I can't help but to think that we need some John and Yoko inspiration for Gaza.
Give Peace A Chance.
The dire consequences of no solution after so many decades, so embroiled in religious history and global politics - and so much ethnic cleansing, propaganda, lies, extremists against moderates and fundamentalists - on both sides. More than anything the extremists need to be removed from the equation, those on both sides who will NOT recognize BOTH Israel AND Palestine in 2009. The racism and bigotry will lesson when those extremists are removed from the picture. The most effective way to remove them is to not heed them. If they have no ears their voice is silenced.
What concerns me most in the peace process - that has achieved no far reaching, long lasting solution to date - is that those involved are so unable to be completely objective. We hear them make comments that tell us they are not objective, that they wear their bias on their sleeves. The US/Israel coalition is SO apparent and that most western countries follow them blindly, do not question that perhaps they may be wrong - is shameful.
There is such ignorance and stereotyping of Islam and Muslims. There seems to be recognition of extremist Muslims but not extremist Jews. There seems to be an acceptance that 'most' Jews are moderate, perhaps because they are westernised? and dress and sound more like us, and have been integrated and active in our western countries for longer, to the point where they have massive influence over western media and more. In contrast many Muslims don't embrace western ways to the same degree, and don't dress entirely like us. I think what fundamentalist Muslims reject from western life we would be wise to follow their lead - for it is these things that have damaged western countries the most - alcohol, drugs, a decline of religious and moral values. But they do follow the laws of their country of residence. Islam dictates that I beleive. Muslims and Islam have been demonised by western politicians in the same way communism was years ago. When one actually meets some Muslims, befriends them, and thinks ' oh they're nice people' for Muslims. They tend to see them as exceptions rather than very representative of most fundamental Muslims and feel all warm and fuzzy because they have become friends with a Muslim and can tell themselves they are not racist, they just don't like all the other Muslims because all the rest aren't like these I've befriended. Fundamental Muslims are as appalled by extremist 'Muslim' groups as us - and condemn them as much as we do - they are not following Islam. They are not real Muslims. Extremists, fanatics DO NOT follow religion, politics, laws, rules. Not the Jewish ones, not the Muslim ones. They are cancers growing on their stated religion.
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I agree with you that the Muslim world has been assigned the same scary bogeyman status given to Communists for so long. I also agree, absolutely, that most Muslims are horrified by fundamentalist violence. They may - and do - deplore it, but they also understand it, which is something most Westerners do not.
ReplyDeleteI lived nearly five years in China (heavy-duty Communist government) and one in the UAE (fairly liberal monarchy with Sharia law) and you know something? The people in those countries have the same aspirations, dreams, fears and hopes "we" do. I could say bad things about their governments but I can say plenty of bad things about my own...
I'll be exploring these ideas in my blogs over the next couple of days.
P.S. I just watched the John Lennon clip. Thanks - I'll make a point of seeing the movie when it comes out (and I don't often go to movies).
ReplyDeleteDid you listen to the Michael Heart song in Laila's blog?
The John Lennon movie has been screened in Australia via satellite tv.
ReplyDeleteYes I did listen to the Michael Heart song, I have the video clip buried here somewhere on my blog too.
I agree, we need to take a long hard cold look at our own governing bodies before throwing mud at others. I think you and I both have a non typical western view of these things because we have had direct contact and are probably more informed than many on race, religion, global politics etc. Once you stop becoming so ethnocentric, you are a better judge of your own and others ways. It must have been fascinating to have lived in those places. I'm particularly interested in how Sharia law works, in comparison with our system. I guess it's like all systems, open to corruption. But overall a good and fair system?
Annie I think you have 'fundamentalist' confused with 'extremists'. Fundamentalist follow their religion very closely, eg observe the pillars. They consider what extremists do (eg the violence) as very much outside of the teachings of Islam and like us, consider they are the main cause of Islamophobia by the Western world for which they and their religion are misjudged by. Often practices assigned to Islam are in fact ethnic or tribal practices. I was corrected on this very term by a very good friend of mine, a Muslim, and a fundamentalist.
ReplyDeleteHere you go
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel-275x275.gif
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/media/boycott_israel.gif
http://www.boycottisrael.co.uk/images/jaffa.jpg
Please change your Nazi picture with one of those (you can find lots of others in google)
If you knew the truth, then you would never put a swastika in relation to Israel. The real connection between Nazis and Middle East were muslims. Just read history if you haven't known that fact.
I'm sorry to break your anti-Israeli way of thinking. Besides I'm very sure that when the time will come, you realize that it is not Israel who is responsible for all bad things in the arab\muslim world, but muslims themselves.
I'll have to do some thinking about the difference between 'fundamentalist' and 'extremist.' You've made a good and interesting point.
