tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47956440071502181312024-03-10T22:23:45.415-05:00Peace WorldwidePromote freedom and peace for ALL humanity.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-31898234302798123392024-01-09T17:52:00.001-06:002024-01-09T21:59:00.432-06:00How To Know God Exists<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDyVMGhUuQgt6hr-_kgFDEULGCDYEotsc6aFUYMp_7VJkGc6hcNzaWoKEB89Ag803GN7zBZRvyAEYxt1ifAC5nTup3Y5kd01yGq7UmrolYXtjguhGSUpqoy1lcwdZUUhKdJ0imNK9BY5pEBfJ2yiOPqFYSFJpXgR2RH--DD_gw7KfvuexS3SB2ri7ajMj4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="668" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDyVMGhUuQgt6hr-_kgFDEULGCDYEotsc6aFUYMp_7VJkGc6hcNzaWoKEB89Ag803GN7zBZRvyAEYxt1ifAC5nTup3Y5kd01yGq7UmrolYXtjguhGSUpqoy1lcwdZUUhKdJ0imNK9BY5pEBfJ2yiOPqFYSFJpXgR2RH--DD_gw7KfvuexS3SB2ri7ajMj4" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Spiral galaxy, illustration of Milky Way © Alex Mit /
shutterstock.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>The majority of the world believes in God. Evidence of His
existence surrounds us, from the sense of sight we take for granted to the laws
of our astonishing world. We have a unity with each other and the universe that
can only come from an omnipotent Creator. Introspecting and observing God’s
bountiful creation is all it takes to find Him.</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Christmas is a proper time to introspect, ask forgiveness, forgive
others, and express our gratitude to the Almighty for our abundant blessings.
If we can still walk, talk, hear and see, we should be grateful. It is easy to
underappreciate these God-given abilities.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Recently, when the question of God was raised, a good and canny friend of mine said, “I find the very idea of an omnipotent, omniscient god frightening.” That remark shocked me as if someone denied the light in the middle of the day. The truth is, I am indebted to an all-powerful, all-knowing higher power. I wish to share some of my reasons for having this perspective.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt;">You see, all cultures regardless of language, race or religion have some sort of faith in the supernatural. People throughout the world have independently envisioned a unique, transcendent source. Aristotle christened it the First Cause, Hindus know it as Brahman and Muslims call it Allah. Many Native Americans refer to it as the Great Spirit. Others call it Father, Lord, </span></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Spirit, Source, Universe, Supreme Intelligence, etc.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In April </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">2022, a </span></span><a href="https://www.gallup-international.com/survey-results-and-news/survey-result/more-prone-to-believe-in-god-than-identify-as-religious-more-likely-to-believe-in-heaven-than-in-hell"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">survey</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> found that </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">more than two-thirds of the world’s population believe in God, an afterlife and </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">heaven and hell. Around </span></span><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/25/key-findings-about-americans-belief-in-god/#:~:text=The%20vast%20majority%20of%20Americans,higher%20power%20of%20any%20kind."><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">90%</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> of the US </span></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">population believes. This </span></span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/can-you-see-the-link-between-god-and-justice/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">implies</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> that God </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">exists and that we are accountable for our actions before Him. That is, we each </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">must assume responsibility and act wisely. Knowing this truth, we will thrive </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in a healthier, more peaceful world.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">EMBED: </span></span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/can-you-see-the-link-between-god-and-justice/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/can-you-see-the-link-between-god-and-justice/</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Despite this, there are doubters. These people shy away from God, thinking such a concept contradicts science. On the contrary, the belief in Him strengthens science and directs scientific results for good purposes.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Sir Isaac Newton, who is considered by many the father of classical physics, was a theist. In his book, </span><i>Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica</i>, he </span><a href="https://redlightrobber.com/red/links_pdf/Isaac-Newton-Principia-English-1846.pdf"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">wrote</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.” Michael Faraday, who gave us electromagnetism, </span></span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3213_einstein.html"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">held</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> that “everything was created by God in a unified way—that if you opened up one little part of it you could see how everything was connected.” Max Planck, who initiated the concept of quantum physics, </span></span><a href="https://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1985/JASA12-85Seeger2.html"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space-collapse: preserve;">believed</span></span></a><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> that being humble before a supernatural power “controls our weal and woe.”</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">God binds us together</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The modern </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">man sees himself as uniquely intelligent and separate from everything else. He </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">fanatically strives to subordinate the world to his whim. He arrogantly asserts </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the theory of the Big Bang, insisting that the universe spontaneously sprung </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">into existence 14 billion years ago without causation. He holds to Herbert </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spencer’s social Darwinian theory of the “survival of the fittest” to explain </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">human destiny. It never occurs to him that taking a silent pause, freeing all </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">his senses from preconceptions and allowing himself to sense his inner peace </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">might show him that he is one with the whole universe. Moreover, man’s role in </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">this world is not to dominate the universe but to serve it. But that reality is </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">achievable by knowing his actions imply accountability.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Like the </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">realization of self-existence, the perception of a universal oneness climaxing </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in God represents a profound awareness that requires neither reasoning nor </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">rationalization. Knowing one’s self or God is a feeling lying deep within our </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">existence.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Science </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">tells us that matter is energy, which can be visible or invisible. Energy does </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">not have a finite boundary. One example is a lightbulb emitting light from its </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">interior filaments. Its light is not bound by the surface of the bulb. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">People on Earth can see light emitted by stars millions of lightyears away. All </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">forms of matter, whether derived from humans, plants, animals, planets, stars </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">or the rest of the universe, are forms of energy-emitting radiation. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">personal radiation fields we all possess mingle with one another as well as </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">other matters as if we are just one entity. In other words, we are one with </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">each other, one with everything near or distant, and one with the universe as </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">far as it stretches. And the power that perfectly connects us all as one </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">defines the notion of God.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Creations have creators</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Reason </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">dictates that if I acknowledge the fact that most of the world’s population </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">believes in God, I should give this further thought. Having looked at the world </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">we inhabit and have made a few observations, I cannot escape the thought that </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">it all points to the existence of an almighty Creator.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Let’s say </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">you are walking in a park. Somebody tells you with a probability of 10%, 5% or </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">even 1% that if you take one more step forward, the ground beneath you will </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">give way and send you tumbling into a den of poisonous snakes. You quickly </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">change direction to avoid the suggested peril. It is wise to do so. Similarly, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">many religious people say making ungodly choices results in damnation to hell. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Wouldn’t this make some people want to believe in God?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now let’s </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">say you leave the park and walk through town. You see a building and instantly </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">arrive at a builder. You see a car and find an automaker, then a piece of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">equipment and its manufacturer. The universe is the same way. How could you see </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the vastness of space and not think it has a Creator?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Then you </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">pass through a beautiful mall, sports arena or market. You instantly know that </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">none of it can exist without an architect, planner or intelligent designer. How </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">can you then look at the elegance of the universe that surrounds you and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">dismiss the idea that this is the work of a perfect Designer?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Next, you </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">enter a restaurant and consume a delicious meal. You immediately know that an </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">experienced chef picked the right recipe and closely watched the stove, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">constantly checking on the temperature, fluid and heat. The recipe includes </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">many ingredients like herbs and vegetables, and it was delicately assembled. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Why can’t you conclude that a Master made each of those elements possible?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">above reasoning seems too cumbersome, just look at your human body. It is </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">composed of over 50% water and 99.9% void, constantly changing in space. But </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">all that appears to you is connected as one, functioning without disruption. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Why can you not admit that there is a perfect Operator?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Belief </span></b><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">without seeing</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Imagine you </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">are lost somewhere, alone, and do not know the way back to safety. Or you are </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in a hospital bed and the doctors say there is nothing more they can do for </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">you. Or you are in a plane facing a terrible windstorm, and you feel that death </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is imminent. Throughout all these ordeals, you have no time to think about </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">money, position, family or friends. Instead, something deep within keeps giving </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">you hope. Why can’t you admit that when you are free from the material world, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">you can feel God’s presence shining in your soul and giving you inner peace?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Like </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">soothing comfort, phenomena exist in nature that you cannot see, but know with </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">certainty they exist from their impacts on the environment. You do not see </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">light but you know from its reflection that it exists. Astronomers do not see </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the dark matter in space but they know from its attractions that it is there. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When you look at the universe in motion with such beauty and magnificence, why can’t you admit that it is operated and managed by an omniscient God?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As another </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">hypothetical, let’s say you are visiting your mother across town. You get a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">feeling that you must hurry home. Although your mother insists you stay the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">whole evening, you follow the hunch and leave. That night, your phone rings. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Your mother says there was a fatal car crash on that road after you left, one </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">you unknowingly dodged. Did you fall to your knees to thank your Creator for </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">giving you the inclination to leave early?</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Eyes and </span></b><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">brain reveal the divine</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We can find </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">more evidence of divinity by taking a closer look at the human eye. We have </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">sight because light passes through our cornea, pupil, iris, and lens to the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">retina. Photoreceptors turn that light into electrical signals and send them to </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the optic nerve and then to the brain. For all that to work, we must have tears </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to keep the eye moist. This process involves 4-6 billion neurons organized in a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">sophisticated manner. From the cornea to the brain, if any component does not </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">do its part correctly and in a timely way, we see nothing. For all that to </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">repeatedly, continuously and flawlessly work, it requires a perfect Guardian.</span> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Among the over eight billion people on Earth, no two have identical eyes. As a measure of security, our eyes may used for identification. That implies a perfect Designer and Diversifier.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The eyes </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">also express the state of our health. A good physician can look into a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">patient’s eyes and tell that they are sick. Evidence shows that some illnesses </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in our body with about 30 trillion cells can be seen through the eye. That </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">implies a design done by a Perfector.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The brain </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is another amazing body part God has blessed us with. Not only does it provide </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">us with conscious thoughts, but unconscious ones as well. Dreams are generated </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">while we sleep, which entertain us, warn us of danger, and help us solve </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">problems we have during the day. That implies a super Originator.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The brain </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is made of about 86 billion neurons. Each receives around 10,000 synapses per </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">second. The probability of a synapse to release the right neurotransmitter is </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10-50%. Thus, the probability of any synapse releasing the right </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">neurotransmitters is 50% at best. Doing that correctly each time for even ten </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">seconds, mathematically speaking, is nearly impossible. Thus, there must be a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">higher order to keep the billion neurons and trillion synapses in such a way </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for the brain to work. That power has to be an omnipotent, omniscient Sustainer.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Closing </span></b><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">remarks</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Try this </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">experiment. Just lie down on your back, relax and look at the sky on a clear </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">night. Clear your mind of all mundane thoughts. You will see the sky decorated </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">with shiny stars, all moving in organized paths. While you are doing this, the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Earth beneath you is traveling about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) per second </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">around the sun. The sun is traveling about 230 kilometers (144 miles) per </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">second around the Milky Way Galaxy. The moon that makes Earth livable is </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">constantly revolving, circulating about every 28 days. You are created in such </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">an ingenious way that you do not feel the impacts of all these movements. Yet </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">all follow gravitational, centrifugal and quantum laws. Any reasoning person </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">would conclude that there ought to be an omnipotent Creator and Lawgiver.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In God </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">alone can we have prosperity and universal peace. His presence is so </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">overwhelming that one has to be detached from reality to miss it. Finding Him </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">requires no education, simply deep introspection. As the Persian proverb goes, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“If something is everywhere, it cannot be seen anywhere.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 1pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">BY </span><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #135aba;">MEHDI ALAVI</span></a><o:p></o:p><u1:p></u1:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 8pt;">The article was originally published by</span><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 8pt;"> <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/blog/how-to-know-god-exists/" style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #135aba;">Fair Observer </span></a></span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 8pt;">on December 25, 2023.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-25958476313280201272023-12-07T19:38:00.001-06:002023-12-07T19:44:46.689-06:00Iran’s Future Lies Heavily in the Hands of its Mullahs <p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi12eZdwUUljC0XHy1lWUcfT_O2jreSI0lZciyO4dh98BkhqSDEBIWAXZmiLInqQyZm6MtU7aSgshUGCVC8_65ST0G9_Uc6TA8Hz3TGniHO6LrMoqPMw5q2hlHOjjWr8vu-wzyq_sKTquWyX31jAKe5EEoKUOmzLRXj7v1KCUr2hPNBlyMsLzBKpmSI9iml" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="675" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi12eZdwUUljC0XHy1lWUcfT_O2jreSI0lZciyO4dh98BkhqSDEBIWAXZmiLInqQyZm6MtU7aSgshUGCVC8_65ST0G9_Uc6TA8Hz3TGniHO6LrMoqPMw5q2hlHOjjWr8vu-wzyq_sKTquWyX31jAKe5EEoKUOmzLRXj7v1KCUr2hPNBlyMsLzBKpmSI9iml=w512-h339" width="512" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 8pt;">This
handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency shows Chinese President Xi
Jinping welcoming the Islamic Republic's President Ebrahim Raisi (L) during his
visit in Beijing on February 14, 2023. (Photo by Iranian Presidency / AFP)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">The global power balance is changing, and China has brought Iran
and Saudi Arabia closer to itself. But Iranians may not see the benefits of
this unless something changes. Ministers and oligarchs have created an unequal,
exploitative society under the mullahs’ noses. Iran’s mullahs must improve the
economy and calm further domestic disruption to reap the benefits of foreign
alliances. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Iran has the chance to benefit from new global alliances. China
and Iran have had cultural, economic and political relations for thousands of
years. During the colonial times in the last 200 years, they were isolated, but
now they are restoring their ancient relations. As late as March 2021, they </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-china/iran-and-china-sign-25-year-cooperation-agreement-idUSKBN2BJ0AD"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">signed</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> a 25-year
cooperation agreement.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">On March 10, in Beijing, Iran and Saudi Arabia </span><a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-did-china-help-saudi-arabia-and-iran-resume-diplomatic-ties"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">signed</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> an
agreement restoring their diplomatic relations. This will have ramifications
for the </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2023-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0CC9YZN9R/ref=sr_1_1?crid=324ITFPG7BYGO&keywords=civility+report+2023&qid=1696086880&sprefix=civility+report+2023%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">United
States</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">: That action was not in line with US policy, which sees China as
a competitor and adversary. The Saudi action surprised the US since Saudi
Arabia has been a </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/why-saudi-arabia-and-iran-are-making-out-now/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">client</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> of the US
since 1945. The Saudi move could have only happened in the changing
world. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">The US can get clues from Saudi Arabia’s choice and face reality
by adjusting its foreign policy. The US could stop interferences, coups and
invasions in other countries, particularly Iran. It could give up on “regime
change” in Iran and apologize for the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s
first-ever democratic government. It must stop supporting ethnic cleansing and
genocide against other people, especially the native </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/us-complicit-in-gaza-slaughter-and-now-stands-isolated/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">Palestinians</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">. By taking
those vital steps, the US would improve relations with Iran and decrease
tensions in the world. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Iran’s mullahs, or religious leaders, can also take crucial steps
to restore the economy and pacify the country’s young generation. Presently,
the mullahs do not walk the talk. The father of the 1979 Iranian revolution,
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, purportedly </span><a href="http://www.imam-khomeini.ir/fa/c78_66170/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8/%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA_%D9%81%D9%82%DB%8C%D9%87%D8%9B_%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C_%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B1_%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%AE%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86%DB%8C_%D8%B3_/%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD_%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3_%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">warned</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> the
mullahs: “Clergy, wake up; now, it is not time to talk … think about people's
problems! Discussion by itself is of no use.” Mullahs have a responsibility
within the state of Iran: to listen to the people and adjust their policies
accordingly.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Mullahs live in a fantasy world</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">In my recent visit to Iran, I noticed that the mullahs keep
ignoring the advice from the Islamic Revolution’s father. They continue
competing with one another for high political positions while the country faces
serious economic issues. They claim that the main culprit for poverty is the
US’ brutal economic sanctions against the nation that violate the UN Charter.
