29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001
Issue No.562
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001 Issue No.562 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
illustration: Osama Qassim
The other news
Sir- We got on the Internet and went to Dogpile.com, a search engine, and punched in "alternative news" to see what was going on besides what the five major television networks are allowing us to see. We found the following:One article, dated 4 September 2001 (notice the date), was written by Ben Cohen, a co-founder of Ben and Jerry's [the ice cream company]. The title is "Wanted: Enemy to Justify $344 Billion War Budget." The Bush administration has proposed to increase Pentagon spending by $33 billion, the largest defence increase since the Cold War. We're picking on Afghanistan because the oil companies want to build an oil pipeline through it. (www.alternet.org)
Nearly half our discretionary federal taxes already go to the military. (Don't ask a barber if you need a haircut.) In "Beyond 9-11": "Our military failed to prevent this attack because for years, national defence hasn't been the purpose of our national defence." (www.workingforchange.com)
At www.salon.com, "Commission Warns Bush" explains that Bush was warned about domestic terrorism in America last January! There was a two-and-a-half year study done that Bush chose to ignore. (Maybe he shouldn't have taken that month-long vacation after just six months on the job?)
According to Arianna Huffington, former senator Gary Hart, one of the co-chairmen of this report, had called on Condoleezza Rice as recently as 6 September about its findings! To be forewarned is to be forearmed. What if corporate- controlled television had focused 10 per cent of the energy and resources it spent obsessing about Gary Condit to the findings of this report? (www.ariannaonline.com)
Truth and common sense are the first casualties of war. By calling it a "war," the multinational corporations make money as people die. The profits over people philosophy isn't healthy for any of us. The Founding Fathers believed in the common good -- not corporate greed!) A democracy becomes something else when dissent isn't allowed. Wasn't Nazi Germany about "Shut up, get in line and wave the flag"? Ever since the terrorism occurred, people who previously showed healthy scepticism regarding corporate- controlled television now buy every word the TV talking heads say. (www.onlinejournal.com) It's okay to question authority!
We're very sorry about the 11 September tragedy, but did you know we're losing about 17,000 Americans a week to heart disease, cancer, and stroke? That's 2,400 people a day! This has been going on since 1970 and our health and safety are put aside because multinational corporations have more rights than we do. A government that puts business above people is called fascism. Government and television should be serving the people -- not the military-industrial complex that General Eisenhower warned us about.
Ken and Jennifer Levens
California
US
Independent confirmation
Sir- I'm an aid worker, working for United Appeal. I have been in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the outbreak of the war. I would like to point out to you double standards that are shocking beyond belief. I have seen what the US authorities term "collateral damage." What is collateral damage? Collateral damage is what Timothy McVeigh called the children who were killed in the 1995 Oklahoma bombing. However, there was outrage at McVeigh's statement, because it is widely understood that when an American or Westerner is killed, it is "murder of innocent civilians" but when a Muslim is killed, it is "collateral damage." The life of an American or Westerner is supposedly worth more than the life of an Afghan, Palestinian, Iraqi or Chechen Muslim.The US media constantly repeat that photographs of Afghan civilians killed or wounded by American weapons cannot be "independently confirmed." What that means in layman's terms is that the Taliban themselves were flying the American jets, they killed their own civilians and then their graphic designers exaggerated the effects of these bombs. They also paid millions of dollars to cameramen from Al-Jazeera in order to bribe them to say these civilians were killed by American weapons.
Allegedly, 5,000 people were killed when terrorists flew passenger airliners into buildings in America on 11 September. This cannot be "independently confirmed." Maybe the whole thing was a hoax engineered by the US government. Maybe there is no such thing as the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. Maybe Osama Bin Laden does not really exist. Maybe George Bush does not exist. Maybe there is no such thing as Planet Earth. None of these things have been "independently confirmed."