ReplyDeleteA couple of days after I commented about your John Lennon clip, I found out quite by accident that the movie was actually released two years ago. I felt a bit silly but, as you know, I've spent most of the last four years in China where a movie like that would never be shown. I always bought DVDs on the street. Some surprising choices could turn up but I never noticed the Lennon movie or I would have bought it.
At some point I'll do a post about living under Sharia law in the UAE which, in many ways - and always remembering that it's inhabited by humans - is close to a perfect example of what Sharia law should be. Just for starters there's no poverty and virtually no crime.
I don't know who 'Michael' is or why he believes he's in possession of the Truth while us lesser mortals still struggle along in the dark. I suppose ensconcing yourself on the Blame the Victim wagon makes for a pretty comfortable existence - what with never letting your thoughts out of the box and being so used to the blinkers attached to your ears that you hardly notice them any more. I understand how quickly it would become easy to think it's okay to drop phosphorus bombs on babies. They'd only grow up to be 'arab/muslim' terrorists anyway so might as well get rid of them before that happens, I suppose.
It might bring Michael a little relief to know that I, at least, don't blame Israel for "all the bad things" in the "arab/muslim world" - especially since that includes more than 1/5 of the people on earth - but I do blame them - and believe they should be held accountable - for their unjust, murderous treatment of the Palestinians as well as for their murderous forays into Lebanon.
I had to come back and put in an addendum. It makes me angry when someone claims to have cornered the marekt on truth and writes off 1.5 billion people as the sole authors of their own problems. Period. Finis. No exceptions. No room for doubt.
ReplyDeleteMy own remarks sounded supercilious and antagonistic, though, and I'd like to ameliorate them. Please, Michael, whoever and wherever you are, open your eyes and your mind and your heart. Read Robert Fisk and look at Al Jazeera. Study the history of the Middle East for the last 100 years. Travel if you can. Talk to people. Almost nothing in life is easy or simple - and it if starts to seem that way, then something's wrong with your perspective.
I'm sorry to say it to you, but from what I read of Mr Fisk's, is that he became a spokesman to groups like Al-Qaeda and Hamas and obsessed in blaming Israel.
ReplyDeleteHe claims that the main reason for the conflict is the refugee issue, but either he lies or he is blind. More than 30 millions of refugees were gone in forced population transfers (jews among them too), none of them have the right of return.
Almost the same amount of Jews were kicked out of their homes as palestinians did, have you seen any Israeli go back to Egypt and blow up himself in a bus? Do those jews have the right of return to their houses in Iraq, Morroco, Egypt, Tunis, Lybia...?
People like Fisk just make Palestinians suffer more, they don't really care about them unless Israel is involved...
Did anyone cried about jewish refugees? Did UN told UNCR to enter Israel with helping? Did any palestinian refugee was helped by UNRWA or arab countries in the past 60 years to become a normal civillian again? Instead they prefer leaving them to rot in camps poverty. No one gives a damn about them, it's only easier to throw all problems on Israel's fault instead of dealing with them.
I do live in the middle east Annie.
I do not hate anyone. I don't want to kill anyone. I don't live by the sword, but when I go to sleep I put it under my pillow.
peace,
Michael
I had a wonderful couple of days driving with my daughter to the wetlands taking photos.
ReplyDeleteOh hello Michael, you're back. Be careful when you lie your head down on that sword. Michael, correct me if I'm wrong, but I really do have you pegged as a Zionist extremist that believes no Palestine should exist now or in the future. I also suspect that you are one of the bloggers paid by Israel to troll anti Israel blogs and post your denial rhetoric there.
Michael, we can't, as humans, condone, understand, or sympathise what Isreal is doing to Palestinians. Not not, not ever. So give up trying to convince me otherwise, you won't be able to. And in return I will no longer try to convince you to be anything other than all you can be, a bigot, a zionist, anti Muslim, anti Palestine who believes only Jews have the right to life. And please spare me the speel about how many Jews have been killed making a Jewish state. And don't try telling me how no one stood up for Jews. How did the holocaust end in Germany? How did Israel come into being? The answers to both of those questions is that people around the globe, not only Jews, cared and DID something for the Jewish people - they risked their lives, even Muslims did, to save the Jewish people during the holocause. And what do zionist Jews do in return? Create their own holocaust in Palestine. Treat Muslims with such contempt, become bigger bigots than Hitler ever was. I shake my head.
I cannot conceive how you and others think and do what you do.
I don't have any swords in my house, but as a reserve soldier of IDF, I'm called when neccessary.
ReplyDeleteYes, I will correct you, I do think that Palestinians need a country of their own. I do think they need a solution to the unjust
situation they live in the past 60 years. However, I don't think that wiping my country of the map, as many of the muslim world
and other western countries (I bet you as well) want, is the proper answer for the dilemma of the Palestinians.
