Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts

Friday, September 16, 2011

US and Obama Administration Fight against Palestine Entrance to UN is Palpable Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a noun that in essence means to act on the stage and to purport to be what one is not or to believe what one is not.Its modern form is a combination of Greek and old French.This is the best word I can use to illustrate the position of the United States and the Obama administration with respect to their blatant efforts to block a vote on the addition of Palestine to the United Nations.

I find it awkwardly detached and unusual for this administration in particular, given a fitted and able discernment of the President’s address at the American University in Cairo. During that address he stated, “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

These were words stated by President Barack Obama during his address to the American University at Cairo some two minutes into his address. It took him some six more pages before he said, “it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people - Muslims and Christians - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations - large and small - that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.

This threat to veto the vote may serve to destroy any attempt for a desire to serve two terms for the President and worse, increase future attacks against the US by radical fanatics. Obama’s cabal, under the auspices of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in concert with Tony Blair- special envoy to the region, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, has manifested itself in a last ditched effort of brinkmanship to block the Palestinian Authority desire for a vote in the United Nations General Assembly to recognize an independent state of Palestine. The result will be a diplomatic and political disaster for the president, the democrats and any effort to win a second term at the executive level. Especially since by all accounts, the resolution will pass by a large margin, without support from the U.S., and a few other nations. Strange since it was it was Obama who, in his Sept. 23, 2010, to the General Assembly, originally raised the goal of admitting to the UN by September 2011.

Obama continues to say that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is one of his highest priorities, yet he has made less progress toward Israeli-Palestinian peace than any administration since the early 1970s.

This sets a major problem in motion for Obama and his plans to seek re-election if the Jewish vote turns against him, especially given the recent special elections in New York’s 9th district in which a republican won for the first time since the turn of the century. The loss in Tuesday’s special election for the seat formerly held by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) may “send a message” to President Obama concerning his administration’s stance on Israel. This was not from a republican but rather Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). Not to mention that it was former mayor Ed Koch (D) called on voters to back the Republican businessmanin order to send a message to Obama about his Israel policy. Mayor Koch disagrees with Obama's view that Israel's pre-1967 borders should be the baseline for Middle East peace talks. Thus, the administration’s insistence on trying to persuade Israel to stop building settlements, without success in concert with the aforementioned equals an effrontery to the American Jewish community.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) has indicated his concern regarding the Palestinian Authority's (PA) bid for the United Nation’s (UN) to recognize their statehood. Barrasso wants the U.S to immediately stop funds it to the PA annually as well as the UN if statehood is recognized. Then there is Sen. Marco Rubio, republican from Florida says if the vote in the United Nations to create a Palestinian state is successful, it would set back the Middle East peace process and would only add to the regional turmoil and instability.Not only is the concern by republicans and the pro-Zionist lobby problematic, but similar concerns have been brought to fruition by Arab states. Saudi Arabia has expressed outrage for Palestinians by many members of Congress, a congress that in voice supports what has occurred in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia but against such in Palestine

Not only has the President been unsuccessful in his efforts to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, now he seemingly has lost one of his major political allies. The concern is after dealing several defeating blows to terrorism through the deaths of major Al Qaeda leaders, he may be stoking the flames for more attacks from individuals who take his flip flop on the issue of Palestinian statehood as a reason to slash out against the United States again.

The veto in the UN may help save Obama a major voting constituency, however, the question remains, how will this be perceived in the Arab world and if winning an election by any means necessary is more important than ensuring our safety from future terroristic attacks in the future?

Monday, October 04, 2010

Them

I was trying to stay as far away from this Muslim community center and Quran burning stuff as I could. I feel that talking and or writing about it gives it credence as a legitimate issue — although it is not.

First of all, the much-talked about Ground Zero mosque will not be located at ground zero, nor is it a mosque, which makes the venomous opposition so difficult to understand. I expect such attitudes from hatemongers, extremists and anyotherpeoplephobes. To date I have heard no valid argument against it, unless one accepts emotion as a logical construct for an argument. This perspective is so sophistical and wacky because it seems make it acceptable to block building an Islamic center in New York but gives tacit approval to the Quran burning proposed by Gainesville, Fla.'s self-proclaimed Guy Montag (the fireman who burned books in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451).

