Will the Muslims Respond to a Christian’s Prayer?
That the West’s veil of civilization is thin was not a recent observation. But that it was paper thin had not been envisaged. The mere destruction of two office blocks, at whose hands perhaps we will never know, should have brought down the whole façade of civilization that quickly, had not been predicted. The West, led by the USA, removed its camouflage so fast that many people are unable to reconcile themselves with the fact of its true nature, although they had all along been suspicious of its claim to morals and values, culture and civilization.
Much of what we have been saying in these pages since a decade about the West is now begun to be freely said by a section of the press. These views are not being aired by Muslims alone; but by non-Muslims too, not only in the Islamic world, but also in the West. Lines such as the following, for example, were forbidden print even as late as a year ago: “All the senior officials of the American administration including the president, vice president, defense secretary, secretary of state, national security adviser and the head of the CIA were parties to spreading the big lie about Iraqi weapons and thus deceiving the American people. Bush was re-elected on this lie.” (Hassan Tahsin, Arab News, 18th Aug.06). Arab News is considered a moderate paper, which is also published in the USA. The writer, Hassan Tahisn too, is considered to be one of the level-headed writers.
We disagree with the last line though. We do not believe Bush was re-elected on the basis of a lie. Americans have never been too sure of the statements of their politicians. He was re-elected because he promised the Americans that the occupation of Iraq will not end prematurely and not without the Americans having achieved their major objectives: full control of oil being one, if not free supply for next twenty years. American public is no fool, nor ignorant, nor yet as innocent as many would like to believe. West is perfect at hypocrisy and can deceive the best of eyes. The Americans know very well that the lopsided trade balance with China and other countries is not going to be corrected without being forced to buy petrol at prices that increase the cost of their products several folds.
From across the continents, a senior British politician, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescot, was recorded saying that Bush is “crap” and a “cowboy”, which is to say that the man is mad and violent. In our opinion, it is not Bush alone, but a large powerful group with a strong support-base from the public which is crap. However, the British politician preferred not to use the right word: fanatic. As for violence, we do not believe it is the characteristic of a president, or a support-group, or merely the Christian South (although the most effective in promoting violence against Muslims). It is the characteristic of the West. Look back as long as you will into the annals of history. Westerners have been the most violent people. A recent photograph shows teenage and younger Ashkenazi Israeli girls signing on two-meter tall horrendously destructive bombs to be dropped on women and children in Lebanon. These children knew that a massive bomb, (the latest American technological piece) dropped on civil population, would kill women and children. The joy on their faces, while signing the bombs, (and the next morning TV coverage of women and children dead), speaks of the blood-thirsty nature of the West. (Ashkhenazis are Jews of European origin).
Karen Armstrong reflects a deeper and more hideous truth when she writes in her usual soft tones: “The crusading habit of anti-Semitism continued unabated in Europe, as we shall see, and found its fullest and most hideous expression in the Nazi crusade of Adolf Hitler. Without Western anti-Semitism it is unlikely that there would have been a Jewish state in the Middle East today. But the habit of Western hostility toward Muslims also continued unabated in Europe..” (Holy War, p. 373, Anchorbooks, USA).
Look back any number of years. The History of the West has been – by and large – a history of murder and mayhem interspersed with spells of peace. (Do not rush out to buy “A Short History of Europe.” Its author has to make his living. In the West you don’t make money by speaking the truth about the West. Go for a multiple volume history work. Three-fourth of the book will be revelation).
The violence we have been speaking of, has not always been directed at Muslims. Much of it has been aimed at each other. And, much has been against followers of their own religion: Christianity. Ever heard of the famous “30-year Religious War” of the nineteenth century Europe?” You haven’t. You cannot imagine how nations can continuously fight each other for 30 long years for the sake of God. But perhaps you haven’t a multiple volume History of Europe on your desk yet.
The recent hysteria in the press and TV over the arrest of teenagers in Britain on charges of intentions to blow up planes, and the European Union Ministers’ rally to support Britain over the “terror” plot, (although doubts have already been raised by some Western writers about whether the teenagers were planning anything, or were merely secretly recorded – by a provoking secret agent – expressing their anger at American policies) – speaks of a deeper plot. The hysteria and the European backup tell us that Western Europe is solidly behind America in its aggressive policies toward Islam and Muslims, even if it disagrees over details and manner(s) of execution.
