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Thank You Mr. President, Muslims Appreciate Barack Obama, Boycotting the UN – Conference on Justice? A Comment on the News!

Hasan Yahya,Ph.D

I read this piece of news today from the Los Angeles Times (LAT) Headlines: Monday, April 20, “U.S. stays away from racism summit,” as a title, then in a little more detail: “Washington boycotts the U.N. conference, citing concerns about anti-Israel sentiments.” As you see the little detailed title of the conference is the true one, but the LAT, describes it as “racism conference” in the flattery title: with the term “racism”. So how this happen? May be the LA Times wants us to believe that the UN is a racist agency, supporting Palestinians.  The conference took place in Geneva, while most countries attended except, certainly, Israeli bound states like the USA, New Zealand The Netherlands, Germany which   announced their boycotts”, in addition to  “Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy which also said they would not participate. These countries do not represent the entire West, fortunately. But the most important ones, who supported Israel for a long time.

So far so good, President Barack Obama will get the pro-Israel  support this time, after the homecoming show in Turkey and the 20 state members conference as well as NATO 60th birthday. The message for the pro-Israel in America, and for Israeli extremist  government, says: Barack Obama is not selling out Israel yet. This situation satisfies Israel and its friends, for sure, but make Palestinians outraged. They only need recognition that they suffered in the recent Israeli war while justice was absent.  That’s all. Thank you, Mr. President.  

What would be the reaction of the Muslim world?

I guess, they will forget about the non-attendees, for the sake of diplomacy, after all, they believed President Obama was sincere in his speeches, and that’s what counts in the first place. In addition, they do not have any weight in the world community other than attending conferences. Boycotting such conference, I believe,  for the United States, divides the world more than before and challenges NATO members solidarity. And may hurt the strategic plans for US NATO global force. Especially when some European allies are needed for the future of NATO and the USA cooperation of forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is the UN   “first global  racism conference in eight years” the news paper repeats the word “racism” as it wishes, to remind readers. It did not use the term “ant-Semitic” which is I believe, is a progress in media bias in the U.S. It may be also to satisfy Israeli Lobby in Washington. The newspaper added ” out of concern that Muslim countries plan to demand that it denounce Israel and bar criticism of Islam.”  Which is legitimate concern after worldwide criticism of the 22-Days of Israeli invasion on Gaza Strip celebrating the new year. But I don’t think that was intended from Muslims. This a news-fabrication about the conference outcomes. At least seven countries, plus the US will surely not attend. Or as the news paper says: “boycotting the event”. Thank God, they are not repeating the ugly term “racism”. Furthermore, the newspaper was unbiased, it brings Obama as saying for the U.S:  “it would boycott “with regret” the weeklong meeting in Geneva, which already is experiencing much of the bickering and political infighting that marred the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa”. And added his own words: “I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe.”

Well, Mr. President, the Israeli racist policies described as apartheid from a previous president, is not enough to for racism and discrimination. Or the IDF daily practices against Palestinians, or the Jerusalem issues of confiscating lands, and houses, and replacing them with non-racist Jews is not enough to convince you to attend such conference about justice.  
The newspaper brings readers to Durban conference for NGOs, whom I call the silent majority for morality, to watch justice worldwide, but they were described by President Obama as “folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were often times completely hypocritical and counterproductive.” Well, this quote seems hypocritical statement for some NGOs attended the Durban conference. It is an important comment comes from the president of the United States for its face-value.

The President added according to the LA Times report, “We expressed in the run-up to this conference our concerns that if you adopted all of the language from 2001, that’s not something we can sign up for,” Obama said.

 Well, Mr. President. What do you expect from those who witnessed atrocities of IDF Armies and planes against Palestinians in Gaza Strip for 22 Days? [Oh, I should say, the IDF defending Israel security war, who are the Palestinians?] Demonstrations include Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Atheists came together in Europe, in the USA, and in many other countries? Do you expect Mr. President,  a soft conference, using soft diplomatic words? So Israel or its supporters will not be hurt? Well I think the answer is known now.

I think the outcomes of the U.N. conference, will cite concerns about anti-Israel sentiments. Or the proposed final United Nations declaration are “its implied criticism of Israel and an attempt by Muslim governments to ban all criticism of Islam, Sharia law, the prophet Muhammad and other tenets of their faith.” [This is a good composition from the media] According to the Newspaper. Another reason may be that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will speak on the first day.