Although that is partially true, the real threats to the regime are the mullahs
who have failed to do what they say, listen to the people and address domestic
issues. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">During my visit, Iranians kept saying that they get paid in local
currency, rials, but buy in dollars. At the time, I could not understand their
complaints after seeing perishable foods at low prices. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">However, when I returned to the US and looked further into the
matter, I recognized the reasons why the youth are </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/why-are-young-people-protesting-in-iran/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">protesting</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> in Iran. I
</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-goa9e5B1HY"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">realized</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> that the
government privatized most national industries, including refineries,
petrochemicals and steel. It is still subsidizing them and providing them with
cheap crude oil and other raw materials, expecting the finished products to
include reasonable profit for sale in the country. However, those outfits have
been exporting their products and selling them in dollar values in a country
where the wages are low and labor is very cheap. The companies have no
regulatory oversight. Their shareholders are profiting incredibly while
contributing immensely to the nation's inflation and poverty.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Despite the arduous efforts of the new President Ibrahim Raisi,
the </span><a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/iran/inflation-cpi"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">economy</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> of Iran is
still in shambles with an inflation rate below </span><a href="https://take-profit.org/en/statistics/inflation-rate/iran/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">40%</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">.
Corruption and nepotism are widespread, </span><a href="https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/iran"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">ranking</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> the
country 147 among 180 countries in transparency. </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/why-are-young-people-protesting-in-iran/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">Women</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> are still
widely discriminated against by the government despite great women’s strides in
law, medicine, journalism, engineering and other scientific fields. Ethnic
groups such as the Baluchis and Kurds remain among the least educated. Thus,
indigenous groups like them are easy prey to terrorist groups like </span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/jundallah.html"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">Jundallah</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2022/09/24/2778619/irgc-hits-terrorist-groups-bases-in-northern-iraq"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">Komalah</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, armed and
financed by the US and allies.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">How could Iran’s religious leaders let this issue grow so large?
Due to their lack of knowledge of the modern world, the mullahs have entrusted
running the government chiefly on their staff, ministers and supporting
personnel, mostly educated in the West. The staff have pushed for free
enterprise in a laissez-faire way without regulatory oversight. They have
pressed to privatize the national industries, particularly oil and steel. Once
these industries are </span><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/amongst-irans-super-rich-are-tax-evaders-too-and-the-government-isnt-doing-much-about-it/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">privatized</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, they and
their relatives and friends buy large shares, aiming for low production costs
and maximal profits. They have formed Iran’s oligarchs. Like in Russia, the
oligarchs manipulate the market. Consequently, Iran’s inflation has hit the
roof and poverty is fast expanding!</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">On the surface, Iranians think that the mullahs are ruling the
country. In reality, the oligarchs are running the nation. In the 1950s,
Mohammad Mosaddegh </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iran-news/why-do-you-need-to-know-about-mohammad-mosaddegh/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">fought</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> with
Britain for Iran's oil nationalization. For that effort, he lost his power and
was forced into exile in his house until his death. Sadly, the mullahs have
foolishly given away the national treasures to a selected group who have
emerged as Iran’s oligarchs. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">The </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iran-news/how-do-you-see-iran-dictatorship-or-multiparty/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">oligarchs</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> convert
much of their profits into gold and foreign currencies. Those actions have
further devalued the local currency, causing public panic. With the money made
in Iran, they buy properties in Istanbul, London, Montreal, Los Angeles and
other popular foreign cities. In those foreign cities, their children whose
mere existence and liberal lifestyle are indebted to the mullahs, are often
among the instigators against the mullahs. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">The oligarchs own private banks that invest and operate commercial
facilities across the country, unavailable for sale or rent, counting on higher
profits in the future. This is when millions of families are looking for
residence. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Under the mullahs, it never occurred to the oligarchs that the
investments were not earned by them or their parents but entrusted to them by
the nation. Thus, they should make their products affordable to buy by
Iranians. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Seven simple steps for mullahs to save Iran</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">The </span><a href="https://iranwire.com/en/economy/108674-a-dark-year-for-irans-economy-two-predictions-for-2023/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">forecast</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> for Iran's
future is gloomy. Execution and imprisonment are not the answers to domestic
issues. For Iran to survive in its present form, drastic actions must be taken.
As Mosaddeq brought the oil back to Iran from the British, the mullahs must
bring back the economy to Iranians from the oligarchs. To start, they could
take these seven steps. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">First, stop vying for power. Clean up corruption and nepotism.
Choose qualified personnel who are clean from bribery, embezzlement, peddling,
or any other activity financially benefiting them or people close to them.
Learn how Singapore </span><a href="https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3201542/how-singapore-got-rid-corruption-and-cleaned-its-act-illustrated-step-step-graftbusters-trail"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">brought</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> corruption
under control.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Second, implement effective management, accountability and
transparency programs. Train managers on how to use the resources effectively
to meet the targets before deadlines. Learn how Switzerland </span><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/switzerland"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">managed</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> affairs.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Third, address inflation by tightening government spending,
overseeing banks and controlling trade. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mREaR9vkJ3g"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">Limit</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> ownership
of foreign currency and precious metals like gold. Require the use of only
national currency in domestic dealings. Ensure banks are involved in only
banking (accepting deposits from the people with a guarantee that the funds
will be there when needed and making loans available to them, based on certain
reasonable conditions). Learn from Russia on how to manage the inflation rate.
Despite facing tough sanctions, Russia managed an inflation rate of </span><a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/inflation-cpi"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">11.9%</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, and even
Afghanistan under the Taliban controlled an inflation rate of </span><a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/afghanistan/inflation-cpi#:~:text=Inflation%20Rate%20in%20Afghanistan%20averaged,percent%20in%20May%20of%202009."><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">5.2%</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> in
December 2022. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Fourth, temporarily take over imports and exports for all
essential goods and services. When the products are sold to distributors,
define the profit margin clearly. Increase trade with neighboring countries.
Implement regulatory oversight on at least all oil and steel industry
production. Give </span><a href="https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MzM0NTEzMzcy"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">attention</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> to China’s
trade regulations.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Fifth, attend to women’s issues and include more in
decision-making processes. Remove all barriers that prevent women from rising
to power. On </span><a href="https://sweden.se/life/equality/gender-equality"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">equality</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, learn
from Sweden.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Sixth, help the ethnic groups such as Baluchis and Kurds and
address their economic and other issues. Promote ethnic diversity in all
workplaces with an objective of ethnic equality. Sweden provides a good </span><a href="https://sweden.se/life/equality/swedens-national-minorities"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">example</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Seventh, get away from depending on oil revenues for the budget.
Promote investments and increase domestic production for exports. Look into the
world’s top </span><a href="https://humboldt.global/top-agricultural-exporters/"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt;">agricultural</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"> exporters.</span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Despite the benefits of these necessary steps, they are merely
bandages on wounds. Above all, culture must be changed. Until the 1979 fall of
the monarchy, the Shah made law at his will. He was accountable to no one.
People adopted sycophancy to get royal attention. Powerful families practiced
nepotism to strengthen their hold on power and demanded bribes to keep their
living status. People lied to safeguard their lives and honors. Although
Iranians finally got a constitution about 100 years ago, the monarch gave that
little attention. Naturally, people followed the king, giving little attention
to law and order. The long-term solution is to change the thoughts and false
beliefs. From an early age in school, pupils must be taught to practice honesty
and respect law and order. Overcoming poor habits takes a generation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">BY </span><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" style="color: #135aba; outline: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">MEHDI ALAVI</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt;">The article was originally published by</span><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt;"> <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iran-news/irans-future-lies-heavily-in-the-hands-of-its-mullahs/">Fair
Observer </a></span></i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt;">on December 1, 2023.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-49865742667310151722023-10-04T21:29:00.000-05:002023-10-04T21:29:20.543-05:00Can You See the Link Between God and Justice?<p style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6U7phAZLdWWAaeTztyPsedKNLyB9ly98tcOZYJ6h8nWUOYm3Rpv5uvIVfXkEXqhm05EsE8F4LHEE2f96o1Zs7HCauAoqjRM7UJp3wyHpvIEzhmi_N__d2GNNqx39YbC2vYjr8ix_Bndv_y51lugfw8rF62LUqN3EYLMlkp4ShLA8BsJBUeC9GtGC2vZD0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="637" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6U7phAZLdWWAaeTztyPsedKNLyB9ly98tcOZYJ6h8nWUOYm3Rpv5uvIVfXkEXqhm05EsE8F4LHEE2f96o1Zs7HCauAoqjRM7UJp3wyHpvIEzhmi_N__d2GNNqx39YbC2vYjr8ix_Bndv_y51lugfw8rF62LUqN3EYLMlkp4ShLA8BsJBUeC9GtGC2vZD0=w447-h292" width="447" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #9b9b9b; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Symbol of law and justice, law and justice
concept. © corgarashu / shutterstock.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 1pt;">The majority of
the world’s population believes in God and that there will be justice for the
unrighteous. But when it comes to politics, we let famous murderers go
unpunished and even praise them. It is time to ask ourselves how we are
treating one another while going about our affairs in this transient life.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">There is not a
culture in the world that does not have some sort of belief in the
supernatural. In many cultures, seemingly independently, people have conceived
of physical reality as coming from some transcendent source that is unique, purposeful
and good. Plato called this source the Form of the Good. Hindus call it
Brahman. The Prophet Muhammad, in his Arabic language, preached of Allah.
For simplicity, I will call this source </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/God-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B088196FNZ?ref_=ast_author_dp"><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">God</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Many people who lack faith in God presume that
he is just some sort of meme — an idea that got popular at some time, being
repeated by enough people. They think that the idea of God will eventually fade
away. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">On April 8, 1966, <i>Time </i>ran the cover story, “Is God Dead?”
The article projected that people will have less and less God in their daily
lives. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Time</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">’s
projection has been proven wrong. Some evidence suggests that belief in the
divine and religion are as natural as language or culture. Belief in God has
coexisted with modern science for hundreds of years now, and so far, there is
no sign that God has faded away from our lives. In an April 2022 survey, </span><a href="https://www.gallup-international.com/survey-results-and-news/survey-result/more-prone-to-believe-in-god-than-identify-as-religious-more-likely-to-believe-in-heaven-than-in-hell"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Gallup
International</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.gallup-international.com/survey-results-and-news/survey-result/more-prone-to-believe-in-god-than-identify-as-religious-more-likely-to-believe-in-heaven-than-in-hell"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">discovered</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> that more
than two-thirds of the world’s population believes in God, a “life after death”
and “heaven and hell.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Most people do not just believe
that there is a God, but that there is life after death, and that there are
rewards and punishments there. We do not only believe that God exists, but that
he is a just God. We believe that human beings are free agents responsible for
their actions. If this is so, God must reward us for our good deeds and punish
us for our bad ones. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We feel in our bones that the good
will not be unrewarded or the bad unpunished. But in this life, we hardly see
it. In most places, a poor person stealing a loaf of bread is punished.
Meanwhile, powerful people kill and get away with it. And they steal the bread
of the poor. In the 2008 financial crisis, we all saw many executives who
manipulated the market for personal gains causing much poverty and destruction
worldwide. However, they walked away with large bonuses instead of being tried
and going to prison. Murderers get away without a penalty. Sometimes, they are
celebrities, like O. J. Simpson. Sometimes, they are heads of state.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The criminals of the world think
that they can get away with their deeds because they are not punished by the
laws of men. But most of humanity agrees that there will be a higher and more
certain justice.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Let's think of global values,
justice and peace</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Right and wrong are not just social
conventions, differing from place to place. Sure, different cultures may agree
or disagree on the details of morality. But if you look at human beings as a
whole, you will find that the content of morality is strikingly the same.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Universally, human beings admire
consideration, compassion, love, empathy, forgiveness, charity, sharing,
justice, looking after parents, helping the weak and so on. They condemn
murder, harm, contempt, hatred, apathy, theft, revenge, selfishness, rape,
lying, hoarding, ignoring parents, abusing the weak, etc.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Though we might sometimes like to
deny it, human beings know the difference between right and wrong. We must be
conscious of our thoughts and deeds. We must think and reason before embarking
on any action by assessing its impact on other people. As the maxim goes, treat
others as you want to be treated. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Do we take this seriously? Do we really live as if we believed
that good were good and evil were evil? Or do we allow ourselves to
compartmentalize, to forget evil when it does not concern us personally? Do we
fall into the habit of condemning in others what we excuse for ourselves?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If a police officer pursuing a
criminal kills an innocent person in San Francisco, we rightfully stand on the
side of the innocent victim and demand justice. However, if a drone pursuing a
perceived enemy, kills thousands of innocent people in Kandahar, Afghanistan,
do we make as much noise? If the atrocities are even reported by the biased
media, we condone them as collateral damage. Where is the objectivity? In the
eyes of a just God, is there any difference between killing an innocent person
whether he lives in San Francisco or Kandahar?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We know this. We want to believe
that this is how a just God would judge, but we do not wish to judge justly
ourselves.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If we believe in justice, why do we
let the wicked go free?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Recently, a gathering in New York
City </span><a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/the-elite-dont-want-to-talk-about-henry-kissingers-party.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">honoring</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Henry
Kissinger, former US national security advisor and secretary of state, came to
my attention. Numerous people came to celebrate the man’s 100th birthday, and
mainstream media covered the event. I was shocked. How low have we gotten,
honoring one of the world’s worst criminals?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As they say, the good die young.
Kissinger has enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight for a century. According to
most people, this world is all he has to enjoy. Once dead, he, like his boss
Richard Nixon, will have to answer for the killings of millions of innocent
people in </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXZy-TrKlw"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cambodia</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.history.com/news/henry-kissinger-vietnam-war-legacy"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Laos and
Vietnam</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">; supporting juntas in overthrowing </span><a href="https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/southern-cone/2021-03-23/argentinas-military-coup-what-us-knew"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Argentinian</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1193755188/chile-coup-50-years-pinochet-kissinger-human-rights-allende"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chilean</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
democracies; empowering Pakistan and Indonesia in the genocides in </span><a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/opinion-news/kissinger-at-100-and-genocide-in-bangladesh-war-141981.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bangladesh</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB62/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">East Timor</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, and
countless other atrocities across the world. God will demand an account from
both of them for the killing, maiming and injuring of every innocent child, man
and woman. Those who shared in their crimes by enabling, collaborating in or
executing their designs, or by honoring them after the fact, will share in
their punishment as well. After visiting Cambodia, Anthony Bourdain </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1175241-once-you-ve-been-to-cambodia-you-ll-never-stop-wanting-to"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">said</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, “Once
you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to
death with your bare hands ... and you will never understand why he’s not
sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Perhaps there is still time for him
to repent. I hope that he does — before the world. Repenting must mean
acknowledging one’s misdeeds and trying to right them, to the extent that it is
within one’s power.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Justice in the afterlife applies to
all. We will all account for our deeds. None of us will get away with it if we
have inflicted harm on innocent people whether in our own family, community,
country or war.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Most of us believe that God will
not forget the suffering of the innocent, but we behave as if he did. We treat
murderers like respectable people, or even heroes, as if one’s inequities were
forgotten when human beings forget about them. But if justice is real, God is
not so fickle. Neither should we be.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We cannot allow ourselves to
continue to be so deeply unserious. We have created a dangerous world by
ignoring justice and God in our national affairs. Led by the US, all of the
permanent members of the UN Security Council indulge in profits from armament.
The huge US armory and arms production have turned the world into an arms race.
