Carnage in Cairo: a shocking blow to both the Arab world and the west

Ian Black
Guardian

October 11, 2011

Egypt‘s latest spasm of violence is by far the worst incident amid a growing catalogue of disillusion with the progress of the February revolution – and a shocking reminder of the potential for deterioration.

It is hard to imagine a worse blow than the killing of Coptic protesters by members of the security forces, but all too easy to gauge the bitter disappointment as the great hopes of Tahrir Square fade.

Far beyond Egypt, the Cairo bloodletting also highlights the uneven progress of the wider Arab spring following the lighting of the spark by an angry and desperate young man who burned himself to death in Tunisia in December 2010.

Initial euphoria about an unstoppable domino effect that would topple one Arab autocracy after another has given way to a more nuanced view that looks at specific local factors over a longer period, including the capacity of the old regimes to fight back and hold on.

Seasonal metaphors – spring giving way to summer, then to autumn and winter – have also outlived their usefulness. Old assumptions are being re-examined. Westerners need to understand that Islamist groups will be players in post-revolutionary politics in ways that were not possible under the old dictatorships.

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7 Responses to “Carnage in Cairo: a shocking blow to both the Arab world and the west”

  1. The Palestinian Myth

    UN-nation; un-nation; non-nation; anti-nation
    By MARTIN SHERMAN,JPOST
    I do not think there is a Palestinian nation. I think it’s a colonialist invention – Palestinian nation. When were there any Palestinians?
    “Of all the Palestinian lies there is no lie greater or more crushing than that which calls for the establishment of a separate Palestinian state in the West Bank… Not since the time of Dr. Goebbels has there been a case in which continual repetition of a lie has borne such great fruits….”
    – From “Palestinian Lies” in Haaretz, July 1976.
    Nothing could better underscore just how emaciated Israeli foreign policy has become than the penetrating observation by former Meretz minister of education Prof. Amnon Rubinstein articulated above.
    Nothing could better underscore just how detached from the reality the discourse on “Palestine” has become than the avowal of the timeless and unconditional rejection of Israel, articulated in ensuing excerpt.

