Muslim summit warns of 'clash of civilisations' (from Irish news source)

[scarletwoman]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/08/04/story270677.html

Muslim summit warns of 'clash of civilisations'

04/08/2006 (today -- remember it's the European date method, day-month-year)

Muslim leaders demanded an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah yesterday at an emergency meeting in Malaysia, where Iran’s hard-line president said the solution was the obliteration of the Jewish state.

(Yeah, yeah, I know. For all of you tempted to stop reading here so you can dash off a post about how evil and crazy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad really is and "See? This PROVES it!" -- please just read the rest of the article before you react. And then think about what it really means for people all over the Middle East to feel themselves at the mercy of a rampaging military power (the U.S./Israel PNAC-neocon alliance) intent on controlling their resources and disempowering their states. Just think about it.

Key leaders in the 56-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, including from Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey, warned that Israel’s warfare would stoke Muslim radicalism and breed new terrorists, and sought a UN investigation into possible Israeli human rights violations in Lebanese and Palestinian territories.

The organisation voiced solidarity with the Lebanese people “in their legitimate and heroic resistance against the Israeli aggression,” in a declaration issued after the summit.

<snip>

In their declaration, the leaders demanded the UN Security Council “fulfil its responsibility ... without any further delay by deciding on and enforcing an immediate and unconditional comprehensive cease-fire.”

“We hold Israel responsible for the loss of lives and suffering ... and demand that Israel compensate (Lebanon) and its people for the losses sustained resulting from Israeli aggression,” the declaration said.

(Please go the link and read the whole article before responding. Thank you.)

sw

[panader0]

1. If people are truly "civilized", there will be no "clash"

People should celebrate diversity, not try to kill people different than yourself.

[scarletwoman]

2. Well, yeah. Kumbaya and all that. But that's rather beside the point.

If you are unfamiliar with how the term "Clash of Civilizations" has been bandied about on the Western side over the last several years, you may be missing the irony in seeing that term being picked up by Eastern side.

sw

[Swamp Rat]

3. I got it.

The again, I read a lot of anthropology and sociology texts and journals almost every day. ;)

[scarletwoman]

5. Hey, SR!

I got your pm, btw -- sorry I haven't replied yet, will do so shortly.

sw
:hug:

[Swamp Rat]

7. S'OK

:hug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. The "New Middle East" may not be what BushCo expected.

I rather doubt there will hordes of blissful citizens flinging flowers and naming their kids Dubya and Condi in gratitude for our glorious efforts on their behalf.

[scarletwoman]

6. I guess that depends on what BushCo's real intentions are.

If what they have really wanted to do is to weaken central governments, fragment states into warring tribal enclaves, and sow bloodshed and terror in order to achieve total military and economic hegenomy in the region, then their expectations are perhaps being quite fulfilled.

sw

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. I think they really believe their own wishful thinking.

That the Middle East, with the shining example of the "New Iraq", was to be transformed into societies that accepted Israel, shunned the Jihadists, pumped oil to their friendly overlord, spent their Rials and Dinars at WalMart, and took up a sort of Kumbaya form of Islam indestinguishabe from the Presbyterians or Methodists.

What truly amazes me is that they still cling to that notion and believe it is still achievable by wielding the iron fist in conjunction with Israel and Britain. Despite the obvious fact that the whole effort has blown up in their faces and continues to do so.

What they have done, is give the Jihadists credence as the only forces fighting against the neo-colonialists and sidelining any progressive movements that are now seen as either ineffective or agents of the west.

Their chances of "winning" are zip, nada, nil. The Middle East has become a Western made quagmire of the first order draining the resources and strength of the USA and it's diminishing allies which is destined to get only deeper and more bloody until the cost in lives and money (and oil) becomes so egregious that we either get out or face collapse.

Our "friends" in the region have now to face the wrath of their own people and either have to join with the Jihadists or face a very real prospect of revolution.

Now that the normally brain dead American people are feeling the bite of the cost of colonialism in the price of gas and the bodies coming home without any sign of an end, it's just a matter of time until the politicians are forced to stop the idiocy or look for other work.

They've now reached the stage of throwing kerosene on the fire they kindled in hopes of putting out.

[scarletwoman]

9. Very nice post -- even though I don't buy the "wishful thinking" premise.

I'm still of the opinion that the whole "flowers and democracy" thing was strictly a cover story for public consumption. This was always about destroying the sovereignty and cohesion of the nation-states in the Middle East.

However, I respect your argument, and perhaps it doesn't really make much difference at this point. The Middle East is getting f**ked over big time -- whatever the neocons' actual motivations.

sw

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. ME in the midst of a Renaissance

and even if some elements are down right noxious, (Fundamentalism) that is exactly what is going on