I remember as a child the day Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tenn. His death was the result of illogical emotionalism and racial extremism. How quickly we forget that from Memphis to the Alabama cities of Birmingham and Selma, King, too, was asked not to March, although many acknowledged his constitutional right to do so.

Then there is the attempt to make the irrational rational using statistics to infer that Americans are not radical, extremist or anti-Muslim just because 70 percent of them oppose the Islamic center in New York. It is obvious we do not follow history, because we have forgotten that more than 70 percent of Americans disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling (Brown vs. Board of Education) that abolished segregation in schools. Not to mention that the majority of Americans were also against equal rights for African Americans.

Historically, America seems to conveniently forget its history and gets defensive when the truth is impinged on their senses. The simple fact is that America is the land of racists and anyotherpeoplephobes. The newest target is Islam and Muslims. We refer to this group as THEM, just like we do and did Native Americans and African Americans. This is sad. Now I know why white folks are scared of all black people if one black person robs them. To whites, all Muslims are the same as the ones who flew planes into the Twin Towers; just as all black folks are the same. I call this racist, for anyone who isn't white in America is the pronoun THEM.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Playing the Muslim Card

I just read the transcript of The President’s interview with Al-Arabiya TV (link on left side bar under news section). I had written another post called escargot instead of apple pie, but I guess i will post it another time. First, folk rocked that shit, never before has an American President been able to say to the world, especially the Muslim and Arab world that I have lived in Muslim countries, or that members of my family are Muslim. And yep, folk here use Muslim and Arab separate because they are not the same albeit most US citizens don’t understand or know that they are; just like messenger RNA is different from transfer RNA. Arabs are a group of people from the Middle-East and North Africa. Muslims are people who practice and abide by the Muslim religion. Some Arabs are Muslim, but some Arabs are also Jews and Christians.

It was definitely a clear paradigm shift (Kuhn, 1957) for he specifically attempted not to alienate Arab and Muslims from being partners in the problem at hand.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprise if he addressed the Muslim world in some place like Lebanon, Indonesia or Jordan to lay his cards on the table. In Memphis we call this a Mac move. First he attempted to broaden the discussion beyond the Israeli-Palestine Theater to the entire region inclusive of Israel. In addition, he also put the heat to Al Qaeda say in essence, what are you contributing

I give the Presidents big props on this, speaking directly to the nations of Asia that traditionally we in the west, especially back up in this camp, have historically turned a blind eye to. He spoke of respect and may have stated or said the word more than a dozen times in his interview. Only time will tell if playing the Muslim card will, work, but he did, and played it like he was sitting at a table playing in the world championship of poker. Now he may have received a D plus on his economic proposals to date, or a C minus on his quick Executive orders to close Gitmo for example, but he gets at least a 90 on this, from my narrow minded understanding of things and history and events and foreign policy.

Now true it could be smoke and mirrors. He still says that he will keep Israel as a fundamental alli of the United States, and his attempt to disenfranchise Al Qaeda by playing to Muslim and Arab moderates as being out of touch and preferring to destroy as opposed to build, may be tested. Also, the Israelis may be a source of consternations for they may prefer hegemony over peace, and with an election coming up, may put Bibi Netanyahu in office – which won’t broker well for what the President has spelled out for the region. But none the less – this tactic was trump tight. I’m just mad that he was not as lucid regarding the economy and my loot. Hats off to you folk, again, you rocked that shit and it took balls. Now fortify them balls and do something to stimulate the retail sector and business with annual earnings under $250,000.

Monday, May 12, 2008

speaking with forked tongue

I am always amazed at the vehemence and disdain that many in the west have directed towards the Arab nations of the world and even their religion. It is difficult for me to understand this in many respects. Sure I am aware of (911 and of the recent wars and invasions that we have taken the liberty to impinge upon these countries, their citizenry and the culture of these folks). However, in many respects, it is unjustified, for I feel that there is no right for us to be so hateful towards a people unless our history was one that had no hate present at all. I mean, why be so vile toward folks because of one event?

