Issue No. 610
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31 Oct. - 6 Nov. 2002 Issue No. 610 Readers' corner |
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Falwell's hate mongering
Sir-- In an interview on CBS's highly rated programme 60 Minutes which was broadcast on 6 October, the Rev Jerry Falwell called the Prophet Mohamed a "terrorist". Falwell said, "I think Mohamed was a terrorist. I read enough, by both Muslims and non-Muslims, [to decide] that he was a violent man, a man of war."
This vicious attack on Islam and the Prophet Mohamed is only the latest in an escalating campaign of vilification emanating from right-wing Christian Evangelical figures. In the past, Falwell and other Southern Baptist leaders have described the Prophet Mohamed as a "demon- possessed paedophile". In a recent appearance on the Fox News Channel, the Rev Pat Robertson described the Prophet Mohamed as "an absolute wild-eyed fanatic. He was a robber and a brigand. And to say that these terrorists distort Islam, they're carrying out Islam. I mean, this man [Mohamed] was a killer. And to think that this is a peaceful religion is fraudulent". The Rev Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and head of Billy Graham Ministries Inc and who led the prayer at President Bush's inauguration ceremony, has repeatedly described Islam as "a very evil and wicked religion".
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (AAADC) joins the Anti-Defamation League and the National Council of Churches in strongly and forthrightly condemning this sustained campaign of hatred, defamation and vilification against Islam coming from the Evangelical Christian right.
This is the kind of outright bigotry that lays the groundwork for hate crimes and discrimination, and for the ugliest forms of intolerance. This growing campaign of prejudice needs to be confronted and repudiated before it can spread any further. It is hate speech pure and simple.
Aref Assaf
Chairman
Media Committee, New Jersey Chapter (AAADC)
New Jersey
USA
Blatant discrimination
Sir-- As the finance and administration manager of Hyundai Motor Distributors (Private) Limited, Zimbabwe, I was recently invited by Ghabbour Egypt to attend a series of business meetings to initiate new business for the mutual benefit of Zimbabwe and Egypt. I applied for a visa to come to Egypt on 30 September, and I was delighted to receive a visa within a few hours. I was confident that the Egyptian Embassy in Harare granted the visa upon perusal of all the relevant documentation and were satisfied of my eligibility to visit Egypt.
However, an unfortunate sequence of events took place upon my arrival in Egypt. I was regretfully treated unjustly by an immigration officer at Cairo Airport on 13 October. I was most distressed, humiliated and disappointed when I was asked to wait and ushered into a separate waiting area by the immigration officers, despite having completed the routine immigration formalities. After some hours, a senior officer attended to me, and was most intimidating. I was confused and shocked when I was confronted with a barrage of questions regarding my opinion on a range of irrelevant and mundane issues, relating to current political affairs regarding Palestine, the US, etc.
What I found most unacceptable is the severe interrogation I was subjected to as to "why I wear a beard". This question was put to me persistently and repeatedly during the entire punishing and unjust ordeal which lasted no less than three hours.
I believe that any person who chooses to wear a beard cannot be discriminated against and subjected to degrading treatment based on this fact alone, especially in a country which until today I believed was a Muslim country. The irony of the unfortunate state of affairs is that my colleague and friend -- a non-Muslim -- who accompanied me was allowed into Egypt without interrogation and his entry was effected in a manner which was efficient. To the contrary, I was subjected to this maltreatment for the simple fact that I was bearded and a Muslim.
I find the conduct of the officers arbitrary and draconian, to say the least, especially in these modern times. And as a result of this traumatic experience, I am seriously reconsidering establishing business links with Egypt, which is a member of COMESA.
Sayed G Ibrahim Mahmed
Harare
Zimbabwe
Taking sides
Sir-- Your articles regarding the anniversary of the Battle of El-Alamein (Al-Ahram Weekly, 24- 30 October) seem to imply that Egyptians should somehow be grateful for the British victory in our Western Desert. As you are no doubt aware, most Egyptians at the time welcomed the German advance against the British, as it held out the prospect of ridding Egypt of the domination and cruel exploitation of the occupying British forces which had plagued our country since 1882. This sympathy for Rommel's Afrika Korps was even stronger in the Egyptian government, and King Farouk's ministers even drew up plans for a public celebration to welcome Rommel into Alexandria (plans that were quickly disowned and denied after the German defeat).