I do not believe that a bi-national country is a solution as well, this is a sure mixture for another Darfur event. Since last time
my people were slaughtered like lambs by the Nazis and there was no one to stop them, I'm more than sure that if something like
that happens again in Israel, the world will sit silent again.
Did I ever said or wrote about killing all Muslims? Palestinians? Any race or religion? Have you heard Israelis gather in hundred of
thousands and scream "Death to Muslims!!!"? Have you seen any demonstrations of Israelis with signs like - "Kill all arabs", "Muslims=Terrorists",
"Wipe Canada of the map!", or anything like that? Do you see Israelis go back to Germany to blow up themselves and revenge the deeds of
the German people? Or revenge the deeds of Italy? Ukraine? Iraq? Morrocco? Any other country?
Since you are anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist and Antisemitic, I can't (for now at least) do much. I can continue hating me and my people, just like
the Christians did in the Middle Ages, just like the Nazis and Italians did in the WW2 era, and exactly the same as the Muslim Brotherhood and their
related organizations. Since you really have no idea what does the Muslim Brotherhood stands for, go and read some books and manifests of them.
You make brutal mistakes when you compare Israel to the Nazis, when the ones who act similarly to them are the Islamists. Basing their ideology
on "The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion" and using the Quran to dehumanize Jews in every way possible, is just the same as the Nazi ideology was.
Today the deny and doubt the Holocaust ever happened, or say that only few thousands were killed there. They claim that Jews are behind every
sickness and bad in modern soceity. Claim that Jews rule the world economy, manipulate USA, use the media for their will, sons of apes and pigs,
say that Jews want to destroy Al-Aqsa mosque (let me remind you that not Jews bombed the Buddha statues in Pakistan).
Islamists blaim every bad thing in soceity on Jews. Just as the Nazis did more than 70 years ago. I know you believe that, you prove that you
have no logic when you believe those hallucinations of the Islamofacists. Then you are as Antisemitic as they get today. You support Islamofacism
and Antisemitic views, you say the Israeli people do not have the right to live in peace in their own country without others to kill them. Than
you are no different from those madmen. You can sit in your Australian bubble and watch how your "peaceful" Palestinians act in "peace" by
blasting "peaceful" rockets into Israel, bombing "peacefully" buses, blasting "peacefully" pubs restaraunts and hotels, with the sole gole
to kill as much Jews as they can. You say its a just cause, well darling, just wait and see how "peacefull" are the Sharia laws and Islamic rule.
About your silly acusations against me, if I got paid by my government for doing that, I wouldn't enter a boring blog like you have here.
ReplyDeleteIf you asked, I'm a student of Communications Engineering and so far I have gotten paid by my country only when I've been to the IDF defending my family and Israel.
Can't be that boring, you keep coming back. Try taking your studies outside of Israel. It may open up your eyes to a few things.
ReplyDeleteHere you go, your answer is the same as Islamists do when asked tough questions. Either a non-answer and ignoring the questions, or moving the discussion on private matters of the asker.
ReplyDeleteCan I assume I was all true in what I wrote since you ignore my post?
Been having issues with computer. I keep reading your posts wondering which 'question' I was supposed to answer.
ReplyDeleteMichael nothing you say excuses what Israel has and is continuing to do in Gaza and the West Bank. The control of borders including people and supplies, illegal settlements, the destruction of Gaza etc is reprehensible. How you can condone this I cannot understand. I am not blind to the fact that Israelis also suffer from the attacks on them BUT these almost diminish into insignificance in scale. You will say they are attacks and Israel 'retaliates' by all the means listed above. I, and many other people around the world believe it is the opposite, that these attacks on Israel are retaliatory, not offensive nor defensive, since unlike Israel, Palestine has no way to defend itself. Until Israel stops it's stranglehold on Gaza and West Bank then the retaliations are likely to continue as the only means of protest open to them.
Israel is not perfect and every deed of it is justified. But when a country fights for it's life, innocents suffer. Palestinians choose terror, let them have their choice and get what they want. Instead of building themselves, they chose to live in poverty and refugee camps and even refuse to get new proper buildings (Israel tried to help them with that!).
ReplyDeleteThose attacks are nothing retaliatory. They started before 1967, before 1948. How can they be retaliatory? Their only goal is to get jewish citizens of Israel the hell out of here.
I must remind you, that even when no one strangehold Gaza or West Bank, there was arab terror against jews. Go read history and you will find out that.
You and many others do your best to destroy my country, so far we manage in maintaning a small miracle named Israel.
My favorite web Anti-Semite is back!
