Only Peace Can Counter Hate

Freedom for Palestine – OneWorld – YouTube.

Freedom for Palestine DOES NOT mean Death to Israel. It’s an endorsement of all relevant UN resolutions in this regard and of all peace talks premised on the notion of a two-state solution. If there are commenters on one side who clearly hate Jews, there are those on the other who evidently hate Arabs. To boot, both sets of haters have shown a willingness to kill. So long as this conflict is not resolved in a just manner, haters will keep scoring points and will keep making trouble. And Palestinians will keep getting denounced as terrorists by one set of people, and Israel will still be denounced as an apartheid sate by another. Media campaigns will not change this state of affairs, only peace can.

Obama’s Dilemma

For Obama, finger-pointing will not be enough.

One of the main problems confronting the U.S. and other Western powers in connection with the newly appointed Caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, is that by assuming this title and showcasing that he has some charisma, the savvy leader of the Islamic State bestowed upon himself a certain holiness that would resonate with Jihadis across the globe.

Continue reading “Obama’s Dilemma” →

The Caliph’s Speech

As usual, Al-Bahgdadi proves that, like all other cult leaders, he is dangerously delusional but far from being an imbecile. Now that he has been “appointed” as the Caliph, he has become a public figure par excellence, and we should expect regular such addresses from him at least to commemorate important religious occasions and address critical developments. In time, that will add to his appeal in the world Jihadi circles, and his impact could rival that of Bin Ladin, if not surpass it. Al-Zawahiri and other current Jihadi leaders on the scene do not have his charisma, his stature, or the kind of resources that he has under his disposal.

Continue reading “The Caliph’s Speech” →

Of Sectarianism

Thousands of Lebanese on Sunday rallied in Beirut calling for an end to the system of power-sharing along religious lines. (11/04/2011, NOW Lebanon)

The fact that there are forces using sectarian sentiments in our societies to fuel a proxy war meant to serve certain interests of theirs does not mean that sectarianism is an external invention. In fact, insisting that sectarianism is a foreign invention will prevent us from dealing with it effectively, and will only serve to perpetrate it, thus, giving external dabblers powers a permanent tool which they can use to their advantage in times of crisis.

Continue reading “Of Sectarianism” →