Jack MacDonald
US
Original errors
Sir- This is to correct the article by Fatemah Farag about Americans of Middle Eastern origins ("From the melting pot into the fire?", Al-Ahram Weekly, 27 September - 3 October).Jefferson Davis was secretary of war (not president) when the experiment was made with camels in the American West. He later became president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.
Being from Indianapolis, Indiana, I have a number of friends who are of Middle Eastern ancestry. They are successful businessmen, teachers, clergymen, and political leaders.
Mitch Daniels is currently serving in the White House as an adviser to President Bush on budget matters.
Keep up the good work.
Fred Farrell
Indianapolis, Indiana
US
Muslim perspectives
Sir- I'm quite interested as a reader to pay attention to this readers' corner. But I wonder about the letters to the editor. Why do you attach most letters from American readers? It's on one side good that we can know Americans' commentary upon the tragedy [of 11 September]. But on the other side it could ruin our thinking as a Muslim community. It will be better if you achieve equal balance from both communities.I am an Indonesian student at Al-Azhar University. I'm not an Arab and I'm not an American either. But definitely I'm a Muslim. What has been happening in recent days is our problem, not just Americans'. And each of us realises that it affects countries all over the world, not only Arab (or Middle Eastern) countries and the United States. Since this is a simple fact, we have to find the best way to end this big problem, unless finding out who is wrong and who is right lets us forget the past, and welcome the coming days in peace and safety.
As a Muslim who is quite familiar with Islamic knowledge, I never learnt that Islam teaches us to fight other races or religions. This is very clear from the religion's name, which signifies "peace." But to keep the peace doesn't mean to put up with every offence. We are never taught to hate people, but we do learn that self-defence against all tyranny is our right and our duty.
It is a big mistake to believe that the tragedy began with Arabs or Muslims envying America's modernity. We have no reason to envy it. We salute America for its modernity, technology, and economic institutions. But this does not authorise it to do whatever it likes.
We don't deny that America has helped many countries, including my country, Indonesia, and the country where I live now, Egypt. We can see that the bags of wheat and other food are inscribed with the words "The United States of America." Hopefully this assistance does not mean America can impose its will on the recipients. Meanwhile, those recipients should remember that help for nothing is very rare in our current era.
Has anyone proved that Islam teaches envy and killing people? We are very grateful that Egyptian Muslim scholars are now attempting to correct Westerners' understanding of Islamic teachings and give them the true facts. All we have to do now is to grant each country its rights, and not interfere in its internal business.
Hannan Hadi
Medinat Nasr
Ideas from elsewhere
Sir- I am pleased to have been led to your Web site. I do not know very much about Islamic culture, and I am aware that the media in the United States are heavily biased. I am pleased to have access to your site, and am sorry that my fellow Americans do not often attempt to retrieve opinions from abroad.Paul Howard
US
Silenced together
Sir- Thank you for Edward Said's most eloquent and powerful editorial ("Suicidal ignorance," Al- Ahram Weekly, 15-21 November). As dissent in America is increasingly forced to go underground, the ability to truly identify with and grasp the Palestinian struggle against Israeli oppression will grow!Holly Thau
Pendleton, Oregon
US
Gathering dissent
Sir- In Mohamed Hakki's column, "America's disappeared" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 22-28 November), he states: "The sad thing is that many Americans are suddenly willing to embrace racial profiling; detention without charges; searches without warrants; and even torture and covert assassinations."
He is very wrong!
Every single person I have spoken to about the coming Bush dictatorship is appalled by the weekly blows to our Constitution. Bush, Ashcroft and Cheney are destroying 225 years of hard-won democratic rights that we do not take for granted. We are frightened as well, because as Hakki correctly points out, the mainstream American media is now owned by the government (or rather, General Electric and Rupert Murdoch, huge contributors to the Republican Party). Even CNN has bowed down to the administration's hysterical censorship. What can we do?
I have family members who are Palestinian. Will they be rounded up, arrested and kept in a secret jail? I abhor racial profiling. My child is of mixed race! Torture and covert assassinations go completely against my religious beliefs and moral convictions. I have no acquaintances who agree with these tactics, either.