An advice to President Obama, is to be neutral when it comes to the Middle East conflict, Muslims cannot be easily deceived in politics, I advice the President to be clear about the two roles played by the United States for a long period of time in this case, Muslims like from the USA, to understand that their sentiments [while effecting nothing of Israeli power], the justice term have to be taken into consideration before deciding “boycotting” a UN Conference, it may claim true statements about Israeli action. [There will be documentation of IDF behavior] The only positive reaction for the President “boycotting the conference” is I am sure, the anti-Arabs and anti-Muslims in America will revise the stereotyping they make about the President leadership of the USA. Everybody knows what I mean! It’s filling the internet. (1080 words)

Hasan Yahya, is an American Arab scholar, a professor of Sociology, a columnist at wfol.tv, Malaysia, and TINA International News Agency, Michigan, USA. www.hasanyahya.com

“The age of warrior kings and of warrior presidents has passed. The nuclear age calls for a different kind of leadership….a leadership of intellect, judgment, tolerance and rationality, a leadership committed to human values, to world peace, and to the improvement of the human condition. The attributes upon which we must draw are the human attributes of compassion and common sense, of intellect and creative imagination, and of empathy and understanding between cultures.” – William Fulbright
The way to protect the USA from the violence and mayhem in the Mid East from revisiting our shores is to truthfully deal with the immorality of trusting in weapons of destruction to change hearts and minds. What is needed is imagination and intelligent leadership that reflects upon what we have done wrong and courageously seeks to right it.

We the people have been told that the “terrorists” hate us because of “our freedoms”. Never a word is heard from the MSM about USA made weapons being used by Israelis to massacre refugees or that target Red Cross ambulances and have now slaughtered more than 1,000 Lebanese civilians. And yet, President Bush clings too- and the limp MSM continues to report- that it is our freedoms that “they” hate!

Journalists quote “security sources” without challenging the information/propaganda and for those who dare to speak out about the other side of the wall, we are ignored or labeled anti-Semitic. Speaking out against inhumane and violence perpetuated by any government is a moral imperative for those who know the truth and are compelled to share it. Criticizing USA policy does not make one an unpatriotic American, but a thinking, feeling and compassionate world citizen. Opposing Israel’s occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people does not make one anti-Semitic, but proves one cares for the weak, the vulnerable and those without a voice.

“The Israeli aggression is relentless, and Israel benefits from Lebanon, in that the world is not paying attention to Gaza,” said Interior Minister Said Syiam in Gaza City. “I appeal to the world to pay attention.” http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/807/re2.htm

Seven weeks into Israel’s offensive on Gaza finds the civilian population desperate, isolated, and defenceless before Israeli massacres, but perhaps there is good news?

On July 24, 2006 Franklin Graham, President of Samaritans Purse, issued a “Prayer Alert: Crisis in the Holy Land.” He states the “latest conflict between Israel and the Hezzbollah terrorist group in Lebanon has created a unique opportunity for the church to the Lord Jesus Christ to reach out with God’s love to thousands of families displaced by the fighting.”

The good news maybe, that in the midst of the mayhem of the Middle East the potential now exists as never before, to wake up USA Christians to the six decade long refugee crisis in the land we all call Holy, and the nearly four decades of occupation that has been allowed to not just continue unchallenged by America, but is also supported by the USA with billions of dollars worth of weapons of destruction and billions of USA tax dollars.

Graham sites Matthew 5:44, that Christians are to “love your enemies” and Psalm 122:6 that we are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Lebanon is 30% Christian, and now that American evangelicals are waking up to the ‘crisis in the Holy Land, the real crisis may soon be addressed. A partial list includes:
1. Four decades of Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories.
2. Millions of refugees who are not allowed to return home and millions more who cannot get passports to leave
3. Over 100 unrecognized villages in Israel where Arab’s have Israeli citizenship and pay taxes, but receive no services; no electricity, no water, no medical, no schools, no human rights, no respect.
4. 4,170 Palestinian Homes have been demolished without reason or compensation since 2000. [http://www.ifamericansknew.org/]
5. A concrete wall/electrified fence that does not follow the Green Line and has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice and must come down, but continues to grab Palestinian land, water and divides families and prevents farmers from tending their land.
6. 9,599 Palestinians prisoners are being held, many without charges and access to legal council, and many of these are woman and children. [IBID]
7. 60+ new Jewish-only settlements have been built on confiscated Palestinian land between March 2001 and July 11, 2003. [IBID]
8. The U.S. gives $15,139,178 per day to the Israeli government and military and has furnished billions in weapons of destruction.

