(Translated from the original Arabic, published September 22 in the
Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar. Original Arabic text may be found online at
the following address: http://www.ortmtlb.org.lb/Nahar/2001/092201.pdf)
We were among those who sincerely mourned the thousands of victims that
fell on the 11th of September-an absurd death, similar to the daily death
of Iraqi children. This death comes as the result of abhorrence to the
"Absolute Giant" and its consequence to those innocents living
in the Giant's land. This absurd death saddened me and soon became an alarming
fear for the fate of threatened family members and friends living in the
United States. I prayed that a death like this might die forever. Mayhap
America can now dream of a new life for its own people and for others too.
By the time this article is published, America may already have chosen
to go the way of vengeance. If it were true that vengeance could stop violence,
it would have been obvious from the beginning of history, when Cain murdered
his brother. Collective death may result, since it will be almost impossible
for the United States to arrest the perpetrator. Thousands of innocents
could soon be exterminated, for what purpose?
If the regime where the perpetrator is hiding is found to be responsible
for sheltering him, can the United States annihilate the people of that
country; does America want to do that? Is it possible for a great nation,
a nation absolute in its greatness, to avenge in bitterness by wiping out
innocent peoples? Is this a justice or a reaction? Isn't this the same
reaction that is generating the forces of revolution in the weakened nations-who
will try some day to break their way out of their miserable situation through
what is called terrorism-trying to avenge their wounded dignity? Is a dialogue
still possible between the strong and the miserable of the earth? Who did
harm in the first place, those miserable people that the United States
is going to annihilate? Does the destruction of the poor produce peace?
It seems now that the "Clash of civilizations", depicted by
Samuel Huntington is underway. The problem of such terminology is that
terrorism is not restricted to one civilization: it was German, Japanese,
and for a period of time American (within America itself). Muslims then,
do not monopolize terrorism. Why isn't the United States asking itself
what reasons pushed those miserable people to commit what it identifies
as terrorism? Are not prejudice, depravedness and political oppression
behind these actions, even though wars have become impossible between the
earth's nations? The small aspire to be liberated from dominion and their
means of liberty are in the hands of the great. Why then don't these strong
hands stretch out for sincere cooperation and help, free from all forms
of humiliation, until the groan of the miserable is appeased?
America may lead an overwhelming campaign for a while, but how can it
eradicate the places of terrorism all over the planet? Will it strike all
nations that it has categorized as exporters of terrorism? Will it not
consider that these same nations will come out again from the rubble, their
grief multiplied and their hatred concentrated, re-entering a vicious,
diabolical and unbreakable cycle of violence?
If "terrorism", "Arabs", and "Muslims"
have become synonyms in the Western mind, aren't we re-entering a renewed
and endless Crusade, based upon two fairytales? First, that the West is
Christian, and second, that Islam, in its essence, is a source of war and
terror? Will this not lead to the belief among Muslim groups that Christians
(wherever they might reside) are allies of the West and therefore friends
of the state of Israel?
Political and cultural Islam must stand on its feet through understanding,
creativity and prosperity in all their aspects, in order to eliminate the
danger of Crusades; because its current path of poverty and feebleness
is triggering its counter-Crusade path (or Jihad in Muslim terminology)
of which Islam is not capable. And if Islam is humiliated beyond reason,
it will be pressed to take suicidal stands, which in its own terminology
is called martyrdom. In front of such predictable madness, the West may
prove to be fragile and impatient-contrary to Islam-and this Crusade will
soon abolish itself in the same way that the Crusades of the Middle Ages
were overthrown from our countries. The Western European alliance with
the United States, in addition to Russia, is enough to permanently convince
all Muslims (not only conservatives) that Christianity, in its essence,
is the enemy of Islam and opposed to the freedom of Muslim nations, and
that we shall witness a renewed colonialism, even after the forms of the
old one have vanished.
Before World War II we believed, one way or another, in the missionary
role of the United States and its call for freedom and democracy. This
picture has been greatly shaken, perhaps terminally in Palestine, Africa,
and former Yugoslavia. We now witness the nations of Lincoln and Yeltsin
employing Realpolitik-not shying from disclosing that they look after their
own foreign interests, entering this or that conflict accordingly. The
scale of justice is no longer balanced-a fact that requires no proof in
historical Palestine. After the last tragedy, will the United States feel
called to change its stand, to become a new judge and not a party in the
conflict? Will this not make it stronger, more respectable and a hope for
the nations of the earth?
This "burst of vengeance" may be excused if it is limited
in space, which may hinder some terrorists for a while. But the anger shouldn't
last, because at a later stage anger will consume itself. For America's
sake, I think it should look to conclude with a new era of world peace.
A truly great nation can conclude these events with such a peace, through
justice and assistance.
Perhaps American behavior in the world is inspired by the second verse
of the 26th chapter of Isaiah, as inscribed on the entrance of Harvard
University: "Open the gates, that the righteous nationmay enter in."
However, the full verse continues: "which keeps the truth". America
is convinced that it holds the "truth", or what it claims to
be its truth, enabling it to enter the gates of knowledge and to rule the
world. I even remember President Clinton saying something along these lines.
Power facilitates such a rule, with or without truth. It is obvious that
the founding fathers [of America] believed that the New World to which
they immigrated was their second Promised Land, a land of blessings. Most
Americans today still believe that financial riches are divine blessings.
It is not evident that the American rulers have read the Gospel, which
strictly cautions against mammon and foremost against dominion. Most assuredly,
typical Americans have not read ascetic literature, which cautions us from
monopolizing wealth. This leads us to the American world philosophy: "if
a powerful authority can be successfully overlaid in an American context,
why can't this authority be overlaid in a worldwide context? All types
of protest and revolution can be subdued through pro-American regimes,
who were the first to benefit from oppressing their own peoples, and who
continue existing through the support of American politics."
But one must read history and learn how kingdoms have fallen:
"Say: O God, Master of the Kingdom!
You give the kingdom to whomsoever you will,
And take away the kingdom from whomsoever you will,
And exalt whom you will,
And belittle whom you will,
In your own hand is the good;
Surely, you have power over all things."
(Koran, Family of Imran, v26)
It seems that Americans have not read this Koran verse. But they must
have read the Psalm verse:
"Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth."
(Psalm 2:10)
The problem is that Americans have set themselves as "judges of
the earth", establishing their own tradition of justice whenever they
want-not _the_ Justice-and referring solely to themselves. The missionary
days of President Roosevelt, when Americans believed they needed to establish
a United Nations organization responsible for achieving world justice,
are gone. They have discovered that they can do without the UN when necessary.
They have also decided that Israel can dismiss all UN resolutions, because
Israel too has set itself, or was appointed by the Americans, "judge
of the Middle East".
I beseech God that the United States will continue to prosper in wealth,
science and technology-which it promotes-and that God will lead it to the
true path of meekness, where it may discover that no one has appointed
it "judge of the earth". May this terrible catastrophe, which
has also hurt us, inspire in America the wisdom of modesty. May America
count itself as other nations, without haughtiness, and may it begin to
restrain itself from punishing others, lest punishment fall upon it.
May America keep its wealth and may God increase its riches, but may
it never become prideful. May it prosper and may we prosper too, which
requires from it a great deal of self-restraint while employing its power.
No one is expecting the United States to become a charitable organization,
but we expect it not to underestimate our right to exist. We too, have
the right to live. We don't want to humiliate the United States, because
this is called hatred, but how does it benefit the United States if it
"shall gain the whole world, and lose its own soul?"
On the contrary, if America begins to employ all its might in the service
of the miserable people of the earth, terrorism will vanish and, God willing,
love shall reign.