I get my news from Buzzflash.com and other alternative news sources on the Internet. It is the only way we can form our groups for dissent. I just pray that the Bush dynasty will end after his four years are up. Hopefully our country will not have been completely destroyed before then.
Elaine Lucia
Petaluma, California
US
Mourning freedom
Sir- I read Mohamed Hakki's wonderful article, "America's disappeared" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 22- 28 November) and I agree with him. As an American, I am stunned at the power Bush has given himself. One of the greatest things about America is the civil liberties we enjoy. But for how long? What will happen to our freedom of speech? These are sad days indeed. Thank you for your article.
Edith Fellows
US
Starved for choice
Sir- The only people reaping the fruits of faith in Ramadan are the telephone and mobile companies! Take at least 20 riddles per day, every day, from at least 500 persons per riddle; multiply that by 50 to 150 piastres per call (with each riddle dragging on for at least two minutes); as most first phone call attempts come up with the wrong answers, the caller tries at least three more times, so multiply again by three, then multiply the total by the 30 days of the "holy" month of Ramadan... Bingo! Egypt's economy is back on track!The strange thing is that there are also many "religious" quiz programmes featuring either cash, omra or hajj as prizes (cell phones or land lines are used here too, naturally). Some of these religious programmes are even hosted by sheikhs or muftis. Aren't riddles with financial rewards a kind of "gambling"? As gambling is supposed to be prohibited in Islam, aren't we stretching our faith a wee bit? I will concede that there is one authentic programme that virtually gives away gold and diamonds daily to the winners, apart from donating several prizes in cash or kind to the needy. We can hear the winners on the air, and see the donations. As for the home quizzes, we can hear Tareq Allam's recorded voice -- and see the names of the winners the next day. (Of course I tried!! I got the correct answers too, but wasn't lucky in the so-called computer draws!)
As for the TV serials, we see the same actors (such as Dalal Abdel-Aziz) in almost all the serials, so it's getting a bit confusing -- as well as boring. And it's a pity that the great performer Mahmoud Mursi chose a silly script for his comeback. My favourite TV serial of the month is Hajj Metwalli's Family, starring Nour El- Sherif. His acting is great, as are the performances of Magda Zaki and Enaam Salousa (who plays his first wife's maid).
Typically, the script is written by a man. He is certainly giving all misguided Egyptian men (especially for the less educated, who are the majority in Egypt) the lousy idea of marrying more than one woman! In fact, they are encouraged to have four wives -- like Hajj Metwalli -- by the false impression that the wives will all live in harmony. I don't picture Nour El-Sherif as any type of Don Juan, and the script is somewhat unrealistic, but El-Sherif is funny, and the show is fun to watch.
Hoda Nassef
Cairo
Illegal force
Sir- I enjoyed Gamal Nkrumah's excellent report, "A portentous prelude" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 22-28 November). His report dispassionately conveys the reaction of the anti-war movement in Western Europe to the latest developments of the campaign against terror. In condemning the excessive use of armed force in Afghanistan, the anti-war movement accords with international law.The UN's absence is undeniable evidence that the campaign flagrantly violates the UN Charter. As evidenced by the abundant use of violence (resulting in incidents such as the destruction of a Red Cross warehouse in Kabul), the US-led campaign is not based on legal principles.
Deliberately marginalising the UN's role has had serious consequences. The objectives of the campaign are far more flexible than those of UN-sponsored military operations, which have precisely defined goals. President Bush has also said Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever witnessed.
The US alone declared war on Afghanistan, one of the poorest nations on earth, in retaliation for the 11 September terrorist attacks, violating UN Charter Article 42, which stipulates that in the case of aggression, the UN Security Council may take such military measures as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. The UN Security Council has yet to authorise the US to take military measures.
