Jews, Arabs, Israel, Mel Gibson, Anti-Semitism, and Hizbollah.
I've been juggling thoughts in my head for the past 29 days. Most were depressing. Some were enlightening. Some were hateful. Some were loving. All were steeped in deep emotion and a sense of history.
Here are just a few things I've been thinking about:
ON JEWS: To all my Jewish friends, if you do not identify with Israel, I am sorry that you are being made to by the world and the media. It seems unfair to me that if you have a certain religious or ethnic background, you are associated with the good, the bad, and the ugly of that particular background. This happens to everyone, so it's not just my Jewish friends (it happens to me all the time), but I thought I'd mention the Jews because it seems to be happening to them, in my perspective as an Arab.
ON ARABS: From my American perspective, I feel even worse for the Arabs and Muslims. Anyone who is associated with Mohammed (pbuh) or the Arab World is being bombarded with questions and scarring comments. Even well-wishers make stupid mistakes when addressing an Arab or Muslim (yesterday, my aunt went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist, who she's known for a while, greets her with "So what's been up besides people killing each other in the Middle East?") You could even be a white guy from Arkansas, but if you're Muslim, you're still associated with Terror. I'm really just sick of that shit. People are so ignorant.
ON ISRAEL: Israel is full of smart sons of bitches. Here's one very, very simple thing that changes EVERYTHING in the way people view them: the name of their army. IDF, or the Israeli Defense Force, is a name with such spectacular irony that it's hard for me to control my gag reflex when I hear it. I shake my head in my amazement everytime I hear the news say "the Israeli Defense Forces are battling the Lebanese militants". Language makes such a difference --it can change a murderer into a victim... and vice versa.
Also, someone please explain to me Israel and America's reasoning behind now wanting a ceasefire... or at least the one they are telling people.
ON MEL GIBSON: This is getting out of hand. I don't see how Mel Gibson's comments came as a shock to everybody. They've been on his ass about being "anti-semetic" since the Passion of the Christ came out. Put it to rest already. Plus, the policeman who stopped him was Jewish. How do we know that he didn't elaborate on what Gibson said to make him sound more anti-semetic than he really was. He was drunk, how could he remember clearly? Plus, this whole thing really puts the Jewish hold on the media front and center. I mean, the guy lost deal after deal and offer after offer over this fiasco. I think they should put it to rest. Racist comments happen everywhere all the time, what makes this one so special? Since when did we take seriously what some drunk guy was saying (no matter how handsome and charming he is)?
ON ANTI-SEMITISM: It irks me that people are afraid to debate Israeli war tactics and governmental policies because they are afraid of being deemed "Anti-semitic". I mean, they have no problem being anti-muslim and anti-arab (which is weird, because many Arabs are semites). Anti-Semitism doesn't mean anti-semite to the Western media. It mean Anti-Jewish. If they meant real anti-semitism, then half the things they say should get them in the hot water they are so afraid of. "It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed."
ON HIZBOLLAH: I'm sick of Hizbollah being characterized as a militant terrorist organization, rag-tag criminals, or the myriad of other insulting and inaccurate titles. How else is Lebanon supposed to be defended? I don't even know what to say about this. There's so much I want to say and there's so much I feel against the people who are faulting Hizbollah for their resistance tactics. I guess I'll just end this blurb now. There's too much to say and all I can say right now is God be with whomever is right. I know both sides are killing civilians and I know both sides are losing civilians. And I also know that the Israelis who were claiming to be be fighting "fairly" and "warning civilians" seem to have failed to drop leaflets that are to warn the civilians on the majority of the suburbs they bombed in the past few days.
There is an article I read which provided evidence that the US and Israel planned the Lebanon attack as early as June 17th. I'll find it and post it up.
Anyway, let's pray for peace.
Here are just a few things I've been thinking about:
ON JEWS: To all my Jewish friends, if you do not identify with Israel, I am sorry that you are being made to by the world and the media. It seems unfair to me that if you have a certain religious or ethnic background, you are associated with the good, the bad, and the ugly of that particular background. This happens to everyone, so it's not just my Jewish friends (it happens to me all the time), but I thought I'd mention the Jews because it seems to be happening to them, in my perspective as an Arab.
