Israeli Occupation Causes Terrorism (UN Report Finds)MuslimMatters.org

Israeli Occupation Causes Terrorism (UN Report Finds)

6. March, 2008 by MuslimMatters Injustice, Middle-East, Terrorism 53 comments

Some people ask why do people engage in terrorism. While it is never okay to justify it, it is in our interests to evaluate its root-causes and work on those, instead of trying to stop it after it has taken root. The situation in Gaza, which Amnesty and a bunch of other human-rights organizations, call the worst in 40 years (news, full-report), is the sort of situation that breeds hatred, anger and eventually terrorism.

The following piece was submitted by theManOfFewWords (who provides us with many colorful comments). He calls himself an aggressive anti-establishment blogger, a know-it-all and sometimes jerk, and also runs Islamify.com, a Muslim social news site.

So a UN commissioned report comes out and the findings are, surprise surprise, that the Israeli occupation causes terrorism. While it rightly does not condone any terroristic acts it does recognize that they are “a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism, apartheid or occupation.” It also recognizes that the Palestinian resistance to Israel is legitimate and cannot be compared to al-Qaeda's “mindless terrorism.” To be honest, while I can give the UN a heads up I think the report is a bit redundant as everybody on Earth, including many Israelis understand this to be pretty obvious. Only in America where propaganda and celebrity gossip pass as news do people have no idea what's going on. Some even believe crazy things like the drivel published in Alan Dershowitz's The Case for Israel, (a rip-off of From Time Immemorial) which states that Zionists settled a completely empty Palestine and that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, only Arabs that migrated to take advantage of growing Jewish prosperity and created the myth of Palestine and forged the entire history of a fictitious people, the Palestinians. Here in the US this is considered real scholarship. Needless to say, this article won't make the front page in any major American paper. But anyway, I digress.

Let's try and imagine how this study was conducted: A dedicated statistician wades through streets flooded with Palestinian blood while navigating around floating limbs and passing out surveys to widows, orphans and amputees in order to discover what the root cause of terrorism is in Palestine. You see it's tough to really understand why these crazy Arabs do anything. The methodology is a little disingenius to say the least. Maybe we can suggest to the UN a study worth commissioning. Why don't we try and understand the causes of Israeli terrorism? I would love to read about that. Why can't Israel get along with it's neighbors? Why can't they share and play nice? Maybe we should examine Jewish culture, lets take a look at the radical Yeshivas and see what they teach. Is Jewish fundamentalism a cause? Are the Ashkenazi or Mizrahi Jews responsible? Is the Torah responsible for Israeli terrorism? Maybe it's because Jews oppress their women. Do Jews preach killing of the Goyim (non-Jews)? Maybe we need a Jewish reformation. Maybe rabbis need to start condemning terrorism. I am genuinely curious. Let's get a commission a study on that. Let's apply the same criteria they apply to Muslims when “analyzing” them. When Jewish groups complain that these sorts of questions are “anti-semitic” we should look over, put a hand on their shoulder (slowly, they might flinch) and give them a now you know how it feels smile. Maybe Olmert will say, “Hey, now I understand how the Muslims feel and I call for an end to Islamophobia and world-wide coexistence between Jews and Arabs. I will begin by apologizing to the Palestinians giving them the right of return, citizenship with full rights and breaking down all the walls that have kept our two people apart.” Don't laugh, it could happen, you see I'm an optimist.

Well, let's get back to reality and take a good look at this Yahoo news article. Aside from stating the obvious there are some curious idiosyncrasies that you may not have noticed. Curiously, there wasn't a word of comment from any Arab or Palestinian, not even to give so much as an “i told you so.” However, our friends at the Israeli embassy had the opportunity to say, “The common link between al-Qaida and the Palestinian terrorists is that both intentionally target civilians with the mere purpose to kill.” After that, in an excellent demonstration of journalistic responsibility the writer put that statement in the appropriate context by mentioning Israel's summer bombing campaign that leveled Beirut and killed over 2000 innocent civilians and then went all analytical on his behind questioning whether it is artificial to make a distinction between “intentionally” targeting civilians and “unintentionally” doing so. Oh you didn't see that little rebuttal in the article? Too bad, it would have been nice.

