Neither expansionism nor extremism
It is a shame for the Twenty First Century to bear witness to the return of barbarism and violence

 

 

Ali M. Aliabadi
July 29, 2006
iranian.com

The Muslim world is for the most part guilty of having unelected and corrupt governments which have kept the majority of the population in poverty, illiteracy, and with no say in their own political destiny.  In addition, the Muslim world has been plagued with a religiously and culturally closed mindset, political corruption, economic decay, and a freedom deficit.

Some Muslims need to be more open minded, embrace religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue, consider modernity as the reality of change and an opportunity as opposed to a threat, and realize that the West is not an enemy nor is it monolithic; rather, it encompasses many cultures with their own unique characteristics.

As for the current Lebanese crisis in the Middle East, the root cause of this conflict is in large part due to the creation of the state of Israel and the partition of Palestine which resulted in the confiscation of the land and the displacement of over a million Palestinians for the past 58 years.  Added to this is the unqualified support of the U.S. government for Israel since its inception and the uneven American foreign policy with respect to the Muslim world.

Frankly, the US government’s foreign policy has been fluctuating between ‘cowboy’ and ‘couch potato’ diplomacy in recent years.  It is a moral responsibility of the American people to pressure their government to rethink and redirect the forging policy of the United States that corresponds with the core American values.

Furthermore, what is happening in Lebanon and Palestine today is a result of mutual age-old West versus East animosities, prejudices, and misconceptions in the context of Modern Colonialism and Imperialism, in conjunction with the new imperial expansionism of the West and the brutal assault of the state of Israel on the Palestinian and the Lebanese population. What is more painful is the passive and partial attitude of the international community and the Arab governments.

Unfortunately, the media is only adding to the crisis.  Both Western and Muslim media must adhere to the principles of fair journalism by presenting unbiased, balanced, objective and factual reports and images of the crisis in the Middles East and refrain from distorted imaging and partial reporting of the conflict. 

It is a shame for the Twenty First Century to bear witness to the return of barbarism and violence.  More so than ever, we need the voice of reason and sanity to prevail. 

There is a dire need for a just and durable peace in the Middle East, a balanced Western foreign policy toward the Muslim world, and an indigenous democratic system of government for the Islamic world that upholds freedom, rule of law, pluralism, and the right of citizens to participate in the political process. 

For the sake of world peace and respect for human dignity, it is an urgent necessity for all enlightened and peace loving people of the world to work towards a new world order based on universal justice, global world ethics, and universal human rights and responsibilities. Comment