Islam, Muslims, and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East By Hassan El-Najjar

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Ten Questions About

Islam, Muslims, and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East

By Hassan El-Najjar

Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, October 16, 2012

Main questions for a guest lecture in a course about terrorism

Associating Islam and Muslims with terrorism in the US-EU-Israel is not limited to anti-Islam extremist individuals or groups, it is an institutionalized effort in the academia and government agencies.

Courses are developed for that purpose and taught to prospective or current law enforcement and intelligence personnel.

It is dealing with the consequences of the US-EU-Israeli wars, invasions, and occupatin of the Middle East, rather than stopping these wars and invasions.

Here are ten basic questions and their answers that I used in a lecture, which can be used by colleagues, peace activists, free journalists, and students to refute the pro-war, anti-Islam discourse. These are followed by supporting references.

Introductory Questions

1. Why is there so much emphasis in associating the religion of Islam and terrorism?

Answer:

To distract Americans and Europeans away from the real reason of the conflict, which is the US-EU invasion of the Middle East for Israel and for oil.

It's part of the "dehumanization of the enemy" tactic to secure consent of the population to the horrific consequences of the US-EU-Israeli wars, invasions, and occupation of the Middle East.

2. Are the anti-Islam campaigns and efforts based on theological discussions, showing Islamic teachings as inducing violence?

Answer:

No, just superficial listing of some sketchy information about Islam. Any attempt to take verses from the Holy Quran as evidence about inducing violence can be easily countered by pointing to the verses that induce violence in the Old Testament.

3. Is the US discourse of associating Islam and Muslims with terrorism based on academic studies or objective treatment of the topic, away from the influence of government?

Answer:

The US discourse in government, media, and educational textbooks follows the Israeli propaganda terminology, particularly the "War on Terror." Actually, there's government funding for the production and teaching of such courses. The attempts to associate Islam with terrorism have failed in producing any academic studies, they're all political, following the Israeli propaganda tactics (hasbara in Hebrew).

https://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/odp_webforms/

Educational Questions

4. What is terrorism?

Answer:

The systematic use of terror (fear or frightening) as means of coercion (Webster's). It has been used by individuals, organizations, and governments. Though most of the civilians killed in conflicts are victims of government forces fire, the focus of pro-war corporate media is on organizational terrorism. Government (or State) terrorism is ignored completely.

5. Why has the US been involved in so many wars, invasions, and occupation of so many nations in all contents?

Answer:

First, the US has inherited the imperialist legacy from the European and Japanese empires, which were destroyed during World War II, as imperialism is the third stage of the development of capitalism (after mercantilism and colonialism).

Second, there's a war industry that benefits from keeping the US in continuous state of war around the world. It is composed of an alliance of the military industry corporations, the military and security establishments, Israel Lobby, and oil companies.

In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warned against allowing such an alliance, which he described as the military-industrial complex, because it takes resources away from schools, hospitals, and the poor to put them in the coffers of the wealthy beneficiaries of the military industrial complex.

6. Is defending one's nation against foreign invading and occupation forces terrorism?

Answer:

No, it's a right, stated in the United Nations resolutions and literature. Actually, the United States was founded on this principles of fighting for freedom against the military occupation of foreign forces.

When the French fought against the German occupation of their country, nobody called them terrorists. But when the Algerians fought against the French occupation forces, the media in the European imperialist countries called them as terrorists.

The same double standard applies to how the resistance to foreign invading forces in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine has been described by the politicians and the media.

7. Why does the US support Israel without limitations in its continuous wars, invasions, occupation in the Middle East, in the past 64 years?

Answer:

This is due to the overwhelming influence of the Israel Lobby over the government, media, education, and main churches. The Israel Lobby is composed of Jewish Zionists, Christian Zionists, and opportunists in politics, media, and academia.

8. Does the US need more than 700 military bases in 156 countries around the world?

Answer:

No, the US, as a nation state, does not need that for the security and defense of the nation. These bases are there to impose the will of the rulers of the American Empire over nations of the world.

9. Is the American Empire good for the United States?

Answer:

Absolutely not. It has devastated the US economy, increasing the national debt to an unprecedented level in human history ($15.5 Trillion).

10. What's the way out of this "American Empire" Disaster?

Answer:

The only way out is dismantling the Empire voluntarily as soon as possible, by closing down all US military bases around the world, and by stopping all wars and military operations. Thus, the main job for the US forces becomes to be defend the homeland, not to launch wars around the world, spending borrowed trillions of dollars from future generations of Americans.

When this happens, the economy may start to grow, the debt may start to be paid, and there will be no need to smear people of the Middle East and their religion as terrorists!

References

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