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We,
peoples and regimes, are now like a
leave tossed around by wind, or an empty
bottle carried aimlessly by waves.
God addressed us “You are
the best of the nations raised up for
(the benefit of) men”. But since then we
had become powerless peoples, we gave up
our reins to strangers, forgot our
history, and blew up our heritage as if
we are rootless people. Thus, in these
historical moments we ceased to have a
past, present and probably future as
well.
We surrendered when faced
by challenges, thus we lost the last
grain of our dignity; and became a flock
of sheep driven to the unknown.
The first day of the huge
anti-war demonstrations that started
this week in over 500 European, Asian,
African and Australian, as well as 150
American cities, saw over six million
people from the four corners of the
planet take part in them, while our
peoples remain insensible and
indifferent to the dangers, as if the
whole episode does not mean anything to
them.
We hail the pro-peace European and
American people who took to the streets,
protesting against the war option, and
to prove that democracy and humanity are
still strong; and that human feelings
are stronger than oppression, and will
remain so as long as they feel the
sufferings of other people.
The great demonstrations
in Europe and America are landmarks in
the history of those countries, which
were not convinced by the feeble,
shallow and irrelevant proofs of USA and
UK Governments against Iraq. Those
demonstrations are a condemnation of
Arab silence and collusion on all
levels.
The suspicious Arab
submissiveness is horrible at this
bitter hour. It is no more limited to
the regimes that blindfold themselves so
as not to see the American massing of
forces against Iraq. It has infected the
Arab people who did not show any sign of
protest so far, after the
“Big”
ones confirmed their inability to
prevent an aggression on Iraq.
What pains most is to hear
the president of the biggest Arab
country declare that we would be
deceiving ourselves if we believe that
we are able to stop the war, after which
he proposes an Arab Summit on different
dates, the last of which soon in Sharm
Al Shaikh, after he learnt of the urgent
European Summit that would be held this
week. Arab summits are plenty, but
futile. If we were serious, this summit
should be held in Baghdad, or in the
capital of one of the GCC countries, not
in Sharm Al Shaikh, because it is not
intended to be a picnic.
I wouldn’t recall the
stands of our leaders who seem to be
living in the past. But I am ashamed
that we might lose everything while
waiting to be defended by the women of
Europe or supported by youngsters
demonstrating in America. I am ashamed
to see European and American women
volunteer even to go to Iraq and act as
human shields to stop the eminent attack
on Iraqi children.
How long is this silence
going to last? How long would we, Arabs
and Moslems, remain paralyzed by fear,
and drugged by our own failure to do the
least, to demonstrate in defense of our
Iraqi brothers? Isn’t it time to awaken
and discard our fears?
We are no warmongers. We
were not agressive people. We do not
support terrorism, and our religion
advocates tolerance and co-existence
with others, regardless of their
identities and beliefs.
Shouldn’t we get rid of
this fear that turned us into a nation
of ostriches? Our peoples must declare
their stand, and defend their absolute
rights. By this, and by this alone, we
can prevent the aggressive war against
Iraq. Otherwise we would never win the
respect of other nations, because they
demonstrate for us, while we hide our
heads.
I am ashamed because the
leaders of Europe are meeting in the
next few days to discuss how to avoid an
unfair war, while we - people and
leaders watch, and wonder!
I hail those peoples that
demonstrate in defense of our rights,
those mothers, fathers and children who
raise their voice in denunciation of the
war planned against Iraq.
Are the Arab peoples going
to awake and arise?
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