According to The Nation on the web [Aug. 8, 2006 "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism"] over the past months, the White House has convened a series of off-the-record meetings about its policies in the Middle East with leaders of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), a newly formed political organization that tells its members that supporting Israel’s expansionist policies is “a biblical imperative.”

The Nation reported that CUFI’s pressed White House officials to adopt a more confrontational posture toward Iran, to refuse aid to the Palestinians and give Israel a free hand as it ramped up its military conflict with Hezbollah. The White House has not revealed the names of the officials who met with CUFI lobbyists which is a tentacle from the Armageddon-based foreign-policy views of its founder, John Hagee. Hagee is a fundamentalist, fire-and-brimstone preacher and a leader of the fastest growing cult in America: Christian Zionism.

While Jewish Zionism began with the hope that all Jewish people would have a safe and peaceful dwelling place, these corruptors of the gospel Christ preached, adhere to a 200 year old mis-interpretation and mis-reading of disparate scriptures that they have weaved together to support their fear based doctrine.

Hagee has captivated nearly 18,000 misled Christians at his Cornerstone Church and he also hosts a major TV ministry where he explains his views of how the end times will unfold. He blatantly corrupts and denies the message that Christ preached. Hagee, Hal Lindsay and the Left Behinder’s are doomsday false ‘prophets’ who believe that the only way to defeat “Islamist fascists” is with a full-scale military assault. The cult of ‘Christian’ Zionism is basically the spirit of what an Antichrist has been understood to be for centuries of theologians.

The theology of Premellenial Dispensation worships a god of Armageddon and not the God of love, forgiveness and compassion that Jesus/AKA The Prince of Peace taught. To be anti-Christ is to be anti-what Christ taught, such as it is the peacemakers who are God’s children and one must forgive to be forgiven. While Jewish Zionism’s intent was that all Jews would have a safe and peaceful place to live, Christian Zionism and their Pre-Millenial philosphy is inherently anti-Semitic. Their intent is to convert the Jews to Christianity or leave them to perish in a nuclear holocaust, which they believe they will be raptured out of.

In 1891, Christian fundamentalist and lay-preacher, William Blackstone appealed to President Benjamin Harrison to help establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Blackstone was a disciple of Dwight L. Moody and they both were influenced by the father of premillenial dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby. Darby had great success in connecting with the post-Civil War survivors and was able to transmit his new theology into the heartland of America. Despite the horrifying news of Czarist pogroms that could have been the catalyst to establishing a Jewish state before the Holocaust, the fundamentalists moved onto the Scope’s Trial and forgot about the Jews for a while.

Fifty years later and after six million innocents were cold bloodedly murdered, and then only after the British Mandate ran out, Israel was born. Most evangelicals interpreted the establishment of Israel to be the fulfillment of how they understood and interpreted certain prophetic scriptures. They interpreted the Israeli victory in the 1967 War and the capture of Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights to be an act of God and not because of Israeli superior military might.

The American Bi-Centennial in 1976 was a watershed year for the religious right. While mainline churches declined evangelical fundamentalist churches became the fastest growing sector of American Christianity. TIME magazine named 1976 as The Year of The Evangelical and suddenly they became a legitimate political and religious force.

“Following the War of 1967, Israel gained an increased portion of USA foreign aid and military budgets, becoming the ‘western pillar’ of the USA strategic alliance against Soviet incursion into the Middle East…During this period AIPAC and other pro-Israeli lobby agencies began their ascent to power in shaping USA foreign policy. The Roman Catholic Church and mainline Protestant denominations began to develop a more balanced approach to the Middle East, bringing them closer to the international consensus on the Palestinian question. Pro-Israel organizations interpreted this shift as being Anti-Israel and in turn began to court the conservative Christians.”-pg. 35 Challenging Christian Zionism www.sabeel.org

In 1977, when President Carter stated “The Palestinians deserve a right to their homeland.” The Christian fundamentalists and Israeli lobby responded with full page ads stating: “The time has come for evangelical Christians to affirm their belief in biblical prophecy and Israel’s divine right to the land…and affirm our belief in the Promised Land to the Jewish people.” [Ibid]

