I find the general public always seems to have a detachment to what goes on beyond their own viewpoint. People don't realize how brutual the violence of war actually is and thus, think things are not a big deal.
Whats to be done is something I have nothing to answer with- but letting it be known far and wide that this paticular 'solution' is built upon the deaths of hundreds of civilians- well,it's a good start.
the israelis have adopted some of the worst of the twentieth century's wartime and occupation habits, and seem to have utterly dehumanized their enemies.
the arab world's knee-jerk judeophobia and visceral hatred is a pre-existing condition, not the result of independent israeli action; it is the essence of racism.
western europe and the arab world solved their "jewish problem" through pogroms, holocaust and coerced migration, and then feign surprise when the result is paranoia. hate begets hate, and in this ongoing dance, there are precious few innocents. i have intense moyen-orient fatigue.
and, despite the foregoing, i feel i haven't explained myself or my perspective at all well.
Your perspective is very interesting. As a Palestinian queer living in Australia, I understand your sentiment and the injustices on both sides.
How does one move on when you have a racist, fucked up culture on one side and another racist, fucked up culture on the other? And I'm not talking about Jewish and Arab cultures - but subcultures of hate within them.
With 85% of Israelis supporting the incursions into Lebanon, and probably similar levels of Arabs (if anyone ever bothered to poll them) holding anti-semitic beliefs, how do we move towards a better future?
Talking to each as humans of the same species, somehow, before we talk as Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israelis, Palestinians, Men, Women or Racists for that matter.
i find myself yo-yoed in my reactions to what i see and hear. i understand there are just—more than just: elemental—grievances and concerns on both sides (or multiple sides: it's not just israel/arab states, or muslim/jewish, or arab christian/arab muslim, or sunni/shia/druze... . the permutations are seemingly endless and important.
there is more than enough hatred and racism to go around, and i hate the ripple effect it has.
To grossly oversimplify...I think that, given Lebanon's very recent endeavours to maintain peace while a democrat pluralism takes root, Israel's reaction to Hezbollah it disproportionate.
No one, however, is absolved of responsibility on any side.
lebanon, alas, is the inner city householder with a crack-dealing, crystal-meth-addicted youngest child who cannot see that, despite the neatened yard and doilies in the front room, the neighborhood is on fire and the youngest child has a gun to its head and isn't concerned about bringing it all down just for a fix.
I just wanted to thank you for the response. I'm a gay Jew with multiple ties to Israel. And while I may hold several aspects of the country dear to my heart -- SEEING these subcultures of hate collide just makes my heart sink. Admittedly, sometimes a possibility of a better future seems rather bleak...
i interviewed desmond tutu once, and something he said was incredibly striking, especially given the untenable situation he faced: "we are, all of us," he said, "forever prisoners of hope."
the middle east, by contrast, seems to have more than its share of people who have embraced hopelessness.
I think there is. People forget how wild the US was as its democracy took root--a democracy that has inspired most democratic movements since. 40 years ago much of Europe was insular and theocratic. Canada's techtonic shift on human rights has almost entirely come to be since 1982, with the advent of a new Constitution based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Indonesia's had a run of free and fair elections. Chile too.
Paulo Freire and Myles Horton wrote "We Make the Road by Walking". There are many trails that need to be blazed. Those of us with the passion, tenacity, and skills to make those roads have an obligation to do so--and an obligation to nurture others and our selves whilst doing it.
I am hopeful. It is not unwavering, but hope remains.
If only for a few more Queen Ranias of Jordan. There is an antidemocratic cultural bias from my experience in the Arabic culture - and it's come out from my interviews too.
1. It's shameful and disrespectful to disagree with your elders and authority. 2. Everything that isn't good for those powers that be is against God.
It's going to take some courageous people to take a walk against their elders, authority and God and speak up for change.
The Lebanese people feel left out by the world that is turning a blind eye on the savagery of the Israeli state. Israel does not seem to be capable of approaching any problem outside the realm of the military power bestowed on it by the government of the United States of America and other western governments.
We are writing you this letter in the hope that this massacre is immediately stopped. It is the universal duty of each individual to defend the innocents and expose the truth.
Looking at these photos of the children, all I can think of are my nieces...and wonder what can I do? The insanity and the hypocrisy of my government are obvious to me.
One thought that might help is there is a lot of people standing by your side. 10,000 people marched in Sydney today for peace.
I believe activism can be done in little ways everyday through education, talking to people you might never have thought of talking to and challenging any assumption you find keeps coming up in your mind.
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 03:14 am (UTC)I find the general public always seems to have a detachment to what goes on beyond their own viewpoint. People don't realize how brutual the violence of war actually is and thus, think things are not a big deal.
yoiu got an audience that listens
Date: 2006-07-23 05:56 am (UTC)Seriously, tho.
Whats to be done is something I have nothing to answer with- but letting it be known far and wide that this paticular 'solution' is built upon the deaths of hundreds of civilians- well,it's a good start.
Fight the good fight, as best as you can, je?
Re: yoiu got an audience that listens
Date: 2006-07-23 07:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 03:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 04:34 am (UTC)hate begets hate, and in this ongoing dance, there are precious few innocents. i have intense moyen-orient fatigue.
and, despite the foregoing, i feel i haven't explained myself or my perspective at all well.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 04:53 am (UTC)How does one move on when you have a racist, fucked up culture on one side and another racist, fucked up culture on the other? And I'm not talking about Jewish and Arab cultures - but subcultures of hate within them.
With 85% of Israelis supporting the incursions into Lebanon, and probably similar levels of Arabs (if anyone ever bothered to poll them) holding anti-semitic beliefs, how do we move towards a better future?
Talking to each as humans of the same species, somehow, before we talk as Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israelis, Palestinians, Men, Women or Racists for that matter.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 05:03 am (UTC)i find myself yo-yoed in my reactions to what i see and hear. i understand there are just—more than just: elemental—grievances and concerns on both sides (or multiple sides: it's not just israel/arab states, or muslim/jewish, or arab christian/arab muslim, or sunni/shia/druze... . the permutations are seemingly endless and important.
there is more than enough hatred and racism to go around, and i hate the ripple effect it has.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:15 am (UTC)No one, however, is absolved of responsibility on any side.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 10:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 04:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 05:05 am (UTC)the middle east, by contrast, seems to have more than its share of people who have embraced hopelessness.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:20 am (UTC)Paulo Freire and Myles Horton wrote "We Make the Road by Walking". There are many trails that need to be blazed. Those of us with the passion, tenacity, and skills to make those roads have an obligation to do so--and an obligation to nurture others and our selves whilst doing it.
I am hopeful. It is not unwavering, but hope remains.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:48 am (UTC)1. It's shameful and disrespectful to disagree with your elders and authority.
2. Everything that isn't good for those powers that be is against God.
It's going to take some courageous people to take a walk against their elders, authority and God and speak up for change.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 06:06 am (UTC)We are writing you this letter in the hope that this massacre is immediately stopped. It is the universal duty of each individual to defend the innocents and expose the truth.
Looking at these photos of the children, all I can think of are my nieces...and wonder what can I do? The insanity and the hypocrisy of my government are obvious to me.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:21 am (UTC)Encourage your friends to do likewise.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:51 am (UTC)I believe activism can be done in little ways everyday through education, talking to people you might never have thought of talking to and challenging any assumption you find keeps coming up in your mind.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 06:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-22 08:22 am (UTC)