The most important thing to understand is not to let the corporate media to set the agenda for our discourse. The article discusses Palestinian terrorism but would never dare use the term terrorism to describe Israel's activities as though Muslims have a monopoly on terror. It is important to understand that the use and control of language shapes our own thinking and to constantly think about terrorism as relating to Muslims subtly affects our own thinking. I am sure many of the people who read the Yahoo article did not ask that important question. What does cause Israeli terrorism? What kind of culture criticizes the Israeli invasion of Lebanon because it failed to destroy Hezbollah rather than because of the catastrophic and unnecessary destruction of civilian infrastructure and lives? Don't just analyze the victims, analyze the aggressors. So while some might see this article as supporting the Palestinian cause, it is in reality a veiled paternalistic approach to affirming Palestinian resistance.

So what have we learned? Well, Arab and Muslim public opinion doesn't count. If it did then, in a related occupation over in Iraq, US troops would have left long ago respecting the will of the people in this this shining, new Middle Eastern Democracy. Furthermore, all that rhetoric about Iraq falling apart after US troops withdraw is inaccurate considering the analysis on polls of Sunnis and Shiites that indicate national reconciliation is possible. But who cares what Arabs have to say, let's hear what Anne Coulter thinks.

See also:

Full-report on Gaza Crises (PDF)

On this blog:

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Muslimmatters.org began in 2007 as a collaboration between various Bloggers and Shuyukh in order to bring attention to issues faced by Muslims, especially in the West. We have focused on issues of Religion, Society, Ethics, Sex Education, Politics, Civil Rights, Family, as well as the random issues that pop up from now and then, all with some ranting and humor mixed in.

We challenge ourselves and our readers to engage in discourses that touch our lives as citizens of the West, while maintaining our individual Islamic identities: Ultimately to cooperate, but not to compromise.

http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

The report by Amnesty, Oxfam, CARE and other human-rights organizations is a scathing indictment of the collective punishment being meted out in Gaza.

And these organizations are not Islamic organizations, they have no vested interest to be biased towards one party or the other. But, of course Israeli government officials hate when there is an objective report and will do everything to tarnish it.
Pingback: UN: Israeli Occupation Causes Terrorism … Duh! |
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

Let me preempt any Zionist apologists who might respond to this article by saying for them what they are probably going to say anyway.

“Amnesty International, Oxfam, CARE and the UN are anti-semitic.”

“Gush Shalom are anti-semitic.”

“theManoffewwords is anti-semitic”

“MuslimMatters is anti-semitic”

“Muslims are anti-semitic.”

“Arabs are anti-semitic.” (though this makes little sense.

And last but not least “the TRUTH is anti-semitic.”
Asim

lol nice ^^
Person

Manoffewwords is not a ‘know-it-all sometimes jerk’. I think he was just kidding when he said that. Yes.
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

He calls himself an aggressive anti-establishment blogger, a know-it-all and sometimes jerk

We didn’t put words in his mouth. We know he’s kidding (hopefully).
Person

Well you guys shouldn’t be publishing such self-descriptions. :)
Person

Its a muslimmatter to disallow a Muslim to hurt himself. I’m sort of surprised that muslimmatters.org published that.
Person

Also, ‘We know’ and ‘hopefully’ don’t go together. You either know that something is true or you hope for it to be true. In this case, knowing and hoping cannot exist simultaneously.
aadil

http://chromovision.com/films/Wall.wmv

This video is one of the best short films (7min) I have seen on the subject of Israeli occupation and construction of their Wall.

Some of you might have already seen it since its from 2004, but if not check it out.
http://calltoislam.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=34&Itemid=26 Navaid Aziz

Pictures worth a thousand words…

From a Brazilian cartoonist:

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/03/03/brazilian_cartoonist_carlos_latuff_creat
Person

So, Br. Amad. Are those negative characterizations going to be edited out?
http://www.mujahideenryder.net MR

There jannah is limited (this life). Our jannah in unlimited (the hereafter).

May Allah (swt) grant the innocent and the oppressed jannah in the hereafter.
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

person, it’s just a joke. Lighten up. If anyone else complains then I’ll ask Amad to change it.

I do appreciate your intentions though.
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

LOL I am a little disappointed that the only controversy my article illicited was in my description.
Person

Well…to the reader (or to me atleast) it doesn’t seem like the description was written in jest…it seems like an unnecessary public confession of personal weaknesses. Reminded me of the hadith that I quoted.

If its all a joke, then maybe it should explicitly be stated as such. So, tomorrow if/when someone calls you a know-it-all sometimes jerk they will have no evidence to support their claim.

Also, Br. Amad needn’t need your permission to edit the description because editing it is the professionally right thing to do. :)
Person

Actually you should be glad your post is being read so closely. Controversies started from the very top (of the post)…will get to the bottom if Allah has so willed.
Person

correction: *controversy*
Irum Sarfaraz

Br. MOFW,
If you are keen for controversy may I suggest you do a post on ‘third wives’ ?!
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

lol … Irum, how about “those whom your right hand possesses”

Hmm … You think it would be vanity if i Islamified my own article?
eli

Haven’t seen a post about the murders at the seminary.