In accordance with Article 46 of the UN Charter, the Security Council plans the application of armed force. But this campaign was planned by the US alone, not by the Security Council. The US alone has run it savagely, using the most ferocious weapons available -- such as daisy cutter bombs -- which exceed the military measures necessary to achieve the campaign's goals: hunting down the members of Al-Qa'eda who murdered innocent Americans and those who harboured the murderers and made it possible for them to operate.
The only way to make this campaign comply with international law is for the US to let the Security Council run it in accordance with Article 46 of the UN Charter. If it does not, the door will be open to any country wishing to follow the US's example.
Police General (rtrd) Mohamed Mesbah
Maadi
Made visible
Sir- Thank you for Mohamed Hakki's recent article "America's disappeared" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 22-28 November). It has been extremely frustrating for those of us who have dared to question this "war" in Afghanistan to be deemed terrorist sympathisers. To a certain extent, however, it is not surprising, given most people's ahistorical views, as well as the insularity and media sound bites of US foreign policy. Although our voices are a minority, access to the Internet for a more expansive analysis and diverse points of view has been crucial. Thank you again.Lisa Green
New York, New York
US
Letter from an American friend
Sir- Re Mustafa Kamel El-Sayed's "Letter to an American friend" (Al-Ahram Weekly, 22-28 November): I truly enjoyed your article, which I, as an American, found to be very insightful. It is encouraging for me to read that there have been "almost no attacks on Americans in Arab countries." And although you didn't mention it, I'm sure that Arab leaders have been as quick as President Bush was in publicly condemning any such incidents. Maybe you can relate to the American public how many Arab leaders went to churches and synagogues to promote tolerance, in the way that President Bush did by going to the mosques.You no doubt see the irony in your statement about there being almost no attacks on Americans in Arab lands while over 3,000 people are still entombed in New York.
It is interesting that you refer to the unilateral foreign policies of the US as being a source of Arab and Muslim frustration, and as you say "US foreign policy makes no sense to most people, in the Arab world or elsewhere." Of course, this begs the question as to why Europeans, Asians and the Russians don't feel compelled to fly their airplanes into American buildings, but hey, why confuse the issue?
As a political scientist, perhaps you can explain why the Americans constantly get blamed for the Palestinian problem. Why do Americans get blamed for not helping the Palestinians get the land today that the Arabs could have given them over 30 years ago? Why doesn't America get credit for shielding the Palestinians' retreat from Beirut after they were abandoned by Arab nations? And to answer your question, we didn't expect Arabs to dance in the streets when the US president asked Israel to withdraw their troops. But we also didn't expect them to dance in the streets when 5,000 [sic] innocent people were murdered, while Arab governments remained largely silent.
Equally curious to this American is your belief that the US wants to topple the Iraqi regime for no other reason than to satisfy Cold War appetites. As a man of peace, I am sure you agree that having biological weapons in Iraqi hands is a danger not only to the Kurds and Iranians, whose wholesale slaughter the Arabs nations overlooked, but also to many other nations. You no doubt agree that Iraq should keep its agreements made following the end of its brutal invasion of a fraternal Arab nation, Kuwait, and let United Nations weapons inspectors continue their work.
I am perplexed that you can write that no one supports military operations in Afghanistan because, for the Arabs, the military approach is not the best way to deal with this problem. You fail to mention what actions the Arab states have taken to resolve this issue. Am I incorrect in my understanding that there are thousands of Arabs fighting in Afghanistan in support of Osama Bin Laden, who you may recall is from Saudi Arabia? Clearly these people do not share your views on the peaceful resolution of conflict.
In case you haven't noticed by now, I believe your American friend would have benefited more from political science than political sophistry. I would suggest a good reading of Thomas Friedman's books and articles to help you more honestly communicate with your friends.
Finally, I am quite confident that the Arab leaders would likewise benefit from your wisdom on the use of force. When you write to them, will you let your American friends know what their response is? I am interested in the Syrian response to Hama or the Iraqi response about the Kurds, and how Arabs in general view these issues. Perhaps after all, the fault lies not with Americans, but with you.
David Fawcett
US
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