    The partition of Palestine, in 1947, and the establishment of Israel are illegal and null and void, regardless of the passage of time… The claims of historic and spiritual ties between Jews and Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history or with true conception of what constitutes statehood.
    – Articles 17 and 18 of the original Palestinian National Covenant (1964). (The same clauses appear almost verbatim as Clauses 19 and 20 in the current version. Both are posted at the website of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine at the UN.) This declaration, made long before any “occupation” or “settlements,” highlights that Arab enmity towards Israel is fueled by its being – not by its borders. It proves irrefutably that the establishment of a Palestinian state and the eradication of Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria will do nothing to attenuate the refusal to acknowledge the right of the Jews to a nation-state, whatever its frontiers – if any further proof was necessary after the 2005 Gaza debacle.
    All of this should be borne in mind as September 23 approaches. For what we are about to witness at the UN is nothing less an endeavor at political alchemy – the conjuring up of a substantive political construct out of mere political myth; an attempt to produce a nation where the elements of nationhood do not exist; an effort to construct a state when the components of statehood are absent.
    (Please note that in the ensuing essay, I will not refer to any Israeli sources. Those employed are exclusively Palestinian or Arab. Consequently the analysis – and the consequent conclusions – are exclusively derivative of these Palestinians/Arab sources.) While no real consensus exists among political scientists as to the exact definition of “nation” and “nationalism,” there is broad agreement as to what constitutes its sine qua non. Whatever other details one scholar or another might wish to add to his/her preferred definition, there would be almost no disagreement that: a “nation” is an identifiably differentiated segment of humanity that desires to exercise political sovereignty in a defined territory; and that “nationalism” is the pursuit, by identifiably differentiated segments of humanity, of the exercise of political sovereignty in a defined territory.
    The most cursory analysis of historical events in this region will quickly reveal that in the case of the Palestinians, neither of these two elements exists: neither an identifiably differentiated people desiring exercise of political sovereignty, nor a defined territory in which that sovereignty is to be exercised.
    One need only examine the declarations/documents of Palestinians themselves to verify this – and to discover that they do not conceive of themselves as a discernibly discrete people with a defined homeland.
    Accordingly, little effort is required to demonstrate that the Palestinian “narrative” – the notional fuel driving the demands for statehood – is a motley mixture of myths, which although they overlap and interlock, are nevertheless easily identifiable and readily refutable.
    The inescapable conclusion is that the entire edifice of Palestinian national aspirations is a political hoax, a massive sleight of political hand designed to serve a far more sinister – and thinly disguised – motive. So what are these myths; and why are they so easily identifiable?
    The myth of Palestinian peoplehood
    Senior Palestinian leaders have admitted – openly, consistently and continually – that Palestinians are not a discrete people identifiably different from others in the Arab world.
    For example, on March 14, 1977, Farouk Kadoumi, head of the PLO Political Department, told Newsweek: “Jordanians and Palestinians are considered by the PLO as one people.”
    This statement parallels almost exactly the position expressed two weeks later by the former head of the PLO’s Military Department and Executive Council member Zuheir Muhsin, who declared: “There are no differences between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. We are all part of one nation.”
    It was Jordan’s King Hussein who underscored that the emergence of collective Palestinian identity was merely a ploy to counter Jewish claims to territory considered Arab.
    At the Arab League meeting in Amman in November 1987, he said: “The appearance of the Palestinian national personality comes as an answer to Israel’s claim that Palestine is Jewish.”
    This of course necessarily implies that the “Palestinian personality” is devoid of an independent existence, and is a fictional derivative, fabricated only to counteract Jewish territorial claims. Indeed, without Jewish claims there would be no Palestinian personality.
    The myth of Palestinian nationhood
    Not only do the Palestinians admit that they are not a discrete sociological entity, i.e., a people.
    They also concede that as a political unit, i.e., a nation, their demands and aspirations as are neither genuine nor permanent.
    Thus Muhsin candidly confessed: “It is only for political reasons that we carefully underline our Palestinian identity, because it is in the interest of the Arabs to encourage a separate Palestinian identity. Yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity serves only tactical purposes. The founding of a Palestinian state is a new tool in the continuing battle against Israel [sic].”
    Doesn’t get much more explicit than that! Indeed the Palestinians not only affirm that their national demands are bogus, but that they are only a temporary instrumental ruse.
    In the current National Covenant they declare: “The Palestinian people are a part of the Arab Nation… [and] believe in Arab unity… however, they must, at the present stage of their struggle, safeguard their Palestinian identity and develop their consciousness of that identity.”
    So how are we to avoid concluding that at a later stage there will be no need to preserve their identity or develop consciousness thereof? How are we to avoid concluding that Palestinian identity is merely a short-term ruse to achieve a political goal of annulling the “illegal 1947 partition of Palestine,” (i.e. Israel).
    As King Hussein said: “The appearance of the Palestinian national personality comes as an answer to Israel’s claim that Palestine is Jewish.”
    Nothing more.
    The myth of a Palestinian homeland
    Article 16 of the original version of the Palestinian National sets out the desire of the people of Palestine, “who look forward to… restoring the legitimate situation to Palestine, establishing peace and security in its territory, and enabling its people to exercise national sovereignty…”
    However, since the Covenant was adopted in 1964, well before Israel “occupied” a square inch of the “West Bank” or Gaza, the question is precisely what is meant by “its territory” in which the Palestinians were “looking forward…
    to exercise national sovereignty.” Indeed in Article 24, they state specifically what this territory did not include, and where they were not seeking to exercise “national sovereignty.”
    In it they explicitly proclaim that they do not desire to “exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, [or] on the Gaza Strip.”
    From this we learn two stunning facts. Not only did the Palestinians not claim the “West Bank” and Gaza as part of their homeland, but they specifically excluded them from it. Moreover, they explicitly acknowledged – and accepted –that the “West Bank” belonged to another sovereign entity, the Hashemite Kingdom.
    There is thus not the slightest resemblance – indeed not even one square inch of overlap – between the territory claimed by the Palestinians as their “homeland” when they first formulated their national aspirations and the “homeland” allegedly envisaged/claimed today.
    Indeed, the two visions of “homeland” territories are mutually exclusive.
    Accordingly, it would seem that Jewish rule is far more central in defining the location of the Palestinian “homeland” than any “collective historical memory.”
    For the Palestinians only incorporated the “West Bank” (and Gaza) in their territorial claims when they came under Israeli control – clearly vindicating the view that the concept of “Palestinian-ness” is a fabricated construct, conjured up to further the Arab quest to repudiate “Jewishness.”
    The Palestinians as a non-nation
    One could hardly find more resounding renunciation of Palestinian nationhood than the one provided by former Arab MK Azmi Bishara, who fled Israel to avoid investigation of alleged acts of treason during the 2006 Lebanon War. On a 1994 Channel 2 program, he astounded his Israeli co-participants with the following assertion: “Well, I don’t think there is a Palestinian nation at all. I think there is an Arab nation. I always thought so…
    I do not think there is a Palestinian nation. I think it’s a colonialist invention – Palestinian nation. When were there any Palestinians? Where did it come from? Indeed when? Indeed where?” Not only do the Palestinian lack the fundamental elements to qualify them as a “nation,” they exhibit qualities that make them the antithesis of a “nation.” Their efforts as a collective are being channeled far less towards achieving national sovereignty for themselves, and far more towards annulling the national sovereignty of others.
    In this regard the Palestinian can not only be dubbed a non-nation but an anti-nation.
    The troubling afterthought
    In light of all these readily available facts, the troubling question Israelis must ask themselves and their leaders is, why have they been totally ignored in the formulation of Israel’s foreign policy. Why has Israel been so inarticulate and so impotent in presenting it case and in rebuffing the diplomatic assault against it? This dereliction of duty has put the nation in mortal peril.
    True, very recently there have been some welcome – but sorely belated – signs of stiffening resolve, but with the crucial session of the UN General Assembly ominously near, one can only hope this is not much too little, much too late.
    Posted by Ted Belman @ 11:08 am | 8 Comments » Delete ReplyReply ForwardSpamMovePrint Actions NextPrevious

