Israel/Palestine And Terrorism
By Kamal Nawash (06/22/04)
"Terrorism can never be justified."
No other issue has been more frequently used to justify global terrorism than the alleged support for the Palestinian cause.
The issue of Palestine and the perceived suffering of the Palestinians is the single most important issue that unites the entire Muslim and Arab world. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is so important to Arabs and Muslims that every terrorist group from Morocco to Indonesia that seeks legitimacy and a following, places the “liberation” of Palestine at the forefront of their agenda. For example, recall that Saddam Hussein responded to the world’s request that he leave Kuwait by insisting that Israel first evacuate the West Bank and Gaza. Osama Bin Laden also invoked the Palestinian issue to justify 9-11. Iran has made the Palestinian issue its most important foreign policy priority since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Radical Shia cleric Muqtadar Al-Sadr tried to enhance his credibility by equating Iraqi suffering with Palestinian suffering. HAMAS, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad justify the murder of innocent Jews by adopting the Palestinian cause.
In reference to this trend, Ibrahim Bayram, an analyst with Lebanon's An-Nahar daily, recently stated, "Whether [in Lebanon] or in Palestine, Hezbollah considers resisting the Israeli occupation to be part of its own struggle, if the Intifada ends, the justification for its (military) existence ends too."
The strategic adoption of the Palestinian cause has made it difficult for peaceful Arabs and Muslims to attack terrorist organizations such as Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and HAMAS. The fact is the real aim of organizations such as Al-Qaeda, HAMAS, Hezbollah and countries such as Iran is not just the “liberation of Palestine” but the creation of a fundamentalist Muslim empire made up of every Muslim nation.
Arabs and Muslims must reject any attempt to use the Palestinian issue as an excuse to use terror. Arabs and Muslims must reject terrorism under any circumstances and challenge the terrorists’ propaganda machines head on. It is the duty of every Muslim to help defeat Islamic terrorism.
Terrorist organizations such HAMAS and Islamic Jihad have done more to hurt the Palestinian cause than any perceived enemy of the Palestinians. Arabs and Muslims must accept that Israelis have a just cause and have the right to live in peace and prosperity. At the same time, Israelis must accept that the Palestinians have a just cause and have the right to live in peace and prosperity.
Arabs and Muslims who are passionate about the Palestinian Israeli conflict should reach out to Israelis and focus on mutual understanding and non-violent conflict resolution. Israel must understand that the Palestinians have suffered for the last fifty years. Israel must come to terms with the Palestinians and accept that thy can not be defeated nor "wiped out." Making peace with the Palestinians is in Israel's best interest and may have the added bonus of depriving terrorists all over the world of legitimacy.
Don't Blame the "Jews"
Another disturbing trend that is heavily propagated by extremists and accepted by many naive Arabs and Muslims is the blaming of all Muslim problems on the “Jews.” There are numerous examples for this but most recently news broadcasts out of Iraq quoted Iraqi victims of violence who blamed the bombings on Jews or a Jewish conspiracy.
Many Arabs and Muslims still blame the 9-11 attacks on a Jewish conspiracy that was allegedly perpetrated to demonize Arabs and Muslims in the eyes of the world.
One of the most recent and tragic examples of unjustified hate towards Jews was the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl. Daniel Pearl was a journalist murdered by Islamic extremists in Pakistan who had never met a Jew, and the only knowledge they had about Jews was the tireless propaganda from Muslim extremists throughout the world blaming Jews for all of the world’s problems. The extremists targeted and murdered Daniel Pearl because he was a Jew.
Research indicates that one of the modern origins of this trend is the mutual demonization by Israelis and Arabs of each other to gain global support for each other’s causes. This pattern includes the Arab media’s ceaseless reference to the falsified document, the Protocols of Zion. Arabs and Muslims must refrain from demonizing Jews and stop blaming Jews for all of the world’s problems. Israelis must also stop demonizing Arabs and Muslims who peacefully advocate for the rights of the Palestinians.
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