viva le revolution
15th February 2006, 18:48
The publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), in Danish and re-publication of the cartoons in major news publications all over Europe has brought forward a double standard of the powers that be(U.S and western Europe). This incident has sparked worldwide outrage and differing reactions and interpretations. In the Muslim world, protests and effigy-burning is the order of the day. In defence of this totally unnecessary, and provocative act, the American and British establishments alongwith most western European governments try to legitimize it under the cover of ‘freedom of the press’. What freedom of the press are these buffoons talking about? The musings of a bored journalist whose right to publish inflammatory photographs that could possibly spark worldwide unrest and protests? However one needs not go far to figure out that the ‘Freedom of the press’ is an abstract and elastic concept for the western European and American governments. Insulting pictures of Prophet Muhammed: Brave journalist defending press freedom! , Cartoons insulting to Jewish groups: Anti—semitic demagogue, In the initial stages of the Iraq War, when everything was supposed to be hunky-dory, questioning the legality and brutality of the occupation meant being accused as a Baathist sympathiezer, The BBC was persecuted for interviewing David Kelly in the Iraq-dossier affair, Al-Jazeera is continually being threatened without the slightest semblance of etiquette that one would find when a government is threatening to shut a paper up for not painting a Fox-News-esque jingoistic universe. One is forced to ask- With what legitimacy are these very same knuckleheads using a concept they have violated time and again to legitimize such an act? The answer: None at all.
. Every Individual, Community, or Nation is entitled to freedom of the speech, Press and Faith on a theoretical plane with the condition that the larger interests of the Community are not encroached upon in the form of Racial Discrimination, Linguistic and Cultural differences are not fanned, and the Religious beliefs of the different groups within that community are not violated. Communal passions are not fanned and Social harmony is preserved.
Keeping that in mind the circumstances in the present scenario are extremely puzzling and for the more politically conscious, quite disturbing. The first publication itself was puzzling, sparking worldwide condemnation. In reaction to this the Danish government and the newspaper’s editor defend the actions in a Xenophobic manner. Following that why would the Cartoon, allegedly not serving any real purpose and sparking worldwide hostility, be picked up by most of the major publications in Europe? Innocence of the consequences cannot be claimed since the reaction in the Muslim world was already abundantly clear. So why re-publish it? It’s not like the Major publications needed Saucy pieces and tidbits tabloid-style. Since they are all well-established publications. This of course begs the question: If they knew about the potential consequences, why take this foolhardy, Quixote-ite path? Was it deliberate?
This leads us to the conclusion of looking at the bigger picture. With domestic pressure in the U.S and Europe against the war in Iraq increasing, with a vibrant world anti-imperialist movement emerging is it so strange that this tactic was employed?
Following this lead the benefits to the world powers that be are many. Firstly, Violent reactions across the Muslim world, led by the religious right (not the sharpest tools in the shed) will lead to growing islamo-phobia, growing jingoism within the U.S and Europe. Giving the public a fresh dose of ;shock therapy’ a new view of the ‘scourge’ threatening the ‘civilized’ world (the third world is chopped liver according to them). The old WMD fiasco has outlived it’s usefulness. This will weaken the case of the opposition to the war in Iraq.
Secondly, The Religious right in the Muslim world will be further strengthened. Politically uninitiated activists ad intellectuals will either harp on about Samuel Huntington’s absurd ‘Clash of civilizations’ theory, those completely without a clue, the apolitical romantics will either reminisce about U.S parks, apartments or parties they were invited to, the political winners being communal neo-fascist Islamist parties. This will further contribute to the alienation of the Muslim world, preventing them from opening links and polemics with the secular world anti-imperialist movements. Dividing the anti-imperialist movement along religious grounds. This will ultimately be very harmful to the popular anti-U.S world movement. While Latin America is pursuing the secular socialist path, our Islamist heroes will still be pondering upon whether four men really are needed to witness a rape. A stage Europe and the rest of the world left Centuries ago! The muslim world( a major chunk of the exploited third world) will fall lower in the scales of political irrelevance. Of course needless to say that as a consequence, leftist and progressive movements ( not PPP-style mind you) within the Muslim world will be crushed by the strengthened religious right.
