Protests & Destabilization in the Muslim world from US - Afghansitan Action

US action against the Taliban and bin Laden will increase turmoil in countries with significant Muslim populations.

Indonesia, home to Asia's largest population of Muslims is seeing increased levels of protests and demonstrations against planned US action in Afghanistan.
<A HREF="http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109271600.htm">Divided Security Forces Duel in Indonesia</A>

Unrest and protests in Pakistan have already been noted elsewhere, so they will not be reprinted in this post.

Egypt also will be cautious, despite the positive statements from Mumarak.

<A HREF="http://metimes.com/2K1/issue2001-38/eg/egypt_takes_cautious.htm">Egypt takes cautious approach in response to attacks in U.S.</A>

Saudia Arabia has a strong distaste for bin Laden because of his complaints about the US military presence in the Gulf States.

Even if a minority of the population demonstrates against US action, that will be cause for concern for less than solidified moderate governments.

Will the government of a moderate Muslim country be eventually toppled for supporting rather than opposing US action in Afghanistan? Perhaps and that is a concern that the American government will probably have as it plans a low key action rather than the <i>turn it into a parking lot</i> approach.


Mango

ps Wish I could edit the typo in the title.

 

<b>Achebe and Rich,</b>

I didn't look for foreign newpapers the first week after the attacks, so everything that I am finding is recent.

Eventually, most articles come back to reference the Israeli - Palestinian issue.

Jordanian:
<A HREF="http://star.arabia.com/article/0,5596,90_2018,00.html">Is Islam the target?</A>


<i>
Home: JORDAN/ FRONT PAGE

Is Islam the target? Local reactions center on conspiracy:American threats keep world on edge

Since the attacks of 11 September on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia, an organized campaign has been launched against Muslims and Arabs.

Sep 20, 2001, 05:16 PM
By Ibtisam Awadat, Star Staff Writer
USS Roosevelt heads for Middle East
JORDAN (Star) - Since the attacks of 11 September on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia, an organized campaign has been launched against Muslims and Arabs. This campaign has fit neatly into the media bias bent on tarnishing the image of Islam, turning Muslims and Arabs into legitimate targets for irrational assailants. Is there a Zionist backed campaign being orchestrated to force Muslims to defend Islam and its principles? "Terrorism, according to our dictionary, is any violent method that results in the killing of civilians, since no cause justifies killing innocents," former Minister of Information Mahmoud Al Sharif told The Star. He believes counter-confrontations between Muslims and the West resulted in a feeling of Islam as a threatening and unbending religion. Al Sharif pointed to the historic clashes between Muslims and Europeans in Spain in the 10th Century, the attacks by Crusaders in the Holy Land against Islam, the Ottoman Empire and the colonial period when Britain, France and Italy occupied great parts of the present Muslim world.
"The memories of these events dig deep into the hearts of Westerners. They develop a belief that Islam is "dangerous" to them," Al Sharif explained. Political analysts called upon western nations to differentiate between terrorism and the right of oppressed countries to struggle. "There is a vast difference between terrorism and the right of Islamic countries to defend their rights through legitimate means," said former Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Dr Abdel Salam Al Majali. The West should differentiate between Islam and practices not condoned in Islam that may still be committed under an Islamic banner. The means to struggle against injustice, according to Al Abbadi, don't include or permit attacks on the innocent. "Islam is a great and open religion which respects Christianity and Judaism. It considers human life so sacred," Al Sharif said. The terminology "terrorist" should not be stuck on some young Palestinian who throws stones at Israeli tanks in defense of their homeland, their people and their existence says Al Sharif. "The same should be said for the Palestinian Resistance movement (Hamas) and Hizbollah who fight against Israeli occupation." The targeting of Islam by hostile organizations raises a logical question: Who benefits from propaganda against the Muslims and Arabs? "There is no doubt Israeli and Zionist elements are the only beneficiaries now beating the war drums and continuing to promote images tarnishing images of Arabs and Islam in Western eyes," Al Sharif said.

