12 Sep, 2010

The global truth movement is now on a roll

Imtiaz Muqbil

Originally Published: 12 September 2010

Whether or not the Christian pastor in Florida decides to burn the Qur’an, he is only singing the same anti-Muslim hymn that has dominated the global geopolitical choirs in the last decade.

Note that those who spoke out against the Qur’an-burning did so only in the parochial context of a fear that it would create more problems for America and Americans in the “war on terror”. The moral or spiritual element did not figure very prominently.

Yet, all through last week, American drones continued the killing spree in Waziristan. Naturally, they claimed, only “militants” were killed, a dubious claim at best as the drone-fired missile has no way of knowing. The fact that this, too, bolsters the ranks of Al Qaeda did not matter too much to the spin doctors.

So, regardless of whether or not the pastor burns the Qur’an, the damage has been done. In which case, it is a good idea to list what REALLY continues to help recruit people for Al Qaeda, foment the war on Islam and perpetuate the clash of civilisations that began with 9/11 and is set to continue in the second decade of the 21st century:

<> The unending 62-year Israeli occupation of Palestine, the continued building of Israeli settlements, denial of Palestinian freedom of movement, destruction of Palestinian homes, holding hundreds of Palestinian prisoners without charge, assassinating Palestinian resistance leaders through “targeted killings”, vetoing UN Security Council resolutions, blocking UN reports and doing everything possible to ensure that Israel remains totally unaccountable.

<> Coining phrases like “Islamists” and “jihadists”, quoting Quranic verses out of context, drawing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, voting to ban minarets, debating the wearing of the hijab and the niqab, racially profiling Muslims at airports, discriminating against them in visa application processes, targeting their charities, putting mosques and homes under surveillance.

<> Painting Islamic societies as being uncivilised and backward, making movies depicting Muslims as terrorists, producing “think-tank” reports and organising seminars and conferences on how to “reform” Islam and its educational systems along Western terms, selling security equipment by hyping up “radical Islam” as the primary threat in the “war on terror”.

<> Demanding that Islamic countries recognise and “normalise” relations with Israel, accusing Islamic leaders of human rights violations while allowing George W Bush and Tony Blair, both responsible for the disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to walk free.

This is only a small fraction of the body of lies, double-talk, double standards, hypocrisy and injustice that keeps the entire conflict simmering. Along with many other Muslims worldwide, I have warned in numerous columns that these policies are unsustainable and only perpetuate the violence.

In response, all we get is the standard line: Muslims must “do more” to denounce and condemn Islamic clerics and terrorist groups. Those of us who don’t toe the Western line are labeled extremists and fundamentalists. When we point out that financial, political and diplomatic backing for this anti-Islam campaign is being provided by Jewish-controlled companies, institutions and groups, we get accused of incitement and anti-Semitism.

The western governments hear but ignore. The Judeo-Christian world has absolutely no respect for the Buddhist principle of cause and effect.

However, I wager that this Florida pastor’s Qur’an-burning publicity stunt is yet another game-changer, a slow turning-of-the-tables process that is seeing the legions of Islamophobes become victims of the law of unintended consequences.

As more of their own homegrown Bible-thumping fanatics emerge from behind the pulpit, and the script begins to unravel, an anti-climax is gathering steam. The Islamophobes are becoming victims of their own lies.

In future, they will find it even more difficult to counter the global truth movement that is now on a roll. Here is just some evidence in the past week:

<> A group known as “Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth” has set up a website http://ae911truth.org/ to present what it says is “hard evidence” that all three World Trade Centre skyscrapers in New York City “were destroyed by explosive controlled demolition.” This argument has long been dumped in the “conspiracy theory” department but is now going mainstream. If the world was lied to about the reasons for the war in Iraq, why not about 9/11?

<> Lebanese President Saad Hariri backtracked on his earlier very emphatic but unfounded claims that Syria was behind the February 2005 assassination of his father Rafiq Hariri, also a former Lebanese President.

<> The Jewish spiritual leader of Israel’s powerful ultra-Orthodox political movement Shas declared the Palestinians ”evil people who should perish from this earth”. The inflammatory comments were made by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, whose Shas party is a member of Israel’s ruling coalition. He clearly wants Palestinians to be wiped off the map, but no-one in the West called on him to withdraw his remarks.

<> A growing number of actors, academics, authors and artists in Israel, the United States and elsewhere, have signed letters and petitions refusing to perform in the Ariel cultural center, built by Israel in the occupied part of the West Bank.

If Mr Obama really wants to avoid more recruitment for Al Qaeda, let the truth emerge and hold the liars accountable.

And let me the state for the record: Do not, I repeat, do not attack Iran.

It is no conspiracy theory that those now pursuing an attack on Iran are the same bunch of toadies who incited the American establishment into attacking Iraq and Afghanistan, prominently led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its acolytes, otherwise known in Washington DC as the Jewish lobby.

The option of rethinking policy is hugely problematic for Western governments whose decision-making apparatus is dominated by people who are both extremely smart and extremely stupid – they are smart enough to know exactly how to manipulate the Islamic world and stupid enough to think that they can continue to do it forever.

For them to admit that we have been right means admitting that they were wrong; and that can make them look both really bad and really stupid.

They are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. A third damnation awaits: Staying the course will only make it worse.

The religion of Islam is not going to lose this war on Islam.

Lest they have forgotten, let me remind the Judeo-Christian world that Muslims recognise, respect and revere the Judeo-Christian prophets, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all).

None of these prophets wanted their followers to be liars and killers. Today, I can prove without a shade of doubt that the leaders of the Judeo-Christian world are responsible for more global killing and lying than the Muslims.

I believe they call it “sinning.”

Jesus had some pretty good advice on how to fix that.

It did not then, and would not today, include burning a Qur’an.