The Reagan White House hosted a series of seminars from the Israeli lobby and Christian right. This was when Hal Lindsay, Pat Robertson, Jerry Fawell and the Moral majority infiltrated the West Wing.
“Fawell received a Lear Jet from the Israeli government for his personal travel…When Israel bombed the Iraqi nuclear plant in 1981, Prime Minister Begin called Jerry Fawell [ before he called Reagan] to ask him ‘to explain to the Christian public the reasons for the bombings.’” [Ibid pg. 37]

In 1996, Netanyahu and Likud ideology dominated Israeli policy and 17 evangelical USA pastors pledged their support of illegal colonies in the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and full support for a Jerusalem under sovereignty of Israel.

The Christian Zionists launched a PR campaign under the banner: “Christians Call for a United Jerusalem.”
They ignored the fact that they were in conflict with American policy and the Oslo process as well as a direct attack on Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant unity with the Churches for Middle East Peace that called for a Shared Jerusalem. What Hagee and the Left Behind crowd have left behind is that Christ promised: “The Peacmakers shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9

“The coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty,” Hagee wrote this year in the Pentecostal magazine Charisma. “Israel and America must confront Iran’s nuclear ability and willingness to destroy Israel with nuclear weapons. For Israel to wait is to risk committing national suicide.”

The theology of the fictional Left Behind series, is an example of the spirit of anti-christ: fear of the other that drives one to violence. THE PHILOSOPHY AND MORALS of JESUS of NAZARETH, as penned by Thomas Jefferson illuminate just how far these neo-Christians have strayed from the message Christ delivered and modeled with his life. According to Christ, to be his follower, one must be just: for justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart. And that one is to treat ALL people the way one wants to be treated and not to judge the non-believer.
Christ taught that the only way to resist evil is with good and modeled that one must always work for PEACEFUL resolutions, even to the point of returning violence with compassion and forgiveness, as Jesus did when nailed to a cross for he prayed:
“Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”

  Hamas is not a terrorist organization. Period

Hasan Yahya, Ph.D

The American congress is urged to remove Hamas’s name from the terrorist organizations. Such a decision was debated in the Senate and influenced by pro-Zionist and Israeli Lobbies taking advantages of what was announced by President Push’s “War on Terror” which named Hamas as a terrorist organization. Forgetting the purpose of Hamas and its goals as defending Palestinian rights in the face of occupied Palestine since 1948.

The Islamic militants of Hamas are sincere Palestinians, Most of them  loved everything American from cowboy movies to hamburgers. Muslim brothers, in Hamas often flaunt their   knowledge of the West, speak the west language [German, English or French]. Most of them listen to Mozart; and  read Shakespeare. They also  watch the Comedy Channels and  believe in the implementation of the human rights according to Islamic Shari`a laws.  To give an example of Hamas famous personnel, Mousa  Abu Marzook, the head of Hamas’ political committee, has lived in the United States from 1980 to late 1990s, he has a doctorate in engineering from Louisiana State University. Unfortunately he became one of the leaders for Hamas as an Islamist lived in America, as many,  but still a possibility to engage in political solutions.

