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I came across a news article condemning a Saudi Prince for making bad statements about America after 9/11. He had donated a $10million check to the Twin Towers Fund and the city returned it. However as I read this news report I found myself AGREEING in part with the Saudi Prince! Now I feel like I might be a bad American - or even accused of terrorism for my views! (I will post the article in a minute so you can read it as well.)
One of the ways that my eyes have been opened (really wide ) about US Policy and behavior was this amazing book written by Queen Noor of Jordan. Her book is called, "Queen Noor, Memoires of an Unexpected Life" It seems like it would be some romance novel about her dream life of becoming a Queen - but instead it reads like a factual text book about the realities of how the US and other key countries have been acting "behind the scenes" when dealing with the Middle East. (The US isn't the only one doing bad stuff.) After reading her book I've been basically in shock. We Americans are not taught about the truth - the reality! of what our country is doing. So I've been so worried about, "How should I think about these things??" I want to say, "America, you are doing a BAD job!" but I'm so afraid I'll disapear into some prison for "terrorist activity". Your rights vanish when you are thus accused...
Anyway, when I read this news report and read the remarks made by the Saudi Prince I about fell out of my chair because they made so much sense! Now don't get me wrong: I do NOT agree one single bit with violence and terrorist attacks against anyone. I am not excusing the terrorists - but I didn't think that the Prince was doing this either....
Please, read the article and maybe share your thoughts and feelings with me. I'm so confused. In one year flat I have done a complete 180 degree turn in regards to what is going on in Israel and how America is acting towards the Middle East. It's scaring me.
And another thing: It seems to me as if the media is VERY biased about the Saudi Prince's comments. They spin everything so that he sounds like a criminal - but when I read the article without the biased lenses in my eyes I didn't see a criminal speaking.... (that's just my opinion)
Giuliani rejects $10 million from Saudi prince
NEW YORK (CNN) --Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday the city would not accept a $10 million donation for disaster relief from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince suggested U.S. policies in the Middle East contributed to the September 11 attacks.
"I entirely reject that statement," Giuliani said. "There is no moral equivalent for this [terrorist] act. There is no justification for it. The people who did it lost any right to ask for justification for it when they slaughtered 4,000 or 5,000 innocent people."
Prince Alwaleed gave the mayor a check after a Thursday morning memorial service at Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center towers destroyed in the attacks.
The prince offered his condolences to the people of New York, but after the ceremony he released a statement suggesting the United States "must address some of the issues that led to such a criminal attack."
"The check has not been deposited. The Twin Towers Fund has not accepted it," Giuliani said in a statement late Thursday.
The prince's statement said the United States "should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause.
"While the U.N. passed clear resolutions numbered 242 and 338 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip decades ago, our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek," the statement said.
Giuliani flatly rejected the prince's position. "To suggest that there's a justification for [the terrorist attacks] only invites this happening in the future," he said. "It is highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous.
"And one of the reasons I think this happened is because people were engaged in moral equivalency in not understanding the difference between liberal democracies like the United States, like Israel, and terrorist states and those who condone terrorism.
"So I think not only are those statements wrong, they're part of the problem," Giuliani said.
Am I wrong for believeing that US Policies in the Middle East are not good? I mean, I love my country. I even served my country in the Military! My roots go back to ancient times here. (I am a member of the Crow Indian Tribe as well as "white") There are so many wonderful things in America and I'm very thankful for everything. I am not anti-American. I just wish we could change the way we do some things.
"While the U.N. passed clear resolutions numbered 242 and 338 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip decades ago, our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek," the statement (by the Prince) said. <---- That's SO TRUE and why isn't America DOING something about this?? I'm so confused. I wish I could have a good long talk with that Prince. He could probably educate me on many more things that I think, as an American, I have the RIGHT to know but am being kept in the dark by my own government.
Arrrrrg! I'm not anti-American. I'm just anti-evil, you know?
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Here's an interesting letter from an American Congresswoman written to the Prince:
Letter to His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
October 12, 2001
His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Prince Alwaleed bin Talal:
I would like to take just a moment to thank you for your recent demonstration of empathy with those suffering from the devastating and heinous September 11 attacks on the United States Pentagon and the World Trade Center. I would especially like to thank you for your most generous offer of $10 million to assist those Americans in need as a result of those attacks.
