship , are
being harassed openly and publicly in America and some Western
countries. Some western countries are preparing themselves to
participate in an American military action, against an Islamic country
as the indications point out. In this case , who is being fanatic ?

Isn’t this solidarity , and this in- advance approval by some Western
leaders , of a military aggression against an Islamic country , the most
flagrant form of the new Crusades , fanaticism . It reminds Arabs and
Muslims of those Crusade war launched by the West and NATO against Iraq?

Finally, if you, rulers respect and cherish the blood of your peoples,
why do you find it easy to shed the blood of others including the blood
of Arabs and Muslims? If you respect your values, why don’t you respect
the values of Arabs and Muslims?

America needs wisdom, not power. It has used power, along with the West,
to its extreme extent, only to find out latter that it doesn’t achieve
what they wanted. Will the rulers of America try wisdom just for once so
that their people can live in security and stability?

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most merciful”

Invite all to the way of thy Lord with the wisdom and beautiful
preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious,
for the lord knoweth best who have strayed from His path and who receive
guidance.”

XVI 125.


from the Iraqi News Agency