 In the wave of failure Arab systems to stand for Israeli occupation and to provide solutions for high rate unemployment, and refugees movement. Hamas was formulated as a military branch of Muslim Brother groups (supported by outside assistance of the Muslim Brother movement in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Muslim charity organizations)  as rival to (secularist) PLO after the failure of Oslo agreement to bring peace or  to sustain Palestinian rights. Hamas was an expression of  rejecting Israeli policies in making settlements all over the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its continuous refusal of Zionist Israel to recognize the refugees rights for return, and making Jerusalem its Jewish capital. At the beginning, Israel was mistaken to encourage Hamas in the first place to be effective for two reasons: 1) Israel wanted Hamas or else, to stand  as a rival against PLO, taking chances that the more fractions opposing PLO and Yassir Arafat will benefit Israel to pass over its policies of showing Palestinians that peace is impossible. (This fact may be classified under Israel’s policy: “Farriq Tasud” meaning divide to rule. Or to make your own policies while factions fight each other;  2) The other factor was that encouraging Hamas will give Israel a reason to continue its policies in  attacking civilians, demolishing houses, and boulderizing trees and homes and making wide room for  Palestinians despair to loose hope for peace. But Israel as I said was mistaken. Hamas at the beginning used suicide bombers which is the least sacrifice can be provided to liberate Occupied Palestine among young Muslims youth. It’s the only perceived window to give oneself for a noble cause. Such practices were publicized as shahada –Martyrdom, (false or true it is not the argument here, because the idea is rejected widely among intellectuals and secularists) to be the method of resistance to Israeli occupation. It hurts Israel in many years, through successful attempts, but in the same time served the goals of Israeli policies to continue the use of its military might to suppress Palestinians and make their lives impossible as ordinary human beings in their homes or their movement from one place to another for serious business or health purposes. In addition, settlement and the stubborn behavior continue to take place in a competition between the political parties (The Lekud, and Labor, plus new invented ones, such as Kadima, and Erits Israel) in Israel where almost all peace projects followed Oslo Accord were neglected and failed to solve the problem. Hamas suicide bombers helped (unintentionally) Israel to Passover its claims for security measures acceptable for world community. Unfortunately, Israeli propaganda was successful to make small incidents (suicide bombing, and launching ineffective rockets) enlarged by official media supported by  biased American Jewish owned (read my article on Bias of American Media under articlesbase publications) or used as pro-Israeli propaganda to make these incidents a great deal, while victims volume are almost  less comparable to victims of crazy person in the USA, or Europe attacks American schools or post offices or  aged handicapped houses. But that propaganda was essential changed the halo effect of Hamas among Arabs, Muslims and even western world [the EU, and USA, Canada, Australia, etc.,) into a terrorism stigma. The 9/11 have enhanced such propaganda against Hamas and similar militant groups in the region.  As a result, Erial Sharon was successful to decrease the dream among Palestinians and Arabs to have a Palestinian state.  George Bush, the father was more wise than his son, he was serious about Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, when he stopped what was known as loans to Israel for such projects. George W. Bush, the son trying to satisfy Arabs and Muslims after his unforgettable mistakes toward Islam and Muslims in his “war on terror”, announced before the end of presidential years, the two state principle and promised to make the dream come true before the end of his days in the White House. His failure was imminent, because Israel wanted that. Or because the circumstances were difficult to make the dream comes true. One of President Bush’s mistakes was his earlier letter which legitimized settlement projects and gave Israel the endless support of settlements issue.  Erial Sharon was very intelligent political Zionist to counterpart any dream for Palestinians to have a state. The security paper always used to Passover anti-peace plans. Sharon in fact knew well how to manipulate PLO, and make the struggle to look as all wars of Israel against neighboring countries were made for security purposes. But Israel with the assistance of American foreign policies, whether in building the WALL, or attacking the  West Bank against Yassir Arafat PLO, 2003, Lebanon 2006,  and Gaza Strip in 2009 militarily failed with at least not achieving its announced objectives after each war. It is illogical to use power when someone has the chance for peace. Hamas fighters were  never demons in their resistance of occupation, and Israelis were never angels in their wars north, west or south. 

To go back to the start of this article, the appeal to take Hamas’s name from the list of terrorist organizations, it is time to regain its reputation as an effective partner for peace in the near future. Furthermore, we have the example of taking out Zionism as apartheid racist system from UN records. Time is changing, and new fresh and positive foreign policies have to take place in the White House and U.S Congress. By doing this the USA will prevent a new Itifadah, may not ONLY include occupied territories. Muslim militancy is not a joke, Arab and Muslim governments are not doing what is expected from them. Believe me! If the matter got out of hand, Islamic militants can hurt badly our interests especially the military and civil personnel overseas or elsewhere, which is the most gracious value we Americans have. The serial of embassy attacking was not initiated or shared militarily by Hamas, therefore, I look humbly as an American to a balanced USA foreign policy to change America’s negative image abroad into a bright one which took a number of debates of strategic influence recently (especially among NATO members). I think, America began to realize such objective in foreign policy, but we ask for more until peace comes to the Holy Land of Jesus, David and Muhammad. (May peace upon them to satify all).(1303 words)

Hasan Yahya is a professor of Sociology and expert on conflict management, he’s a columnist at wfol.tv, Malaysia and TINA International News Agency, Chicago, USA

www.hasanyahya.com 

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