This War does not Represent the spirit of America

At this moment when our tax dollars are turned into dust by our invading army, we must make our views clear to those whom we elect to defend us, and our values. Our young men and women in uniform are doing their duty. They are following the orders and we must pray for their safety and security. But we must question our politicians who put our soldiers in harms way and become a cause for the sufferings of Iraqi people. While we pray for the safety of Iraqi people and our troops, we must declare our opposition to this unjustified war that Mr. Bush has pushed us in.

Saddam Hussein is a tyrannical ruler. So are Husni Mubarak, King Fahd, Amir of Kuwait and Ariel Sharon. You can also include the leaders of Azerbaijan, Niger, Angola and many others in the same category. Saddam should be removed from power, not at the cost of the destruction of the country, but through a legal and non-violent movement.

Saddam Hussein built weapons of mass destruction. So did Israel, Pakistan, France, China, England, North Korea and India. We also built weapons of mass destruction and have used them in the past. The responsibility of removing these weapons from the world lies upon the United Nations, not on one nation in its hegemonist's designs. Saddam Hussein has sponsored terrorism. But his terrorism was directed against his own people and Iran while we watched on the sidelines and provide his regime with support. His terrorism has never been directed against us. There is no evidence to link him with al Qaeda.

The Bush administration has tried to build a case to wage war on Iraq but in the process has created a graveyard of failed diplomacy. It has imposed a war, the price of which will be paid by the Iraqis, other people of the region and the taxpayers of our country. Innocent people will become refugees once again. The destruction and the future rebuilding of Iraq will help American and British multinationals to earn the dividends of war the Iraqis will work for the multinationals for a few morsels.

After the war, we will buy Iraqi gas at a cheap price. We will have exclusive rights to own Iraqi oil wells and we will have the monopoly to control the rebuilding of social, economic and political structure of Iraq.

This is a wrong policy. This is not a policy that is consistent with the sprit of American. During his campaign Mr. Bush promised that he would not engaged in national building. Now he is engaged in world building. His myopic vision of the world has reduced the United Nations to a non-entity. He has humiliated billions of people who opposed this war. He has introduced a new law of violence in our world politics, a law of violence that we thought we had dismissed during the Nuremberg trials of 1945.

The America that we know and believe in is not an imperialistic nation. American is not a protector of multinational corporations and special interest groups. American is a dream that every nation has: Pluralistic, prosperous, respectful, humble and just. Many Americans struggled for these rights even after the bill of rights were introduced in our constitutions. African-Americans struggled for this pluralism, prosperity, and justice and put America back on its track when it had lost sight of its vision.

Civil rights and Human rights activists contributed to the American struggle of desegregation, tolerance and human integrity sometime at the cost of their own lives.

This dream lives on in the minds of millions of American. They believe in democracy, human dignity and freedom. But those who serve the interests of special interest groups often deceive Americans of their true intentions. Those who understand the limitations of Mr. Bush's intellect have circled him with their hawkish ideas. They have used American resources to deprive Americans of those values that America took pride in. They have brought in their own agenda and have caused the country the most severe damage. They have taken the country away from the path of humility, justice and liberty and pursuit of happiness.

This war is still wrong. But we are praying that our soldiers return home safely and be a beacon of liberty and justice at home. We pray that the people of Iraq are spared this torment. We must direct our criticism against those who have manipulated us, even if they happen to hold the highest offices in our country.

Dr. Aslam Abdullah is editor in chief of the Minaret and Observer.