Of course such tactics are nothing new, during the Cold War, similar religious passions within the Muslim world were fanned (we seem to have no dearth of gullible bearded buffoons swallowing this garbage) against the ‘Evil’ Communists who aimed to ‘Abolish religion’ and bring the rule of ‘shaitaan’. This tactic proved very useful to the U.S back then to isolate the Muslim world from progressive politics. This tactic culminating in the Afghan “Jihaad” against the Soviets. Looking at history then is this possibility at all far-fetched and so hard to believe? Is it so hard to conclude that maybe this was deliberate attempt to stoke the existing flames of worldwide religious politics at the expense of progressive, leftist politics? Is it so hard to believe that the western financial powers are trying to divide the world-wide anti-U.S and anti-Imperialist movement along religious grounds? Afterall they did it in the past and succeeded, what’s stopping them from trying again?
This isn't about press freedom, not about a clash of civilizations etc. but a concerted attempt at dividing the world anti-imperialist, anti-U.S movement along religious lines. Anybody supporting any of these arguements of the bourgeoisie is in fact supporting the imperialist designs of dividing secular,progressive movements.
. Every Individual, Community, or Nation is entitled to freedom of the speech, Press and Faith on a theoretical plane with the condition that the larger interests of the Community are not encroached upon in the form of Racial Discrimination, Linguistic and Cultural differences are not fanned, and the Religious beliefs of the different groups within that community are not violated. Communal passions are not fanned and Social harmony is preserved.
Keeping that in mind the circumstances in the present scenario are extremely puzzling and for the more politically conscious, quite disturbing. The first publication itself was puzzling, sparking worldwide condemnation. In reaction to this the Danish government and the newspaper’s editor defend the actions in a Xenophobic manner. Following that why would the Cartoon, allegedly not serving any real purpose and sparking worldwide hostility, be picked up by most of the major publications in Europe? Innocence of the consequences cannot be claimed since the reaction in the Muslim world was already abundantly clear. So why re-publish it? It’s not like the Major publications needed Saucy pieces and tidbits tabloid-style. Since they are all well-established publications. This of course begs the question: If they knew about the potential consequences, why take this foolhardy, Quixote-ite path? Was it deliberate?
This leads us to the conclusion of looking at the bigger picture. With domestic pressure in the U.S and Europe against the war in Iraq increasing, with a vibrant world anti-imperialist movement emerging is it so strange that this tactic was employed?
Following this lead the benefits to the world powers that be are many. Firstly, Violent reactions across the Muslim world, led by the religious right (not the sharpest tools in the shed) will lead to growing islamo-phobia, growing jingoism within the U.S and Europe. Giving the public a fresh dose of ;shock therapy’ a new view of the ‘scourge’ threatening the ‘civilized’ world (the third world is chopped liver according to them). The old WMD fiasco has outlived it’s usefulness. This will weaken the case of the opposition to the war in Iraq.
Secondly, The Religious right in the Muslim world will be further strengthened. Politically uninitiated activists ad intellectuals will either harp on about Samuel Huntington’s absurd ‘Clash of civilizations’ theory, those completely without a clue, the apolitical romantics will either reminisce about U.S parks, apartments or parties they were invited to, the political winners being communal neo-fascist Islamist parties. This will further contribute to the alienation of the Muslim world, preventing them from opening links and polemics with the secular world anti-imperialist movements. Dividing the anti-imperialist movement along religious grounds. This will ultimately be very harmful to the popular anti-U.S world movement. While Latin America is pursuing the secular socialist path, our Islamist heroes will still be pondering upon whether four men really are needed to witness a rape. A stage Europe and the rest of the world left Centuries ago! The muslim world( a major chunk of the exploited third world) will fall lower in the scales of political irrelevance. Of course needless to say that as a consequence, leftist and progressive movements ( not PPP-style mind you) within the Muslim world will be crushed by the strengthened religious right.
Of course such tactics are nothing new, during the Cold War, similar religious passions within the Muslim world were fanned (we seem to have no dearth of gullible bearded buffoons swallowing this garbage) against the ‘Evil’ Communists who aimed to ‘Abolish religion’ and bring the rule of ‘shaitaan’. This tactic proved very useful to the U.S back then to isolate the Muslim world from progressive politics. This tactic culminating in the Afghan “Jihaad” against the Soviets. Looking at history then is this possibility at all far-fetched and so hard to believe? Is it so hard to conclude that maybe this was deliberate attempt to stoke the existing flames of worldwide religious politics at the expense of progressive, leftist politics? Is it so hard to believe that the western financial powers are trying to divide the world-wide anti-U.S and anti-Imperialist movement along religious grounds? Afterall they did it in the past and succeeded, what’s stopping them from trying again?
This isn't about press freedom, not about a clash of civilizations etc. but a concerted attempt at dividing the world anti-imperialist, anti-U.S movement along religious lines. Anybody supporting any of these arguements of the bourgeoisie is in fact supporting the imperialist designs of dividing secular,progressive movements.