Religion, Nationalism, and Terror

“CNN Comes Under Unprecedented Attack - Forward.com, September 6, 2007

The three-episode special, “God’s Warriors,” by CNN’s chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, is being characterized by Jewish groups as equating Jewish extremists in West Bank settlements with Muslim jihadists.

Faced with Sderot and Gaza - Haaretz, September 6, 2007

The distress of Israel’s government, which is responsible for defending its citizens, periodically gives rise - and with greater force than usual this week - to desperate ideas. One such idea, which is being advocated by Minister Haim Ramon and, more guardedly, by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, is hitting Gazas water and electricity networks. Stopping the flow of water and electricity is a painful and punishing step, but ostensibly not a fatal one. Its goal is to cause the Palestinian public to pressure Hamas and Islamic Jihad to stop the fire.

This idea is complete nonsense. Factually speaking, cutting off water and electricity can kill. Moreover, there is no proof that making the Palestinian public suffer would make Hamas take pity on it and embark on a cease-fire. On the contrary: Hamas consistently sabotages the flow of essential goods through Gazas border terminals. What is being presented as a way to avoid war is counterproductive, immoral and illegal.

Checkpoint checking

The army and the authorities will always be able to justify the tight security measures they use to keep the Palestinians at arm’s length, and so too will the Israeli public themselves. However, what they won’t, or can’t see is that it’s the daily humiliation and hardship that breeds the next generation of bombers, and guarantees the hatred is passed down from father to son and beyond.

MEMRI, September 6, 2007

There is a very active debate in Morocco as to the Party of Justice and Development’s ideology, political program, and projects for the future. The fact that the party does not always maintain a consistent line only adds fuel to the debate. As a recent example, up until the last week of August 2007, the conclusion of the official party history on the PJD website read: “This is the course [followed] by a party that has never ceased to pronounce the declaration of faith [i.e. “There is no god but Allah” etc.] over the Moroccan political reality… and it is as determined as can be to bring this reality to the [stage of] implementation of Allah’s law and the benefits this law brings to the land and the people.”

In the last week of August, the website underwent an overhaul. A more succinct overview of the party’s history is now included in a statement titled “The Party’s Vision for the Morocco of Tomorrow,” which does not include any mention of implementation of Islamic law. The new version defines the party as “a nationalist political party that strives, on the basis of Islamic authority and within the framework of the constitutional monarchy based on [the king’s role as] Commander of the Faithful, to take part in building a modern and democratic Morocco…” [5]

Haaretz, September 6, 2007

Its noon on Thursday and Khaled, a lawyer, noticed immediately: The older soldier checking IDs at the Zaatra checkpoing - south of Nablus - is being nice to people. The soldier looked inside the car, saw the three children, smiled and gave them candy.

Khaled’s first impulse was to refuse the sweets. Later he decided to give the soldier a break and not explain that the candy and the politeness do not alter the reality: this checkpoint, at the foothill of the sprawling settlement of Tapuah, is part of the whole complex of fences along roads, obstacles in side roads and dislocation of villages from their land and often isolating Palestinians living in the northern West Bank from the south.

Dans le chaudron des kamikazes, Libération, 6 Septembre, 2007

Un peu moins de quatre ans après la fameuse nuit du 16 mai 2003, au cours de laquelle une dizaine de kamikazes issus du même quartier de Sidi Moumen firent quelque 50 morts à Casablanca, le cauchemar se répète. Cette immense banlieue est devenue synonyme du cocktail explosif formé par la misère et le terrorisme. En fait, avec ses 350 000 habitants (sur les 5 millions que compte Casablanca), Sidi Moumen est une ville dans la ville. Même chez les pauvres, il y a des beaux quartiers et des bidonvilles. Le cybercafé se trouve dans un quartier «en dur». Il faut encore rouler un quart d’heure avant d’atteindre Douar Sekouila, le quartier où habitait Abdelfettah Raydi. Une pièce unique de moins de 10 m2 qu’il partageait avec sa mère et ses six frères et sœurs. Il n’y a ni eau courante ni électricité. Les vaches paissent dans les ordures. Khoudri n’habitait pas loin. Une fois le soleil couché, plus personne, pas même la police, ne s’aventure dans ces venelles sans éclairage. Les gosses sniffent de la colle avant 8 ans. Depuis tout petits, Raydi comme Khoudri gagnaient leur vie en vendant des jus de fruits aux abords des mosquées, seules institutions de ces quartiers à l’abandon.

Le roi règne, le Maroc vote, Libération, September 6, 2007

Le pouvoir a tout fait pour contenir le PJD en procédant à un découpage électoral sur mesure, destiné à surreprésenter les campagnes, plus imperméables au discours islamiste. Le mode de scrutin de liste à la proportionnelle intégrale, ajouté à la multiplication des partis (36 en lice !) plus ou moins représentatifs, favorise aussi un émiettement des résultats et place le roi en position d’arbitre absolu. Malgré les appels répétés du monarque à la transparence, la «démocratie» marocaine reste donc sous contrôle très étroit.

 
Baghdad Burning, September 6, 2007

I wonder at how the windows don’t rattle as the planes pass overhead. I’m trying to rid myself of the expectation that armed people in black will break through the door and into our lives. I’m trying to let my eyes grow accustomed to streets free of road blocks, hummers and pictures of Muqtada and the rest…