  2. They don’t have many Jews left in Egypt….so the blood of Christians will have to do for the disgusting friggin mooslims. I suggest let Egypt implode. let them destroy themselves as they are doing in other arab -controlled areas. The West must not send these roaches any $$.

  3. Don’t be fooled here… the moment Mubarak was challenged the Muslims began killing and raping non Muslims.

    Since then the Christians have been under constant bombardment. Killings after killings including the burning down of Churches.

    May 10, 2011
    Un:dhimmi Reports…

    “The Media is covering up the Muslim Genocide against Christians in Egypt…

    …and elsewhere. Just why are they playing down the systemic (and Allah-sanctioned, of course) persecution and religious genocide of Coptic Christians in Egypt and Christians in other “Arab Spring” countries; almost to the point of portraying them as irritating playground squabbles?

    Egypt stepped up security around churches in Cairo Monday after two days of clashes attacks between against minority Christians and by Muslims that killed 12 people Christians and highlighted rising inter-faith tensions Christian persecution.
    The violence that left a church wrecked by fire and more than 238 people wounded at the weekend was triggered by rumors lies that Christians had abducted a woman who converted to Islam.”
    ==============================================

    BNI also Reports:
    Posted: July 31, 2011

    Congressional Hearings on the worsening persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt

    Shocking testimony about the horrific violence, torture, and discrimination against Christians that has grown much worse since the ouster of Mubarak.

    Persecution, torture, rape, and violence by… the military, government, and muslim citizens, as well as forced conversions and marriages of Christian girls to muslim men.

    What will Congress do? Nothing as long as there’s a muslim in the White House.
    ===============================================

    It’s obvious… Islam wanted to bring in a more devout adherence to the Quran. This meant ousting leaders across the world and the faze now is to further cleanse these territories of anything that isn’t Islamic.

    WARNING!!!
    Coming to your neighborhood soon!

    • It is already starting to happen. Look at Nashville where a Mosque moved into a neighborhood and now the residents are being terrorized. Look at Detroitistan where muslims have taken over entire areas. Look at St Louis where an entire section has been taken over by Bosnian muslims who have raped and attacked non-muslims. Elsewhere, thousands each month are killed, more are attacked. Ivory coast is an example where ethnic cleansing is going on as we speak. The news is full of these attacks by muslims but the MSM will not show it.

      • Courtesy Of Obama – The Drums Of War Are Beating

        By: Howard Galganov
        On October 30, 2008 . . . prior to the Presidential election, I wrote the following:
        “PRESIDENT Barack Obama will be the worst thing for the USA and the entire world. And he will be poison for Israel”.
        I wrote a great deal more about my fears for an Obama victory prior to and just after the November 2008 election, which you can find in my Archives, but this one statement is enough to establish how far back I REALLY worried for Israel’s safety under this Narcissistic Demagogue, whose most important past associations screamed Israel-Hater.
        And I wasn’t the only one who rang warning bells before and after the vote. Conservative Talk Show Hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity and a great many others also did everything they could to warn the people.

