Readers' corner
Dual nationality
Sir-- America's support for Zionism comes from nothing but a lust to control Middle East oil. But America need not fear the loss of access to foreign oil because oil, as a traded commodity, is fungible, and thereby forever flows to the highest bidder. The cost of believing otherwise has driven the United States into endless conflict with Arab-Muslims who demand the right to control their own resources. America's refusal to acknowledge this principle, including the return of Arab-Muslim lands to their former owner, the Palestinians, has obliged the United States to spend endless sums on national defence, creating, along the way, a burdensome national debt that swamps the nation's looming domestic obligations.
Although the countless millions of Muslims bent on recovering the lands their kinfolk lost in the creation of Israel do not at present have the military force to defeat Zionism on the battlefield, in time that will change, if only because Muslim fighters express a willingness to die for their cause while Israelis hedge their bets by maintaining dual citizenship, most typically with the United States.
Ivan Hild
Virginia
USA
Now solutions
Sir-- I agree with your opinion in Al-Ahram that Western foreign policy uses military force as a rule, rather than the exception and does little to solve deep-rooted issues that we see today in the Middle East ('Avoiding a clash of civilisations' Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 August). While the article explains the complexities of today's issues in the Middle East, it leaves the reader with vague solutions calling for a return to basic moral principles, dialogue through peace, and freedom and justice for all. As an American citizen, our principles, morality and freedom are important factors in daily life. Understanding the complexities of the issues that affect the Middle East, I doubt the answer would be this simplistic. The problems facing the Middle East today resulted from avoiding these concerns over decades. Real-time solutions are badly needed in preserving limited resources, employment, government and nuclear capability. I believe in my heart, that all Americans would welcome and encourage plausible solutions that would benefit the people, our neighbours in the Middle East.
Shadya Eldousoky
Houston
USA
Mighty Hizbullah
Sir-- Israel's latest devastating wholesale attack on Lebanon's civilian economic infrastructure and indiscriminate bombardment of civilians symbolises its inherent belligerent and bullying foreign policy, contempt to international conventions and blatant disregard to international humanitarian laws. This act of callousness and excessive collective punishment meted out to the non-combatant civilian population of Lebanon will only serve to further Israel's self-inflicted isolation in the region. Nor will it bolster the image of Israel and that of its omnipotent patron, the United States. If Israel's wanton blitzkrieg of Lebanon was justified in the classic name of "self-defence", it neither enhanced its security nor subdued Hizbullah. Despite its ultra- modern weapons of destruction, Israel's vulnerability has been exposed for the first time. Hizbullah has succeeded in overcoming the myth of Israel's invincibility. For the first time in the contemporary history of the Middle East, Israel failed to defeat an Arab opponent. Hizbullah's bravery and tenacity to withhold Israel's might will certainly embolden other radical groups in the Middle East. Hi-tech powers like Israel and the United States should understand that the zeal and tenacity of a group of determined militants are mightier than the machine. The future wars will hardly be conventional. The question now is can brute force substitute for diplomacy? What lessons, if any, would Israel and the United Sates glean from the growing reality that peace and confidence is not built on intimidation and terrorisation of the very people with whom one desires to cultivate mutually beneficial cooperative relationships and peaceful co- existence and understanding?
Abdi Adan
Toronto
Canada
Israel won't attack
Sir-- I just read an article by Ayman Al-Amir ('Lessons from Lebanon' Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 August). I have never commented on an article before as I usually view something like this as just someone's personal opinion but I might have a very simple solution to peace in the Middle East. Leave Israel alone and the whole thing would be over immediately. What are the chances of Israel attacking anybody, with or without provocation? Israel did not instigate this conflict, they responded to it. Who can argue with that fact? If Hizbullah had not gone into Israel and killed and kidnapped soldiers, none of this would ever have happened.
George Rey
California
USA
Give up
Sir-- Gaza is under siege ('Don't forget Gaza' Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 August). The West Bank is divided into cantons and ruled by some 400 checkpoints. People are being humiliated daily at these mini-border posts and sometimes are killed by the Israeli army. Activists are being hunted down, members of the Legislative Council and the government are being abducted and held illegally. The world is watching and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is now a sad marginalised figure. Basically neither he nor Ismail Haniyeh are able to do anything or influence events. It would be prudent in my view if they dissolve the government and resign en masse and make a declaration to the world that they are unable to function under Israeli occupation. This kind of step will send shock waves throughout the world and would ultimately focus international attention on the occupation. The US administration with the EU have reneged on their commitments to the two-state solution under the roadmap and handed the agenda to Sharon and his successor Olmert. Let us stop pretending that there is such a thing as a real Palestinian Authority or government.
Nehad Ismail
Camberley
UK
Ideal site
Sir-- The whole of Israel should be transferred to the middle of Australia. It is British, it is desert, and has only a few locals to displace. There the Jews will be in peace.
Alexander Baldal
Netherlands Antilles
Reasons for fleeing
Sir-- Have we asked ourselves why some Mansoura University students abandoned their educational programme in the USA to instead drift around the country, perhaps seeking employment? I think the main reason was their wish to find a better chance, a better life without bribes or nepotism or favouritism. Unless we face this crisis the door will be open to similar incidents.
Ahmed Abdel-Tawwab
Cairo
Egypt
Darfur forgotten
Sir-- For the past several weeks your paper has devoted 98 per cent of its space to what is going on in Lebanon and 0 per cent to what is going on in Darfur, where far more people have been murdered.
Jennifer Renot
Washington
USA
Not so rigid
Sir-- 'Sacred tunes' ( Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 August) is very inspiring and I would like to thank your good paper for such an important story. What is significant about this story is that it shatters the general perception that prevails among many people in the West that Islam is a rigid and intolerant religion. I recently converted to Islam myself and I as well as many other converts can identify with the people in the feature story. It pleases us to know that newspapers such as yours are acting as a cultural bridge to all members of the human family.
Janet Robinson
London
UK
Muslim to Muslim
Sir-- Gamal Nkrumah states, "But not all Muslims are prepared to stand idly by as their fellow Muslims in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan are being butchered by brutish occupation forces" ('Hysteria now, please' Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 August). No, but most have stood idly by while hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been murdered in Darfur. Indeed, most remain silent while the killing and displacement continue. I do not recall any great demonstrations and outrage over the brutish butchering of Iraqis by Saddam Hussein. I could go on with numerous examples of Muslim inhumanity to Muslims. I abhor what has occurred in Lebanon but it seems to be a bit hypocritical that mass demonstrations of outrage and passionate editorialising rarely occur when poor innocent Muslims are murdered on a massive scale by their own people. The number of Muslim women murdered each year in "honour killings" far outnumbers the number of killed in Lebanon and yet only a small group of courageous Muslim activists fight for justice for those lost souls whose lives were considered expendable to a false honour.
Victoria Zaper
Chicago
USA
Dahab powerless
Sir-- I am an Australian living in Dahab, and married to an Egyptian for the past four years. We have just built a beautiful house in Dahab, but cannot live in it as the government will not give us electricity. This is an ongoing problem in Dahab with many families, both Egyptian and other, living without the basic essentials like electricity and water. If the government gives the people electricity meters, then people will stop stealing it and start paying for it (which is what the people want) and the money will go back into the Egyptian economy. Dahab is a tourist city with many Egyptians trying to settle here, but at the moment they cannot even live. The government needs to do something now.
Erin Hawkins
Dahab
Egypt
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