dlish

ive been thinking over the last few weeks about this quote "why do they 'hate' us". it really had me torn.

i mean, being born and raised in australia, to lebanese parents, and being a muslim, what happened on 911 really did shock me, as it did the rest of the world. some with shock and horror, and sadly some with a shock and spitefulness, others with shock and confusion. i think i was a mix of the first and third category. as people tried to understand the enormity of what happened, people started asking questions. who would do such a horrible thing? why would they do such henious acts? why us? why do they hate US?


now nearly 5 years later, sadly it looks like the USA and its constituents still havent really come to terms with these questions themselves..certainly the US administration has not. we are still asking the same questions that we were asking in the aftermath of 911. now, 5 years later...the war on terror has ignited two wars... an ongoing afghan war that doesnt look like subsiding anytime soon, an iraqi insurgency bent on civil war that also seems will be raging for a long time to come.

and now with the countless deaths of innocent civilians in lebanon, the US administration still wont heed the warning signs.

if the US really wanted a long lasting peaceful solution in the muslim and arab world, it needs to start playing fair. we all agree that in this age the propaganda machine plays an integral role in winning the hearts and minds of its people. be it CNN or Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya..it doesnt really matter, all views are skewed to suit the views and needs or the populace, regardless of whichever side of the fence you're on. And this includes all issues be it abortion, homosexuality, war, euthanasia..all news is skewed to suit the audience at large.

so when the 1.1 billion strong arab and muslim world watch the death and destruction of firstly afghanistan, then iraq (rightly or wrongly) at the hands of an occupying force that heeds no authority but its own will,, you can imagine why people start to despise the USA.

and now with the situation in lebanon getting worse by the day, and with the USA able to do something about it, but would rather turn a blind eye and blatently have no regard for human life, you start to wonder why on earth would the beacon of justice in this world not giving a flying hoot about a life that is not american?

i ask you to put yourself in the shoes of an arab or a muslim for a moment, and look through their glasses, and see what they see or feel. i sense a mood changing from optimism and hope to despair. the blatent disregard to the rights of sovereign nations by the USA has turned the whole muslim and arab world against them. Arab nations that are traditionally allies of the USA are speaking up against her. she has backed herself up in a corner against the entire inetrnational community and the entire muslim world and stuck by its old foe israel through thick or thin regardless of the notion of natural justice.

it has turned a shiite iraqi people who have been on the verge of acceptance of the americans against them, and they have undone any good they had done in the land of iraq. it has turned the afghan people against them through 5 years of turmoil. it has taken lebanon back 20 years in the space of a month with its refusal to ask israel for an immediate ceasefire. thats all it takes, two words, yet they refuse to say it.

they have turned every muslim and arab who has any sense of belonging to their roots against them. the favourtism shown to Israel confirms to them that this is definately not a level playing field.

in my opinion the USA has played it cards wrongly this time. they may have had a justification in afghanistan, or even helped overthrow a despot, but they definately have backed an opressor in Israel this time.

as thorny as the issue is, had the USA played it fair, this could have helped the USA strengthen its foothold in the region and in the most forward democracy in the middle east. yet, what we see now is the arab and muslim public opinion turn back against USA.

and the american people ask itself...."why do they hate us?" its not because we hate your freedoms..its not because we despise the way you live, its not because you are infidels, its not because we want to usurp you under an islamic caliphate..its none of that nonesense ... the answer is simple.. because we've been denied justice.

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An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

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- Filthy