Now having a total dislike for ones government and their policies is on thing, but a group of people for their beliefs, or because their beliefs are juxtapose to ours is plane old foul.
I know some would say that these are folks that will send women and children, with bombs around their bodies to blow up innocent people. True, But I recall that her in this country, the same occurred, when General Amherst gave Indians blankets infected with Small Pox. Now we over here venerate Jones and have even named a prestigious university after him and a major city in New York. Although Jeffery was officially an English Lord by my recollection of history, he was the one that first introduced germ warfare. I know of this via reading Carl Waldman's Atlas of the North American Indian. In the book, while referencing a siege of Fort Pittsburgh by Chief Pontiac's in1763, he pointed out that General Amherst had via letter, suggested to Captain Simeon Ecuyer to give the Indians smallpox-infected blankets and handkerchiefs (BTW this started an epidemic among them

I can continue and I will because the Indian Boarding Schools were just as bad as the schools we criticize in Saudi Arabia. They were designed to mandate forced assimilation as well as destroy the culture of native Americans – it was always funny to me how a person can discover a place where people already live, talk about arrogance. These schools too were made popular by another American historic Icon of sorts - Richard Henry Pratt. Pratt started the Carlisle Indian School in 1879 and set the standards for such schools to follow. And just like the Muslims abroad, here Christian denominations were allowed to build them on reservations (thanks to another hero’s peace plan - Ulysses S. Grant).

And like the Christian’s were with Africans, their Christian like nature tended to display act more akin to: physical, mental, and emotional abuse that often resulted in death. From promoting poor sanitation and hygiene to washing Indian children in kerosene to prove their point – whit is the only way and right.

They would cut their long hair – the main reflection of their culture pride) had to where the clothes of the “white man.” But I imagine the worse thing was being bound and beaten or even burned for speaking their language. And I won’t even mention slaves. But if there is a point I am trying to make is, don’t be so hateful for others because they are different and don’t let the beliefs of a few produce generalizations to all. More importantly, don’t have double standards, be two faced or speak with a forked tongue for we all have dirt behind our ears.
ps - i aint 4got, the love post will be up this week, its written and saved, but such is tha of an infamous and diabolic mind

Monday, February 27, 2006

Black, Brown, Beige and Undereducated.

Just as there is a change occurring with respect to the new image of Europe, a similar occurrence is going on here in the U.S. Europe by contrast, is becoming increasingly African and Arab. As such, the political reference point of the past – one of traditional unchallenged Anglo-Saxon province – no longer can exist. In The U.S. As the decades add up, we will be completely a country of darker shade peoples as well. However, unlike in Europe, where the Muslim, Arab and Africans merge their political interest under a well educated populous, they do and command the governments consider their views valid. We in the U.S just foggle away opportunity and disregard liberty. Shit, we probably don’t even understand the concept of Liberty.

The future seems even bleaker. I mean it is not like we should expect the government to do for us anyway. But rather it should be a view is that this is what we do for government and this is what we expect government performance to be based on that contribution. This will never happen because we aid in the degradation of our own community. If more than 50% of students drop out from high school generally, speaking, how many do you think will be coming from our schools in our neighborhoods? Take it a step farther, if 80 percent of high school drop outs end up in prison and 40 percent of all inmates are darker people, yet these people make only 13 percent of the population, what kind of educated populous will remain to do battle, represent and demand that what we put in we should get back?

I wonder how much money in our neighborhoods is loss as a result. How many more homes, books, cd’s, and service that we provide in dollar terms could we be making? We can see this yet we select to motion toward and support being other than educated.

We allow this to happen on our own and it’s a shame. Simply put until we are proactive in our thinking such that they reflect action, we will force all to value education regardless in the understanding that our kind were killed and maimed just for learning to read. We should value and internalize this image. We need a well-educated populous or else American in the future of us as the majority, will just be Black, Brown, Beige and under educated.