How to Inflame the Entire Muslim World

Category: Middle East, World Affairs Topics: Conflicts And War, Foreign Policy, Occupation Views: 3095
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How will history describe the Israeli war against the Palestinians in Gaza? Another Holocaust, this time perpetrated by the descendants of the victims? An election ploy by ambitious Israeli politicians to win votes in the February 10 elections? A test range for new American weapons? Or an effort to lock in the new Obama Administration into an anti-Iranian position? An attempt to establish its military "credibility" after its disastrous defeat in the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006? Perhaps all of these .. and more. 

But one thing is certain. Israel has killed at least 100 Palestinians for each of its own claimed losses, a vast disproportion that has produced horror in much of the world, creating a new cause which has mobilized countless numbers of people - possibly as strong as the Vietnam war movement. It has made itself a pariah nation - save in the United States and a few other countries. Above all, it has enflamed the entire Muslim world

As Bruce Riedel, a "hawk" who has held senior posts in the CIA for nearly 30 years and is now one of President Obama's many advisers, has just written: ".. the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the central all-consuming issue for al Quaeda," and "Muslims feel a profound sense of wrong about the creation of Israel that infuses every aspect thinking and activities and has become the rallying cry used the convince the ummah of the righteousness of al Quaeda's cause." That was before Gaza. Much of the world now detests Israel but most it will live for many years to come with the consequences of Israel's atrocities. Muslim extremists will now become much stronger.

Charges of war crimes are now being leveled - and justifiably so - at the Israelis, many of whom themselves come from families that suffered in the hands of the Nazis over 60 years ago and now claim that the Holocaust was the only tragedy - as if the far more numerous deaths of goyim throughout the world after 1945 count for nothing. The United Nations and human rights groups are demanding that Israel be brought to justice for what now amounts to having killed over 1300 Gazans with immense firepower, many of which, like phosphorous bombs, are illegal. Israel has already prepared its senior officers to be ready to defend themselves against war crimes charges and Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz several weeks ago warned the government was expecting a "wave of international lawsuits."

It will now have to live with the geo-political consequences in the region. Israel has, perhaps irreparably, imperiled its relations with the neighboring Arab states and other Muslim nations - Qatar and Mauritania have already suspended diplomatic relations with it - less because the ruling classes of these nations want to penalize it but because the Arab masses demand it, imperiling their own positions as rulers.

Even more important, although the United States has loyally supported Israel for decades, deluging it with the most modern arms and giving it diplomatic protection, it is now in an economic crisis and needs Arab money, not to mention oil imports, as never before. The stability of this crucial alliance will now be tested.

Since its inception, a cult of machismo - called self-defense - characterized much of Zionism, and although there were idealists like A. D. Gordon, the mainstream was more and more committed to a violent response to the Arabs who surrounded them. The military was increasing glorified, including by nominal Leftists like David Ben Gurion, so that today Israel is a regional Sparta armed with the most modern military and nuclear weapons, giving it a virtual monopoly in a vast region - one that will inevitably be challenged.

Uri Avnery, a leading Israeli anti-war activist, has just written that ".. hundreds of millions of Arabs around us .. will they see the Hamas fighters as the heroes of the Arab nation, but they will also see their own regimes in their nakedness: cringing, ignominious, corrupt and treacherous .. In coming years it will become apparent that this war was sheer madness." 

We are living through yet another great tragedy, and tragedies have been the staple of world history for centuries. Now former victims and their descendants are the executioners. 

Gabriel Kolko is the leading historian of modern warfare. He is the author of the classic Century of War: Politics, Conflicts and Society Since 1914, Another Century of War? and The Age of War: the U.S. Confronts the World.


  Category: Middle East, World Affairs
  Topics: Conflicts And War, Foreign Policy, Occupation
Views: 3095

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Older Comments:
CHOATE FROM TRINIDAD said:
fear not stand still,behold you have not seen the power of almighty ALLAH i cry for the helpless and the old and the women and children ,it is better to be dead than oppressed, fear ALLAH alone there is no pain.
2009-01-28

ANNE XALA FROM CANADA said:
Deenaka writes ...propgating so called biblical christianity thru indecent exposure, adultery,debauchery,homicidfs,suicides,highest divorce rates, drugs, alcohol, depression, bipolar disorder... etc.

I can't believe this site bothers to post stuff like this. So, Deenaka, you think that Christianity is propagated through indecent exposure, et al? Bipolar disorder is caused, or in some way helps Judaism? Christian churches have been hijacked by Jewish Rabbis? Proof, please. You know that just typing random stuff doesn't make it true, right?

...even theough they have been weaker in terms of conventional weapons they have always outsmarted their enemy...

Hmm... no. Not for a good 400 years, at least.

Care to try again?
2009-01-26

KRIS MACPHERSON FROM MALAYSIA said:
Romesh Chander,

Firstly we don't need a lost atheist to tell us how to handle our faith. Least of all, to tell us that we are hopeless people, and will not do anything if the entire of us are inflame.

Look around you. Is the west and their Zionist group winning ? Is US winning in Iraq or are their running, or shall I say much like running from the once underestimated Vietcong soldiers, who wore sandals and lived in jungle holes but good enough to inflict casualities and moral loss to the Americans ? Is the US winning in Afghanistan ? They have their F-61'S and F-15's and Abram tanks but hey ! Why are they ( your step country ) sending more troops there Romesh ?
That doesn't seems like victory to me.