Disgusting
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

Eli, how many posts about the killing fields of Gaza appear on the Israeli supporting websites, like LGF, etc.? Let me help you. ZERO. How much of the news about the 50+ civilians killed by Israel was given the sort of coverage given to the less than 10 dead in the seminary?

You’d have been dead or in a cave not to have heard about the seminary shootings, while you’d have be to really engaged to find out about what happened previous in this cycle of violence.

While we have no qualms about condemning the seminary shootings, how many Zionist websites do you think have condemned the Gaza killings? ZERO. That actually is much more disgusting.

Why don’t you condemn it for us right here? I want to hear it from you.
Person

Excuse me Br. Amad: I am waiting for a response to my question…

Salaam alaykum
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

Person, pls let it go. I am not changing anything unless MOFW requests it. If you wish to discuss this further, you can contact me by email; info at muslimmatters dot org. We aren’t going to bore everyone on this petty issue any longer.
Wigon

Amad, to address your comment, the US news did actually talk about the 50 dead Palestinians in Gaza from the massive military onslaught. However, they did not show graphic pictures of the dead being carried away or laying on the streets as in the seminary shooting. However, the West also sees the Palestinian deaths as “collateral dammage” while seeing the seminary deaths as direct intentional murder of innocent Jewish civilians (although some there were off-duty soldiers). Obviously, if you are a Palestinian who’s just lost your family from a tank shell “accidentally” shot into your apartment you will have a very different view of this. One has to ask what is the root of the violence on both sides and how do you end the cycle of revenge violence? Genocide?
Hard to do that with the Israelis now that they have nukes including some on Dolphin class submarines giving them 2nd strike capability. Rather then Muslims screaming for revenge, realistic solutions need to be pushed rather then more fueling of this cycle of violence. Jihad is an obligation for Muslims but there are many types of Jihad (economic, spiritual, and through dialogue for example). There is also Dawah through leadership by example rather then lowering oneself to fight as unjustly as kafr (or worse). Remember, that Saladin is not remembered in Western history books because of how many Christians and Jews he killed, but rather by how many he saved through his mercy and justice despite how many Muslims the Crusaders killed.
Person

Alrighty….plz check your mail!
Malik

Really only one thing matters in this dispute: That the Palestinians overwhelmingly chose Hamas. Doing so they, with eyes wide open, chose a party of violent religious fanatics who openly state in their charter that their aim is the violent destruction of Israel and the murder of the Jews.

Many Muslims (and leftists) have complained that we are not respecting Democracy by not respecting the outcome of the vote. We don’t have to respect the outcome to respect Democracy, we have to respect the process. And respecting the process is making people accountable for their democractic decisions so as to foster responsible decision-making.

The minute they voted Hamas in with their open goals of Genocide the Palestinan population gave up their status of Non-combatants. It’s harsh but that is part of the democratic process.
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

So, then by your logic, we should assume that all Israelis who voted in Likud on many occassions or all Israelis/Americans who are ardent Zionists and believe that there is no 2-state solution (including believing/expressing that all Palestinians need to be “removed”) are ALSO combatants? The students killed were at a seminary that is ultra-orthodox, ultra-zionist, teaching radicalism and not accepting of Palestine as a state— so were they combatants? The children and women of Palestine, are they combatants?

Hamas doesn’t recognize Israel, wants the Israelis to go “home” where they all came from (Europe, Russia, etc.)… not much different from the aspirations of many Zionists regarding Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Your logic, if reversed, would be considered the logic of terrorists, but of course your warped sense of humanity will not let you see right through it.
anon

“Hamas doesn’t recognize Israel, wants the Israelis to go “home” where they all came from (Europe, Russia, etc.)… ”

To be technical, “home” for the majority of Israelis is Israel, considering that 70% of them, if not more were born there. So Hamas’ request is kind of like me asking the children of illegal mexicans born and raised in the US to go back “home” to mexico
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

I remember telling Malik to “shut the hell up” in the comments section of a previous post.

He should have listened to me because now he sounds like an extremist fanatic.

1st he says that Hamas’s goals are genocide. I would like to see a statement by any of the current leaders of Hamas that proves his assertion.

It’s also s funny because if you have paying attention to the news the ISRAELIS are the one calling for holocaust (shoah) of Palestinians.

Also your version of democracy is interesting. Vote freely, but if you make the wrong choice there will be a holocaust, EVEN if you voted for the right party you are also responsible for all the Palestinians who voted for Hamas and now you and your family, yes including your babies are legitimate targets.