Arafat Hijazi, expert on Palestinian affairs, supported this position, saying "this is a Zionist strategy to keep international powers from supporting Muslims and Arabs in their struggle against Israel." The results of the hatred implanted by Zionism in the West against Muslims was clear when US President George W. Bush described his declaration of war against Afghanistan as a "Crusade" campaign. "Such a campaign was originally launched against Muslims, though the accusations against Osama Bin Laden have still not been proved," Hijazi told The Star. In what was considered an apologetic gesture, President Bush visited the Islamic Center in Washington on 17 September, saying Muslims should be treated with respect because "the face of terror is not the true face of Islam." [See related story on back page] Hijazi explained according to CIA reports there are more than 6,000 non-Muslim, non-Arab terrorist groups in the United States.

According to speculations circulating via electronic messages on the Internet, there are indications knowledge of the attacks were known, at least in part, by the Israeli Mossad The US-based newspaper The Nation's correspondent in Canada said, "A US military intelligence source revealed details of an internal intelligence memo that points to Israeli Mossad intelligence agents having links to the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks...the intelligence source, who requested his name be withheld, confirmed an internal US intelligence memo circulated four weeks ago described information pointing to a threat of a covert Israeli operation on US soil to turn mass public opinion against Palestinian Arabs via an apparent terrorist attack on US interests." Such activity is believed to give Israel the proverbial "green light" for a large-scale attack on the Palestinian population. Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper has reported several Israeli nationals were held and questioned.

Hizbollah television's Al Manar stated on 17 September "No one ever mentioned anything about 4000 Israelis...that remarkably did not show up in their jobs the day the incident took place." Analysts now believe the US administration should commit itself to the principles of the international law in convicting the real criminals. "I believe the case of Bin Laden should be handled by the United Nations. He should be granted safety in order to properly defend himself," Al Sharif maintained.

Some analysts see the Gulf War scenario of 1991 being repeated. Most Arab and Islamic countries supported the US and its alliance against Iraq. Political observers suggest Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan may soon find themself in the dilemma of 1991.

"Its a different situation. In the Gulf War the target was so obvious and manifest. It was a country invaded by another country," Al Sharif believes the breaking of international law was clear then. "In this case even the European and Russians are reluctant to provide such support and now seek to define "terrorism" properly." Hijazi added, "The international community realizes the US retaliation is illogical. There is no need to produce more innocent victims."
</i>


Palestinian:
<A HREF="http://www.wafa.pna.net/EngText/28-09-2001/page004.htm">Speakers of member-states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) against Terrorism</A>

<i>
Speakers of member-states of the Organization of the Islamic

Conference (OIC) declared their support to the idea

of calling an international anti-terrorism conference



CAIRO - SEPTMBER 28 - WAFA - Speakers of member-states of the Organization of the Islamic

Conference (OIC) declared their support to the idea of calling an international anti-terrorism conference to adopt a collective stand to deal with this phenomenon.

Speaking to the Egypsian “Middle East News Agency” Thursday, they said that intensive efforts were needed to portray the true image of Islam and to stress the tolerance of Islam and Muslims to refuse charges of terrorism directed against them.

Chairman of the Palestine National Council, Salim Zaanoun, said that they seized the opportunity of

their meeting to make it clear that Muslims reject terrorism and, consequently, condemn the September 11th. attacks on the United States.

He called upon his colleagues to denounce the behavior of Ariel Sharon who has been practicing terrorism against the Palestinian people for more than a year now. He is responsible for killing more than 600 people and injuring 28,000 Palestinians so far.

He said that if Israel wishes to end the Palestinian Intifada, it has to withdraw from territories it

occupied.

Zaanoun said that he was against what took place in the United States on September 11th.

Abdel-Qadr Bin Saleh, Speaker of the National Council in Algeria, said that the meeting of the second

conference of speakers of Islamic parliaments at this time was "a good opportunity to define our attitude toward terrorism and denounce it.'

He said that it was necessary to differentiate between terrorism and legitimate resistance against occupation as stipulated in international laws and legislation.

Mohamed Troudy, Chairman of the Legislative Committee in the Tunisian Chamber of Deputies, called for closing ranks among Islamic countries to face international blocks.

Mabdi Haroubi, Speaker of the Shura Council in Iran, said that the conference will discuss important issues of interest to the Islamic world, foremost among which is Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
</i>

Would things be different if Israel had someone besides Sharon in power? Somewhat, but Arafat turned down the Barak deal and he probably won't see anything that good for quite some time.

<b>
treeman</b>


We can only hope for that outcome.



Mango