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Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD |
In this my first week back in North America, I was reminded that there are two Americas: a decent caring one and one of delusion.
This is as if there are two trains heading to different destinations. The hypocrisy train has big PR budgets, has a huge lobby that managed to get most of the politicians in its pocket and speaks of constant threats to poor Israel (and "democracy"). Its agents in the media like Wolf Blitzer (who used to be a Zionist lobbyist before he became a CNN anchor) push openly for confrontation with Iran after they pushed for confrontation with Iraq. They now interview protestors in Iran who are opposed to the government but will not present the other side. The same cabal refuses to even interview one Palestinian protestor fighting a far more repressive apartheid government of Israel. That is the train that has many starry-eyed passengers, a train that uses double standards and contorted logic to justify ethnic cleansing and distracts attention from other realities with lies and new conflicts. This is the train whose willing and unwilling soldier passengers marshal on the path of destruction thinking they have no choice.
Subservient/obedient academics on panels in Toronto in the last three days at the conference on mapping models for the future in Israel/Palestine provided excellent examples. Many stated things like this (some with blinking eyes, others apparently sincerely believing this stuff): that refugees have no right to return to their homes and lands, that religion makes a nationality, that Jews are unique and special, that the victims need to assure those who robbed them of their lands that they are safe and guilt free, that if you advocate for equality and justice then you are an anti-semite (or anti-peace at best), that if you are for a one-state solution then you are advocating endless conflicts, that if you speak for boycotts and won't collaborate with apartheid elites then you are hateful, and much more. What is bizarre is that some of those folks are considered the moderates (there were protestors passing out flyers with even worse attitudes). These people recline onto their train chairs ignoring mountains of evidence and mountains of experiences of failure in the past. They lack self-introspection and are unable or unwilling to question where their train is heading even as the warning signs of the approaching cliff are everywhere.
The other train is finally beginning to get its engine revved up and voices of conductors are beginning to speak truth to the powers to be. They invite deluded passengers from the other train to find out what is going on and some do switch trains but others hurl insults. In the conference at York, voices were heard from both trains. (Read abstracts for the talks). On the subject of Palestine, it cannot be any clearer despite the valiant attempts by defenders of Zionism to hide it: you are either with morality and justice or you are with apartheid, ethnic cleansing and oppression. In the conference at York, the best speech I heard was by George Bisharat which I hope I can share with you soon (and which should be translated into Arabic). In the meantime, perhaps a taste of the thinking is George's article "Maximizing Rights: The One State Solution to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict"
The question that kept coming to my mind is why can't we live together. Why do some believe in "solutions" based on segregation and ghettos in the guises of endless peace process industry which may lead to "two states".
Now for a brief comment on Iran. IMHO, the first thing the US has to do is demonstrate convincingly (and not via a pathetic speech in Cairo) that the West will act fairly to challenge oppression wherever it occurs. To demonstrate that convincingly, we must start with our allies especially Israel (and Egypt and Saudi Arabia). The US could change the dynamic in Iran in two months if it gives Israel two months to comply with all relevant United Nations resolutions including withdrawal from the occupied territories and allowing the refugees to return to their homes in lands. The US government does have that power to do this (see Eisenhower's strong stance in 1956 as an example). That message of real change would indeed change the political landscape in eth Middle East. The US should then meet with ALL political forces in the Middle East (Israel, Hamas, and Hizballah included) to chart a new future in that part of the world that is based on justice. That will unleash the enormous economic potential f an integrated, liberated Middle East in which people of various religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc) can build a more equitable future.
The hypocracy train thinks it is heading to a destination of subservient masses of Muslims under a dominance of Zionism using western proxy armies (they saw Iraq and Afghanistan as first stations and now have Iran in the cross hairs). But it actually will lead to the same destination as the second train (just with far more blood shed and a far longer more tortuous road).Those in the peace movement are being confused by propaganda. They are being told that Iraq invasion was imperialist (without clarifying that Zionism now sits at table of power if not at the throne of imperialism). Facts about who pushed for the war on Iraq and is pushing for conflict in and on Iran are being suppressed diligently. Instead of fighting for democracy here in the US were AIPAC and other special interests rule the show, many are being distracted with things they have no understanding of.
How many have been to Iran and really know what is going on in that country of 60+ million? How many know that not one Iranian lost his home and land in the last 30 years of this (admittedly not a nice) government rule? How many know that 7 million of the 10 million Palestinians in the world are refugees or displaced people (all thanks to "Western" support of Zionism or more accurately, Zionism's hold on Western countries). How many know the real history of the "Western Wars" (World War I and II) let alone the eastern ones (the history of US and British destructive meddling in Iran and Iraq beginning with the 1919-1920 occupations through the engineered topping of any democratic governments to install people like the Shah and Saddam Hussain). That is what makes the Western Media (managed by special interests and with Zionists in key positions) focus on Iran as a "threat". As one US ex Secretary of State said "you tell me Israel is our only friend in the region, I tell you that before Israel we had no enemies in the region". Before Israel indeed, we had no radical Islamic movements and the population in the Middle East was moving towards modernity (just look at old Egyptian movies as one of millions of examples). Of course we cannot blame Israel for everything. The people need to take responsibility. As individuals we have a choice. But I have already rambled on too much and let us leave that for another email.
On to more events in the US. I'll be in Pittsburgh for the next three days. For those of you in Boston area, here is an event you can attend:
We are pleased to invite you to this Cambridge presentation, which will be followed by a Q&A session.
Wednesday, July 1st, 7 pm
Senior Center, 806 Mass Ave, Central Sq
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Mazin Qumsiyeh is here from Palestine on a month-long North American tour. "Israeli colonization of Palestine: why it matters to the US and the world"
Free, open, accessible, to be videotaped.
Note that we can allow in only the first 120 people; others will have to be turned away, unfortunately. Report from the ground: After we will move to Andala's: 286 Franklin St, Central Square, Cambridge. Andala's is a short walk from the Senior Center.
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org