Many Egyptian nationalists were involved in pro-German activities, including the then future President Anwar El-Sadat, who the British forces later imprisoned. Acting on the ancient premise that "my enemy's enemy is my friend", these men and women saw the Germans as our natural allies in our struggle for freedom against the British. Furthermore, since Hitler's former Deputy Fuehrer Rudolf Hess had been born and raised in Egypt, and in view of Hitler's statements of support for Arab nationalism in his meeting with the then Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in Berlin, they felt they had reason to believe the Germans would be favourably disposed to a country that had been resisting the British army for decades.
With the defeat of Rommel at El-Alamein, British forces would remain an occupying force on our soil for another 24 years. As you observe, even in 2002, we are left with the shameful legacy of their disregard for our country as evidenced by the millions of land mines which make so much of our land in the Western Desert useless. We should also not forget that only six years after El-Alamein, the victorious Allies betrayed all their talk of freedom and liberty when they supported the Zionist conquest and colonisation of Palestine. Sixty years on, what do you think we should really be remembering?
Khalid Sabri
Alexandria
Egypt
The oil factor
Sir-- The Bush administration has made 'regime change' its policy on Iraq, declaring that President Saddam Hussein must go as he is too dangerous a man to be allowed to gain control of weapons of mass destruction. But a largely unspoken concern has been about one key strategic resource -- oil. After Saudi Arabia, Iraq has the world's largest reserve of crude oil -- about 10 per cent of the world's total -- and America needs oil to satisfy a lust for gasoline and maintain its way of life.
With dwindling domestic reserves, the US will increasingly be forced to find its oil elsewhere. They will not say they are waging a war for oil. The war is to achieve many targets, oil is one of them. America wants access to Iraq's reserves, but there is a stampede, with the Russians, French and Italians already lined up. But the US is ready to play tough to get a slice of the pie. In a cunning move to block US moves in the United Nations Security Council, Mr Saddam has used oil exploration contracts to cocoon his regime. Both France and Russia hold veto powers in the UN Security Council which could stop dead proposals for a US-led action, and both oppose a military attack.
Former Central Intelligence Agency director James Woolsey bluntly told The Washington Post: "They [France and Russia] should be told that if they are of assistance in moving Iraq towards decent government, we'll do the best we can to ensure the new government and American companies work closely with them; but If they throw in their lot with Saddam, it will be difficult, to the point of impossible, to persuade the new Iraqi government to work with them."
I think it's about controlling the region that harbours most of the world's oil and that is a continuing priority for American foreign and security policy. It is risky for the US to believe it could find a stable source of oil in such a fractious region. The only way to ensure that, is to turn Iraq into an outright colony of the US... to colonise it in a traditional imperial sense.
Regime change was never for the good of the region, that's all for popular consumption. The US isn't thinking about democracy nor about weapons of mass destruction.
Amr Badran
Cairo
Egypt
World War III omen
Sir-- 'The Americans are coming' by Ayman El-Amir is a good article. I completely agree with the writer on the dangerous -- and I would say reckless -- policy of the US towards Iraq.
Obviously the drive here is to control oil in the Middle East. This war is going to be a humanitarian disaster perpetrated by my country and may well be the beginning of World War III. I think that there has to be Arab unity to resist US aggression. I am saddened and disgusted by the behaviour of my country.
Paul Billings
Pennsylvania
USA
Letter to Bush
Sir-- This is an open letter to President Bush:
Mr G W Bush, president of the United States of America, you surprise me with your audacity in coming on television on 22 October and saying "Saddam ignored the UN for 11 years." On 18 October, Mr Colin Powell said "Iraq has been in continuous breach of Security Council resolutions," and on 23 October you come back saying "Iraq is still in breach of the UN." Has it ever occurred to you that Israel has been ignoring the UN for 34 years, from Resolution 242 up to Resolution 1435. Since 1967, Israel has been in continuous breach of Security Council resolutions -- what have you done about it?
Why is it permissible for Israel and not for others? How can you explain the double standards of justice and the elasticity of your conscience? If Saddam has been killing his own people, you are not any better -- with your policies you are inviting terrorism to your country, and hurting your own people. You have not offered any proof of Saddam's possession of weapons of mass destruction and you have not shown how he is a threat to the US. Thus, no respectable leader other than your puppet Mr Blair, is willing to go along with you.
