In Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood was the most organized
political group running in the post-dictator era The presidential elections in
the second round were between Mr. Morsi and a representative of the discredited
regime so many people (including secularists and even communists) voted for the
Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mr. Morsi. The young people who were the engine behind
the revolution were not happy when the Morsi/Muslim Brotherhood regime started
to push to Islamize the country instead of allowing inclusive democracy (e.g.
the constitution they pushed through). It
was also clear that the Muslim Brotherhood pre-election rhetoric especially on
relations with Israel and the West was now replaced by looseness to the Western
world and taking the line of Qatar and Saudi Arabia (money driven, pro-Israel).
President Morsi declared his support for these countries’ efforts to create
another Libyan scenario in Syria. Morsi
cut diplomatic relations with Syria and became friendly to the
US-Israeli-Qatari axis in its opposition to the Iran-Syria-Lebanon axis. Perhaps this was to appease the military
which is an institution with great power in Egyptian economy and society. But the military responded to the outpouring
of popular unrest in Egypt by staging a coup which further polarized Egyptian
society. The US said it will continue to
give aid to the Egyptian military which had been directly coordinating with
Israel including on tightening the siege on the people of Gaza creating a
humanitarian catastrophe. Israel seems to benefit from the unrest but seems to
have hedged its bets on any potential resolution by having “working relations”
with different sides in Egypt.
In Syria: It has been over 2.5 years since the Qatari-Saudi
financed initiative to topple Bashar Asad.
Russia and China stopped a potential repeat of the US and NATO scenario
of Libya. Russian and US foreign
ministers agreed to a political solution but forces in the West and in Qatar
undermined this by massive infusions of arms and money. Hezbollah decided to get involved directly
and helped win a decisive victory in Qusayr.
The Syrian government is now on the offensive aided by the public
opinions in Syria which saw the atrocities committed by the rebels (public
cutting of throats, torture, pillages etc.).
Calls for a Ramadan ceasefire seem to fall on deaf ears. The position of most rational people outside
of governments is that we do not support the regime but that what would replace
this regime is likely to be far far worse and lead to further blood-shed. This
unrest in Syria is beneficial for Zionism in the Middle East which consolidates
its grip on the illegally occupied and annexed Golan and looks for further
expansion.
In Lebanon: An extremist Sunni cleric tried to take on the
government and Lebanese military intervened to restore order. There was terror
bombing of Shia areas in Beirut. An attempt is being made to ignite a
Sunni-Shia’ conflict and not just in Lebanon.
Many Muslims rejected this call to fight sectarian wars even though a
few deluded individuals obeyed. Different
Lebanese patriotic leaders pointed fingers at external forces (e.g. Israel and
Qatar).
In Jordan and Turkey: Protests continued against unpopular
policies. Both countries are also
reeling from the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria (some
are Palestinian refugees). These
refugees are living miserable conditions and are not accorded the minimal needed
for a dignified living by either their host countries or by International aid
agencies like the UNHCR. Both countries host a significant US presence and have
close working relationships with US intelligence agencies aiding Syrian terror
groups. Israeli politicians gloat over this
and became free to intensify their colonization practices. We no longer hear about the strained
Israel-Turkey relations.
In Palestine: Hamas has now clearly chosen the path of Fatah
which for 20 years convinced itself of the path of “bilateral” negotiations and
compromise without leverage. Hamas main
leaders, like their parent organization the Muslim brotherhood, moved into the
USA-Qatari-Saudi axis. With notable exceptions
like Mahmoud Zahar, individuals like Khalid Mashal started to speak forcefully
in favor of those fighting the Syrian regime and to condemn Hezbollah-Iran-Syria.
Israel continues its racist policies against Palestinians throughout historic
Palestine and not just in the West Bank and Gaza. Violence continues as colonial settlers and
soldiers attack native Palestinians, take over our land, and build colonial
settlements in the illegally occupied lands.
The Israeli media and politicians are happy with the success of “managing”
the Palestinians and most think there cannot be any long term peace with the
native Palestinians but only PACIFICATION.
The Palestinian Authority and the US cooperate to make it easier by
building and expanding roads away from Jerusalem and the other Israeli coveted
areas in the WB (e.g. they are working now to widen the Wadi Nar road system
that connects Ramallah with Bethlehem bypassing Jerusalem). The 19th
Knesset has considered and some cases passed or is about to pass nearly 30 new
discriminatory and racist laws (see below from Adalah*) to add to dozens of
already existing apartheid laws. The
occupiers arrogance reached ridiculous levels by even preventing Palestinian
puppet show for Children in Jerusalem.**
So Palestine still remains the issue***
Conclusion: In the Middle (Dark) Ages, there was instability/mayhem
in Europe. In those decades, the Arab and Muslim world lived its golden age of
secularism, discovery, and science. Europe was divided between secularists and
religious zealots trying to maintain Church domination. But the Arab world,
unlike Europe is not left to its own devices to evolve. We are not independent to
guide our future whether in Egypt or Syria. The implanting of Israel here as a
spoiled child of Western imperialism and the subsequent continuing interference
prevented either secular or Islamic forces to gain real independent power. It
also prevents natural evolution. Imperial forces toppled secular nationalists
represented by Gamal Abdulnasser and through the Egyptian military prevented
political Islam from taking a foot hold. There is a game of occasionally supporting one
faction over another as long as that faction leaves Israel and Western Corporate
interests alone. This is the strategy of
divide and conquer.
Citizens of Western Countries must demand that their
governments stop supporting this sick game of divide and conquer that also fosters Christian, Islamic
and Jewish fanaticism. Long-term, there will be separation of religion from
state politics whether in Palestine (Israel as a “Jewish state”) or in Egypt or
elsewhere. We will have our own
renaissance. But for now, perhaps it is
important that all forces (left, Islamic etc.) to join hands against the real
enemy and gain true sovereignty of our countries. It has been nearly a hundred years since the
Sykes-Picot agreement (1916) and the Balfour Declaration (1917). Is it not time to end the mayhem that they
generated? This will give us space for then
arguing and pushing for whatever form of government people choose. In that case, diversity of ideas will be an asset not a hindrance. This will give us space and substance for natural evolution.
*Index of Currently Pending Discriminatory Bills in the 19th
Israeli Knesset
**Israel's puppet war
***Palestine is still the Issue
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