Why Is America Terrorizing Muslims?
By Mahboob A.
Khawaja, Ph.D.
07/08/06 "Information
Clearing House"
-- -- When people and nations live in darkness, they
lose sense of direction. In an information age,
knowledge–driven global culture of reason, ignorance is no
longer a requisite to learn from the living history. The
previous Empires knew their geography and limits, but the
newly articulated American Empire in its infancy, is
challenging to the limits of the Laws of God and appears
obsessed with “fear” of being replaced by the new emerging
nations of Asia and South America. President Bush invoked
the “War on Terrorism”, as a dictum of power, not reason and
wisdom, to camouflage the prospective future with acts of
barbarity and to dispel the notion of accountability in
global affairs. Historically, people and nations pursuing
this path of behavior have ended up in self-defeat and
self-destruction.
The 9/11 attacks and
religious doctrines have no common ground. Hourly paid
intellectuals turned guardian of approved truth, allege that
Islam breeds terrorism. The Western mass media complements
the scientifically discovered notion to poison the public
perceptions and source of judgments against the Arabs and
Muslims. The Neo-Conservatives helped to rob the humanity of
its human heritage. The perception of ‘radical Islam’ was
invented and enhanced by the ‘fear’ of terrorism as if Arabs
and Muslims were born in the eye of the storm and terrorism
was an exclusive domain of the Islamic religious tenets.
“Terrorism is a
political technique, not an ideology and any group willing
to use violence in pursuit of its political goals may resort
to it, noted Gwynne Dyer, London based prominent writer (The
International Terrorist Conspiracy”: June 2006). He goes on
to explain that “there are left-wing terrorists and
right-wing terrorists; national terrorist and international
terrorist; Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and
atheist terrorists. In theory, you could have a “war against
terrorism”, but it would involve trying to kill everybody
who uses this technique anywhere in the world. The United
States is not trying to do that, so it is not fighting a
“war against terror.” In reality, what the United States
leadership is doing, is fighting its own articulated war
against the people and nations who had no animosity, nor any
perceived capability to threaten the US as a global power.
British author and
producer Adam Curtis (The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of
the Politics of Fear: BBC documentary challenging the
American version of the “War on Terrorism”), spells out the
myth with clarity: “ international terrorism is a fantasy
that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians. It
is a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned through
governments around the world, the security services and the
international media.” Remember, after the 9/11 attacks, the
US official statements made no mention of involvement of the
government or people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran in the
accused list of the 9/11 perpetrators. In 1997, many
leading architects of the Project for the New American
Century (PNAC), did include the name of Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Syria, PLO as selected targets to impose the American
liberal democracy and throw out the authoritarian regimes.
It was a strategic stunt to inject the fear into people’s
mind. Paul Craig Roberts, author of the Tyranny of Good
Intentions, in his recent article (“ The High Price of
American Gullibility”, June 2006:ICH), makes a logical
assertion: Bush’s rhetoric “you are with us or against us”
is perfectly planned to influence the common masses.
Emotional appeals to fear and to patriotism have led close
to half of the population to accept unaccountable government
in the name of “the war on terrorism.” What a contradiction
it is that so many American have been convinced that safety
lies in their sacrifice of their civil liberties and
accountable government.” Obviously, human intelligence,
emotions and perceptions, superficially turned antagonistic
with compelling impulse of media propaganda strategies to
view Arabs and Muslims as the qualified candidates for
extreme militancy.
Truth is one and
indivisible. When it comes to terrorism and Arabs or
Muslims, the North American and European mass media
portrayals enforces two distinct order of truth - one for
the general public and one reserved for the Muslims. In all
human affairs, facts are considered to reach the conclusion.
End cannot be assumed to play with the facts, nor based on
dogmas to explain the facts of human life. Under the guise
of the Anti-Terrorist legislation, America, Britain and
Canada have misused the logic of power to arrest, defame and
punish people of Arabian and Islamic origin who had no
linkage to the terrorism myth. The strategy dictates that
selected groups should be detained and tortured
indefinitely, to drain out their moral, intellectual and
creative energies, making them incapable to survive socially
or professionally credible citizens of the country.