We not only accept that nations own these instruments of death, but see them as
a source of prestige.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The proliferation of these weapons
is responsible for much of wars and destruction in our world. If only our
political leaders paused and contemplated how to justify their actions in the
afterlife, we would have had much less armament and a far better world. We
would not provoke conflict with sanctions against nations like Cuba and Iran or
turn a blind eye to conflicts in Libya and Syria and wars in Somalia and
Ukraine. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Let’s honor the will of people</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The majority of the world’s
population believes that there is a higher justice. If we truly believe in
democracy, the world’s order must change to reflect that reality. The UN must
change, dismantle if necessary, to hold countries (powerful or not) responsible
for waging unjustifiable wars and bring the responsible persons to justice.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">No longer must we pretend that
inequities will be forgotten with the mere passage of time. We all remember the
US waged war on </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/mehdi-alavi-us-foreign-policy-middle-east-iran-sanctions-iraq-war-yemen-famine-83489/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Iraq</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> without
any provocation and under a false pretext. None of the guilty parties ever
faced justice. George W. Bush and his conspirators are freely moving across the
country. Some like Donald H. Rumsfeld have already died without facing justice.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Never again should the scenario in
Iraq be repeated anywhere in the world, where a powerful country wages an
unjustified war on a weaker one. Human rights must be redefined to count for
the innocent victims of wars. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">God is not dead. Dead, rather, is
the pretense of <span style="background: white;">wealth and power to impunity. </span>Reportedly,
two Saudi officers were recently </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/two-saudi-soldiers-executed-as-dissent-in-the-military-smolders/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">executed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> for
disobeying a command to bomb civilian targets in Yemen. These were men who
believed in a higher justice, who preferred the judgment of God over the judgment
of men. We should take a lesson from their brave example. <span style="background: white;">We will all be held accountable for our deeds; we must
hold each other accountable, too. If can be aware of this truth — a truth most
of us already believe in — we will enjoy a far more prosperous and peaceful
world.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0pt;"><span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BY </span><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" style="outline: none;"><span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #135aba; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MEHDI ALAVI</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0pt;"><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">The article was
originally published by<i> <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/can-you-see-the-link-between-god-and-justice/">Fair
Observer</a> </i>on October 1, 2023.</span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-43741976071474008122023-09-01T19:56:00.001-05:002023-09-01T19:58:03.631-05:00A First-Hand Look at Arba’een, the World’s Largest Annual Pilgrimage<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUthW5ljvUE3IqQFENbqcVGDf5_024sLHPyREFSnX6uoxVbsATyyPX-m0X9CjwN_-_MLH-_3XMWalu1WcOUBRgGwcxTut3TaYDYG2aR5nW6eZi58H6d4vSr2te6xpI5fK42EwIJUOYGloTW-_WxaxNnxjdGPJGKocF6Btat8onSfvzX54KfVZ3jUjHdASH/s939/Arbaeen%20Najaf-Karbal%202018C.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="939" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUthW5ljvUE3IqQFENbqcVGDf5_024sLHPyREFSnX6uoxVbsATyyPX-m0X9CjwN_-_MLH-_3XMWalu1WcOUBRgGwcxTut3TaYDYG2aR5nW6eZi58H6d4vSr2te6xpI5fK42EwIJUOYGloTW-_WxaxNnxjdGPJGKocF6Btat8onSfvzX54KfVZ3jUjHdASH/w579-h437/Arbaeen%20Najaf-Karbal%202018C.jpg" width="579" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #9b9b9b; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 8pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Arba’een 2018, showing the path of pilgrims
coming from Najaf to Karbala. Photo taken by the author’s family during their pilgrimage</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iraqs-massive-peaceful-annual-arbaeen-pilgrimage-is-beginning-now/" style="text-align: justify;">Arba’een</a><span style="text-align: justify;">
draws millions of people together in a gathering where pilgrims’ needs are
provided for out of generosity and without payment. I needed to see this with
my own eyes and traveled to Iraq to take part. What I saw impressed me forever
with the understanding that peace and compassion are possible here on Earth.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Arba’een, the
immense annual gathering in Karbala, Iraq, got my attention after I read Sayed
M. Modarresi’s Huffington Post <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sayed-mahdi-almodarresi/arbaeen-pilgrimage_b_6203756.html">article</a>,
“World’s Biggest Pilgrimage Now Underway, and Why You’ve Never Heard of It!”
After researching it, I knew Arba’een was something that I must experience
firsthand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As the
founder and president of <a href="https://www.peaceworldwide.org/">Peace
Worldwide Organization</a>, I could not get the idea off my mind. In the US, we
cannot have a concert with a few thousand attendees without some trouble. How
in the world was it possible for millions of people to get together so lovingly
and peacefully?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Finally, I
took the journey. My experience with Arba’een opened my eyes to many
possibilities to achieve global peace. I had never encountered such
hospitality, love and generosity in my life. Although it was held in Iraq under
the threat of terrorism, I spotted pilgrims from across the world eagerly
participating. I was touched by the display of faith in humanity, the likes of
which I had never seen anywhere else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b>A multicultural gathering<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Although it
was originally initiated by Shi’a Muslims as a spiritual reawakening, I
witnessed that Arba’een brought people together from all walks of life. It was
a true representation of all people in the world. The participants included not
just Shi’as but Sunnis, Ibadis, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Yazidis and
Zoroastrians. There, we were all united in purpose and welcomed with the utmost
respect, regardless of religion, culture, ethnicity, gender or race. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Four years
earlier, I had participated in the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage. In Karbala,
I noticed the much greater crowds; Arba’een attracts <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/biggest-annual-pilgrimage-arbaeen-iraq">five
or more times</a> more people than the Hajj. In contrast to the Hajj, which is
riddled with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/24/timeline-of-tragedies-in-mecca-during-hajj">accidents
and troubles</a>, my experience with the Arba’een event was peaceful. While the
Hajj consists exclusively of Muslims, Arba’een breaks across identity barriers.
Arba’een is truly unique.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As I had
read, it was embellished with the longest continuous free dining table with a
variety of foods and personal sleep accommodations. Iraqis were stationed
throughout the path of pilgrims to wash feet and massage feet, backs, shoulders
and necks. Clinics and doctors were available to treat pilgrims. All amenities,
down to baby diapers, were furnished free. All services, including the tight
security, were provided by volunteers. None of these were paid for by any
government or corporation. They were all offered by Iraqis and others who had
been saving for a year to serve pilgrims with pure love and compassion. They
expected no pay; rather, they felt honored when we accepted their offerings or
lodging.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">On my
journey, I was told that among the servers were the Iraqi Prime Minister Adil
Abdul-Mahdi and the Chinese Ambassador along with his wife. I wondered why US
officials were absent, especially when the US was generally unpopular in the
region and had the largest embassy and military presence in the country. It
would have been a great PR opportunity. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Arba’een
rarely makes headlines, but when it does, it gives hope to humanity that
universal peace is realizable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Arba’een
memorializes the end of the 40-day mourning period for the brutal 7th-century
killing of al-Husayn (Husayn), the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and third Shia
Imam. His murder at the hands of the wicked Umayyad Caliph Yazid made him a
martyr standing up against injustice. The event left an indelible mark on
Islamic history. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As Modarresi
says, Husayn’s “legend encourages, inspires, and champions change for the
better, and no amount of media blackout can extinguish its light.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b>For me, Arba’een was a
life-changing experience<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Starting in
2014, ISIS freely roamed much of Iraq and committed atrocities that shocked the
world. Armed with weapons and vehicles of Western manufacture, ISIS tortured
suspects, raped women and girls, robbed, enslaved, used child soldiers and
carried out genocide.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">I read
Modarresi’s <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sayed-mahdi-almodarresi/arbaeen-pilgrimage_b_6203756.html">article</a>
in 2015 and learned that millions of people from all over the world ignored
ISIS to attend Arba’een. ISIS, which takes an extreme anti-Shi’a stance,
attempted to menace pilgrims into skipping Arba’een. The threat encouraged even
more participation in defiance, a courageous audacity rarely seen anywhere
around the world. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">To the
pilgrims, Husayn typifies the man who is spiritually connected to Allah, the
Source of all things, which enables him to stand firmly against despotism and
never submit to oppression or persecution. Husayn did so even though it cost
him his own life and those of his brothers, sons and other loved ones.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">To me,
Arba’een appeared to be a truer representation of cross-cultural participation
and cohesiveness than even the United Nations. Like other political entities,
the UN is riddled with favoritism and corruption. Unlike in the UN, all people
are treated with equal respect in Arba’een.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">For days,
nights, weeks and months, I was preoccupied. Something deep inside me urged me
to participate. I wanted to be a part of it. I needed to see it for myself and
experience the event known to millions. I felt a strong zeal to take the
journey, despite the imminent threat of ISIS against the pilgrims. I became
excited and eager knowing there was a purpose.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">With ISIS
controlling much of Iraq, my family was adamantly against me traveling in the
Middle East, especially within Iraq. I was compelled to delay my journey.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Thanks to <a href="https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/485845/Qassem-Soleimani-Eternal-hero">Qassem
Soleimani</a>, Iran’s late top general, things have since changed for the
better in the region. In mid-2018, Iraq gathered strength with assistance from
Iran and Russia to push ISIS out of Iraq. On the ground with Russian air
support, Iraqi special forces led by Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu
Mahdi al-Muhandis soundly <a href="https://iranpress.com/content/66411/pilgrims-owe-safe-2022-arbaeen-march-martyr-soleimani-bravery">defeated</a>
ISIS. That brave action gave me an opportunity to convince my family to let me
participate in Arba’een. I assured them that I would be careful traveling
there. Knowing how badly I wanted to go there, they reluctantly agreed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In 2018,
Arba’een was at the end of October. I was astonished. The journey exceeded all
my expectations; every moment was breathtaking. I stayed in Iraq for 12 days,
and it cost me not even a dime for food. My lodging would also have been
totally free, but I chose to stay a few nights in nice hotels to reflect. The
hotels were around $20 a night. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Step by step,
side by side, I marched all 50 miles of the way on foot over three days,
alongside millions of other pilgrims. The journey began at the mausoleum of Ali
in the holy city of Najaf and terminated at Husayn’s mausoleum in the holy city
of Karbala.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As I looked
over my shoulder, I saw children in the arms of their mothers and young men
assisting the women and elderly in their quest to make the journey. I saw folks
with canes and crutches taking each intentional step forward. I found the
weakened, aged or disabled rolling in wheelchairs as persistent and committed
as those of us on foot beside them. There were no divides or differences.
There, we were all one. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">There was
only hope in their eyes and love in their heart as the people moved beside me.
Often, I would find myself interrupted in thought, taking in each individual,
making individual picture frame memories of their faces, with the various Iraqi
citizens lining the trail motioning to give us water and food or guiding us
along the path. I could feel the energy pulsating throughout my body, my mind,
my soul—the frequency around me was vibrating, unconditional, pure,
wholehearted love. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">It was with
this powerful frequency that I then took each individual step. All of this
beautiful, loving energy made what could otherwise be characterized as a
marathon feel like a walk in the park. I had very little on me except for a
backpack of clothes, yet I felt fully abundant.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">I had never
seen generosity to that extent in my whole life. Various kinds of food and
comfortable lodging were freely available along the path everywhere. I was
astonished to see that even the poorest Iraqis traveled on foot for days to get
there, simply to offer the pilgrims dates here and there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b>Heaven on Earth<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">I thought to
myself: If Iraqis could continue that spirit for the rest of the year by
treating one another with the same compassion and love, Iraq would once again
be the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8), a place of happiness and peace. Imagine
what the world could be if we existed in this nature daily as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The
instantaneous coming together of millions of people from across the world in
Arba’een must be of Heavenly inspiration. It is equally magical how Iraqis work
together providing the pilgrims safety and security along with free food,
lodging and other services. As Oregon’s Southminster Presbyterian Church Pastor
John Shuck <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGv2oOjRwpk">described</a>
it, “… it is a divine interplay of an unchoreographed dance of love.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In my
journey, I learned that millions of the pilgrims began their journey on foot
from Iran, Kuwait, Syria and Lebanon, along with cities in Iraq and the Gulf
Arab States, towards Karbala. For days, young and old traveled miles through mountainous
and rocky trails in the burning sun of the day and the freezing cold of the
night to reach the holy city. Regardless of where they came from, they all
simply wanted to connect to Allah and live in harmony and peace. To accomplish
these noble goals, they knew that a level of unrelenting self-will,
accountability, good nature, kindness and endurance was required to win over
oppression and persecution. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Husayn gave
us many examples of courage in his stand against tyranny and injustice. Many of
his quotes can be heard across the world, even if few are aware of the source
of them. Over 1300 years ago, before he was viciously murdered, he <a href="https://www.al-islam.org/shia-islam-belief-system-leadership-and-history/65-3rd-imam-fifth-masoom-imam-al-husayn">said</a>,
“Death with dignity is better than a life in humiliation.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">More than
ever, I am now convinced that we can all learn a lot from religion in pursuit
of harmony and peace. Religion is not inherently good or bad. It can be used as
a positive force or abused for personal gain. The event of Arba’een symbolizes
a religious occasion that annually brings the largest number of people from
across the world together in the hope of promoting compassion, love, harmony and
peace.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">My journey
was exceptional. My life’s dream of unity and peace was realized in my travels.
