My eight-year-old rushed to me as I entered the house from work the other day, exclaiming loudly, with a demeanor that smacked of Archimedes and ‘Eureka, I have found it!’ — “Baba, Baba, the Americans are all Yehoodis (Jews)!”
Alarmed at this budding radical rhetoric and at such a precocious age, in gentle tones I asked him to explain himself. I was wondering what else was he picking up at school and elsewhere. “Well Baba, they are killing the Falasteenian (Palestinian) people, and also the children with bullets. Also, Pokemon and McDonalds and Coca-Cola are made by Yehoodis, and I am not going to buy any of that any more,” he added emphatically.
“I am going to give all the Pokemon away to my friends, and no more happy meals for me” he added with a slight twinge of distress. “Now sit here son, and let me explain something to you,” I replied, drawing him closer to me on the couch. “First of all, not all Americans are Yehoodis. There are Christians and Muslims living in America as well. And yes, there are Yehoodis there as well.”
Sensing some resistance from this little fellow to my argument, I continued, “Listen son. America is made up of a lot of people, just like anywhere else. There are good people and bad people there as in any other country. And not everyone in America wants to kill the Falasteenian.” “Aaha, Baba, they keep shooting children everyday and these companies send them bullets to do it with,’ he countered.
“Son, listen to me. Your mother is an American. Your sisters were born there and could be Americans. You go to America every year. Does that make you or your family Yehoodis? Did any American try to shoot you down with bullets when you went there last summer? And who told you all Yehoodis in America are bad and want to kill Falasteeni children? Those who are now killing the Falasteenis are evil people who just want to grab some land for themselves, just like the bully at school who tried to take your Pokemon pencil case last semester. Was he a Yehoodi?” Sensing weakening resistance, I continued. “Don’t you play baseball here in Jeddah? Isn’t your coach an American, and he is a nice guy, isn’t he? Did you ever see him bring a gun to the playing field and shoot the two Falasteeni kids on your team with bullets? Also, one person does not own these companies like McDonald that you mention. Many people own them, and they could be Muslims or Christians or Yehoodis.”
“OK, I have to go now and do my homework,” he replied before scampering away, seemingly satisfied and settled with the logic behind my argument. But as I sat there, I wondered. Just how much damage was the present policy of the US government in the Middle East causing to the sense of fairness that it continually tries to portray to the Arab world?
And if today’s children grow up with such frenzied ideas, wouldn’t it be fair to expect the image of the ‘Great Satan’ to be forever embedded in their minds? This double standard dealing that we are gradually being exposed to in daily doses is filtering to all levels of our society. When we hear of the US declaring intent to moving it’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in spite of UN resolutions to the contrary, is it honorable? Or turning a blind eye to the nuclear arsenal developments in Israel while subjecting Iraq to rigorous inspections and demoralizing sanctions. And what about the recent pardon of an Israeli financier by no less than the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton.
It is indeed very alarming when a president of the United States can have his arm twisted by the Israeli prime minister, into committing an act contrary to the laws of justice of his country or its interests, as Clinton had himself announced. And had the news of the pardon not raised a massive outcry among the more moral of Americans, would not Jonathan Pollard, an American sentenced to life in prison for spying for Israel have followed next? How far and how deep in have the Israelis reached into twisting US politics to serve their own interests? And thus, can we really expect our children to grow up liking America or anything associated with it?
No, the Americans are not all Yehoodis. There are indeed decent and God fearing people in America, including Jews I might add. But while the righteous and moral majority, by and large, remain silent, Israel burrows its tentacles deep into the soul of the US government, stealthily enveloping decision-making processes and craftily mutating them to their own advantage. My deepening thoughts were suddenly interrupted with “Baba, I’ve finished all my homework,” announced my son proudly as he made an entrance into the room. “All that talking and studying has made me very hungry. Can we go to McDonalds now?”
— Tariq A. Al-Maeena [email protected]
