The Dish

As a Presbyterian minister, I have registered my dissent from last year’s controversial resolution at our General Assembly calling for “selective disinvestment” from companies doing business in Israel and the occupied territories. I thought our activists’ campaign was one-sided and ill advised. If my religious celebrations were subject to suicide attack (maybe they are), I would be willing to go to considerable lengths to prevent its happening ever again. I would be open to building a barrier or wall (depends on who you talk to). I agree with some points made by Martin Peretz in the blog to which you linked.

As I read more of that blog, however, I saw a point of view that sees no room for compromise, no hope for Palestinian Arabs, only concern for Israel. Extremists on both sides drive this conflict, Palestinians who refuse to recognize the right of Israel to exist AND Israeli Jews who reserve the right to build new settlements anywhere and everywhere. The latter won’t recognize how sensible it is to withdraw from the exposed and almost indefensible Gaza settlements. Ariel Sharon’s opponents on the right make him look like the soul of reason. (The Rev.) Stephen Scott,First Presbyterian Church,Statesville, NC
posted by Judith

“It’s not always possible to immediately follow every attack against Israel with a public statement of condemnation,” a statement from the Vatican press office said Thursday night, “and (that is) for various reasons, among them the fact that the attacks against Israel sometimes were followed by immediate Israeli reactions not always compatible with the rules of international law.”

“It would thus be impossible to condemn the first (the terror strikes) and let the second (Israeli retaliation) pass in silence,” said the statement, which had an unusually blistering tone for the Holy See.

Just so I understand, the reactions of Egypt, Britain, Iraq and Turkey to terror attacks have always been compatible with the rules of international law ?! Therefore, terror attacks against innocents living in those countries are wrong. Terror attacks targeting citizens living in countries with imperfect records are not. I am wordless.
posted by Judith

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.

Sir Winston Churchill via James Calvin.
posted by Judith

It was so wonderful to see that shuttle soar. Then, trouble. My Israeli niece helped prepare one of the experiments that went down with the Columbia. I wish they did not announce the grounding until they brought them safely home. So, here are some good news to cheer us up.
posted by Judith

We used to be told Asian values are different. Internal affairs are irrelevant. They still do not matter at the UN. But change is on the horizon. ASEAN countries take turns chairing the conference alphabetically. It was supposed to be Burma’s turn. The Generals spent a fortune beautifying Rangoon. All for naught.

Dictatorships are no longer cool or even acceptable. Regional organizations are ashamed to be chaired by them. “Their domestic politics and our interests as a region have been intertwined,” George Yeo, Singapore’s foreign minister said. “It is good that these will be decoupled.”

Before Burma can be allowed to take a leadership role on the regional stage, it must get its own house in order: “At a carefully choreographed press conference, Somsavat Lengsavat, the Lao foreign minister, said the junta had opted to forgo its turn to host ASEAN meetings to concentrate instead on “national reconciliation and democratization”.

The opposition is not all that happy. It wants to play a greater role in the democratic transition. The US has just extended economic sanctions in the hope of pushing the process along.

We are getting closer. Soon, there may even be a cigar.
posted by Judith

To be honest, the Irish Americans were an important source of water for even the provisional IRA fish. I remember the cold shoulder Philadelphians gave Gerry Adams when he spoke at the World Affairs Council after the Good Friday agreements. Not any more. During his last visit he was practically shunned. Indeed, Blair got in trouble when he seemed to suggest that the IRA was not as bad as Al Qaeda. So, here are the good news:

Mr. O’Dowd the publisher of a magazine, Irish America, and a newspaper, Irish Voice, said Mr. Adams and other senior republicans had persuaded the I.R.A. membership that it could succeed politically. Sinn Fein is now the second-largest party in Northern Ireland, and it has made significant gains among voters in the Republic of Ireland since 1994.

“This is a truly historic moment in Irish history,” Mr. O’Dowd said. “It is the first time since the founding of the Irish state that the I.R.A. has agreed that there should be no armed struggle. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness have taken an armed revolutionary movement and succeeded in placing it on a political path. Irish history is littered with people such as Michael Collins, who tried to do the same and failed.”

posted by Judith

Janet Albrechtsen argues that our (I guess she means the baby boomers) age of innocence is over.