ON ARABS: From my American perspective, I feel even worse for the Arabs and Muslims. Anyone who is associated with Mohammed (pbuh) or the Arab World is being bombarded with questions and scarring comments. Even well-wishers make stupid mistakes when addressing an Arab or Muslim (yesterday, my aunt went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist, who she's known for a while, greets her with "So what's been up besides people killing each other in the Middle East?") You could even be a white guy from Arkansas, but if you're Muslim, you're still associated with Terror. I'm really just sick of that shit. People are so ignorant.
ON ISRAEL: Israel is full of smart sons of bitches. Here's one very, very simple thing that changes EVERYTHING in the way people view them: the name of their army. IDF, or the Israeli Defense Force, is a name with such spectacular irony that it's hard for me to control my gag reflex when I hear it. I shake my head in my amazement everytime I hear the news say "the Israeli Defense Forces are battling the Lebanese militants". Language makes such a difference --it can change a murderer into a victim... and vice versa.
Also, someone please explain to me Israel and America's reasoning behind now wanting a ceasefire... or at least the one they are telling people.
ON MEL GIBSON: This is getting out of hand. I don't see how Mel Gibson's comments came as a shock to everybody. They've been on his ass about being "anti-semetic" since the Passion of the Christ came out. Put it to rest already. Plus, the policeman who stopped him was Jewish. How do we know that he didn't elaborate on what Gibson said to make him sound more anti-semetic than he really was. He was drunk, how could he remember clearly? Plus, this whole thing really puts the Jewish hold on the media front and center. I mean, the guy lost deal after deal and offer after offer over this fiasco. I think they should put it to rest. Racist comments happen everywhere all the time, what makes this one so special? Since when did we take seriously what some drunk guy was saying (no matter how handsome and charming he is)?
ON ANTI-SEMITISM: It irks me that people are afraid to debate Israeli war tactics and governmental policies because they are afraid of being deemed "Anti-semitic". I mean, they have no problem being anti-muslim and anti-arab (which is weird, because many Arabs are semites). Anti-Semitism doesn't mean anti-semite to the Western media. It mean Anti-Jewish. If they meant real anti-semitism, then half the things they say should get them in the hot water they are so afraid of. "It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed."
ON HIZBOLLAH: I'm sick of Hizbollah being characterized as a militant terrorist organization, rag-tag criminals, or the myriad of other insulting and inaccurate titles. How else is Lebanon supposed to be defended? I don't even know what to say about this. There's so much I want to say and there's so much I feel against the people who are faulting Hizbollah for their resistance tactics. I guess I'll just end this blurb now. There's too much to say and all I can say right now is God be with whomever is right. I know both sides are killing civilians and I know both sides are losing civilians. And I also know that the Israelis who were claiming to be be fighting "fairly" and "warning civilians" seem to have failed to drop leaflets that are to warn the civilians on the majority of the suburbs they bombed in the past few days.
There is an article I read which provided evidence that the US and Israel planned the Lebanon attack as early as June 17th. I'll find it and post it up.
Anyway, let's pray for peace.
posted by Ayah @ 12:44 PM
3 Comments:
At 6:33 PM,
Ayah said…
i couldn't find the original articles i looked at again. But this I found when I googled the key words and pretty much sums up the same thing. It's not as reliable as my original source, which was a magazine or newspaper (i couldn't tell which).
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=4877
At 11:23 PM,
rima said…
most arabs are semites, i'd say. i mean, just look at us! there are definite similarities between us and [ethnic] jews.
At 3:38 PM,
Stephanie said…
ei ei ei.. the world seems so much more chaotic to me nowadays. a prayer is going to leave my lips each day for deliverance from this conflict and some way to find peace. it breaks my heart to see innocent people caught up in such disputes. in fact, it breaks my heart to see GUILTY people caught up in such disputes. it shouldn't have to be this way.
you, maggie, and i are still on for next friday, correct??
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