I was disappointed that Mayor Giuliani chose to decline your generous offer and instead criticize you for your observations of events in the Middle East. Whether he agreed with you or not I think he should have recognized your right to speak and make observations about a part of the world which you know so well.
I think Mayor Giuliani would do well to listen to the words of one of our greatest Americans, former Senator Robert Kennedy. In 1968 he said that America "is a great nation and a strong people. Any who seek to comfort rather than to speak plainly, reassure rather than instruct, promise satisfaction rather than reveal frustration--they deny that greatness and drain that strength. For today as it was in the beginning, it is the truth that makes us free." I believe Senator Robert Kennedy's remarks remain as inspirational and true today as when he first spoke them over 30 years ago.
Let me say that there are a growing number of people in the United States who recognize, like you, that U.S. policy in the Middle East needs serious examination. Indeed, on the same day that you made your remarks about US policy in the Middle East, the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, The Honorable Henry Hyde, spoke on National Public Radio and said, "There's no question in my mind that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue in dispute, and has generated a lot of the animosity towards us because of our unwavering support for Israel, which will remain in place."
At the same time, CNN played an interview with former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski who stated that America must "deal with some of the issues that animate the hostility" against us, like "the treatment of the population of Iraq" and that "the Israelis are stronger, so they're naturally inflicting much more casualties than the Palestinians on the Israelis and that produces frustration and rage."
Your Royal Highness, many of us here in the United States have long been concerned about reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that reveal a pattern of excessive, and often indiscriminate, use of lethal force by Israeli security forces in situations where Palestinian demonstrators were unarmed and posed no threat of death or serious injury to the security forces or to others.
Israeli peace organizations like B'Tselem accuse the Israeli Defense Forces of violating the most fundamental rules of international law in committing atrocities against Palestinians. The Israeli Gush Shalom boldly states that "Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is the root cause of the violence and hatred. As long as the occupation continues, bloodshed will continue and increase."
Indeed, Your Royal Highness, all people of good conscience understand that this kind of mistreatment breeds a hotbed of anger and despair that destabilizes peace in the Middle East and elsewhere. Until we confront the realities of events in the Middle East our nation and the nations of the Middle East will be at risk.
Your Royal Highness, there are many people in America who desperately need your generosity. People who have been locked out, marginalized from America's mainstream. All of those people are poor and too many of them are people of color. A black baby boy born in Harlem today has less chance of reaching age 65 than a baby born in Bangladesh.
Your Royal Highness, the state of black America is not good. It is painfully visible in Washington D.C., where, just a few hundred yards from the White House, one can find black man after black man huddled in bus shelters, doorways, over subway ventilation shafts, sleeping on the street, thrown away like trash. Ironically, many of them are Vietnam veterans who, having served this nation with distinction in Vietnam, now find themselves without adequate care and accommodation. Unfortunately, this same scene is repeated in each and every one of our major cities here in the United States.
I am ashamed to say that my home city of Atlanta is no exception. Just last night my son was out with members of Atlanta's Muslim community who, for years, have been feeding Atlanta's homeless. Sadly, no one in mainstream Atlanta knows about the tireless and generous work of the local Muslim community. But the poor know, and I guess at one level that's all that matters. But on a broader view mainstream America should know.
The Justice Department admits that blacks are more likely than whites to be pulled over by police, imprisoned, and put to death. And, though blacks and whites have about the same rate of drug use, blacks are more likely to be arrested than whites and are more likely to receive longer prison sentences than whites. Incredibly, 80% of people in prison in the United States are people of color. Twenty-six black men were executed last year, some probably innocent; America began 2001 by executing a retarded black woman.
Government studies on health disparities confirm that blacks are less likely to receive surgery, transplants, and prescription drugs than whites. Physicians are less likely to prescribe appropriate treatment for blacks than for whites and black scientists, physicians, and institutions are shut out of the funding stream to prevent all this. I serve in Congress where the Black Caucus is shrinking. Yet, sections of the Voting Rights Act will soon expire, and quite frankly, after crippling Court decisions, there is not much left of affirmative action to mend.
In the FBI's own words, its counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO) had as a goal, "to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" the activities of black organizations and to prevent black "leaders from gaining respectability." And instead of real leaders, COINTELPRO offers us hand-picked "court priests" who are more loyal to the plan than to the people. Court priests who preach peace, peace when there is no peace.