Consequently, The public will view them as crazy and
undesirable people to be counted as numbers and digits in
economic terms, but not dignified human beings.
During the 2nd
World War, America and Canada detained and imprisoned their
own citizens of Japanese and Italian origins and sent
thousands of them to interment camps. More than half a
century later, both governments have offered apology to the
innocent victims of the state terrorism. Are the Muslims
expected to wait for another half a century to have their
voices heard? Take the case of Maher Arar, an Engineer,
Canadian citizen of Syrian origin, held up in NY terminal
while in transit, arrested without charges, sent to Syria
against his will, and imprisoned there for over one year,
beaten and tortured. The Canadian intelligences agencies
denied any knowledge and involvement in his ordeal. But
during the Public Enquiry, reported in the news media, it
turned out that they had participated and shared secret
information about Maher Arar with the American authorities
and probably a distinct role in his severe imprisonment.
What was his fault? Why was he sent to Syria for the
year-long cruel punishment? Ostensibly, he is an Arab,
descent citizen of Canada with no criminal background. Is
that the reason to prosecute him?
Reflect on Dr. Rafil
Dhafir - a well known American medical practitioner of Iraqi
descent living in Syracuse, NY State, a world known
humanitarian, dedicated to help the starving children, poor
and destitute civilians in Iraq. Why was he arrested and
indicted politically to 22 years of imprisonment? Simply,
because he was a Muslim doctor of high caliber , involved in
much needed humanitarian aid work that nobody else could
dare to undertake and to save the human lives while the
American and British were bombing the civilian population.
According to eyewitness reports, the authorities raided 89
local Muslim families at the time of Dr. Rafil’s house
search. Contentious evidence was made available to prove his
involvement in fundraising activities under the State
legislation. It seems, law and justice failed miserably to
consider the human affairs of the real world from a
humanitarian perspective. Was that contrary to the dictum of
the liberal democracy? Shocking, as it is to learn about Dr.
Rafil Dhafir’s ordeal, who is a wonderful moral being – an
institution of hope and human dignity, and highly respected
for his humanitarian zeal in that region. Fair or foul,
nobody could question the anti-terrorist laws. In public
eyes, he is honorable medical doctor, doing best to his
professional credibility and its criterion requirements.
Talk to Ms. Marziah
Hashemi, an American Muslim widow with three kids residing
in Colorado. In June 2004, the FBI agents and police raided
her home during the early hours of the morning. Her kids
were taken out of bed at gunpoint, house turned ups and down
for suspected terrorist activities and questioned her on
religious and political affiliations matters. On request,
she was informed that the search warrant relate to tax
issues. But she was asked about the 9/11 attacks, and if she
had any contact with Al-Qaida organization. Her youngest son
believed that police was going to shoot him while getting
out of the bed. After months, the psychological scars
remained fresh in the minds of her kids, who could not go
out or attend the school. Could anybody reassure Marziah why
she and her children were arrested against their will and
their social lives endangered? As American citizens, were
their rights, individual freedom and human dignity violated?
The police was supposed to protect her and the kids, not
violate their rights and victimize them.
Members of the Khawaja
family in Ontario, were the first victims of the
Anti-Terrorist Legislation in Canada. The parents worked
diligently to raise educated and law-abiding children, well
known for their moral upbringing and multicultural
community-building work. On March 29, 2004, approximately,
60-70 military armed squad and police raided the family
home, smashed the front doors, damaged the property like the
US army killing pursuits in Iraq, and arrested the kids at
gunpoint. The lady of the house was picked up while doing
shopping, and two other kids called out of the classrooms.