One thing is for sure … victory belongs to ALLAH and he gives it to whomever he wills. Let the Zionists strut around in arrogance and oppression. If they believe they can move mountains with their bare hands, tomorrow they will see those same mountains crush them.

Your words are meaningless Malik, your thoughts insignificant, your time wasted and your mind corrupted.

Your accusations and ignorance are like empty foam. You are neither convincing, intelligent nor rational.

For us victory is near, sometimes I can feel it and it gives me goosebumps. A free Palestine where Muslims can visit Masjid al Aqsa and pray there in peace.

Hizbullah defeated the Israelis, Jews are leaving Israel in droves, the IDF is weak, undisciplined and soft. The Russians that are imported into Israel to boost Jewish numbers turn out to be Christians who lied about their religion so they could use Israel as a stopove point to coming to the US. The Zionist project has been discredited by the ENTIRE world.

Yet you make foolish empty assertions. You should thank God that ANYONE on this site is willing to give you the time of day let alone respond to your ignorant drivel.

Go hand out with your Zionist friends, they are soon to be homeless inshallah, maybe you can help them find housing, that is ofcourse until they steal YOUR home and put you out on the street.

When that happens you can complain to some Palestinians, they will know exactly how you feel. Maybe they will even offer to help.
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

anon: that is interesting isn’t it? So some people come to a nation forcibly and take it over, displacing other people. Then these people have kids. The displaced people also have kids. So, now the people who were displaced and originally from the location have no right to return, let alone their kids. While the people who forcibly took over the land become its “rightful” owners.

I understand its not the occupiers’ kids’ faults. So let them stay there. But where is the justice of leaving out those who were originally displaced?
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

I disagree with Amad, let all those Ashkenazi Jews rediscover their European roots. Besides an “Israel” with a sudden influx of 2 million Palestinians is going to make a lot of Jews leave anyway … something like 60% dont want to live with Arabs in their neighborhoods.
Person

Amad…was the email suggestion your way of quieting me down? Very disappointing.

I replied to your email yesterday. You need to check your spam/bulk box. If you did receive it, then I have nothing more to add. As I said, let it go. -amad
http://www.drmaxtor.blogspot.com DrM

Eli, why should anyone with conscious care about a bunch of dead jewish terrorists in Jerusalem? Turns out that little “seminary” of yours was nothing but a zionist terrorist training camp.
Good bloody riddance I say.

**Dr. M, Islam condemns the killing of non-combatants, regardless of their ideology. So as Muslims, we cannot support the killing of non-combatants. -MM**
http://www.themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

You know this is an issue I was interested in. What was the nature of this Yeshiva? Why was it targeted specifically?

Does anyone have any information on it?
dario

According to Wiki their is a specific committee that deals with the issue of military exemption and Yeshiva students. It basically said that at the age of 22 all Yeshiva students are given a year to decide whether they want to go to work or continue with their studies at the yeshiva. If they choose to continue with their studies they are exempt from military service. If they decide they would rather work they must choose between a 4 month stint in the IDF, reserve duties in the military, or a civilian service of one year without salary. And this is for all yeshivas in Israel not just this one. I doubt that there was anything special about this particular yeshiva. It was probably the most accessible
dario

Also, one more thing, according to wiki this yeshiva “Merkaz harav” iwas founded in 1924 and is commonly regarding as the flagship of yeshivas in israel. So the guy choosing this yeshiva in particular might have been symbolic because of that. Who knows
http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

This is basically a jewish madrassa with all the negative connotations that the west has imposed on this arabic word for school.

This madrassa was strongly tied to the settler i.e. steal/occupy/then-insult arab neighbors movement. They were teaching extremist zionist teachings.

Had roles been reversed, the israeli propaganda machine with its US allies would have made this front and center: of how this islamic madrasa was teaching extremists and basically deserved nothing less. It is amazing how quiet this fact has been kept.
dario

Sorry, one more comment that basically goes into some of what amad said

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/962041.html
http://www.drmaxtor.blogspot.com DrM

In response to my earlier comment, jewish settler terrorists are heavily armed and have a history harassing and murdering Palestinian civilians, including school children, hence they are hardly “non-combatants.”
dario

I wasn’t aware 15 and 16year olds sitting in a building reading the torah were heavily armed. Thanks for the heads up
http://solomon2.blogspot.com Solomon2

Hi, guys! Long time since I’ve been here. The report is interesting. I can’t find where it states, “Israeli Occupation Causes Terrorism.” I have found the passage where it says the current Israeli policy of the embargo isn’t working.