I watched people who were amazingly liberated from fear, judgment and the
desire for control and power. I saw them all sharing their basic needs with
strangers. I learned that the vision of the coming together of people from all
walks of life united for the pursuit of compassion, love and peace ALREADY
exists. Now, I can imagine an entire world through this vision, where I paint a
picture in my mind as I lead the Peace Worldwide Organization and write about
history, philosophy, politics, religion and spirituality.</p><p class="MsoNormal">BY <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">MEHDI ALAVI</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">This article was originally published
in </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/a-first-hand-look-at-arbaeen-the-worlds-largest-annual-pilgrimage/"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #135aba; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fair Observer </span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">on August 28,
2023.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-49563406408885966342023-09-01T19:43:00.002-05:002023-09-01T19:46:10.231-05:00Iraq’s Massive, Peaceful Annual Arba’een Pilgrimage Is Beginning Now<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDObUqmBDJdO3f4mQWdlJsCoT_IsPVBJPxadLcuxAPrg2eShjJnuG-e1gNbz9MZCndopEnFVd1JYvNumqa1VTVTInDOeckfzBcnJ9Iwct_qmT6yNTUzM2-LjOOrcdGcwzxzrrhAaSdXgKB52YvQ0N-ka4vpPBpR_e5ZM4aYNGi-dXiRX9dilknxrthepB6/s1025/Arbaeen-Karbala2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1025" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDObUqmBDJdO3f4mQWdlJsCoT_IsPVBJPxadLcuxAPrg2eShjJnuG-e1gNbz9MZCndopEnFVd1JYvNumqa1VTVTInDOeckfzBcnJ9Iwct_qmT6yNTUzM2-LjOOrcdGcwzxzrrhAaSdXgKB52YvQ0N-ka4vpPBpR_e5ZM4aYNGi-dXiRX9dilknxrthepB6/w577-h384/Arbaeen-Karbala2018.jpg" width="577" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoCaption"><span style="background: white; color: #9b9b9b; font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 9.0pt;">karbala, iraq – september 27, 2021: photo of
imam abbas shrine in karbala city in Arbaʽeen ilgrimage cermony ©
Mohammed_Al_Ali / shutterstock.com</span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Preparations
for the world’s largest annual pilgrimage are underway. Millions will gather in
Karbala, Iraq, for Arba’een, a gathering that marks the end of a 40-day Shi’a
period of mourning. Every year, Shi’as, joined by others, commemorate Husayn,
the heroic grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who was slain in Karbala.</span></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Arba’een
should be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in several categories:
biggest annual gathering, longest continuous dining table, the largest number
of people fed for free, and the largest group of volunteers serving a single
event, all under the imminent threat of suicide bombings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">— <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sayed-mahdi-almodarresi/arbaeen-pilgrimage_b_6203756.html">Sayed
M. Modarresi</a>, “World’s Biggest Pilgrimage Now Underway, and Why You’ve
Never Heard of It!”<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">We haven’t
heard of Arba’een because the media is primarily interested in negative news,
embellished tabloids and controversial matters. Positive news and inspiring
stories are often ignored, especially when they relate to Islam. When a few
hundred protest in Russia, China or Iran, it makes headlines. When millions
gather for the world’s greatest peaceful annual event, with the longest
continuous free dining table and sleep accommodations, none of it paid for by
any government or corporation, all in defiance of imminent terror, it routinely
fails to make a single headline. When it somehow does, it gives hope to
humanity that universal peace is achievable!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Last year,
despite the threat of the COVID pandemic still persisting and terrorist
bombings among crowds, around <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/09/21-million-shiites-mark-arbaeen-iraqs-karbala">21
million</a> people from across the world gathered in Iraq and participated in the
event.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Pilgrims are
not inhibited by terrorists from participating in Arba’een. In contrast, it
draws out more pilgrims in masses in defiance, displaying a faith in humanity
never seen before anywhere around the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Arba’een
breaks across ethnic, racial, religious, and national barriers. Although it
began as a Shi’a Muslim pilgrimage, its participants include Sunnis, Ibadis,
Christians, Jews, Hindus, Yazidis and Zoroastrians.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Nevertheless,
Arba’een has its roots in tragedy. The festival marks the end of the 40-day
mourning period for the 7th-century barbarous killing of Husayn ibn Ali, the
Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and the third Shi’a Imam. That happened in Karbala,
Iraq, around 1350 years ago by the order of the tyrannical Umayyad Caliph Yazid.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">This year,
Arba’een falls on Safar 20th in the Islamic lunar calendar, corresponding to
September 6th. Millions of people from around the globe will gather in Iraq’s
holiest city of Karbala to commemorate it, one of the most revered Islamic
religious occasions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b>Who was Husayn ibn Ali?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The death of
Husayn is considered a formative tragedy in Islamic history. In <i>The History
of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire</i>, Edward Gibbon said, “In a
distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hosein will awaken
the sympathy of the coldest reader.” His heroic life and death inspired
countless generations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">To know
Husayn, we begin with when Muslims wanted to reward the Prophet Muhammad for
his services. Allah commanded him, “Say: I do not ask you for any reward for my
services except to love my blood family.” (Quran 42:23). The blood family of
the Prophet was above all Fatima, his only living child, her husband Ali and
their sons, Husayn and Hasan. <a href="https://sunnah.com/adab:364">Tradition</a>
holds that the Prophet said of the lad, “Husayn is from me and I am from
Husayn.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Husayn’s life
was tragic from the very start. In 632, when he was 6 years old, his beloved
grandfather, the Prophet, died.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Before his
demise, the Prophet gathered the Muslims and gave them his farewell speech. On
the return from his last pilgrimage to Mecca, he commanded all the over a
hundred thousand pilgrims to meet him there. He said that it was his last
pilgrimage and that he would leave them soon. People cried uncontrollably. In
his long speech, he reminded people about their religious duties and Allah’s
commands for them to love his blood family.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Then, he
introduced Ali, his son-in-law and Husayn’s father, as his heir and the leader
of all Muslims. At the end of the speech, the people rushed and gave their allegiance
to Ali. This paved the way for Husayn himself to eventually inherit his
father’s claim to leadership.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">If the demise
of his grandfather was not painful enough for Husayn, another tragedy was in
waiting. Ignoring Ali’s claim, some men moved to the leadership for another
claimant. The ringleaders rushed to Ali’s house to secure his allegiance since
Ali’s influence was immense. According to Shi’a tradition, Fatima, Husayn’s
mother, intervened to save her husband. The men attacked her. She was badly
injured and miscarried her baby, whom the Prophet had named Muhsin.
Consequently, she died within six months of her father’s death. At 6, Husayn
had now lost both grandfather and mother within a short time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Among
Muslims, Fatima has been considered something like a First Lady of Islam. The
outrage provoked by Fatima’s brutal death saved the rest of the Prophet’s family
and their small group of supporters, Shi’as, from being killed by the
authorities. However, they were mostly kept under house arrest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">After the
death of the third Caliph, Uthman, the people rushed to Ali’s house begging him
to take the power. Ali consistently refused. After three days of riots, Ali
finally consented under certain conditions, ruling only by the Quran and the
Prophet’s traditions. They all agreed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Soon, the
rich and powerful people realized that Ali was not giving them any favors as the
previous Caliphs had done. They deserted him, rallying around the Umayyad
governor of Syria, Mu’awiya. Ali’s rule lasted less than five years. In 661,
while prostrating at the mosque of Kufa, a city in Iraq, Ali was fatally struck
in the head by an assassin’s poisoned sword. He died three days later from the
wound. Hasan, Ali’s oldest son, succeeded him, but Hasan’s rule lasted only a
few months before he was forced to abdicate in favor of the Mu’awiya, the first
Umayyad caliph. The group left Kufa and resettled in Medina.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In 670, Hasan
was poisoned and died. At 44, Husayn had lost his mother, father and brother.
Now, he was the only living son of Ali and Fatima. Husayn became the patriarch
of the Prophet’s family and leader of the Shi’as. Mu’awiya did not find Husayn
an existential threat to their power and chose to ignore him rather than force
allegiance on him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b>A heroic death in resistance
to tyrants<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In 680, all
that changed when Mu’awiya’s son, Yazid, ascended to power. He wanted
allegiance from everyone in the empire. Disobedience meant death. <a href="https://www.al-islam.org/articles/karbala-chain-events">Husayn</a> was no
exception.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">When Yazid’s
ultimatum was formally presented to Husayn, he skillfully asked for a night
time to think over it. After tough negotiation, he got the time. That night,
when everyone was in deep sleep, he took his family and headed for the safe
haven of Mecca. Muslims were strictly forbidden to fight in the holy city. Many
of the Shi’as followed him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In Mecca,
Husayn received many letters from the people of Kufa imploring him to come there.
He pondered over them. As the annual pilgrimage to Mecca neared, he realized
that the holy city was not safe, either. Yazid had sent spies among pilgrims to
kill him. Husayn hurriedly gathered his family and the Shi’as, and they
secretly headed for Kufa. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Yazid soon
learned of Husayn’s move towards Kufa. He sent one of his commanders, Hur, to
block Husayn’s path. Husayn and his company were forced to reroute to Karbala,
on the Euphrates River. There, Husayn and his male companions numbered about
one hundred. Within a few days, they were surrounded by over 30,000 armed
soldiers, all with orders to kill Husayn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Husayn spoke
before the enemy soldiers reminding them of what the Quran and the Prophet have
said about him and his family. All fell on deaf ears, except for the ears of
Hur, who had a change of heart.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Husayn
managed to negotiate for one last night to be with his family and companions.
That night was critical. Husayn wanted to ensure those who would remain with
him truly believed in his mission. In a tent in the middle of the desert that
night, Husayn had all the males gathered. He frankly told them all that the
enemy wanted to kill him. They did not need to have themselves killed for his
sake and should feel free to leave him. He even asked whoever owed someone a
debt to leave. Then, he turned off the candles so that people would not feel
embarrassed to leave. Some people left, but those who stayed uttered words that
history would never forget. Zuhair ibn Qayn, Husayn’s devoted follower, <a href="https://www.al-islam.org/articles/brief-account-last-days-imam-husayn">said</a>,
“By Allah, I would love that I be killed, then revived, then killed a thousand
times in this manner if it keeps you with the young ones from your family.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">On the next
day, Muharram 10, 61 AH (October 9, 680 AD), Hur along with a few of his
soldiers somehow deserted the camp and joined Husayn. He begged for
forgiveness, which Husayn readily accepted. For what he had done, he insisted
on being the first one to face the enemy. When Husayn consented, he and his
company fought bravely and killed many soldiers before they were killed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Abu Wahab
Abdullah ibn Umayr, a Christian who had just married, overheard Husayn speaking
before the enemy forces. Wahab was touched, embraced Islam and joined Husayn.
When he was killed, his bride begged to go and fight the enemy. When Husayn
tried to discourage her, she replied, “Please do not ask me to go back! I
prefer to die fighting rather than to fall captive in the hands of the Umayyad
clan!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">When the
soldiers threw Wahab’s head to his mother, she threw the head back and said what
we have given for Allah, we do not take back. With that statement, she grabbed
a weapon and killed at least two soldiers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The
companions begged Husayn to allow them to be the first to defend him. One by
one, they fought bravely until death. Next, his brothers volunteered, fought
and died. Abbas, Husayn’s half-brother, known for bravery, attempted to save
the family from thirst. He broke through enemy lines and reached the Euphrates.
On the way back, he was brutally wounded and killed. Today, his mausoleum is
across from that of Husayn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">There were
around 80 who died in defense of Husayn and his family on that day. Just like
today’s pilgrims, Husayn’s companions came from varied persuasions. They all
knew that Husayn was right, standing for justice and against oppression.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As the day
wore on, the hostile Umayyad force was restless and impatient to kill Husayn.
Husayn <a href="https://islam4u.pro/blog/imam-al-hussain-and-spirit-of-supplication/">prayed</a>
before facing the enemy: “I will be patient with whatever you decree, my Lord.
There is no deity but you. You are the helper of those who seek help. I have no
Lord except you, and no one to worship except you. I am patient with your
wisdom, O rescuer of the one who needs rescue. O you who are eternal and
everlasting. O you who bring the dead back to life. O you who observe the
action of every soul. Judge between me and them, for you are the best of
judges.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Before being
attacked, Husayn looked at the enemy asking them why they were so determined to
kill him. According to <a href="https://makarem.ir/main.aspx?lid=0&mid=254223&typeinfo=25&catid=23275">Shi’a
tradition</a>, they responded, “We will kill you out of hatred for your
father.” Husayn fought bravely, sending many of his assailants to their deaths.
Finally, he fell. Killing him did not satisfy the enemy’s thirst. They severed
his head and ran their horses over his corpse. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">After the
ordeal, only one male, Husayn’s oldest son Ali, who was sick with fever,
survived.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Thereafter,
the forces ransacked Husayn’s tents, captured its inhabitants and took them as
slaves to Yazid in Damascus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The Umayyads’
fury against the family of the Prophet knew no limits. They started the
tradition to celebrate the occasion by urging people to fast on that day.
Today, many Sunnis follow suit. Across the world, Shi’as follow the traditions
of mourning that day and feeding the poor and needy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Despite
exhibiting the utmost savagery, though, the Umayyads spared the sick, women and
children. Today, military forces are more ferocious. They indiscriminately kill
men, women and children without feeling any remorse.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">This year,
Muharram 10 fell on July 28. Millions of people from around the globe gathered
in Karbala to commemorate Husayn’s death. On September 6, they will break their
period of mourning in the peaceful festival of Arba’een.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Husayn’s
words should be written in gold: “Anyone who keeps silent when others are being
oppressed is himself considered to be guilty of oppression.” I am unable to
locate the source of this popular quotation, but it certainly encapsulates the
meaning of his famous <a href="https://www.al-islam.org/articles/sermon-mina-al-imam-al-husayns-everlasting-message-religious-leaders">Sermon
of Mina</a> in which he condemned the Umayyad tyranny and the lackeys who
failed to oppose it. Husayn refused to be like them and submit, uttering the <a href="https://www.al-islam.org/shia-islam-belief-system-leadership-and-history/65-3rd-imam-fifth-masoom-imam-al-husayn">words</a>
which would become his epitaph: “Death with dignity is better than a life of
abasement.”<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BY <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">MEHDI ALAVI</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">This article was originally published in </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iraqs-massive-peaceful-annual-arbaeen-pilgrimage-is-beginning-now/" style="outline: none;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #135aba; font-size: 10pt;">Fair Observer </span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">on August 22, 2023.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-68480356997275711362023-07-14T17:04:00.005-05:002023-08-16T12:29:16.320-05:00The US Supreme Court’s Credibility Is at Its Absolutely Lowest Level<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZJvJ2AGeIQkArEaAciQguUO1sGAMIX-TBg5YQM8BBs6FzAC_NeD1PF1SI1aiXb400Yuff2goiChsrR2liuWGO8F6EL4J54oZ2w0Eu3cot6mwS1BBeeMjGXtLdkjOeA8PsudyiAEcMycHzz9gQ5sB9ZOAf3oVCCyxHyxrHOxfpxSLgqsITd__xv_Uo9XtY" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="851" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZJvJ2AGeIQkArEaAciQguUO1sGAMIX-TBg5YQM8BBs6FzAC_NeD1PF1SI1aiXb400Yuff2goiChsrR2liuWGO8F6EL4J54oZ2w0Eu3cot6mwS1BBeeMjGXtLdkjOeA8PsudyiAEcMycHzz9gQ5sB9ZOAf3oVCCyxHyxrHOxfpxSLgqsITd__xv_Uo9XtY=w489-h275" width="489" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #9b9b9b; font-size: 12px;">The United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC © RozenskiP / shutterstock.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="caption" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: transparent; text-align: justify;">The United
States has globally projected itself as the leader of democracy, but a close
look at the country refutes that notion. American democracy, especially with
the US Supreme Court, requires genuine reforms before it can legitimately call
itself representative of a democratic institution.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The US
judicial system is a disgrace to justice. Judicial positions are filled based
on loyalty and inclination towards certain issues, parties and fraternities,
rather than objective factors such as professional qualifications, a sense of
justice and ethical considerations. Although the judges are obliged to be
impartial adjudicators, above any political considerations, they often vote
along party lines, and their decisions are referred to as “conservative” and
“liberal.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Like members
of Congress, federal judges are divided. <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-justices-faith-and-their-religion-clause-decisions">According</a>
to the National Constitution Center, the Supreme Court’s nine justices are
presently six Republicans and three Democrats. Americans overwhelmingly
disapprove of such partisanship. A 2022 Pew Research <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/25/5-facts-about-the-supreme-court/">survey</a>
found that 84% of American adults overwhelmingly hold that the Supreme Court
justices “should not bring their own political views into how they decide
cases.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Furthermore,
the judiciary is filled with incompetent individuals who favor the rich as the
poor and minorities remain their victims. It was not surprising when the
infamous 2010 <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained">ruling</a>
in <i>Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission</i> enabled corporate
entities, wealthy institutions and individuals to donate unlimited money to
elections. Consequently, politicians, especially presidents, have become the
puppets of the rich in their struggle to finance their campaigns. Not only
this, but some of them have become puppets of foreign states. The contributions
of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to political campaigns
in support of Israel and stopping those who think America first are well known.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">AIPAC has
also opposed any attempt by the US to negotiate with Iran, and continuously
pushes for sanctions and hostilities against that nation. In reaction, Iran has
finally put de-dollarization in motion globally. Thanks to AIPAC. So begins the
fall of US hegemony worldwide.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Americans are
looking at a stark future. The Supreme Court’s decisions are often tyrannical
and devoid of moral values. Its extreme-right majority is now poised to <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-supreme-courts-extreme-majority-risks-turning-back-the-clock-on-decades-of-progress/">roll
back</a> many “long-standing rights and laws.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What
do you really know about the US Supreme Court?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As for the US
<a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript">Constitution</a>,
Article III, Section 1 establishes that the US judicial power is vested in “one
supreme Court” and that judges hold their office on “good Behaviour.” Going
back to the precedent set by George Washington in nominating John Jay as the
first Chief Justice, “good Behaviour” has meant that Justices must be patriots
and high caliber jurists, known for integrity and impartiality.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">While there
is no mention of “checks and balances” in the Constitution, the principle is
implicit in many of its provisions. Federal judges are appointed by the
President, but the Senate must approve them. The Supreme Court may declare
presidential actions or Congressional legislation illegal, but Congress can
override them by changing the law or even proposing to amend the Constitution.