As you can see, the statistics are very grim for Black America. Although your offer was not accepted by Mayor Giuliani, I would like to ask you to consider assisting Americans who are in dire need right now. I believe we can guide your generosity to help improve the state of Black America and build better lives.
My office can provide you with a list of charities who labor under the most difficult circumstances to try and improve the lives of the people they serve. I hope you will consider reaching out to our charities and to our people who are in need.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Cynthia McKinney
Member of Congress
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as salam a`alamanitaba`alhoda
Dear Michelle, Alhamdulelah that most of the American people are just becoming like u. You people are just starting to realize about the directed media info you are all receiving. what u touched on, on this article is the story of the Middle East issue. We as Muslims in the ME have a lot to say. I can actually quote back to the Bosh senior ruling time. At that time, Israel targetted one of the Islamic leaders airplanes. THEY assissnated him. Talking about terrorism. Israel is practicing collective terrorism. It is more than that Michelle. The whole issue in breif if u wanna really know, is about Islam. Israel must continue to live so that they can diminsh Islam as much as possible. This saudi prince was couragous enough to talk. Unfortunately most Arab leaders just fear too much for their chairs to talk. Mentioning US policy. The us has gone so far. They interefer in everything. Beleive it or not last year the congress held a session to discuss rights of Saudi women. Did any Saudi woman complain to them? Is the People's Council here in Egypt allowed to hold a session to discuss rights or red indians or black americans? i guess not. But US is acting like manager of the world.
I don't want to go any more. But we call members to further discuss this.
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I am thankful that you are open to discuss this topic because I feel that I need to be educated. I would like to hear what anyone else has to say. I do not want to be anti-American but I deffinately wish to be informed!
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No need to be thankful Michelle, we are all here to learn from each other, Insh a Allah I am calling on everyone, let wait and see more coming Insh a Allah
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Excellent! Now I can hear "the other side of the story" and have my eyes opened.
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Insh a Allah until everybody else realizes the thread, there is a conflict of definitions Michelle. What we see as self defense, US and Israel insist on calling it terrorism. And that is in general. For example, no one heard of how Muslims suffered in Philipines for years, they were exposed to exterminations during the 80s, oppression and more. Only when Abu Siaf started trying to gain some rights, they called the world attention to the new MUSLIM TERRORIST group. Examples are numerous. See Michelle, after the dismantling of the Soviet Union and collaps of communism throughout the world. US began to focus more attention on Islam the only remaining monster threatening its unilateral ruling position. The Congress openly opposes any member or presidential candidate who tries to call for the decrease of US to Isreal. To the US admin, they are not using a double standard, but rather protecting their interests and securing a unique position for the American citezen in the world.
Still more to be coming................................
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I don't understand why the US supports Israel. I hear about how Israel terrorizes and torments the Palestinians. It doesn't make any sense to me.
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I am sure u r aware of the clash of ideas between the two democratice presidential candidates. One I think Dean expressed concern about US siding with Israel in the Isreal / Palestine conflict and that this should be stopped. While Lieberman accused him of threatening to damage a 50 year applied policy working through common strategic interests. To them they are serving the american nation. I think. They smiply overlook the disaster Israel is committing. Simply double standard Michelle. Another form of injustice that is all.
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I know that America isn't the only one commiting double standards but if my country is going to march around telling the world how to behave - and invade countries like Iraq for crimes - then we should at least attempt to be incorrupt in our policies and dealings! We have this "War on Terrorism" going on but yet we ignore Israel???
Have you read Queen Noor's book? It's amazing. Her book is like a reality textbook that should be taught in every high school class in America.
How are the Palestinians being treated right now in 2003? Is their land still being taken away? their homes? Do they still have a curfew at night? Do the Isralies still turn off their water and electricity to torment them?
I do not support the PLO or Yasser Arafat simply because terrorisim IS bad and it should not occur. But I do not support Israel and Sharon either! Do you know a reliable website where I can read about the history of Israel and how the Palestinians have been treated? ( I don't want propaganda - I want facts!)
I would appreciate it kindly.
I wonder why no one else is talking in this post? Is it because they, like me, fear that they American government will label them "terrorists" and they'll disapear? I honestly am afriad and I think that is so sad! I am not a terrorist, nor do I support terrorism, but I deffinately want the TRUTH about what my country is supporting/ignoring.
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