Month: May 2004

According to BBC and Wired News, the United States’ forces have re-entered the cities of Karbala and Najaf, and their tanks are drawing perilously close to the two holiest Shi’ite shrines in the world, within one of which Muqtada al-Sadr has based himself.

While the tanks draw closer and closer to the shrines, I am sure that the United States has enough common sense not to so much as touch them. The amount of fury this would release amongst the local Shiite population and the entire neighbouring country of Iran would be immeasurable, and would make the resistance that the United States has faced thus far look like a peaceful demonstration.

While we know that the United States leadership is aggressive and militant, they’re not stupid. In my opinion, touching either of the two shrines would be an act of stupidity. I just don’t think it’ll happen. For the sake of everyone involved, I certainly hope it doesn’t happen.

I know this is sort of oldish news, but I wanted to comment on it anyway. Senator James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma is of the opinion that people are getting too angry over the prison abuses at Abu Ghraib. He says that since the prisoners are probably terrorists, it doesn’t really make sense to care about their treatment.

I find this hard to reconcile with the notion that the United States has gone to Iraq to liberate the Iraqis from the ‘tyranny’ of Saddam Hussein. Certainly part of this liberation would entail the destroying the apparatus of systematic human rights violations. However, Inhofe clearly does not see this as a priority. So what is America really doing there if not providing the Iraqis with basic human rights that they supposedly never had before? What have the Iraqis traded Saddam Hussein for? Another brutal power who has no compunction about violently subjugating those who it sees as its enemies?

Senator Inhofe in saying that we shouldn’t really be concerned about the treatment of Iraqi prisoners has taken the view that human rights don’t matter. According to him, human rights are a privilige that we should grant only to those who are deserving of them. This view is morally repugnant, and one that the United States (hypocritically) regularly chides other nations for holding.

It’s at least of minor consolation that the top levels of the Executive Branch are at least outwardly admitting that this is a problem, if not taking any real steps to account for it, and prevent future occurances. Right now they seem more concerned about making sure that further evidence doesn’t reach the public. Or as Jon Stewart so eloquently put it, they’re trying to find and destroy the Weapons of Mass Documentation.

In a completely unexpected turn of events, the Hindu fundamentalist (though less so these days) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the Indian Elections, which they were widely expected to win. The Congress Party won the elections, and while they did not gain a majority of the seats (normal for Indian elections), they gained enough that Sonia Gandhi is likely to be able to form a coalition government with her as the Prime Minister. Any moderate Indian should be thrilled at this turn of events.

Also pleasing to me were the election results in Gujarat and Maharashtra, in which the Congress Party made significant gains. This is especially important in Gujarat, where BJP sponsored violence against the minority Muslim population there under the direct leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi claimed the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Muslims.

Someone pointed me today to Cryptome, where you can find a video of the depcapitation of Nicholas (Nick) Berg. Here’s the direct link (mirror 1, 2, 3), if you’re interested.

WARNING: YOU MAY FIND THE LINKED VIDEO DISTURBING. IN FACT, IF YOU DON’T, THERE’S PROBABLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU. BE MINDFUL THAT THE VIDEO CONTAINS THE ACTUAL DECAPITATION OF NICHOLAS BERG.

No doubt, many people will use this as an excuse to wage further war against Muslims throughout the world, the Middle East in particular. One thing to keep in mind is that although these killers may justify their actions based on jihad, or some other Islamic principle, it is important to understand that their actions have no Islamic basis whatsover. Their trying to link this murder to Islamic teachings is not only incorrect, but does a disservice to other Muslims worldwide, who are good, tolerant people.

Today, the West’s perception of Islam is shaped primarily by people like this, who perpetuate senseless violence, or by other terrorists. They fail to see the moderate side of Islam because that side is not controversial, and does not make headlines. Yet, the moderate side of Islam is the side that is the most pervasive throughout the world, and the side that is in my opinion, representative of Islamic teachings.

Also remember that this event would have never happened had the United States not taken the unilateral and illegal action of invading Iraq.