Readers' corner
A plea for silence
Sir-- I am writing not to ask the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights to intervene and bring an end to violations of human rights. I am simply asking that the world watch silently. For nearly 60 years the world has not only watched as the Israeli government has carried out ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians; the world has supported it. The country of Israel is the recipient of more foreign economic aid than all countries combined. If only people watched quietly, perhaps the suffering of Palestinians would be lessened. Nearly 60 years ago, the vast majority of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes to make way for an Israeli state. Those who could not afford to go anywhere lived in refugee camps in what at the time were the Egyptian-governed Gaza Strip and the Jordanian West Bank. In 1967, the Israeli invasion of the West Bank and Gaza Strip ended in illegal occupation which lasts to this day. The victims of this occupation are the same Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes in 1948 and 60 years later remain to live in what were meant to be temporary refugee camps.
In 2002, in an act unparalleled in the history of colonialism, Israel began construction of a wall in the West Bank. While this concrete wall was built under the title of "separation barrier" and is legitimised by Israel as necessary for security, the wall cuts deep into Palestinian territory and has violated basic human rights of over three and a half million refugees. The wall, along with trenches, electric wires, moats and snipers, guards a virtually impoverished unarmed people. The wall surrounds Palestinian villages, weaving around illegal Israeli settlements, trapping the refugees and cutting them off from their families, their source of living, healthcare and education services. To make way for the wall, thousands of homes were destroyed, trees uprooted, and acres of land confiscated.
The Palestinians are thus virtually kept under house arrest; travelling, even to a neighbouring village, comes with the risk of being humiliated, detained or shot. For those who obtain a permit, movement is limited by curfews, and travel is restricted by roads banned for "non-Jews" and checkpoints, the crossing of which is determined by the mercy of Israeli soldiers. Palestinians may end up stuck on one side of a checkpoint, away from their homes, for days at a time.
In the 1970s former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir boldly asserted, "there was no such thing as Palestinians." Since then, the Israeli government has progressed to recognise the existence of Palestinians. In 1988, Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir said that the Palestinians "would be crushed like grasshopper... head(s) smashed against the boulders and walls." It seems that with the help of the world, Israel is working to ensure that this statement becomes reality. While the wall in the West Bank is recognised as a violation of international law, it still stands. With billions of dollars in annual foreign aid, Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territory and make the refugees' lives unbearable.
I am not asking the United Nations to tear down the wall, or even to enforce sanctions against Israel. I am simply suggesting that rather than spend the majority of the world's aid financing a tiny country's mission to rid its illegal territories of the native population, the world should put its aid to better use.
Sarah Mousa
New Jersey
USA
Church crisis
Sir-- One cannot help feeling baffled when constructing a church turns into a major offence after which ensues all-out riots and looting (by the way churches have never been alien or novel to Egypt).
It is convincing to say that the absence of the rule of law has been the crux of the dilemma, but similarly as all previous sectarian incidents, this one is also being played down and ascribed to the evil hands which work in the darkness to foment strife in Egypt.
It is seemingly aberrant that we have muddled our priorities and are unwilling to genuinely face up to sectarianism. Consequently, nobody would guarantee that similar incidents would not crop up again.
Isaac Bandry
Qena
Egypt
Wild Wilders
Sir-- Despite his denials, the political views of Mr Wilders [Dutch MP and chair of the Party for Freedom], are based on racism. Moreover, he is attacking the heart of Dutch democracy, ventilating views which are similar to a police state.
His racist views are based on his negative views on Muslims in general and the Moroccan minority in particular. Notorious is his statement that Muslims should tear up half of the Quran if they want to live in The Netherlands. Another example is his qualification of Moroccan teenage dropouts as being "street terrorists".
Apart of the lack of any serious investigation into the causes of real or alleged youth criminality, striking is the unjust association with political terrorism.
Moreover, Dutch autochton ['white'] teenage dropouts are not being associated by him with "street terrorism".
Another example is his distinction between '"Western" and "non-Western" allochtones [foreigners], with a negative qualification of the latter.
These political views are hate-provoking, especially in the light of increased racism and Islamophobia since the 11 September attacks. As well as the insult to a minority group as provoking of hatred, are violations of Dutch law.
Dangerous also is his plea for the introduction of labour camps and administrative detention [detention without trial] for real or alleged terror suspects which are violations of Dutch and international law.
It is clear that Dutch politicians not only have a moral obligation to condemn those views as racist but should not cooperate with Mr Wilders and his party.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
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