Arab Genocide, Arab Silence
Joseph Britt wrote an important Op-Ed piece in this morning’s Washington Post, Arab Genocide, Arab Silence. His column fits neatly within the “dogs that don’t bark in the night” category. Britt wonders why, amidst the international outcry against the Sudan’s genocide, the Arab nations don’t seem to care very much. Why, he asks, are the U.S., Canada, and even Nigeria more active in fighting for the basic human rights of Darfur’s dark-skinned Muslims than are Egypt and Saudi Arabia (the former sharing a border with Sudan and possessing a more powerful military, and the latter blessed with ample money that could be used for aid). And (here are the dogs) why has the global press paid so little attention to this Arab apathy?
Perhaps the time has come to ask the question more broadly. Why do the 21 sovereign members of the Arab League, not to mention the League itself, never take any steps to alleviate the suffering of Arabs or Muslims? Despite all the talk about dignity and humiliation, Arabs help neither Arabs nor Muslims. The dignity in question seems to attach to “the Arabs,” as defined by a cadre of illegitimate, authoritarian, political leaders. The dignity of the individual seems to be an alien concept.
The question for us to ponder, then, is why we in the West continue to accept these “leaders” as spokesmen for the very people they hold in contempt? Who does speak for the rights of individual Arabs? I have no idea. But I do know that it’s not the thugs who claim to represent them in the international forum.
The trackback URL for this entry is: http://www.theinformationist.com/index/trackback/77/CKgOeOJS/
Trackbacks:
No trackbacks yet.Comments:
No comments yet.Next entry: More Defense of Neocons over at TPM Cafe (sigh)
Previous entry: Greece at a Crossroads: A Book Review (Sort of)