It also tells us of a deeper plan: to alienate Muslim and create a wall of suspicion between Muslims and their own populations. (Just as they did in Europe with the Jews, before going after them in a bloody campaign, to drastically reduce their population then dumping the rest on the Muslims). With the objective of the present psychological onslaught achieved, the immigrant Muslims may exhibit a far superior life, customs and manners within the boundaries of Europe and America, but with no impact. The mind of the indigenous population well poisoned, they will not see virtue as virtue. They might see the Muslims as offering a different and attractive way of life, but, misled to believe that they must be making a show; otherwise, in truth, they would have learnt, Islam is terrorism, and its adherents are terrorists. Conversion rate will dramatically fall. It will also help reduce Muslim migration to the West, and the return of those already there facing prejudices of various sorts. Thus, the “Islamic” menace will be fully contained.
Another objective of the image-making is to kill off any sympathy that can be there for the Muslims in any part of the non-Muslim world. So that, when they are attacked, butchered and murdered, men, women and children, the rest of the world says, “they deserve it.” The West gains immunity and greater freedom to act.
These ideas might sound like imaginary fears to some. But, so it was thought when the Jews were once being portrayed as responsible for everything that went wrong in countries where they were assigned to the ghettoes. The image building took a few decades. (Now it can be done faster). But once it was achieved, all that the populations needed was the word “go” and the riots and pogroms were on. The police looked on helplessly, if it did not participate in the murder and mayhem on a people who had done no wrong to them. They had not murdered their God, had never kidnapped their children to sacrificed them on their holy day, and were in no way responsible for the never ending wars between the European countries. But, if you asked the Christian citizens about the Jews, they would have said, “A dead Jew is better than a living one.” It culminated with the mass elimination in Germany. When ships arrive carrying thousands of refugees escaping concentration camps, no European port would allow them to dock. The ships sailed back to where they had started from, for the hungry and thirsty Jews to be promptly fed into the furnaces upon arrival. Propaganda can turn angels into devils.
The Jews were not angels. But they were not devils either. Nor are the Muslims terrorists, or Islam fascist. But consistent hammering of the vicious allegations, upon the Western (and some Eastern) minds, by none less than its presidents and prime ministers, can have sinister effects, leading to serious consequences. There is definitely a reason why the Western leaders are talking loosely and uttering the terms, on occasions waited for, or created with the help of agents planted among the Muslims. When the first Crusaders started off during the 11th century, there were rumors that the Jews on the shores of river Rhine might be attacked by the holy warriors. The Jews shook their heads in disbelief, called it mere propaganda and wild rumors. What had they done to Europe to be attacked by volunteer corps heading to the Middle East? Not one Jew thought of moving out of the way. As the armies marched forward, the Jewish colonies were wiped out. Simple propaganda techniques (e.g., Jews are snakes) accomplished what was otherwise thought impossible by Jews as well as the less religious Christians, who stood as helpless witnesses to the murder and mayhem, as the millions of Western intellectuals and moderate Christians stand helpless today. When armed gangs take over, even those who believe in co-existence have to flee.
The West is up in arms again. It is talking of war and destruction. The propaganda machinery is doing over-time. The rest, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, must vigorously protest, and prevent the war-mongers from remaining in power. Western intellectuals have begun to feel the danger. When the flames leap, they burn the fire-setters houses also. When the murder and mayhem began – during, e.g., the first and second world wars – it were not the Jews alone who were killed. It were the Christians who were slaughtered most. As the Western intellectuals have begun to speak out their fears, Muslims must rise up too, and lend them helping hand in combating the new menace. Writes a certain Jerry Copeland from the United States, “Now is the time to recognize that this rogue state Israel and its puppet masters in the West must be contained and must come to realize that any more violence against the Arab people will be stopped. Now is the time for solidarity and a unity to both strength and commitment to strength. As much as I pray that this will occur I find that I have no faith that it will. I find that all that I can do is to stand by and read the news of more oppression and deaths at the hands of a government that has lost its relatedness to the concentration camps of Europe and has followed suit in creating such camps for Arabs. It is time for a change. I pray to the Lord God of Heavens that those of His faithful will rise to the occasion .. And I do so as an American and a Christian.” (Arab News, 20th Aug. 06).
Will the Muslims respond to a Christian’s Prayer?