Since that policy dates from a time long after Israelis and Israel’s armed forces departed Gaza, a natural conclusion is that the report’s authors are blaming Gaza’s woes on the end of Israeli occupation. The authors make it clear that circumstances were better when Israelis ruled the territory.

However, the authors still hold that Gaza is somehow “occupied” so Israel is still responsible under the 4th Geneva Convention (probably the sections which Israel isn’t a party to, I guess.) That Gaza is “occupied” is a sick fiction. Where are the Israeli troops? When done with their raids they depart. That is not occupation. Nor does Israel control Gaza’s border with third countries – Hamas demonstrated that. Since these are precisely the conditions of “occupation” premised in the report, the current reality undermines its criticism of Israel – but not its criticism of the Palestinian Arabs.

Living in Gaza can be difficult, I’m sure. But how much progress can be made towards improving people’s lives if they exist in a dream world?
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

Solomon, Israel is able to cut off electricity, supplies, imports, access to the sea and travel outside of Gaza. As for the last point, both Jordan and Egypt, ALLIES of Israel by the way, cooperate with the siege. Egypt recently relented due to domestic pressure that is why Palestinians were allowed to pour into Egypt.

This is all not mentioning the repeated attacks and incursions by Israelis in Gaza. Gazan airspace is under total control by the Israeli airforce as is the coast. Palestinian fisherman cant even fish because of the Israeli navy.

Who is in the dreamworld bro?
http://solomon2.blogspot.com Solomon2

mfw, I’m the one who read the report that was incorrectly characterized as, “Israeli Occupation Causes Terrorism”. So how can I be the one in the dreamworld?

That said, I’m glad you agree with my presentation of the facts. Under international law, the measures you cite may constitute a siege (they aren’t nearly complete), but they do not mean that Gaza is in any way “occupied” by Israeli forces, any more than Gaza can be characterized as “occupied” by Egyptian forces. (Too many Gazan Arabs who poured through the exploded breaches in the Egyptian wall have long since aroused the ire of the Egyptian government, and are now being penned in as before, it seems.)

Of course, some people do say that Gaza is currently “occupied” by the openly Iranian-trained militia of Hamas. These same people usually blame Israel for this, citing Israel’s role in promoting Hamas decades ago when it was merely a vehicle for providing social services to the populace. The Israelis didn’t appreciate that Hamas was really something like the orphanage out of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Come to think of it, a lot of Muslim institutions seem to work that way…
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

Ok i will ignore your strange take on “a lot of Muslim institutions” as well as your unsubstantiated and hypocritical claim of Hamas being an Iranian-trained militia.

Let’s say that Gaza is not occupied. What is it then? An independent state with an internationally recognized government, embassies world-wide and a right to an army to defend itself? What is it, a principality, satrap, bailiwick, beylicate, province, region, territory, bantustan? Boardwalk, maybe?

Honestly i dont even know why i respond sometimes … i’m only asking for you to return with a more preposterous answer which I will then have to shoot down with my lovable mix of sarcasm and irreverence.

Thus an ugly cycle that gives me carpel tunnel, overloads your neurons and exposes you to ridicule.

This is precisely why we should eliminate public education and tv. The combination of the two makes everyone think they know something when they dont and make them misunderstand their God-given faculties of speech for a right to spout nonsensical opinions.

May your fingertips sprout fuzzy follicles. I shall call them fingerstaches and laugh at you when you try and be serious. How can I take a man seriously with fingerstaches?

If that last paragraph made little sense to you then you know how I felt reading your entire last post. Just remember, don’t lick your fingers after eating, it would be a disgusting sight and further undermine your “it rains when I fart” opinions.
http://www.drmaxtor.blogspot.com DrM

A link to neocon “pajamas media” site, eh solomon? It never fails to amuse me how utterly disingenuous jewish fanatics are when it comes to promoting their racist narrative. Gutter snipes like Phylis Chesler and Michael Ladeen? Nuff said. Somebody is definitely in a “dream world” and it isn’t the Arabs.
Phil

Levelled Beruit you wrote. What a load of rubbish like so much of your pathetic piece. I wonder if you have you even visited the city? Israel does not target innocent civilians. It’s Hamas who uses civilians as human shields and hope some get killed as it helps their cause to create ‘martyrs’. The Palestinian people are become unwilling martyrs. Every missile aimed at Israel hurts the Palestinain cause. When will their evil leadership realise that fact or do they even care?
http://themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

Phil, I want to know what you are on. Seems like good stuff, do you know where I can get me some?
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