I see no Arab anger
Reem Al Faisal | Arab News
Where is the Arab anger? Where are the hundreds of thousands in Arab
streets marching day and night for Gaza? Every commentator in the world keeps
talking about the seething rage in Arab streets. Sorry, but I don't see any of
it. Yes, I see a few thousands here and there, but that isn't a rage equal to
what is going on in Gaza. I see a group standing with burning candles on the
steps of some building or a few schoolchildren marching and calling on their
Palestinian brethren to keep up the resistance. This is not an explosion of
anger at the worst carnage of the century. This is the kind of anger one sees
when governments raise taxes or food prices go up.
Where is the righteous indignation? It's not enough to call TV channels
and complain and rant over the positions of Arab leaders. It isn't enough to go
out in the street for a few hours and sometimes on weekends. Those dying in
Gaza can't wait for us to find some time for them from our busy schedule. It is
not enough to pray and fast asking God to save the Palestinians and send text
messages to millions of Muslims beseeching them to read a specific surah from
the Qur'an for the success of the resistance. It's not enough to give to
charities for Gaza or help in sending medicines for the wounded.
I'm not saying that all of the above and more doesn't help, but unless we
bring about more pressure on Arab governments to stop once and for all the
aggression of that savage state called Israel and its enablers in America, then
we have done no more than put band-aid to a fatal wound. We object, we scream
for a while and when they have gotten what they want which is to put an end to
any form of resistance in the region, we come in and rebuild the homes they've
destroyed and care for the wounded and maimed and try to rebuild a society that
has been totally decimated.
No, we have to stop this interminable vicious circle where Israel is the
mad bully destroying and killing as his doting mother America gives him all the
cover he needs to do whatever he wishes.
There should be millions surging in the streets of the Arab world day and
night, not leaving the place until their demands are met. There should be
strikes and shops closed and nations should stand still until our governments
heed our call and start listening to us, and not to the West or America. We
have to bring about constant pressure without break until all embassies of
Israel and any representational offices have been closed and all relations cut
off.
It is time for the Arab world to divest from America that is the lifeline
of Israel and its greatest supporter. The only way for Israel to go on as an
entity is through America's unquestioning support for every crime it commits.
America sustains Israel with arms and money and protects its actions by giving
it political cover in every world forum like the UN. America blindly supports
Israel and has a callous disregard for the Arabs. So we should divest ourselves
from it. We should boycott its products; cease commercial, cultural and
educational relations with America. This is something within the reach of every
Arab citizen. We can refuse to go to restaurants that serve American products
or buy from shops that sell American products. Our universities should cease
sending students to American universities and stop all programs they have with
them and exchange programs and find alternatives in other nations. The list
goes on. It is up to our people to put the message through to our leaders that
we want them make America feel our anger by diminishing our commercial and
financial and diplomatic relations with that country.
Stop the game, you people of the Arab world. You hold our leaders
responsible for all our failures. You are as much responsible for them as they
are. It has been a very comfortable act for so long by which, we scream and
shout for a bit, then Arab governments crack down and stop the demonstrations
and everyone goes about his/her job as though nothing has happened and the
death and destruction is then swept under the carpet as though it never
happened until the next massacre or war or carnage. Enough of the pretence; you
either cease acting as minors and blaming your parents for every failure or
assume responsibility as thinking adults and undergo the sacrifices that
inevitably come with it. If not, you will continue to cower behind the great
lie you've told yourselves all these years. But you should know that no one
else is fooled by this lie anymore and that you as a nation, as a people and as
a culture will cease to exist and you would have brought it upon yourself.
—Reem Al Faisal is a Saudi photographer. She is based in Jeddah.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=118189&d=16&m=1&y=2009
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