The House of Representatives, furthermore, impeach executive officers and
federal judges, including the President and Supreme Court justices.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In 1803
Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/marbury-v-madison">established</a>
its authority to void actions of the executive and legislative branches found
“repugnant to the constitution.” Over time, the Supreme Court has miserably
evaded its responsibility to do so and keep those branches in check. The
Congress has frequently delegated more and more of its constitutional power to
the President, and the Supreme Court has not objected but colluded with the
Congress, enabling “<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/550065-now-that-earmarks-are-back-its-time-to-ban-poison-pill-riders/">legislative
distortion</a>.” In doing so, the Supreme Court and the Congress have
undermined the constitutional ideal of a balance of power. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The framers
of the US Constitution created it in order to “establish Justice.” The <a href="https://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment14.html">14th Amendment</a>
clearly states that no State can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction
the equal protection of the laws.” However, the US has never lived up to its
commitment. The bigotry peaked in the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford when the
Supreme Court excluded “<a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/dred-scott-v-sandford">enslaved
people</a>” from US citizenship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">As for the “equal
justice under law,” the recent arrest and arraignment of the former President
Donald Trump shows how that has been turned upside down. <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/04/04/donald-trump-mugshot-handcuffed/">Unlike</a>
others, Trump was treated with respect, including escort through a private
corridor and not being handcuffed or subjected to a mugshot. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Like
Congress, the Supreme Court has also given in to the expansion of presidential
power. The President issues executive orders at will, “instant laws” passed
without Congressional approval. The Supreme Court could overturn them but has
chosen to do nothing. In other words, the court has practically become a
politically rubber-stamp for the other two branches.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The reason is
clear. Presidential nominations, especially those for the Supreme Court, have
become increasingly political. Presidents have been appointing party loyalists
to such positions. In 1991, George H.W. Bush nominated the infamous <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/28/1040911313/anita-hill-belonging-sexual-harassment-conversation">Clarence
Thomas</a> to the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed his nomination, despite
attorney Anita Hill’s extensive testimony of Thomas’s sexual misconduct. Now,
Thomas is in hot water for <a href="https://www.afj.org/article/afj-calls-for-justice-thomass-resignation-and-immediate-ethics-investigations/">violating</a>
the court’s own judicial ethics. Trump sparked outrage when he nominated <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/16/761191576/reporters-dig-into-justice-kavanaughs-past-allegations-of-misconduct-against-him">Brett
Kavanaugh</a>, who was accused of attempted rape, but Brett was also confirmed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The Supreme
Court has become incorrigibly corrupt. The justices have used their judicial
positions to enhance their private interests. While on the Supreme Court,
Justice Louis Brandeis promoted Zionism and advised President Franklin D.
Roosevelt on Zionism-related issues. Meanwhile, for decades up to the
present-day, Justice Clarence Thomas has been taking vacations paid for by a
billionaire.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A
culture of injustice<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The Supreme
Court’s corruption and incompetence have taken their toll. The US suffers from
endemic male chauvinism, racism, nepotism, and deceit. It continues to have the
world’s highest criminal incarceration rate, including a disproportionate
number of Black and Native Americans, whom police likewise disproportionately
abuse and murder. The US has the world’s most <a href="https://wisevoter.com/country-rankings/mass-shootings-by-country/">mass
shootings</a>, about 5 times that of Russia, which comes second to the US. The
shooters are <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/476456/mass-shootings-in-the-us-by-shooter-s-race/">74%</a>
white, nicely treated by police, and seldom die unless they commit suicide.
Black, Latino and Asian shooters rarely live to see the next day. Harassment
and abuse of Hispanics, migrant workers and asylum seekers by authorities have
become common affairs. Women, as well, are still treated unequally.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Although
females constitute the majority in the US, they continue to be discriminated
against. Female prisoners in the US are sexually harassed with impunity.
Violence against women and girls remains widespread and alarming. Gun violence
remains high across the country, and their biggest victims are women. Assaults
on Native American women and girls continue to be substantially more frequent
compared to assaults on other US women. As for wages, the “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/gender-pay-gap">gender pay
gap</a>” persists, with women making 17% less than men doing the same jobs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Judicial
incompetence has put the US on the path of revolution. It has frustrated and
polarized Americans, with many of them living in anger. Over 32% of the wealth
is possessed by the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/01/richest-one-percent-gained-trillions-in-wealth-2021.html#:~:text=The%20top%201%25%20owned%20a,end%20of%202021%2C%20data%20show.">wealthiest
1%</a>. Over 11% of Americans live below the <a href="https://ir.lendingclub.com/news/news-details/2023/60-of-Americans-Now-Living-Paycheck-to-Paycheck-Down-from-64-a-Month-Ago/default.aspx#:~:text=As%20of%20January%202023%2C%2060,improved%20some%20consumers'%20financial%20situations.">poverty</a>
level and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/01/richest-one-percent-gained-trillions-in-wealth-2021.html#:~:text=The%20top%201%25%20owned%20a,end%20of%202021%2C%20data%20show.">60%</a>
“live paycheck-to-paycheck.” It was in this environment that Trump could
manipulate the oppressed into the January 6 insurrection.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Nevertheless,
the Supreme Court is not representative of democracy. Its judges are not
elected by the people but nominated by the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-presidency/">President</a>
and confirmed by the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/american-news/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-congress/">Senate</a>,
neither of which is representative of democracy, considering the US population.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The court’s
degenerated status was summed up by a former judge. On March 11, 2020 in a
letter to the US Chief Justice John Roberts, former Hawaii State Judge James
Dannenberg resigned from the Supreme Court Bar. Addressing Roberts, he wrote,
“You are allowing the Court to become an ‘errand boy’ for an administration
that has little respect for the rule of law.” He noted that the Supreme Court
was moving towards limiting freedom in favor of “wealthy, Republican, White,
straight, Christian, and armed males—and the corporations they control.” He
ended his letter by saying, “I no longer have respect for you or your majority,
and I have little hope for change. I can’t vote you out of office because you
have life tenure, but I can withdraw whatever insignificant support my Bar membership
might seem to provide.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Time
for the US to Reform<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Supreme Court is riddled with
corruption and incompetence. This is not sustainable in the long run, as we saw
in the 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol building. At the very least, two
steps must be taken:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The justices must take an oath of allegiance to carry
out impartial justice, not to serve Democrat or Republican, liberal or
conservative, white or non-white sectors.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The court must develop an “ethics code” to provide the
judges with sensible standards for conducting themselves.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt;">If the US doesn’t get its own house
in order soon, another insurrection is inevitable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BY <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">MEHDI ALAVI</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">This article was originally published in </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/american-news/the-courts-credibility-is-at-its-absolutely-lowest-level/" style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #135aba;">Fair Observer </span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; font-size: 13.3333px;">on June 26, 2023.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-33151194557290348872023-07-03T18:00:00.001-05:002023-07-03T18:04:18.685-05:00How Good Is the US Policy on Iran, Really?<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgziB3YicjdPUVDFp2zzAHujTKcQN54m8vH9LRsvmg0CzKq2VldKgrrBJF_FoO03Ip-QWzwlsGBD9pPNAnONSa3DCduy0aQc6CAEeS8qlYJyC8VXFOjvR_LdRnaNAZ1oWK1R5ozyWpKvvEcOlnNANt_fRurOd_M07f-fGQZLT0_0J96us8x-Jduptf8IHcx" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="782" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgziB3YicjdPUVDFp2zzAHujTKcQN54m8vH9LRsvmg0CzKq2VldKgrrBJF_FoO03Ip-QWzwlsGBD9pPNAnONSa3DCduy0aQc6CAEeS8qlYJyC8VXFOjvR_LdRnaNAZ1oWK1R5ozyWpKvvEcOlnNANt_fRurOd_M07f-fGQZLT0_0J96us8x-Jduptf8IHcx=w406-h260" width="406" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 6pt;">Waving
Iran flag above skyline of Tehran at sunset. © Borna_Mirahmadian /
shutterstock.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Iran
is not a backward, violent dictatorship. Under the guidance of its religious
leaders, it has developed into a progressive and vibrant Islamic democracy. The
US needs to rethink its policy of sanctions and threats toward this
increasingly important nation.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Americans believe that Iran is a
rogue state run by murderous mullahs, demonizing the Shi’a clerics that oversee
the state. This perception is a result of the country’s propaganda, partly
influenced by Iranian diaspora there. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many
wealthy members of the Iranian elite left the country; most of them ended up in
the US. They never came to terms with the regime. Although they had serious
differences amongst themselves, they were united in their opposition to the
mullahs. They used their large financial resources to actively influence the
politics of the US and other western countries to follow a hardline anti-Iran
policy. Thanks to their efforts, combined with those of the Israel lobby and
others, the US has been extremely hostile to Iran.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The US has consistently
brandished its “<a href="http://opiniojuris.org/2010/11/18/lindsey-graham-on-all-options-open-re-iran-and-nukes/">all
options open</a>” policy as a formidable weapon against Iran. Under the Obama
administration, it unleashed some of the most stringent and extensive sanctions
witnessed since 1980. Continuing its relentless pursuit of regime change, the
US has unveiled this April a <a href="https://en.mehrnews.com/news/199721/US-announces-new-sanctions-against-Iran">fresh
wave</a> of sanctions against the Islamic Republic. While <a href="https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/03/31/centrist-dc-think-tank-us-should-threaten-war-regime-change-in-iran/">clamor</a>
for threats of a military nature has failed to resonate, the repercussions of
sanctions on Iran’s economy have been profoundly debilitating. The insidious
grip of poverty has tightened unabated across the nation, with countless
Iranians succumbing to illness and anguish amidst a dire scarcity of vital
medications.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Amidst a relentless barrage of
western propaganda advocating for a regime change in Iran, the Iranian populace
remains resolutely unfazed, displaying a conspicuous choice not to heed these
efforts. There are reasons for this optimism. This is not the first time Iran has
faced stern international opposition to its regime, and survived. During the
1980 invasion by Iraq, a conflict that saw the involvement of over 80 nations
and military backing from 34 countries, including both the US and the Soviet
Union, in support of Iraq, Iran found itself pitted against overwhelming odds,
with only Libya and Syria extending their sympathies. In the face of this
formidable hostile force, Iran valiantly resisted for a grueling eight years,
steadfastly preserving its territorial integrity without conceding an inch of
its land to the Iraqi aggressors. One of those killed in the pushing back of
Iraqis out of the country was my brother
Sayyid Husayn. He was then a 23-year-old seminary student. Even my over
70-year-old father and other brothers volunteered to defend their country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Despite the barrage of American
sanctions, Iran has been able to avoid their suffocating effects, navigating a
path towards self-reliance. The Islamic Republic responded to years of
relentless US pressure by spearheading the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-iran-oil-dollar/iran-stops-selling-oil-in-u-s-dollars-report-idUKDAH83366720071208">de-dollarization</a>
of its oil trade in 2007, setting in motion an international wave of dissent
against the American-dominated financial framework. Consequently, the
once-dominant petrodollar rapidly ceded its hegemony, with BRICS nations, <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/1158311/business-economy">Venezuela</a>,
and other states eagerly following suit. There are some hints that even Saudi
Arabia, a staunch ally of the US, <a href="https://www.currencytransfer.com/blog/expert-analysis/saudi-arabia-petrodollar">may
be succumbing</a> to this paradigm shift. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-04/malaysia-china-to-discuss-asian-fund-to-cut-dollar-dependency?leadSource=uverify%20wall">Recent
discussions</a> between China and Malaysia in early April concerning the
establishment of an “Asian Fund” aimed at diminishing reliance on the US dollar
further underscore the momentum of this trend.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Alas, the response from the US
to this trend has been disconcerting. Instead of absorbing the lessons and
altering its course, the US harbors animosity towards Iran for catalyzing the
decline of the almighty dollar. In times to come, impartial historians will
undoubtedly highlight Washington’s susceptibility to manipulation by Iran’s
diaspora, Israel’s influential lobby, and other anti-Iran factions as
contributing factors to the gradual erosion of American hegemony.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What
You Probably Need to Know About Iran Under the Mullahs<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Despite the persistent hostility
spearheaded by the US and its western allies, Iran’s mullahs have propelled it
forward on several fronts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Contrary to the portrayal of
Iran as a dictatorial regime, the Islamic Republic operates as a <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38643957.pdf">theo-democracy</a>, as
affirmed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini, who stated, “Islam
does not permit us to establish a dictatorship. We follow our nation’s votes
and act according to their views.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">My visits and observations have
convinced me that Iran’s leadership is committed to the democratic process. I
have witnessed heated debates in Iran’s Majlis, its parliamentary chamber. They
exemplify a passion for the vibrant exchange of ideas. Perusing the newspapers,
I have noted that some regularly support the government, while others criticize
it. In buses, parks, and other public areas, I have listened to common people
expressing their thoughts, for or against the government, without being
reprimanded or arrested.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">On the other hand, I found it
perplexing to note the level of sensitivity of some security personnel to the
wearing of the hijab in numerous localities. This stringent enforcement has
continued to provoke discontent among many young Iranians, who find themselves
increasingly aggrieved by such measures.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Iran’s progress under the
leadership of the mullahs has been nothing short of remarkable, catapulting the
nation to an impressive position in global intellectual achievements. <a href="https://unctad.org/news/opening-iran-has-opportunity-commercialize-its-science-and-technology-skills">According
to</a> the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Iran
boasts the second-highest number of engineering graduates per capita on a
global scale. Iran’s engineers and scientific researchers are making great
strides in areas from autism research, to pharmaceuticals—of which 96% are now
produced locally—to cutting-edge <a href="https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2021/01/11/iran-among-five-pioneers-of-nanotechnology/">nanotechnology</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Quality of life has surged since
the revolution. Between 1976 and 2021, the literacy rate experienced a
remarkable surge, soaring from a mere 36.5% to an impressive nearly 89%.
Likewise, life expectancy witnessed a substantial upswing, climbing from less
than 55 years in 1976 to a commendable nearly 77 years in 2021.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Today, over <a href="https://borgenproject.org/facts-about-healthcare-in-iran/">90%</a> of the
population is covered by free health insurance, ensuring access to essential
medical services. In rural areas, health houses have been established to cater
to the needs of approximately 1,200 residents per facility, bringing healthcare
closer to remote communities. Moreover, Iran’s commitment to healthcare extends
to refugees, with accessible services provided to these vulnerable populations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The quality of healthcare in
Iran has become so reputable that many people now <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6708548/">visit Iran</a> to
benefit from advanced and affordable medical treatment, positioning the country
as a destination of choice. Iran has introduced impressive innovations in areas
such as addressing autism, offering valuable lessons and insights that can
benefit not only the US but also other nations grappling with similar
challenges.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Iran
is a Beneficial Regional Leader<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Iran’s military leaders have
left a positive mark on the Islamic world. The revered Qassim Soleimani has
left an indelible impression on hearts and minds across the region, and also
instills a sense of awe in the hearts of Iran’s adversaries, attesting to the
nation’s capacity to nurture exceptional military leaders. Iranian officers are
not a gang of thugs, as western propagandists would like to portray them, but
competent, professional, and honorable leaders making an impact on the world
stage.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In recent memory, General
Soleimani, with the help of Russian air power, played a pivotal role in urging
Iraqis to liberate their land from the clutches of the terrorist organization
ISIS. In Syria, Soleimani’s influence extended to inspiring the local population
to push back against ISIS, bolstering the resistance against this extremist
group. In Lebanon, he inspired a robust response to Israeli aerial bombings.