Most Arabs were happy when a stroke of luck gave you the US presidency, but you turned out to be more pro-Zionist and pro-Israeli than even the most conservative Jew, even Israeli Jew. You jump to the conclusion that any act of terror is committed by Arabs or Muslims, and if it turns to be otherwise, you claim that person is insane. I need not mention McVeigh in Oklahoma, and a few mass massacres that took place over the last few years and the current serial sniper, that your press claims has Middle Eastern features. That is not to mention the biggest serial killer, Israel's Prime Minister Sharon who is on the loose and has your blessings by pretending to be fighting terrorism. The terrorism we watch daily is little monsters throwing stones at Israeli tanks.
Mr President, what you call acts of terror are in fact wake-up calls for you; there will be no peace without a fair settlement. Every day you come up with the most aggravating and antagonising statements against Arabs and Muslims, and yet we have accepted Israel; we have accepted the crumbs of our own land. Yet we cannot accept the humiliation and aggression that the Palestinians are subjected to daily.
The world is ready for a strong leadership that will enforce law and order using the same scale of justice for everyone. Through that, we can have peace, but certainly not through your kind of partial leadership. You have to rise to the level of a leader that can fill the seat of the US presidency and assume the position of a world leader. So help you God.
Mamdouh El-Rashidi
Cairo
Egypt
Poignant observations
Sir-- I just wanted to commend Mohamed Sid- Ahmed's article 'On a dialogue between civilisations' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 24-30 October).
In a plain, yet elegant way, he has described, quite correctly in my view, some of the largest, most difficult themes of our time. May we all have the grace to raise ourselves up sufficiently to see as clearly as your writer. Much appreciated.
Richard Bronstein
Calgary
Canada
Wrong reference
Sir-- In her article about the Wazzani Springs in South Lebanon 'Southern thirst' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 17-23 October), Michael Jansen writes: "Ghajar which now straddles the UN-delineated 'Blue Line', is two-thirds in Lebanon and one- third in Israel."
This is a terrible mistake. Ghajar is either in Lebanon or in the Golan, which is part of Syria. Israel occupies the Golan -- illegally.
Gareth Smyth
Beirut
Lebanon
Sharon's ouster
Sir-- I think that it would do the world a service if Sharon is kicked out -- he is the big problem.
I do not support killing and terrorism, but I think that it is disgusting to sit back and watch the Israeli Army treating the Arabs just like the Nazis treated the Jews, and get away with it.
Gordon Reynolds
London
Canada
Murderous pack
Sir-- After the Jewish people's long negative experience, I cannot understand how the Israeli Army behaves this way towards women and children.
Those in power in Israel are a pack of murderers and killers, and without the help of the USA something like that would not be possible.
Alfred Kienzle
Bad Dürrheim
Germany
All rights reserved
Sir-- Your article 'Culture under attack' (Al- Ahram Weekly, 17-23 October) on the bulge in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is deliriously one-sided. The Waqf seems bent on blaming Israel for every problem on the Mount/Al-Aqsa, as well as taking every opportunity to deny any claim that the Jewish Temple Mount is even located on the same site, lest it lend credence to Israel's claim to some or all of that holy ground.
Your reporter should have asked -- and the Waqf should have mentioned -- that the bulge in the southern wall is right next to the illegal (and unsupervised) excavation works which the Waqf undertook in the Solomons Stables area of the Mount, in order to create the Marwani Mosque. It is these works that have damaged the structure of the Mount and with it the integrity of the Southern Wall.
It is deeply irresponsible of the Waqf to blame Israel for every problem and to skew out of context each move made by Israel. It is my understanding that Israel prevented further works on the Mount not to halt remedial work being undertaken to the bulge, but to stop it getting any worse. What possible benefit would Israel derive from the collapse of the southern wall, given its close proximity to the Western Wall or Kotel (the term Wailing Wall is, coincidentally, rather offensive)? Should the wall collapse, this terrible event will doubtless be used by the Waqf and other Islamic authorities as a means to incite further anti-Israel activism.
If the Waqf were truly responsible, it would not have allowed the original works to take place in Solomons Stables/Marwani Mosque without proper supervision.
