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Only An Islamic Intifadah Will Succeed
By Mohamed Khodr
After watching both the Arab and the Islamic Summits and the failure of their participants to
achieve any measure of self-respect or take any concrete actions to help the Palestinians or their own people, I am reminded of a song from the movie My Fair Lady. The song, sung by Eliza Dolittle (Do-little: an appropriate title for both summits), expresses her frustration with her two
suitors, who only utter words but take no action. She sings, "Words, words, words. All I get is words. First from him, then from you. Is that all you blagards can do?"
Indeed, it seems the only functioning organs we have as Arabs and Muslims are our mouths. For 52 years, our leaders have been more adept at making speeches and empty promises, backbiting, telling lies, and engaging in conspiracies – all geared toward selfish self-preservation and ego-building – than they have been in serving their own people. Much less helping the occupied Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese.
What came out of these summits is a true reflection of the priorities of these leaders – how to pacify the masses (by feeding them with more lies) without jeopardizing their position as leaders and their relationships with the world's sole superpower, Israel, and its protégé, the United States.
And, while the oil rich nations were "generous" with some money - one billion dollars as of
yet unseen – the money was really just a “feel good” gesture toward the Palestinians who have been killed and their families. It's the least they can do.
Tragically, while the Palestinians are being killed, bombed and burned, these disrespectful leaders have the audacity to demand that Europe, America, and the United Nations do something to help them. Why should anyone in the world help the Palestinians when we as Muslims and Arabs aren’t helping them ourselves? Why should America reassess its ironclad relationship with Israel when Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania won't even consider downgrading their diplomatic embassies, much less cut ties?
Who on this planet can have any respect for our leaders, our masses, and even our faith when we don't even have the desire, the will, and the knowledge to respect our own selves and our faith? Who among our leaders has the genuine legitimacy or support of his own people?
The masses of us are irrationally media-driven to applaud and appease their leaders – even when
those very leaders humiliate our faith; insult our honor; imprison our fathers, brothers and sons; rob our money; and control every aspect of our lives. We have the leaders we deserve.
Surely, we can blame our poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, low morale, defeatist attitude, hopelessness, and cowardly approach – in a word, our demise – on the technological superiority of the West. Yet, we've seen, around the world, multiple examples of people with similar situations rise up and demand freedom, democracy and a better life. From China, the Philippines, Vietnam (who defeated America and France), Indonesia, Poland, Algeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Latin America, people fighting with zeal and willing to die for freedom have overturned their dictators.
As important as it is for us to do everything within our power to help our Palestinian brothers and sisters through regular demonstrations and other means of exerting pressure on our leaders who must decide between being our leaders or being America's puppets, we need to consider and be prepared for an ISLAMIC INTIFADAH in order to change our leaders and control our own
destiny. Allah (SWT) will not help us to live as Muslims in peace, justice, equality, and democracy until we help ourselves.
The only faith for which freedom and equality for all – regardless of their faith, race, color, or position of wealth – is a part of its Aqeedah is Islam.
The only way for the Islamic world to achieve any respect and weight in the world is that it must first achieve self-respect. Before we proclaim Jihad against Israel, let's proclaim Jihad on ourselves, and then on our nations. Our current leaders spend more money on American weapons than anyone else in the world, and then direct those weapons against us – the silent, intimidated, subservient masses who applaud, hang banners and pictures, and digest the daily dose of indoctrination that the media feeds our minds.
Hezbollah, may Allah (SWT) bless them, liberated Southern Lebanon with sheer will and determination and a readiness to die for their cause. Our leaders, kings, and presidents are more interested in preparing their sons to assume leadership and continue their dictatorships than they are in achieving any real progress for their people. Despite decades of "Corrective Movements," nothing has changed. Thanks to Saddam Hussein's stupid and disastrous invasion of
Kuwait, America has a permanent residence in the Gulf, which serves to deter any threat
to its supply of cheap oil, or any threat to Israel from Iraq or Iran.
America and Israel have neutralized Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. Syria is militarily weak and has a novice leader. Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria are in America's camp – far more willing to thwart any Islamic movement than to challenge western and secular hegemony. No one is left to help the Palestinians and to protect Masjid Al-Aqsa except Palestine's children.
While, daily, we are being fed scenes of horror in the occupied territories (thanks to the competent Al-Jazeerah), one wonders what, if anything, our leaders are doing. …Oh yes, they're wondering whether their allegiance should be to Bush or to Gore.
Recall that Madeline Albright visited the “client” Arab states prior to the Arab Summit in order to predetermine its outcome, while William Cohen is now visiting the same states after the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to be briefed that America need not worry after all. The only true winners following both summits are America and Israel. The losers, as usual, are the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims.
Ramadan is coming soon, Alhamdulillah. That gives Israel an opportunity, for a month, to kill fasting Palestinian children who barely have the strength to throw stones while we enjoy our Iftar meals, our parties, and our mind-numbing television programs. And we say the West is apathetic.
Our choice is clear. An Islamic Intifadah and Jihad as Allah's (SWT) servants fighting for peace, justice and freedom, or dormant servants to secularism, materialism, western domination, and corrupt leaders who have no faith.
So far, the West has nothing to fear in our doormat leaders.
Remember the murdered Palestinian children in your prayers during Ramadan.
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