Furthermore, the Iranian general motivated Yemenis to forge a united front
against the Saudi-led coalition’s aggressive actions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Iran has demonstrated its
ability to use diplomacy just as well as warfare to build connections and
foster stability in the region. President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration has
actively sought to bolster diplomatic ties with key global players, most
notably China and Russia, among other nations. Impressively, his efforts have
yielded significant progress in normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and
other Arab states. These constructive engagements have the potential to initiate
a much-needed environment of peace and stability in this turbulent part of the
world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">In stark contrast to the US-led
western powers, the mullahs of Iran have demonstrated a clear objective of
fostering stability and peaceful coexistence among regional countries. Their
unwavering commitment to this vision is exemplified by their endeavors to share
Iran’s resources and inspire neighboring nations. The influence of the mullahs
has been particularly notable in countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen,
Venezuela, and others, where they have been instrumental in galvanizing these
nations to assert their independence and stand united against acts of
aggression.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Time
for a New US Iran Policy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Iran’s strategic maneuvers in
forging key partnerships are poised to reshape regional dynamics, inviting the
West to reevaluate its approach towards the nation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Recently, Iran awarded India a
contract to develop the Chabahar Port, in a move that holds immense potential
for enhancing connectivity and trade. Complementing this development is the
planned construction of a railway network linking Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port on
the Persian Gulf to southern Russia. Upon completion, this ambitious
infrastructure project will revolutionize transportation between East Asia and
Russia, with far-reaching implications.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The significance of these initiatives
cannot be overstated. For India, the railway and port development will
dramatically reduce transportation time, with the current 45-day journey
reduced to a mere 14 days, a savings that will translate into substantial cost
reduction, amounting to millions of dollars for the Indian economy. Equally
consequential is the impact on Europe, as it stands to benefit from an
expeditious and cost-effective cargo route between the continent and East Asia
via Iran. This newfound advantage is bound to incentivize European nations to
reassess their stance on sanctions and explore collaborative opportunities with
Iran.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">It is not just economic policy
that is giving the West reason to reevaluate. The <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/16/when-the-ayatollah-said-no-to-nukes/">stance</a>
adopted by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, against weapons of mass
destruction (WMDs) has posed a formidable challenge to world powers. Khamenei’s
moral stand categorically forbidding the production of WMDs is informed Iran’s
own history during the protracted and devastating eight-year war with Iraq in
the 1980s. The repercussions of Iraq’s chemical attacks persist to this day.
Tragically, I recently received news of the passing of one of my relatives in
Iran, a victim of the chemical injuries sustained during that period, whose
years of suffering have finally come to an end. Despite the suffering that
thousands of Iranians have likewise endured, the nation’s moral conviction
stands as a rebuke to a Western global order predicated on mutually assured
nuclear destruction.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">The Iranian revolution has
triggered a profound realignment that continues to shape the contemporary
global landscape. By asserting its own distinct worldview and challenging
western preeminence, Iran has engendered an ongoing dialogue on the nature and
distribution of power in the international arena, posing questions that demand
thoughtful consideration. Despite these signals, however, the US persists in
its efforts to meddle in the affairs of Iran and other nations. Instead of
embracing a more diplomatic approach, the US clings to its reliance on punitive
sanctions, invasions, and interventions, which have become all too familiar
hallmarks of its foreign policy. The recent Russo-Ukrainian War serves as a
stark and regrettable illustration of the US’s propensity for favoring military
action over constructive dialogue and negotiation. It is imperative that the US
awaken to the realities of our changing world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">Under the leadership of its
mullahs, Iran has demonstrated an exceptional ability to forge its own path and
shape its own destiny. While the hostility exhibited by the US may prove to be
transient, one aspect of Iran’s trajectory endures steadfastly: its commitment
to de-dollarization. The US must recognize the significance of this development
and disregard the influence of affluent and divisive diaspora groups and
anti-Iran factions. Instead, a fresh, astute, and equitable policy towards Iran
must be crafted—one that embraces peaceful negotiations marked with wisdom and
balance, fostering a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">By </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com/"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 14pt;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This article was originally published
in </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/us-news/how-good-is-the-us-policy-on-iran-really/"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fair Observer </span></a></span><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">on June 5, 2023.</span></p></div>
<p class="MsoCaption"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-21865598386386054722023-06-23T15:25:00.001-05:002023-06-23T15:27:15.692-05:00What You Need to Know About the US Congress<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAQODmPTRIz2AETG_ncdSxuYTf6KiMPcJZG94zx4iVPhx4c0B37rE6gIE45-nMVJiegxXdLvGhFt2M1fPudmiaokQ9DcwZFnWtlrrE14eHuv05Az6KnbWwKWRfFgaQ4DR9hzVet9-eJaOkSSUP1skOF3MN3g2J1ot25lFsVZ8mkolEx5WJKN4Qe4SqJ70T" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="654" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAQODmPTRIz2AETG_ncdSxuYTf6KiMPcJZG94zx4iVPhx4c0B37rE6gIE45-nMVJiegxXdLvGhFt2M1fPudmiaokQ9DcwZFnWtlrrE14eHuv05Az6KnbWwKWRfFgaQ4DR9hzVet9-eJaOkSSUP1skOF3MN3g2J1ot25lFsVZ8mkolEx5WJKN4Qe4SqJ70T=w426-h240" width="426" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #44546a; font-size: 10.6667px; font-style: italic;">Washington DC Capitol dome detail with waving american flag © Andrea Izzotti / shutterstock.com</span></p><div><b>The US has globally projected itself as the leader of
democracy through its worldwide mass media, huge economy and massive military
expenditures. A close look at the country contradicts that notion, revealing
that American democracy, especially the US Congress, needs extensive reforms
before it can legitimately claim to be democratic.</b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US Congress consists of the
House of Representatives (House) and the Senate. Over time, the <a href="https://intellectualtakeout.org/2017/03/two-branches-of-government-are-all-we-have-left-scholar-says/">House</a>
has abdicated its responsibility, especially its exercise of war powers, to the
president. The White House now has “free rein to go to war so long as it
notifies Congress first.” The House has also implicitly relinquished to the
president its powers to regulate international affairs and trade. The president
may also freely <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/american-news/is-the-us-presidency-actually-a-powerful-dictatorship/">issue</a>
regulations and executive orders without going through Congress. This silent
transfer of power has strengthened the president in relation to the other two
branches of government, the Congress and the judiciary. By transferring so much
power to the executive, the US Congress has undermined the constitutional ideal
of a balance of power. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US Congress has also become
weak because of the influence of money in politics. Members of Congress spend
more and more of their time <a href="https://www.c-span.org/classroom/document/?7674">fundraising</a>,
diminishing their ability to legislate. Increasingly, Congresswomen and
Congressmen represent their donors more than their constituents. <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/fundraising-totals">Open
Secrets</a> tells us that Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy raised over $27
million and the former speaker Nancy Pelosi raised over $25 million in 2021-22.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Because of this influence of
money in politics, Congress is increasingly under the thumb of interest groups.
Some of these groups are beholden to foreign states. The American Israel Public
Affairs Committee (<a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/american-israel-public-affairs-committee/">AIPAC</a>)
is infamous for its hold on Congress. AIPAC has poured millions of dollars to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/may/17/pro-israel-lobby-defeat-democrats-palestinians-2022">defeat</a>
progressive pro-Palestinian candidates in Democrat congressional primaries. On
rare occasions that members of Congress speak out against Israel’s influence,
such as Representative <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/3/6/18251639/ilhan-omar-israel-anti-semitism-jews">Ilhan
Omar</a> in 2019, they are quickly ostracized.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">AIPAC has also <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/americas/2015/08/10/us-president-obama-slams-pro-israel-aipac-over-iran-nuke-deal">opposed</a>
Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran as the former president has admitted in
his memoirs. Sadly, the Congress sometimes puts foreign interests above
American ones, endangering peace, prosperity and national security itself. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Other ills afflict the Congress
as well. <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/event/franceslee.pdf">Pork-barrel</a>
projects, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2023/01/12/earmarks-are-back-how-democrats-and-republicans-differ/">earmarks</a>
and <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/550065-now-that-earmarks-are-back-its-time-to-ban-poison-pill-riders/">poison
bills</a>, often referred to as “<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/550065-now-that-earmarks-are-back-its-time-to-ban-poison-pill-riders/">legislative
extortion</a>,” interfere with legislation. The Congress has failed to deliver
for the people. They have not drafted laws for a healthy economy. Over 32% of
the wealth is owned by 1-percent of the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/01/richest-one-percent-gained-trillions-in-wealth-2021.html#:~:text=The%20top%201%25%20owned%20a,end%20of%202021%2C%20data%20show.">wealthiest</a>
Americans. Over 11% of Americans live below the <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html">poverty</a>
level and <a href="https://ir.lendingclub.com/news/news-details/2023/60-of-Americans-Now-Living-Paycheck-to-Paycheck-Down-from-64-a-Month-Ago/default.aspx#:~:text=As%20of%20January%202023%2C%2060,improved%20some%20consumers'%20financial%20situations.">60%</a>
“live pay-check-to-paycheck.” At such a time, the Congress is deeply divided.
Both Republicans and Democrats care more about hurting the other in an
adversarial system than acting together in national interest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Even both parties themselves are
deeply divided. It took 15 rounds of voting for Republicans to elect Kevin
McCarthy as the speaker of the House. The Congress only unites to pass things
in the interest of their donors. The Congress has drafted <a href="https://www.americanprogressaction.org/house-republican-profiles-corruption/">tax
bills</a>, which give tax cuts to the rich and pass on the tax burden to the
middle class. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There are representational issues
too. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC">District of
Columbia</a> with a population just short of 700,000, far more than Wyoming,
and <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/united-states-territories">Puerto
Rico</a> with a population of nearly 3,200,000, <a href="https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/US-states-population.htm">greater</a>
than 21 states, have no voice on the House’s bills. The same is true for Guam,
the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and other US
territories. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 1789, the first House had 65
members serving 3.9 million people, one for every 60,000 persons. Now, 435
members serve 334 million, one for every 767,816 persons. It is now difficult
for one person to represent so many different and varied constituents.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is not just the president who
dominates the House. Today, the Senate has grown in power too. It <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/house-representatives-congress-filibuster-democracy/620275/">dictates</a>
terms and conditions. In reality, this has turned the bicameral legislature
into a unicameral one. The House now has to either ignore or “rubber-stamp
Senate bills”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US Senate is not exactly
democratic. Every state gets two senators. This means that <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/states">Wyoming</a> with the population
of less than 583,279 has the same representation, privilege, and vote as
California with a population of about 39 million. In the US Senate, the vote of
a resident of Wyoming equals the votes of 69 Californians. The consecrated
tradition of Senate filibuster speeches designed to postpone or neuter
legislative action illustrate the principle of the <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture/overview.htm">tyranny</a>
of a minority over the majority.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As of 2023, according to the <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/states">World Population Review</a>,
the 50 states have a combined population of about 334 million. Mathematical
logic tells us that the 26 states with the smallest populations collectively
send 52 senators to Congress. Those 26 states wield a simple majority in the
Senate, although they only represent 58.7 million citizens or 17.6% of the
entire population. That means that the remaining minority of 48 senators
represents over 82.4% of the US population. If you were to remove the eight
most populated states from a Senate vote, it would take 42 states (84 senators)
to represent a simple majority of the US population (52%). In other words, the
will of a small minority of the US population represented in the Senate is
always likely to prevail over the needs and wishes of all US citizens.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Like the House, the Senate leaves
a significant portion of American citizens unrepresented. The constitution
excludes from the federal electoral system the entire population of the
District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other US territories, despite the fact
that they collectively have a population greater than that of some states. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US Constitution, ratified in
1788, gave state legislatures the right to elect senators. Over time, this
corrupted the process of selecting senators. Hence, the <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt17-2/ALDE_00001002/">17th
Amendment</a> was ratified in 1913 and, since then, senators have been elected
by popular vote. Unfortunately, that amendment failed to solve the problem of
corruption for senatorial elections. Today the average cost of running for
senate runs into millions of dollars. This funding is usually provided “openly
and directly” by the wealthy through <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/reform-money-politics/influence-big-money">PACs</a>
and lobbying groups.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When elected, a senator’s loyalty
is first to the rich who bankrolled their election. That is why legislators
vote to spend funds lavishly on dubious projects in the service of the wealthy
and their corporations, with little or no consideration of the needs of the
common people. This produces volumes of legislation whose logic most Americans
simply cannot fathom. The Senate consistently fails to represent the people’s
needs, interests, concerns, or welfare. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The various ills of the US
Congress have been steadily growing. It is now deeply corrupt and highly
undemocratic. Before lecturing the rest of the world on adopting democratic
norms, the US must put its own house in order and reform its Congress.<o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com/"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This article was originally edited by </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-gage-b0a2b5194/" target="_blank"><em><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none;">Hannah Gage</span></em></a><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> and published in </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/american-news/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-congress/"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fair Observer </span></a><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">on May 21,
2023.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-76710362677144467952023-06-11T15:04:00.002-05:002023-06-11T15:04:41.540-05:00Is the US Presidency Actually a Powerful Dictatorship?<p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtnqCVTpt_iOYti_CSPQzVKSS0o7KDqGweQP9rrT2mfDXdFnbiz0qWp0ClXZPZ3IK6dn0-vEn7iDM8ZOPRWKCABZCrk9O-i64C12SBBBrBMrd2mz71gUyxgb0vtAclVRU86ZAuozsjc3d2jYCeso8rATNQm8l3mjm0VUj1rubxBoACuwDZbhnegf8ptg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="975" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtnqCVTpt_iOYti_CSPQzVKSS0o7KDqGweQP9rrT2mfDXdFnbiz0qWp0ClXZPZ3IK6dn0-vEn7iDM8ZOPRWKCABZCrk9O-i64C12SBBBrBMrd2mz71gUyxgb0vtAclVRU86ZAuozsjc3d2jYCeso8rATNQm8l3mjm0VUj1rubxBoACuwDZbhnegf8ptg=w388-h244" width="388" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">White House ©Zack Frank/ shutterstock.co </span><span style="text-align: left;">1</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
US has projected itself as the global leader of democracy through its powerful
mass media, huge economy and lavish military expenditures. A closer look
reveals that the country requires extensive reform before it can claim to be a
true democracy.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">The
presidency of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5SQ5JEQYAT6H&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1681126553&s=books&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1">United
States</a> has a surprisingly undemocratic selection process. In my previous
article on American democracy, I pointed out that the president is not elected
by popular vote, but by the electoral college and how, over time, the
presidential election process has become corrupt. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">America’s
founding fathers feared the evolution of the presidency into an imperial
office. In fact, that fear was the driving force behind the separation of
powers into three distinct branches of government: the executive, the
legislative, and the judiciary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">We
traditionally call this the “<a href="https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government#:~:text=The%20ability%20of%20each%20branch,agencies%20and%20high%20court%20appointees.">checks
and balances</a>” system. Each branch of government can challenge the actions
of another branch. For example, the judiciary has the power to overturn
unconstitutional laws drafted by the legislature or overrule acts contravening
the law by the executive. This can happen both at the state and the federal
levels.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">In
Washington, the president can veto legislation proposed by the Congress. At the
same time, the Congress has the power to override presidential vetoes and
confirm or reject presidential nominations. At first sight, the checks and
balances system appears to be an effective way to maintain democracy. However,
the system doesn’t always work out the way it was originally intended. In
recent years, it has led to partisan division and logjam.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #44546a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: text2;">The Most Powerful Man in the World<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">Despite the
fact that they are not exactly elected directly by the people, US presidents
have the power to make critical decisions via <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/teacher_portal/educational_resources/executive_orders/">executive
orders</a>. On August 24, 2022, President Joe Biden signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/">executive
order</a> “to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low- to middle-income
borrowers.” This cost of Biden’s plan is
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2023/04/17/what-the-supreme-courts-latest-move-means-for-student-loan-forgiveness/?sh=188e4c24731e">estimated</a>
to be $400 billion for US taxpayers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">Executive
orders are sometimes called “instant laws.” They do not need Congressional
approval. The Supreme Court has the power to overturn them if they are found
unconstitutional. However, this is a high bar and presidents have been usurping
the power of Congress.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">During his
time in the White House, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a <a href="https://www.heritage.org/political-process/heritage-explains/executive-orders">record
number</a> of 3,721 executive orders. Only five of them were overturned by the
Supreme Court. More recently, Donald Trump made executive orders <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/donald-trump/2017">infamous</a>
by announcing big policy changes without Congressional approval.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">Even more
alarming are the president’s nuclear powers. As commander-in-chief of all the
US armed forces, the president has exclusive access to the nuclear codes. With
the push of a <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/international/what-is-us-president-s-nuke-button-and-how-kamala-harris-once-became-its-sole-keeper-for-85-mins-news-229517">button</a>,
he can cause a nuclear holocaust. Should a single human being have the power to
destroy the world?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">As I have
pointed out repeatedly in my past articles, the US has an aggressive foreign
policy. It meddles in the affairs of other countries. This leads to tensions
and even standoffs with other powers such as Iran, Russia and China. An
American president could blunder into nuclear war in a crisis. In 1962, the
Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrated this danger. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #44546a; mso-themecolor: text2;">The
Biden-led NATO supports Ukraine against Russia. This is part of a longstanding
American policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATO has
expanded east. The “deep state” has taken charge of American foreign policy.