While his house was under police raid, Dr. Khawaja was
detained and imprisoned in Arabia at the formal request of
the CSIS-RCMP, accusing him of involvement in “bomb-making
and “terrorism” activities. It was all simultaneously
dramatized across the globe in live media coverage arranged
by the intelligence agencies. The documentary evidence
clearly showed, he was arrested on the behest of the
Government of Canada but the Minister responsible, Ms. Anne
McClellan denied any knowledge of it. The allegations were
false extending cruel treatment to the family. The neighbors
were outraged at the show of military force and its
brutality and complained as if it was a military camp. No
evidence was found at the premise to support the allegations
of “bomb making” or “terrorism” activities. After almost two
and half years, Momin-one of the children, is held up under
terrorism charges and waiting for trial to be held in 2007.
The authorities are pinning hope for the evidence to come
from the on-going trials of other accused kids in UK, so
that Momin could be tried in Canada. It was well-planned
attack and meant to disable the family members in social and
professional terms so that Canada could provide some data in
support of the Bush Administration “War on Terrorism.”
People wonder, why the Muslims are being terrorized in
Canada? Could the Canadian armed forces including the
intelligence establishments, be under the direct control of
the American General Ralph Eberhart-NORTHCOM and NORAD?
According to Michael Ruppert (Crossing the Rubicon: 2004),
if Canada does not comply with the American security agenda,
could the Bush Administration seal the Canada-US borders?
Some political observers suspect that Canada is making
headways in its role for greater North American economic and
political prosperity and to become a satellite of the Bush
Administration.
In late June 2006, a
widely reported Muslim group was detained in Miami, Florida
on terrorism charges, and alleged to have established
contacts with some Al-Qaida agent. For days and weeks, the
news media presented them as young Muslim terrorists,
actively planning to blow the business tower and shopping
plaza across the United States. After crosschecking by
various organizations, it turned out that the kids and group
were not Muslims but Christian. In violation of civil
liberties and under bogus accusations, Amnesty International
regularly informs public that thousands of innocent people,
mostly of Arab and Islamic origins, have been imprisoned in
UK and America without legal trials. In numerous other raids
and arrest of the Arabs and Muslims throughout North America
and Western Europe, there appears to be a unified policy in
force and collaborative action, setting a very dangerous
precedent for further conflict and global disharmony, not
societal reconciliation or peace-making. The police raids
and arrests of innocent citizens do not bridge the
civilization gaps; they instill mistrust and endanger the
survivability of the human civilizations. The anti-Terrorist
Laws and police actions clearly formulate the anti-Muslim
and anti-Islamic pattern of police behaviors, not normally
applicable to other people or ethno-religious communities in
the Western world. Why?
Divergent scenarios
flourish to manifest lies and deception about the real aims
of the “War on Terror.” When the Western leaders play with
words, it is known and often acknowledged, but when the
Muslim leaders offer ignorant excuses, they are masked under
willful lies and deceptions without any accountability.
Many Western scholars wonder, why leaders of the Muslim
countries and the masses appear disinterested in the post
9/11 affairs when it had direct impacts on the entire Arab
and Muslim world? Foremost reasons being that the Arabs and
the Muslim countries in general, have no educated and
responsible leadership to represent the masses and their
interests. The West and its scheme of political subjugation
institutionalized ne-colonial authoritarianism. Arabs and
Muslim societies are devoid of public institutions for
thinking, change and policy development. There are various
shadowy groups and organizations claiming to represent the
Arab-Islamic interests in North America. In real world
affairs, hardly anyone seems genuinely capable to deal with
the issue of terrorism that directly confronts the Muslim
living in North America. Many pretend to be the
spokespersons of the Arabs and Muslims communities but they
are aligned with the official establishments including the
intelligence agencies, lacking credibility, often playing
the role of informants rather than representing the Islamic
concerns. There are 57 or more, so-called Muslim countries
member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), not
one of them has genuine Muslim leadership, nor Islam as a
system of life. When the Muslim Ummah (nation), looks for
intellectual security, all authoritarian leaders operate
under the dictates of Western masters, namely the American
and British leaders. Islam is One and so should be the
believing folks, but there is no unity of thought and
actions across the Muslim world, a typically neo-colonial
landscape governed by ignorant and intellectually bankrupt
rulers, subservient to the West. For ages, the Arabs and
Muslims masses continue to pray to Almighty God for change,
reformation and democratically elected governments without
public demonstrations. Strangely enough, they seemed eager
to hold demonstrations for the symbolic “cartoon”
controversy, but not for the real world problems affecting
the lives and future of the common Muslims. For sure, there
is no “terrorism” in thoughts and in words of the prayers,
and no Arabic- Islamic vocabulary exists of “extremism” or
“terrorism” to reciprocate the Western accusations and mass
media propaganda campaigns.