ReplyDeleteThink about what you're saying Michael. All Palestinians are terrorists? Does that make ALL Jews zionists? Are zionists not to blame for almost all of the anti semitic feelings? Israel NEVER tries to help Palestine NEVER. If you believe that you are a fool. Israel refuses to allow the materials into Gaza to allow for rebuilding. And frankly, they should be free to get materials from other countries - not the country who destroyed these buildings in the first place. Would you want your enemy building your home after they destroyed it and many of the people in it? Smarten up Michael, where is the logic in what you believe. I don't know what your country's media and political machine feeds you but if I were you I'd try a little reason and logic pills to assist in digestion. Though even then, I would suspect what they feed you is what we Aussies call bullshit.
ReplyDeleteOh very nice, you are a true anti semite robot.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that all Palestinians are terrorists, not all Jews are Zionists, but most of them are. Zionism is a political movement for an establishment of a state for the Jewish people. If you say that Zionism is illegitemate, then stop your hypocracy and say that the French, English, German and other people do not deserve a country of their own. Even you own Australia is built upon great sins against the natives of the place.
Zionists are responsible for almost all of the anti semitic feelings? LOL! What a joke! Murder victims are responsible for their own death! People who get their possession stolen are responsible for it, not the thieves!
Anti semites just like you, existed long long ago before Zionism. The birth of Zionism is after all countries of the world showed their "Love" toward the Jews, by murder, blood libels, horrible laws, and more. No one protected my family during the Holocaust, and I know for sure that no one will defend us again if the "friendly" arabs start implementing their true intentions - Wiping Israel from the map.
Why should Israel allow anything to enter to Gaza? They still shoot rockets at us. They refuse to accept Israel, Jews are their enemies. Why would they get anything from their enemies? I think that Israel shouldn't give a single grain of rice to Gaza. Let them take everything from their brothers in Egypt, not their arch-enemies, the bloodthirsty Jews.
I don't watch TV, try not to read newspapers, and mostly get my information from foreign internet sites. So, who is feeding me?
You have no idea about anything from your cozy Australia, just lay back, read some web articles about the "Horrible" Israel, and decide whatever your antisemitic mind wants.
Antisemitisim is dated up to 10 centuries back, and guess what, no Zionism or Zionists existed then. Guess what, no one ever liked the Jews. What did my people do so they deserved to be systematicly wiped by the Nazis??
I guess my favorite anti-semite can't explain her thoughts and views :-(
ReplyDeletetata
Your favourite anti semite has been busy with life and living. In no way am I anti semetic. That's just an easy label for you to pin on me when I disagree with your PRO Israel hogwash. You excuse Israelis for everything that they perpetuate in Gaza and West Bank and Lebanon - that equates to those who excused what Hitler did to Jews in the holocaust . . . IT IS ETHNIC CLEANSING! I don't have to be anti semitic to be disgusted by both what happened in the holocaust to Jews and what is now Jews perpetuating ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. The ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israelis (Jews) simply uses a different method.
ReplyDeleteYes Michael, Indigenous people all over the world, including Australia, have been dispossessed, wiped out, and had (some still have) terrible humanitarian crimes dealt to them. In Australia, massive amounts of land belong to our Aboriginal people. From a people who only 50 -60 years ago had no 'western' education, no written language and lived traditionally they are glimmers of hope for them. Some are very well educated and employed in high level professions. Enormous amounts of money is spent on trying to improve outcomes for them and to give them more life choices. They are not forced to live on tribal lands, it's a choice - they have strong cultural ties to their particular homelands. They have priority for many jobs, and laws, (that are enforced) to prevent discrimination. They own and run many large scale tourism ventures. In Australia, any migrant also has equal rights to employment, services, health care etc. This contrasts HUGELY to Palestinian and other non-Jewish groups and individuals in Israel who cannot access the same, equal rights of Jewish Israelite s. I don't have to be anti Semitic to know that this Jewish state does not treat others equally or fairly or democratically. There are many Jewish people living in Australia and other countries that give them equal rights in those countries. It is shameful that Israel does not. It is a very loud and clear message that they consider themselves SUPERIOR . . . But we lesser beings (non Jews - I won't use Hebrew terms for 'us') and this message mirrors Hitlers - that certain groups are superior to others - the root of the ethnic cleansing that took place during the holocause - Jews are inferior, not really human, more akin to animals . . . and now we have the same thing happening in Israel and amongst all Jews that believe that their race and religion is superior to all others . . . so let the ethnic cleansing of Arabs and Muslims contintue . . . Ever heard of 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'???
So Michael, keep flying your terrorist flag and your suicide bomber flag and don't for one second look at the terrorism that Israel, the IDF, perpetuate on Palestinians daily. We wouldn't want you to get that feeling of shame for being one who contributes to such atrocities.