The Israeli's can bomb Gaza, their killing machines of F-16''s can do the sorties but they won't dampen the spirits of the Muslims. The Muslims will achieve victory if not now, but in the not so distant future, and with ALLAH's permission, the advent and coming of Jesus ( Jesus - peace be upon him ) will seal our victory.

Tell me Romesh, where is in anywhere that the US are winning ? Is the west winning anywhere and where ? Look, I see it pointless to argue with a Godless thinking person like you. You know nothing of our Holy text. All you know is living the life to the fullest joy without limits in that step country of yours, the booze, the hedonistic life, the adulterous sex and lies, the economy that oppresses the world populace at large.

In our strive and struggle we sure don't need an arrogant atheist to tell us what to do.
2009-01-26

MUSTAPH FROM USA said:
Romesh Chander, you have made an excellent point. As a Muslim, I agree with you. But things will not remain the same; Muslims are gradually waking up and the tables will be turned (Insha`Allah) one day and that day is (Insha`Allah) coming
2009-01-24

UNCLE LOGIC FROM UK said:
It's very easy for Muslims to be angered when muslims are the victims, but not when muslims are the perpertrators like in Sudan where they are killing far more than the Isralies are. The Isralies often commit attrocities in order to keep the cities they believe they have a divine right to, but don't muslims believe they have a divine right to medina and mecca and how do you think they'd be acting if a non muslim country said it should belong to them (no matter how valid)
2009-01-24

DEENAKA FROM INDIA said:
its ashame that islamicty staff publish anything bluntly against muslim and their prophets bt when muslims want to express their opinions freely they hesitate to publish it. I dont think they can ever achieve their goals like this qwith double standards and hypocrisy only trying to please the kauffar all the time . its ashame. I have posted reply to the comments by romesh and frank, and john but islamicty found it too much to publish
2009-01-24

ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
If Muslims were inflamed, what could they do? Here is what I expect them to do:

1. Overthrow Pakistani military/Government which allows US military bomb Pakistan in North West area.

2. Overthrow Mubarak regime in Egypt which has been highly cooperative with US against interests of its own people.

3. Overthrow Saudi and Kuwaiti regimes.

4. Overthrow Al-Maliki regime in Iraq which is imposed by Washington.

5. Get rid of Abdullah regime in Jordan.

6. Get rid of Arab League who cannot even agree on a meeting on Gaza.

7. Get rid of regimes in UAR which have made these desert places a carbon copy of west in outlook, economics and business, a totally unislamic area.

9. Stop selling its oil wealth to the west.

8. etc, etc.

Will inflamed muslims do any of the above? I must be deluding myself. Only thing inflamed muslims want to do is to destroy Israel but not their own regimes which are more injurious to muslims and islam. Will destroying Israel solve problems of muslims? Let muslims answer that.

Do they know what their problems are, before one can determine solutions?

Don't worry. Inflamed muslims will not be able to destroy Israel; if they could they would have done it long time ago.

But then inflamed people cannot think intelligently, only emotionally.
2009-01-24

DEENAKA FROM INDIA said:
the biggest extremist are the christian zionist, and the talmudic jews who propgate hatred and racial superiroity who are propgating so called biblical christianity thru indecent exposure, adultery,debauchery,homicidfs,suicides,highest divorce rates, drugs, alcohol, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety ., and crusades agianst innnocents, not to forget the
child molesters in the vatican and other churches, and of course homosexuality, many people call themsleves christian but it is hard to find even one out of hundred even practicing real beliefs of teachings of prophet jesus. they can only celebrate christmas which is festival of acquiring material wealth among rich when the rest fo the world goes hungry, the christian church has been hijacked by the jewish rabbis who dont eat pork themslevs but manipulated the injeel , book of jesus original one so christian youth could succumb to eat . and do wrong things when the oriinal book bans eating pork, thou shall not eat hog .as long as the child molester priest sanctifies something as holy anything can be eaten. what is mr john talking about . he is making a fool of himself by writing the same comment on every article. .and what about jews. form owning so called casinos to Tv and prorn films and swindling money from hard working individuals of other nations.and ofcourse oppression in name of self defense they are the great devils on earth . someimes .. the ALLAH has promised victory to his followers always , even theough they have been weaker in terms of conventional weapons they have always outsmarted their enemy, because they fight for just cause unlike the science fiction movie christians zionist and jews - the living dead who like to loot and plunder like robbers and thieves.and kill innocent children like cowards do. what a shame . end of Israel is coming soon inshallah. so stop criticizing Islam and look into your own selves.
2009-01-24

ROMESH CHANDER FROM USA said:
So what if the entire muslim world is inflamed? What can they achieve? Nothing. All they can do is to shout slogans in Cairo, Karachi, Jackarta, Dacca or a few suicide bombings in any of those places. Who are they going to damage? themselves. Does the world care if muslim world burn their cities and villages and their property? Not a whit; actually, they prefer they do tremendous damage to themselves; that will make them quite poor and easily manipulable.

It is only in the western countries that the west has to worry about muslims; and there muslims are in a minority and financially dependent on the non-muslims. Yes, they can do damage; but then the western law-enforcement is also very strong and who can become quite vicious, the public can become highly biased denying muslim jobs, credit , housing, and other necessary things, and no law could stop that discrimination. Would muslims like to confront that kind of the western world? I have serious doubts about it, unless they want to commit suicide. The west can be awfully vicious when its interested threatended; read their history. So, be careful, what you wish for.
2009-01-23

FRANK YOUNG FROM USA said:
Jews & Gentiles have the right to embrace, spread, and employ Biblical Christianity for self defense against muslim extremism.
2009-01-23