Would the American and
British political leaders learn any lessons from the war on
Iraq? John Laughland (“The Mask of Altruism Disguising a
Colonial War: The Guardian: Aug 2, 2004), offers a real
world perspective: “Just an old fashioned colonial war – the
reality of killing and escalation of violence, disguised
with the hypocritical mask of altruism. If Iraq has not
taught us that, then we are incapable of ever learning
anything.” Every beginning has its end. It is just that
most transgressors do not know about it when they crossover
the limits of the Laws of God. The Roman, Austro-Hungarian
and British Empires collapsed after they violated the
limits. Nazis claimed to run the world for thousands of
years, but ended up in just 12 years after killing millions
of human beings throughout the Western hemisphere. Fascism
met resistance at its early stages. The beginning envisions
the end. The USSR was defeated, the day it raided the
destitute people of Afghanistan and disturbed the dead in
graveyards with continuous bombing. The American and British
surrendered the day international community learned about
the Guatonomo Bay prisoners and photos of the Abu Ghraib
Prison. An estimated 250,000 civilians have been killed by
the American-British bombings in Iraq since March 2003.
After the facts, the American and British apologists would
put up the explanations that the soldiers had social and
mental disorders. On the continuing daily massacres of the
civilians and rapes of women in Iraq, Mike Whitney
(“Crackdown in Ramadi”, 06/2006), shares a historical image
visualized by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar:
And let us bathe our
hands in blood, up to the elbows
And besmear our words
Then we will walk
forth, even to the market place.
And weaving our red
weapons o’er our heads
Let us all cry “peace,
freedom and liberty.”
According to Dr. Paul
C. Roberts, the neo-conservative policy claims: …evil
terrorists attacked virtuous America. America is protecting
itself by going to war and overthrowing regimes that sponsor
or give shelter to terrorists, erecting in their place
democracies loyal to America. In a rational context, the
“War on Terrorism” has nothing to do with the alleged
terrorists; it is a war to help Halliburton, Bectal and
other corporations to capitalize their holds on the oil
supplies and gas business. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld
contracted Halliburton of Dick Cheney for 7 billion works to
be done in Iraq before the invasion of March 2003. President
Bush passed the Executive Order # 13303, giving complete
immunity from criminal prosecution to the American oil
companies dealing with the Iraqi oil management. Who is
going to write the closing chapter of the history of the
“War on Terrorism?” Is the history going to wait for the
ceasation of the unilateral hostilities? Would the
American-led war achieve its agenda priorities or meet the
same destiny as it happened to the Roman, Nazis and the USSR
Empires? Obviously, history will judge the nations by their
actions, not by the claims of the leaders. Paul Craig
Roberts (“The High Price of American Gullibility”, June
2006), puts the answer in a nutshell:
“ In National
Socialist Germany, by the time propaganda lost its grip,
Germans were in the hands of a police state. It was too late
to take corrective measures. Not even the military could
correct the disastrous policies of the executive. In the
end, Germany was destroyed. Does a similar fate await
Americans?”
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja, an academic specializing in
Strategic Studies with keen interests in comparative
civilizations of the West and Islam, and author of several
publications in global affairs. Comments are welcome at :
kmahboob@yahoo.com
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