The horrific images of maimed and dead Afghan children, following the carpet-bombing of Afghanistan by American warplanes, have been seriously eroding public opinion support of the "war on terrorism" both in the United States and in Britain.
This is not surprising, given that both US and British government officials have failed miserably in explaining what they are trying to do in this military campaign. We all know that the overall objective is to root out Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network from the caves of Afghanistan, and to possibly overthrow the Taleban regime, but will incessant bombing really achieve this?
To be fair, the Americans have tried to keep civilian casualties down to a minimum, but hitting Red Cross storage warehouses twice within two weeks, as well as civilian areas, is really inexcusable given the much bragged about accuracy of US bombers.
Visiting my Saudi relatives the other day, I realized that the US had already lost the battle for public opinion in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Many of my relatives, who can usually be described as moderate and well educated, are sympathetic to the Afghans and to the Muslim grievances advanced by Bin Laden and his supporters. Their TV sets are permanently tuned to the Al-Jazeera satellite television channel and they look at me as if I were George W. Bush’s personal envoy to whom they must explain all of this.
I sit and watch half an hour of Al-Jazeera with them. I can see why and how this TV station is whipping up public sentiment in the Arab world. Every commercial break features an Al-Jazeera spot showing Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians.
As a voice-over is Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradawi’s voice giving a speech, saying, "They destroy our houses, steal our land and kill our sons!" in an impassioned voice, all delivered in a highly emotional way. It sends shivers of emotion down my back, even though I cannot fully understand what he is saying.
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Stressed out by the Afghan War
EARLIER THE same day that I visited my relatives, I had lunch with a Saudi friend who works at the US Consulate in Jeddah. Security is understandably tight, but not suffocatingly so. I walk through a metal-detector three times, each time shedding a different item on me: My wallet, watch and keys. I finally manage to pass through the detector without setting it off and am allowed inside.
After meeting my friend, I pop my head into the office of her colleague who also works in the United States Information Service section and say hello. He is Arab and his TV set is, unsurprisingly, tuned to Al-Jazeera. After a few pleasantries I say, "You certainly have your work cut-out promoting the US side in this war!" He just laughs nervously and doesn’t say anything.
In the consulate’s dining room I have the day’s special, roast beef and mashed potatoes. There’s a huge TV screen that is permanently tuned to CNN. The last time I was here before Sept. 11th, the sound was turned down and hardly anyone glanced at it. Today it’s different, the sound is up and political officers watch the news closely as they eat their lunch.
Despite trying to talk about other things, our conversation inevitably turns toward the war in Afghanistan.
It is on all our minds and we cannot stop thinking and talking about it for even a few minutes. My friend is understandably worried about her own security working in a US government facility. She tells me she is the only full-time Saudi on the staff. I think to myself that I would be scared too if I had to work at a facility that Osama Bin Laden had probably vowed to blow up if possible. It’s not exactly the best conditions to work under.
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Let’s stop blaming others for our own mistakes
MANY COMMENTATORS in the Muslim world are once again trying to blame the whole Afghan War on the West. But this is absurd. Who rammed two jets into the World Trade Centers in New York City on Sept. 11th, another one into the Pentagon and another into the Pennsylvania countryside?
Bin Laden and his supporters have tried to hijack the political discourse in the Muslim world and turn it into the usual "we oppressed Muslims vs. the evil West" one. Unfortunately, what this really is, is a battle between moderate Muslims and extremist ones.
Do we really want to be hijacked by extremists who believe women should be kept at home under lock and key, not allowed to study or work? Do we want to be ruled by people who believe that TV and music are evil, and who think that all non-Muslims are horrible people to be dealt with (if at all) at arms length?
The Muslim world, once heralded as one of tolerance and knowledge, has deteriorated into one of intolerance and hatred, of greed and massive corruption. The voices of reason and compassion have been drowned out by those intent on amassing as much wealth as possible while forbidding compassion, common sense and real decency.
Many Muslim governments have also failed us by failing to stop this intolerance from flourishing, all because they were afraid of being branded "unIslamic." But this is absurd to be hostage to such thought and kinds of people.
Muslims must recapture the tolerance and glory of a culture where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stood up when the body of a deceased Jewish man was carried passed him, to the shock of an onlooker, just because as in the prophet’s own words "he’s human too, isn’t he?"
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I agree with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s in not seeking clemency for her kababayan who are serving time in China’s prisons for drug-related cases.
Drug-trafficking is just as heinous as terrorist attacks. It may not have the shock of a bomb blast but its impact is just as disastrous and enduring. A growing population of drug addicts slowly erodes the moral fabric of society and leads to widespread criminality and lawlessness. It should, therefore, be nipped in the bud.