Finally, more of us are saying “Hang on, some values are non-negotiable.” Perhaps we can draw a shade on the ’60s view that all cultures are equal. That utopian-driven decade is drawing to a close on other fronts too. Welfare is not all it’s cracked up to be. No-fault divorce has not been the blessing it promised to be. It seems we may be growing up, learning to draw a line in at least some of the right places. Who knows which of the ’60s sacred cows will be next?

posted by Judith

It used to be difficult to find open condemnation of terror. Not any more. Now the editorial in Al Jazeera declares that “The world faces one threat.” It informs us that “Arabic newspapers unequivocally condemned both attacks, and called for a united response to combat “terrorism.” The accompanying picture is a must see of a Jordanian lighting a candle for the victims of the London blasts. Even the comments bellow are no longer confined to the usual conspiracy theories.

Self criticism is becoming the order of the day. Ahmed Al-Rabei compares the Western and Muslim cultures and finds his wanting:

In the United States, the congressman for the state of Colorado made outrageous and disrespectable comments saying, “If America was to be subjected to terrorist attacks by Muslim fundamentalist, then we could take out their holy sites.” When the radio show host asked him, “Do you mean the Kaaba?” He replied saying, “Sure”.

This American congressman is now experiencing an enmity campaign against him from politicians and media figures alike in the United States. The White House and the American state department have clearly denounced his statements. The American press accused him of racism and hatred, and the reaction from within American society was much stronger than that of any Islamic country.

On the other hand, we hear of hatred and racist statements made by prominent figures of the Arab world against other nations and cultures, yet nobody is prepared to confront boldly such messages. Provocative thoughts and ideology have been spread by Yusuf Al-Qaradawy for example, who issued a religious ruling that states that Iraqi civilians are to be killed if they show any cooperation with occupying forces. He confidently spreads these messages via the satellite channels, mosques, and the Arab press.

We all remember when Abu Hamza Al-Masri who lives in Britain and has British nationality was asked why he lives in London considering his denunciation that it is an atheist country. He answered that, “Britain is like a toilet, we just do what we must and leave!”

How can such an ideology live peacefully in this world? I do not believe it can.

The following day the same paper carried an article by Ghassan Al Imam which asks:

Is the Arab society sick? I say clearly and boldly that it is. To admit this is neither defeatist nor a self-indictment, but rather assurance that examination of the disease is the only way to find its cure. What are the features of such an ailing society? The anomalous increase in populations of Arab cities, and in turn, the despair and anger created by the masses due to the corruption that consumes the hearts of the cities. Such corruption is rife in the administration and the economy displayed by the luxurious living of the bourgeoisies.

Reformists have also began to make practical suggestions:

The question of how to fight Islamic terrorism preoccupies many Arab reformists who are working to denounce Islamist thought, to encourage independent and critical thinking, and to establish values of democracy and human rights in the Muslim world. For example, in February 2005, a group of reformists submitted to the U.N. a request that it establish an international court to judge Muslim clerics who incite to violence and bloodshed. The request was examined by the U.N. legal counsel and distributed to the U.N. Security Council.(1)

Following the July 7, 2005 London bombings, Arab reformists further expanded their criticism and honed their arguments, not only regarding Muslim extremists, but also regarding the European countries, particularly Britain, which allows extremist activity within its borders in the name of protecting individual rights. They also increased their criticism of the silent Muslim majority and moderate Muslim intellectuals, who capitulate to Islamist pressure and do not speak out decisively against it.

You will find them enumerated here.

As I have written in the the story that the media misses interfaith dialogue is flourishing. A recent one took place in Bali.

Anne Applebaum is too pessimistic. Karen Hughes should not reconsider. In fact she is just in time to help along Our extreme makeover.
posted by Judith

There was no due process. Well done, Michael Petrelis.
posted by Judith

She is so right, of course.

By the way, I understand a group of Iranian activists are working in putting together a one-page add in NY Times addressing Kofi Anan appealing Ganji’s release. It is almost done and most likely will be published on Thursday.

In the meantime, you can read more updates on Ganji and the new attacks on NGOs.
posted by Judith