[Previous entry: "Scientist: Bird flu not biological weapon"] [Next entry: "Taliban Battle Afghan Forces in Drug Region"]

02/04/2006:

"Faheem Hussain:Democracy and Violence"

Don’t get me wrong. I am not advocating violence as such. But when I heard on the news and read in the newspapers about Jack Straw, Condoleeza Rice, Kofi Annan and others lecturing Hamas on the incompatibility of democracy and violence it nearly made me choke over my breakfast. The hypocrisy of it all. And some of our own leader writers joined in the general chorus. It takes two to tango. I did not see, in any of these calls to Hamas, reciprocal calls on Israel to stop its continuing daily violence against Palestinians.

As if democracy and violence have never existed together. As if democracy and violence do not go simply and always hand in hand. Which present day democratic state does not employ violence and terror? The US which claims to be a democratic country has used violent and terroristic means to impose its will over smaller countries. It has overthrown governments, which it does not like, by force throughout its history and has illegally invaded and terrorised many countries. The list is very long. Remember the Philippines, Cuba, Iran in the 50s, Indonesia, Chile, Guatemala, Iraq just to name a few important examples and has plans to continue to do so in the future. And what about Abu Ghraib, Baghram and Guantanamo? Are these not the living symbols of US “democracy” and violence? Stokely Carmichael, remember him of 60s fame, once said that violence is as American as apple pie. And to paraphrase Mark Antony “It is a democratic country”.

The champion of democracy in the Middle East, Israel, has occupied Palestine and practices terror on a large scale against Palestinians. Only a couple of years ago it flattened Jenin and continues to carry out what it calls “targeted killings” which are simply acts of murder. The great European democracies, England and France, maintained their colonies through violence and terror; so I wonder what Jack Straw was talking about. India, the world’s largest democracy, practices terror and violence in Kashmir.
zmag.org