        ALL TO NO AVAIL.
        What bothered me even MORE than Obama’s victory . . . was whom it was who not only voted for him, but were amongst his NUMBER ONE SUPPORTERS.
        OBAMA SET THE STAGE:
        The Arab/Moslem World with the blessing of Jew-Hating Europe is poised to revisit the Nazi efforts of a FINAL SOLUTION for the Jewish people. The only difference being, that this FINAL SOLUTION will be in the Middle East by the Arabs/Moslems instead of in Europe by the Eurotrash.
        Even though Obama has set the stage for a war against Israel, that I believe will come much sooner rather than later, Obama cannot be held singularly responsible, since he could not have done what he has without the help of WILLING accomplices.
        Obama’s disdain for Israel was no secret when he won SEVENTY-EIGHT percent of the American Jewish Vote in 2008. Therefore, the rhetorical question is this . . .
        Who amongst the Jewish Community will admit to putting the proverbial bullets into Obama’s Anti-Israel gun, and then handed him that gun with the trigger cocked?
        Had Hollywood Jews like Spielberg and Streisand amongst an army of other prominent Jews in so many other LEFTIST walks of life not given their unabashed support for Obama, he still might have won the 2008 election, but at the very least, these Jewish LEFTISTS could not be held accountable for how Obama has placed Israel in the cross-hairs of Israel’s most vicious haters.
        ISRAEL WILL BE PUSHED TO WAR – WHETHER ISRAEL WANTS IT OR NOT:
        Obama has so empowered the Arab/Moslem World by weakening America abroad, and by throwing America’s most important Arab Ally (Egyptian Leader Mubarak) under the bus, that the Arabs/Moslems believe that they will never have a better opportunity than now to slaughter the Jews, as they will soon try to drive them into the Mediterranean Sea, as they have ALWAYS promised to do for as long as Israel has been reborn.
        Because of Obama’s Middle East Policy that has laid BLAME against Israel for everything; Anti-Semitic Europe will watch from the sidelines with fake angst as the Arabs/Moslems do all that they can to finish the Job Hitler couldn’t.
        And because of the geographical nature of the Middle East and the size of Israel, Israel will take a real beating in the forthcoming war in terms of material destruction and loss of Jewish life.
        BUT – ISRAEL WILL NOT GO DOWN.
        Israel will not only survive the coming whirlwind, but will come out of it even stronger by destroying the Arab/Moslem military infrastructure.
        And perhaps MOST of all, Israel will become whole as it was before the Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD, by retaking the historic lands of Judea and Samaria, which the so-called Palestinians have claimed for themselves.
        The 78% of America’s Jews who did whatever they could to place into power the Israel-Hater who is the catalyst for this war against Israel, will in their own way have no less Jewish blood on their hands than will Obama once the fighting starts.
        And even though there was Jewish remorse in Tuesday’s NYC (September 13, 2011) 9th District election, as they voted AGAINST Obama, their regret is like trying to un-ring a bell that has already been rung.
        IT’S TOO LATE FOR THAT.
        When Palestinian Leader Abbas asks the United Nations on September 20, 2011 to vote on a Unilateral Declaration of Palestinian Statehood, all the pieces will begin to move in directions no one will be able to control, all because of Obama and the people who made him President.
        I really hope that I’m wrong about Israel being pushed to war, but I don’t think so.
        THE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO OBAMA:
        Obama was right when he said that elections have consequences. It’s just too bad that so many people weren’t listening to him with their eyes wide open when he said it – Especially 78% of America’s Jewish population.
        Best Regards . . . Howard Galganov
        Posted by Ted Belman @ 12:43 am | 4 Comments »
        4 Responses to Courtesy Of Obama – The Drums Of War Are Beating

  4. Of course this is why they will never let this government return to representative democracy.
    For starters, this nation was publicly founded on the ten commandments,so the vast majority of poor dumb sheep would listen to their Masonic Preacher from the pulpit tell them hoe “God” would have them trust their government because it to was “christian”
    but privately, the American Freemasons,who started the war with their fellow mason, King George formed what they like to call a “masonic republic,”To which the King never surrendered nor recognized as independent!!

    Every republic-turned-Empire throughout history has tumbled because the powers that be have always been Zionist, ever since ancient Greece,Now it is the born again Babylon of ancient times repeating history and fullfilling Jesus Prophesy of Babylon the great , the mother of all Harlots!

    America, America, god shed his grace in thee, And He did until you passed Roe v. Wade,
    then you spit in His eye by murdering then throwing away their little bodies into dumpsters around this pitiful nation. 3000 babies every day because it is the mothers “right” to her own body?

    A 9/11 is performed every day in this nation and you pussies worry about solving and convicting the perpatrators of the ONE DAY, the murder they commited on 9/11/2001

    When do you geniuses plan on protesting and demanding the truth about the other 13,869 9/11s since the United States started murdering babies in 1973??

    YOU WANT TO SOLVE THIS NATIONS WOES? OCCUPY ABORTION SHOPS, LEAVE THE FED ALONE FOR NOW,(ABOLISH THE FED, YES, BUT STOP THE MURDERS FIRST)

    WHEN IS THIS GOING TO BE ADMITTED AND REPENTED OF?
    YOU WILL NEVER FIX THIS GOVERNMENT AS LONG AS THE daily baby MURDERING CONTINUES!

  5. HUNGER

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