Presidents have to do the bidding of the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-dwight-d-eisenhowers-farewell-address">military-industrial
complex</a>. In 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against this phenomenon in
his parting presidential address. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine War, the
US president’s nuclear powers have become dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #44546a; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: text2;">A Rapidly Deteriorating System<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A key reason why the office of the
president has become all powerful is because the Congress has become
dysfunctional. The incessant squabbling between the two political parties makes
passing of laws extremely difficult. The parties themselves are increasingly
divided. It took a historic <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/06/1147470516/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-of-the-house-vote">15
rounds</a> of voting for Kevin McCarthy to be elected speaker of the House of
Representatives. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Republican lawmakers are so divided
right now that it will be difficult for them to push through any legislation
despite their majority. Even if they do, Democrats have a wafer-thin majority
in the Senate and can block them. The Democrats are divided themselves and are
unlikely to push through significant bills in the Senate. This leaves the White
House a clear field for executive orders.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In this way, the US presidential
power and prestige are the envy of dictators. Presidents enjoy unprecedented
autocracy and imperial power under the guise of democracy. The president <a href="https://ourpublicservice.org/blog/rethinking-the-american-presidency/">appoints</a>
thousands of delegates, who often lack the qualifications necessary for the
political positions they are assuming. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The president nominates federal
judges, which makes the office extremely powerful. The nomination process has
become increasingly political, especially for the Supreme Court. Presidents
have been appointing party loyalists to top positions. This is not a new
phenomenon. In 1991, George H.W. Bush nominated the infamous <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/28/1040911313/anita-hill-belonging-sexual-harassment-conversation">Clarence
Thomas</a> to the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed his nomination, despite
attorney Anita Hill’s extensive testimony of Thomas’s sexual misconduct. Now,
Thomas is in hot water for <a href="https://www.afj.org/article/afj-calls-for-justice-thomass-resignation-and-immediate-ethics-investigations/">violating</a>
the Court’s own judicial ethics. Trump sparked outrage when he nominated <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/16/761191576/reporters-dig-into-justice-kavanaughs-past-allegations-of-misconduct-against-him">Brett
Kavanaugh</a> who was accused of attempted rape.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Presidents have not only been
appointing shady judges but they have also been benefiting family members.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-kushner-saudi-prince-money-conflict-interest-1234678351/">profited</a>
immensely from dealings with the Saudis. This might not have been illegal but
was certainly immoral. Such is the power of the president that Trump and
Kushner were never held to account.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Today, the presidency is too
powerful and not accountable to the people. Reforms to the system are long
overdue. Otherwise, troubles lie ahead. An unrestrained, all-powerful presidency
is not sustainable long term.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: #F8F8F8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com" style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #135aba;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><u1:p></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248);"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This article was first published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/american-news/is-the-us-presidency-actually-a-powerful-dictatorship/" style="outline: none;"><span style="color: #135aba;">Fair Observer</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-82815148296385097662023-04-20T17:15:00.003-05:002023-04-20T17:24:39.769-05:00US Neocolonial Era Began in 1953: Even Now it Continues<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSHcAhtNlfYyknrQTMFlnTsejn4irH1ojio__tOKJLrTVG2UaYuKvrG6QSyv4iI86O_VxWjGqia3G4FVpDLU12pwKEcNm4xv2T4pGehJXWIsq1b04Hn_X-koSsmiElrdxheBwlaqe5dzAkugbSlxUyUUNN7GJ2Z0M4X-iAp4zJAAQNnj7-4DzPtfUFAA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="683" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSHcAhtNlfYyknrQTMFlnTsejn4irH1ojio__tOKJLrTVG2UaYuKvrG6QSyv4iI86O_VxWjGqia3G4FVpDLU12pwKEcNm4xv2T4pGehJXWIsq1b04Hn_X-koSsmiElrdxheBwlaqe5dzAkugbSlxUyUUNN7GJ2Z0M4X-iAp4zJAAQNnj7-4DzPtfUFAA=w414-h275" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10.6667px;">Flags of the USA and Iran against the background of the blue sky © Dmitrii Shirinkin/ shutterstock.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;">For global peace, it is time for the United States and
Britain to stop meddling, conducting coups, and invading other countries. In
particular, they should give up “regime change” in Iran and apologize for the
1953 coup. They would mend relations and decrease tensions.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The 1953 MI6 and CIA-led coup in Iran changed the world. It
gave absolute power to the Shah but strengthened the resolve of the opposition.
In 1979, the Iranian Revolution dethroned the Shah and created an Islamic
republic. Despite draconian American sanctions, Iran transitioned from being a
lackey of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13744RNEMR8UN&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1678913367&s=books&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Cstripbooks%2C122&sr=1-1">US</a>
to becoming politically self-assured and independent. It has emerged as a
regional power challenging the US hegemony in the region. Once totally
dependent on the US military supplies and other imports, Iran now produces much
of its own weaponry and other products. In fact, its drones are even considered
a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/07/row-brews-in-iran-over-use-of-its-drones-in-ukraine-war-by-russia">game-changer</a>
in the Russia-Ukraine War. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Since 1979, Iran has challenged the US-led Western countries
across the world. For instance, Iran opposed apartheid in South Africa at a
time when the US supported the racist regime. In 1992, Nelson Mandela visited
Iran and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ad81cee784fd0130a2aaafa8aace9997">thanked</a>
“the Iranian government and nation for their support in the black people’s
struggle against apartheid.″ <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In contrast, the US and its Western allies have <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/africa/mandela-gandhis-heir-africas-greatest-son-part-one/">supported</a>
freedom for white Europeans globally while quietly enslaving or subjugating all
others. Popular Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba was eliminated through a 1960
coup supported by Belgium and the US. Washington has historically stood by its
European allies when they conducted ethnic cleansing and genocide against
Africans. American <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/british-genocide-in-kenya-time-for-a-reckoning/">collaboration</a>
with Britain is well known, particularly the British suppression of Kenya’s Mau
Mau movement in the 1950s that sought self-determination.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The destructive meddling in affairs of the other countries
by the US was formalized with the founding of the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) in 1947. In June 1948, the CIA was authorized to carry out covert <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/british-genocide-in-kenya-time-for-a-reckoning/">operations</a>
in “support of US foreign policy.” Its first and most successful operation was
jointly with MI6 in 1953 when it masterminded a coup against Mohammad
Mosaddegh, Iran’s first-ever democratically elected prime minister. In the
years to come, the US used lessons learned from 1953 to overthrow governments
in other countries. Vietnam and Chile are perhaps the two most spectacular
examples.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A Tale of
Neocolonization and Hypocrisy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After World War II, the Americans <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=177NN6DTZ2B9W&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1676496655&s=books&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-1">have</a>
always <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Atlantic-Charter">championed</a>
the 1941 Atlantic Charter, a joint US and British declaration, to portray
themselves as great supporters of freedom. Its most important features included
recognizing the right of people to choose their own form of government,
removing trade restrictions, improving labor standards, expanding social
programs, renouncing use of force, and reducing armament. The Atlantic Charter
deeply influenced the UN Charter that followed after the war.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After the devastation of World War II, the UN was <a href="https://www.un.org/">founded</a> in 1945 to save the world from the
“scourge of war,” to strengthen “human rights,” to promote “justice,” reinforce
“international law” and promote social well-being. Yet the US and Britain have
never really honored their commitment to the UN Charter just as they once
ignored the Atlantic Charter after the war was over. Just as Britain and the US
once promoted the interests of the East India Company and the <a href="https://ufcguatemala.voices.wooster.edu/">United Fruit Company</a> (UFC)
through their foreign policy, they now support today’s big corporations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The example of the US acting to support the UFC has become
infamous in history. Less than 11 months after the 1953 Iran coup, the
CIA-sponsored <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/guatemala">deposed</a>
the democratically elected Guatemalan government. Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was
ousted in a June 1954 coup because, like Mosaddegh, he refused to play ball
with a foreign corporation exploiting his country. This coup gave birth to a
new word in international politics: “<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/banana-republic">banana republic</a>.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The same year the US turned Guatemala into a banana
republic, the Vietnamese crushed the French at <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/dien-bien-phu">Dien Bien
Phu</a>. This triggered American intervention under the guise of the Cold War.
The stated aim was to keep out communism. The real goal was to ensure white
domination of another non-white country. The US kept its forces in Vietnam for
the next 20 years, brutally causing nearly 4 million <a href="https://study.com/learn/lesson/vietnam-war-casualties-statistics.html">casualties</a>.
American casualties were a relatively low 58,000 but many veterans who served
in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos are still <a href="https://www.research.va.gov/currents/0322-Study-finds-ongoing-mental-health-concerns-for-Vietnam-Veterans.cfm">suffering</a>
from physical and emotional trauma. The populations of these three countries
are still dealing with the consequences of napalm bombing and the use of Agent
Orange, which were both forbidden by the Geneva Convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Latin America
Gets Special Attention<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US has dominated Latin America and treated the region as
an informal colony. In 1964, the US and the British <a href="https://declassifieduk.org/britains-hidden-hand-in-brazils-1964-coup-detat/">supported</a>
a military coup in Brazil that deposed the democratically elected Brazilian
president Joao Goulart.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In Chile, the US followed the 1954 Guatemala template.
Secretary of State Henry <a href="https://history.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/04/Morris_Final-Draft-Thesis-1.pdf">Kissinger</a>
mounted major clandestine operations against Chilean President Salvador
Allende. Eventually, the US backed the 1973 coup and Allende was executed. This
US conducted this coup for the <a href="https://history.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/04/Morris_Final-Draft-Thesis-1.pdf">Anaconda
Copper Company</a> which was a major donor of the Republican party.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">No mercy shown even to Cuba, a small Caribbean country. In
the 1960s, the CIA attempted to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Central-Intelligence-Agency/Activities">assassinate</a>
Fidel Castro numerous times through many means, including the use of organized
crime syndicate. The US even tried an invasion at the <a href="https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-bay-of-pigs">Bay
of Pigs</a> but it turned out to be a disaster.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The failure of its anti-Castro machinations did not stop US
operations in Latin America though. In the 1980s, the US <a href="https://theintercept.com/empire-politician/biden-el-salvador-reagan-military-junta/">supported</a>
the military junta in El Salvador with $6 billion to annihilate the insurgency
and their supporters. That led to a civil war that lasted 12 years, causing
many deaths and destruction. In the 1980s, the <a href="https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/archive/special/9712/appa.htm">Irangate</a>
scandal hit the Reagan administration. Congressional inquiries revealed that
the US had illegally sold weapons to Iran and used the profit to fund Contra
rebels against Sandinistas in Nicaragua.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Contras’ story becomes even more interesting. In 1981,
the US <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/27/manuel-noriega-us-friend-foe">backed</a>
Manuel Noriega who became the military dictator of Panama. Noriega was a
conduit of money and weapons to the Contras. When Noriega was no longer useful,
the US cut him off its payroll in 1988 and overthrew him in 1989. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The US
Record Elsewhere<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As for Asia, nobody should be surprised that the US
supported Pakistan against India in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/world/henry-kissinger-reveals-why-the-us-supported-pakistan-in-1971">Kissinger</a>
covered up the Pakistani mass rape, murders and other atrocities in East
Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. The ruthless American diplomat justified
support for Pakistan as essential for better relations with China. He also
justified bombing Cambodia and Laos for <a href="https://www.history.com/news/henry-kissinger-vietnam-war-legacy">pressuring</a>
North Vietnam. Remember Kissinger also caused Allende’s execution. Yet the
Nobel Committee gave such a megalomaniac and international criminal the Peace
Prize in 1973.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">From 1945 to 1990, the CIA backed anti-communists to go on a
<a href="https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/3090523/sukarno-suharto-and-us-backed-mass-murder-communists">rampage</a>
and kill communists in at least 22 countries. It began in Indonesia in 1965.
The military killed a million Indonesians on the mere suspicion of being
communists or left-wing. After the <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/suharto-takes-full-power-in-indonesia">bloodbath</a>,
General Suharto emerged as the country’s leader and became president in 1967.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Today, we vividly remember <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/12/1036389448/biden-declassifies-secret-fbi-report-detailing-saudi-nationals-connections-to-9-">9/11</a>.
Yet few question the US role in creating those terrorists. The US wanted
Afghanistan to be the Vietnam for the Soviets. In the 1980s, the US backed the
most violent Muslims from around the world who flocked to fight a jihad in
Afghanistan. They became known as the <a href="https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/the-united-states-and-the-mujahideen/">mujahideen</a>
and delivered a crushing defeat to the Soviets. President Ronald Reagan <a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75852643">met</a> with them in the Oval
Office. Later, these jihadis formed al-Qaeda, al-Nusrat, ISIS, and other
terrorist groups who have been causing deaths and destruction since. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In January 2020, the US killed Iranian General Qassim <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-meaning-of-qassem-suleimanis-death-in-the-middle-east">Soleimani</a>
when he was on his way to meet the Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi.
Soleimani had helped defeat ISIS and his execution triggered anger in the
Middle East. Additionally, it also set a precedent for killing diplomats and
has put in danger US diplomats around the world. From the days of the 2003 Iraq
War, US actions have often been reckless, endangering peace consistently.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the case of Iran, the US has acted most unwisely. For
decades, it has been trying to initiate “regime change.” The US has imposed
draconian sanctions on the country and caused untold suffering. Few Americans
realize that over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/04/02/khomeini-decrees-islamic-republic-after-vote-in-iran/c4d11a54-8981-4b91-8ca0-7d9771a8cf2c/">98%</a>
of Iranians voted to create an Islamic republic in 1979.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US supports Ukraine in the name of freedom and
democracy. Yet the key reason for this support to do so is to weaken Russia.