On the issue of the denial of any Jewish connection to the site, this is based on a laughably unhistoric, nationalistic and unilateralist approach that has no basis in reality. Was not the Mount chosen for Mohamed's flight to heaven precisely because it was already considered hallowed ground? Was Jerusalem not once called Madinat Beit Al-Maqdis (City of the Holy House)?
The Palestinians are entitled to a rightful share of the religious sites in Jerusalem, perhaps including the Temple Mount itself. But to deny another religion's heritage just to prove your own is unacceptable -- and it lessens us all.
David Ward
London
UK
Getting it straight
Sir-- In response to the story on the banking crisis in Egypt and borrowers fleeing the country 'Cleaning up the banks' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 October), the perils of easy credit are not confined to Egypt. The US has been gorging on easy capital through most of the 1990s -- the result has been Enron, Tyco, Worldcom, and other spectacular collapses.
Purging these excesses from the system is the tonic necessary to restore confidence and get the economy growing again. Bank managers need to extend credit based on sound lending principles and processes. The legal system has to kick in to allow lenders to take over their collateral easily.
Bankruptcy laws need to be addressed to have a formal mechanism of rehabilitating the debtor and attracting new capital into the company, free of any claims from creditors. Once the debt overhang is worked off banks should be applying higher risk premiums on loans that clearly have equity like risks.
K Britain
New Jersey
USA
Dialogue on Islam
Sir-- 'Heaven, which way?' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 12-18 September) was an exceptional article. I appreciate your courage in publishing this controversial view of Islam, politics and culture in the Arab world. In my view, this is what the Arab region obviously needs -- a positive approach to confronting Islam with the needs of people in the 21st Century, and show how this part of the world can overcome its absolute intellectual, political, economic and cultural standstill.
This is not in order to defame Islam but to find an adequate connection to the great historical power that Islam once represented. Westerners could and would be willing to enter into an intellectual discourse with Islam and all that relates to it. But at present, in Egypt, it is nearly not possible to discuss anything.
What depresses me the most is that whenever a prominent person has forward-minded ideas, based on sound historical basis, they have to fear for their lives or go abroad. How long will this country be able to afford such a brain-drain?
Reinhard Messling
Cairo
Egypt
Hakim rocks
Sir-- I love the profile section, especially 'Hakim: The business of pleasure' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 October). He is quite a popular and interesting figure, as well as a unique display of bodily gestures on stage.
Ghada Foda
London
UK
Aida flop
Sir-- I read Nevine El Aref's article 'Monumental Aida' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 October) on this year's production of Aida, in which we were told live animals were to be in the victory scene. I attended the performance last week and there were no live animals to be seen.
What was also missing were programmes for the performance. I have never attended an opera, concert or theatre performance anywhere in the world and not been able to buy a programme. I would like someone to explain to me what the blue circle that was raised up and down in the performance was supposed to represent.
While, I enjoyed the singing from the chorus as well as the costumes, I felt that the beautiful setting of the pyramids was not used to its full effect. I left feeling disappointed.
Doreen Turner
Cairo
Egypt
Counter-racism
Sir-- Brian Blair's incensed response 'Don't spoil a rare forum' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 17-23 October) to my letter 'Not so innocent' (Al-Ahram Weekly, 3-9 October) was a brilliant confirmation of all the claims I had made. One cannot but stand in awe before the admirable stoicism with which Mr Blair carries the 'White Man's Burden'.
He is practically incapable of hiding the deep- seated racism and colonial mentality of his people when he expresses his suspicion that I couldn't have learnt to write in Egypt. I wonder if Mr Blair has ever been to the Egyptian Museum? What am I saying, he probably never left his country. But if he were to visit the museum, the first thing he would see would be the statue of the Scribe. You see, my ancestors were writing at the time those of Mr Blair were no more than some crude form of unicellular marine life crawling at the bottom of the some dismal ocean.
Mr Blair should stop to "understand" what he calls "the Arab perspective." I advise him to look instead for the humanity in himself first. Should he succeed in achieving that small step for man but giant step for "whitebreads", then maybe he'll be able to grasp the obvious without much effort. Until then, I suggest he keeps on doing what his kind of people do best: play football and drink pink lemonade. Or maybe he prefers milk and cookies?
By the way, do any of you think he is in any way related to Tony the Dancing Blair?
Mahmoud El-Lozy
Cairo
Egypt
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