(PART-1)
Badrul Islam
The 44th US President, Barack.Hussein 0bama, in his inaugural speech
mentioned that: "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and
Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and
culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have
tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged
from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but
believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of
tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our
common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its
role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who
seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know
that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you
destroy.
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and
the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of
history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to
unclench your fist."
The depth of these words, I feel are very refreshing indeed and
ushers in the "Change" from the previous 43rd President's moral
words, "Either you are for us or against us". Congratulations Mr.
President. Credit is also due for selecting Middle-East convoy,
George Mitchell, who according to Los Angeles Times, is no stranger
to conflicts. Mitchell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
from President Clinton in 1999 for his work on reaching a peace
accord in Northern Ireland. (Ref: latimes.com dated 24/1/2009).
There is no doubt of the good intentions of the President. "Change"
is good; deciding to make change is the easy part, getting people to
do that are the difficult task. Let us analyze.
The same issue of Los Angeles Times mentions that, " In his new role,
Mitchell will once again be working with Tony Blair, who was British
Prime Minister at the time of Good Friday agreement." Why and what is
the necessity when Tony, towards the end of his career became
controversial and unpopular, both at home and abroad due to his part
in creating the turmoil in Iraq.
On Middle East peace, Mr. Obama reiterated his administration's
support for Israel and its security but also suggested Israelis would
have to make some tough choices.
"Ultimately we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians
what is best for them. They are going to have to make some
decisions," he said.
"But I do believe the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that
the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in
prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it's time
to return to the negotiating table."(Globalnews24.com dated
January27, 2009).
This sounds more realistic but what, if I may ask, will they do, at
the negotiating table?
Will Mitchell be brave enough to remind the Israelis the fact that
in the 19th century this land of Palestine was inherited by
Multicultural population –approximately 86 percent Muslim,10 percent
Christians and 4 percent Jews—all living in peace? But a group of
Jews in Europe decided to form a Jewish land and they considered
locations in Africa and America before settling on Palestine.
Hitler's rise to power combined with the Zionists activities to
sabotage efforts to place Jewish refugees in western countries, led
to increased Jewish immigration to Palestine and the conflict began.
(Ref:ifamericansknew.org/history)
In 1938 Mohandas.K.Gandhi, widely acclaimed as the worlds most humane
Leader and Statesman, in response to queries on Arab-Jew question in
Palestine and Hitler's persecution of the Jews in Germany, he wrote
an article "Jews & Middle-East: A Non-Violent look at Conflict &
Violence". (Ref:kamat.com/mmgandhi/mideast.htm) Due to space
constraints I highlight the necessary wordings that President of the
US and all other world leaders would sincerely benefit from as a
guideline for permanent peace.
"My sympathies are all with the Jews. I have known them intimately in
South Africa. The parallel between their treatment by Christians and
the treatment of untouchables by Hindus is very close. Religious
sanction has been invoked in both cases for the justification of the
inhuman treatment meted out to them. But my sympathy does not blind
me to the requirements of justice. Why should they not, like other
peoples of the earth, make that country their home where they are
born and where they earn their livelihood? Palestine belongs to the
Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France
to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the
Arabs. What is going on in Palestine today cannot be justified by any
moral code of conduct.
And now a word to the Jews in Palestine. I have no doubt that they
are going about it the wrong way. The Palestine of the Biblical
conception is not geographical tract. It is in their hearts. But if
they must look to the Palestine of geography as their national home,
it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A
religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the
bomb. They can settle in Palestine only by the goodwill of the Arabs.
They should seek to convert the Arab heart. The same God rules the
Arab heart, who rules the Jewish heart. They can offer satyagraha in
front of the Arabs. They will find the world opinion in their favor
in their religious aspiration. There are hundreds of ways of
reasoning with the Arabs, if they will only discard the help of the
British bayonet. As it is, they are co-sharers with the British in
despoiling a people who have done no wrong to them.
I am not defending the Arab excesses. I wish they had chosen the way
of non-violence in resisting what they rightly regarded as an
unwarrantable encroachment upon their country. But according to the
accepted canons of right and wrong, nothing can be said against the
Arab resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.
Let the Jews who claim to be the chosen races prove their title by
choosing the way of non-violence for vindicating their position on
earth. Every country is their home including Palestine, not by
aggression but by loving service. Given the will, the Jews can refuse
to be treated as the outcaste of the West, to be despised or
patronized. He can command the attention and respect of the world by
being man, the chosen creation of God, instead of being man who is
fast sinking to the brute and forsaken by God. They can add to their
many contributions the surpassing contribution of non-violent action."
I feel confident that if Mitchell can place this non-violent action
plan on the "negotiating table", it should enlighten both. warring
parties as it comes from a honorable person who himself was a victim
of the aggressive administrators in South African .
The President concluded his speech with the following words, "Let it
be said by our children's children that when we were tested we
refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we
falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us,
we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely
to future generations"
These words offer confidence that President.0bama could be trusted to
achieve the goal of permanent peace so that children's children of
Israel and Palestine could breathe fresh air and not gun powder and
when an child of Israel meets a child of Palestine the Israeli
child wouldn't say" My father said you hate Jews and plan to kill
us all." In reply the child of Palestine wouldn't have to reply "I
don't know about that; my father was killed by an Israeli soldier.
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