The US has imposed sanctions against Russia and supplied weapons to Ukraine to
weaken Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yet Putin’s popularity <a href="https://www.intellinews.com/putin-s-approval-rating-ends-2022-at-81-boosted-by-support-for-the-war-in-ukraine-265628/">reached</a>
81% at the end of last year while US President Joe Biden’s approval <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/01/biden-job-approval-rating-close-to-positive.html">rating</a>
dropped to 44%.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US funds that have been spent on regime change and
military operations have caused economic pain, violence and suffering around
the world. These funds could have been used to eliminate poverty and improve
infrastructure at home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Over the years, these policies have taken a toll on the
reputation of the US. Ayatollah Khamenei once <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/9/20/who-is-the-great-satan">referred</a>
to the US as the Great Satan. Many others around the world may not agree with
that description but share the ayatollah’s anti-American sentiment. To improve
its global standing, the US must stop meddling in other countries or invading
them. It could begin with mending relations with Iran and apologizing for the
1953 coup. Instead of acting as a domineering hegemon, the US must work with
other nations to enhance freedom and peace for all humanity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">Mehdi Alavi</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">This article was first published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/us-neocolonial-era-began-in-1953-even-now-it-continues/">Fair
Observer</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-46685985782459348272023-04-15T15:32:00.001-05:002023-04-15T15:34:18.975-05:00What You Need to Know About the US Presidency<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The US has
projected itself as the global leader of democracy through its worldwide mass
media, huge economy and lavish military expenditures. A close look contradicts
that notion and reveals that the country needs extensive reforms before
claiming to be truly democratic. The presidency itself needs reforms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-iqzdYrmrWdZ3HM770Fr9GYW8GTQcD-PTN7CIxK79iS6t_hXqkyRiBjB1Ut6gvvkhtHdWBiqLXWzGE4yEVJcmvoxqOGZp8jFqj3DKsGyfU1lubEwOXwLBUg7Jtt2nzeTFzgnt6Z68-wpeL7V9fvzrxiD9y4tWa8Uk8t1TZH5hYiWI6_KZ-mdzubgd9Q" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="773" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-iqzdYrmrWdZ3HM770Fr9GYW8GTQcD-PTN7CIxK79iS6t_hXqkyRiBjB1Ut6gvvkhtHdWBiqLXWzGE4yEVJcmvoxqOGZp8jFqj3DKsGyfU1lubEwOXwLBUg7Jtt2nzeTFzgnt6Z68-wpeL7V9fvzrxiD9y4tWa8Uk8t1TZH5hYiWI6_KZ-mdzubgd9Q=w414-h233" width="414" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background: rgb(251, 251, 251); font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;">The White House – The official residence of the
President of the United States in Washington, D.C. lit by the setting sun in
the evening. © solomonjee / shutterstock.com</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Despite its repeated and resolute claims to being a thriving
democracy, the US has never been truly democratic. While the Western superpower
does have some features of democracy, so have many authoritarian regimes, such
as <a href="https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/junta-set-stay-power-after-chad-delays-elections-by-two-years-2022-10-02/">Chad</a>,
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/russia-vote-victory-for-putin-who-could-now-stay-in-power-until-2036.html">Russia</a>
and <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/venezuelas-assembly-elections">Venezuela</a>
to name a few.<o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In my previous <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-colossal-corruption-of-the-two-party-system/">article</a>,
I discussed how the two domineering political parties enjoy overweening perks and
privileges. This two-party duopoly over power undermines democratic ideals. In
a supposedly representative democracy, people’s elected officials are supposed
to consider people’s ideas, interests, concerns and welfare. Instead, US
elected officials are indebted to megadoners who finance their elections. So,
they serve those who pay for their election campaigns, not the people who vote
for them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In my other <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/the-truth-about-us-democracy/">article</a>,
I evaluated the ways in which the rich and the “deep state” have manipulated US
elections. They have brought politicians under their thumbs, and the American
two-party system—which George Washington famously <a href="https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/george-washington-on-political-parties/">warned</a>
against—is now more corrupt than ever before. This system is unlikely to last
very long and the 2021 <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-worrying-consequences-of-the-january-6-insurrection/">insurrection</a>
that stormed the US Capitol is proof of the fragility of American democracy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In this article, I shine the light on the problems with the
US presidency and why its selection process is affront to democracy. The
president is not elected by the popular votes but chosen by electors whose
royalties are to the two political parties and not the people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Over the years, the presidential electoral process has
become incorrigibly corrupt. The 2010 Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained">ruling</a>
in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has made money critical to
campaigns. Since that infamous decision, corporate entities and wealthy
institutions/people can donate unlimited money to elections. The presidential
campaign has become so expensive that the candidates compete to please the
rich. Without enough finance, no politician can run a campaign and win.
Candidates with low ethical values willing to sell their royalty to the rich
end up pursuing the presidency. Those with the most money usually win. This is
catastrophic.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is clear, the presidency needs major reforms. The public
agrees: in a 2020 Pew <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/03/31/many-in-us-western-europe-say-their-political-system-needs-major-reform/">survey</a>,
two-thirds of American adults took this view.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Do You
Understand Presidential Election Process<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US president is chosen by the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college">Electoral College</a> (EC)
whose members are chosen by the Democratic and Republican political parties.
All other political parties are left out. The EC was not in the 1788 US
Constitution, but the concept was ratified in the <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-12/">12th
Amendment</a> under “electors” in 1804. To chiefly address the issues arising
from that amendment, the <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-20/">20th
Amendment</a> also known as “Lame Duck Amendment” was ratified 1933. This
second amendment let the vice president-elect to rise to presidency if the
president-elect dies before taking the office. In case both president and vice
president are found unfit, it also gives the US Congress authority to select an
acting president until a president or vice president can be selected.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, the 1804 election process is still
continuing. The mere fact that Donald Trump <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-11-18/half-of-republicans-believe-president-trump-won-election-poll-finds">became</a>
the US president-elect in 2016 despite getting substantially less popular votes
than Hillary Clinton has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/21/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-popular-vote-final-count/index.html">demonstrated</a>
that getting the majority of the votes does not matter. To win, a candidate
needs a majority in the EC. Trump was chosen to be the US president by the EC
whose members’ first loyalty is to the two political parties, which depend on
the support from the rich. What is true for Trump is also true for George W.
Bush. In 2000, he <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/~dguber/POLS125/articles/pomper.htm">became</a>
president even though Al Gore won more votes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Given such results, you may even wonder why we have
presidential elections. The pseudo-elections remain because the rich, the “deep
state,” want them to legitimize the process in the eye of the voters and delude
them into thinking they are participating in a democratic process. However, the
rich are selective in choosing and financing candidates. To ensure high return
on their investments, they seek the candidates based on their charisma and
cunning to entertain and excite people. Unfortunately, they do not give much
attention to the candidates’ qualifications, experience, expertise, management
skills or sometimes even physical and mental health to lead the nation for a
better future for all Americans. In recent years, the US has had presidents
like George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, none of whom had met those
requirements. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Increasingly, candidates depend on money to win elections,
particularly after the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in favor of the rich. In the
2016 elections, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/us/politics/campaign-spending-donald-trump-hillary-clinton.html">spent</a>
a combined sum of over one billion dollars on their political campaigns.
Candidates do not spend such a large sum from their personal funds. They depend
on donors to back them. Few Americans <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jan/24/andrew-yang/what-percent-americans-donate-political-candidates/">donate</a>
to political campaigns and less than 1% donate over $200. Thus, the candidates
are left at the mercy of the rich.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Elections
Have Turned Sordid<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">These elections have degenerated into a celebrity
competition. They attract narcissistic individuals who often lack a moral
compass. There is no process to filter out undesirable candidates. In fact, the
process is so corrupt that political, in particular presidential, candidates
feel desperate to win favor from the rich. They even forsake their countries’
interests to please the rich. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes, one wonders if the candidates are running for
elections in another country. In 2007, <a href="https://www.arabamericannews.com/2020/03/18/zionist-biden-in-his-own-words-my-name-is-joe-biden-and-everybody-knows-i-love-israel/">Joe
Biden</a> declared, “I am a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a
Zionist.” He did so to please the Zionist rich after Obama chose Biden as his
running mate. As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/325752/why-joe-biden-is-good-for-israel/">wooed
the American</a> Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) by declaring his
loyalty to Israel. As president, Trump made Israel the foundation of his
foreign policy decisions. He bent over backwards to <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/the-truth-about-us-democracy/">please</a>
Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire who backs Israel and Jewish causes. To both
Biden and Trump, Israel came first because they needed money from Jewish
donors. Like prostitutes, US presidents now serve the highest bidders.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, the rich also do not like to see certain
citizens participate in these elections. So, they have their lackeys to prevent
some territories from becoming states, leaving them out of the elections.
According to the U.S. Constitution, <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/#:~:text=No%20Person%20except%20a%20natural,been%20fourteen%20Years%20a%20Resident">Article
II, Section 1</a>, much of its population living in Puerto Rico, Guam, the
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and other US
territories are not qualified to vote in the presidential election. An example
is <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/united-states-territories">Puerto
Rico</a>, which has a population of over 3.2 million, which is <a href="https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/US-states-population.htm">greater</a>
than any of the 21 states.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Another problem with the 20th Amendment is that it gives
authority to the US Congress to elect president or vice president if either of
them is found unfit for office. Rather, that election should be left to the
people.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully, Americans are wising up. In 1981, 75% of
Americans favored abolishing the EC system. In 1987, the American Bar
Association called the EC “archaic” and “ambiguous.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Reform
Presidential Elections<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The US presidency must be democratized. Otherwise, troubles
lie ahead. In the long term, such a flawed process to elect presidents will
cause a loss of faith in the office and in democracy itself. I recommend three
key reforms.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">First, the popular ballot must decide who becomes president.
The EC must go. That requires amending the 12th Amendment and the 20th
Amendment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Second, the media must provide free “<a href="https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/949/equal-time-rule">equal
air time</a>” for all presidential candidates. This will take away the
advantage candidates with more money have in the current process.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Third, we must limit <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/the-truth-about-us-democracy/">contributions</a>
from all sources to any candidate. There has to be a cap on the amount
individuals can donate and the amount any candidate can raise. That will take
away the disproportionate power of the wealthy in deciding US elections and
hand back power to the people.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">Mehdi Alavi</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 107%;">This article
was first published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-presidency/">Fair
Observer</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-18869306792643973692023-03-30T21:54:00.007-05:002023-03-30T22:46:02.072-05:00Colossal Corruption of the Two-Party System<p><b>The US has declared itself to be the global leader in
democracy through its mass media, powerful economy and extensive military.
However, the US needs many reforms before it can claim to be truly democratic.
Disposing of the two-party system would be a good place to start.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjai4SDlBkSPnX7mEm2iA8mQAiKBMff1ydxu1sYxRXJM4rPyuxavwNhv7LhBqrg2RxyBu8_BU8teux3q3QlSLmaTEX-Pp6n14sFtrnTFvo-Ccw-N32qU_Sk2xV-3wVVcqz90Q_EA6vo1n4MRGyRvw-fsMh4GBRnUtbV8kszRr3HAtZqt7_emgBSh3jLFg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img alt="" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="775" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjai4SDlBkSPnX7mEm2iA8mQAiKBMff1ydxu1sYxRXJM4rPyuxavwNhv7LhBqrg2RxyBu8_BU8teux3q3QlSLmaTEX-Pp6n14sFtrnTFvo-Ccw-N32qU_Sk2xV-3wVVcqz90Q_EA6vo1n4MRGyRvw-fsMh4GBRnUtbV8kszRr3HAtZqt7_emgBSh3jLFg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hand with ballot and wooden box on Flag of USA, party icon ©
Peeradach R / shutterstock.com<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Despite its domineering international presence and resolute
claim to democracy, the US has never been truly democratic. While the Western
superpower does have some features of democracy, many authoritarian regimes,
such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/russia-vote-victory-for-putin-who-could-now-stay-in-power-until-2036.html">Russia</a>,
<a href="https://timep.org/commentary/analysis/egypts-elections-and-parliament-old-habits-never-die/">Egypt</a>
and <a href="https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>
have democratic features as well. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In my previous <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/the-truth-about-us-democracy/">article</a>,
I evaluated the ways in which the rich have US politicians under their thumbs,
and how the American two-party system—which George Washington famously <a href="https://teachingamericanhistory.org/blog/george-washington-on-political-parties/">warned</a>
would become problematic—is more corrupt than ever before.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A
Two-Horse Race<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The mere fact that these two political parties enjoy many
perks and privileges undermines democratic ideals. Democracy requires all
parties to be treated equally. Democratic and Republican parties are <a href="https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/voting-elections/campaign-funding-finance-explained">funded</a>
generously by public, government, government political action committees
(PACs), labor unions, corporations, and other associations. Other political
parties, such as the Libertarian, Green, Reform, Constitution and Natural Law
parties all struggle for recognition. These less powerful parties face many <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/politics-july-dec04-third_parties">obstacles</a>,
including lack of attention by the media, minimal federal campaign financing,
and a shortage in government funding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Oftentimes, US elected officials dishonor their commitments
and promises to their constituents, which has led to <a href="https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2021/11/american-voters-say-corruption-is-a-concern-congress-should-heed-the-message">voter
apathy</a>. The presidential elections draw the most voters to the polls, but
still fall short of obtaining popular eligible voter participation. From
1904-2016, <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/data/voter-turnout-in-presidential-elections">voter
turnouts</a> have varied from 66% to less than 50%. Midterm turnouts are
substantially worse. In 2022, the voter turnout was less than <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/10/texas-voter-turnout-2022/">46%</a>
in Texas, despite the mail ballot option. Apparently, many Americans are
unhappy with the two-party political system and feel that their votes do not
amount to anything. The US public is waking up to the realities of its
corrupted government. According to a 2022 Pew <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/the-two-party-system-and-views-of-differences-between-the-republican-and-democratic-parties/">survey</a>,
only 32% of American adults feel that the two primary political parties
adequately align with their views. That means that an overwhelming majority of
Americans are not happy with the current government and election process. To
become democratic, the US political system must reform.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In a truly <a href="https://www.historyonthenet.com/what-is-a-representative-democracy">representative
democracy</a>, the people’s elected officials should be obligated to consider
their constituents’ ideas, interests, concerns and welfare in rendering
political decisions. In the US, the situation is totally different. Americans’
choices are chiefly limited to the candidates from two political parties who,
at least superficially, represent completely opposite views. Many American
voters are frustrated that there is no middle ground. To make matters worse,
the champions of these polarizing elections are then indebted to the rich who
funded their campaigns, rather than to the constituents they were elected to
represent.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hostility,
Not Rivalry, Between the Parties<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">From the start, the two-party system was condemned at the
highest level. “The alternate domination of one faction over another…is itself
a frightful despotism,” warned the first US president, George Washington.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The French philosopher <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/voltaireletters-concerning-the-english-nation-1733">Voltaire</a>
held a similar view, stating that “If one religion only were allowed in
England, the Government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were but
two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a
multitude, they all live happy and in peace”. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The same is true concerning a regime with two political
parties. This limiting of political debate to a binary opposition encourages
extremism from both sides and leads to the dangerous polarization of the
public. In recent decades, tensions and violence have risen across the country.
Both parties continue to adopt harmful tactics in an attempt to cut the other
down and gain supremacy. The American public suffers as a result. As observed
during the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-worrying-consequences-of-the-january-6-insurrection/">January
6 insurrection</a>, when thousands of angry constituents stormed the capitol
building in Washington, DC, the incessant bickering between the Democrats and
Republicans has fragmented the nation and heightened the risk of dissolving the
union.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The recent <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-fight-enters-fourth-day-amid-antebellum-era-dysfunction-2023-01-06/">election</a>
of the US House speaker is a perfect example of the conflict and corruption
that plagues the current government. It is an event that will go down in
history as one of the most notorious examples of the inefficiency of American
politics — a direct result of a system confined to only two polarizing political parties. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It took 15 rounds of voting to elect Republican Kevin
McCarthy speaker of the House of Representatives. In a very contentious
election, McCarthy won with less than half of the House participation. Many
officials abstained from the vote, including six of McCarthy’s fellow members
of the Republican party. He was finally elected thanks to his endorsing the
concession that any member of the House could call for his removal at any time.
This was similar to what happened during the House election in 1859 before the
Civil War. The event demonstrated the deep dysfunctionality of the two
political parties in the US Congress. Their continuous bickering makes it
impossible to pass meaningful bills in a timely manner. However, these
competitors are united in their habit of catering to megadonors in the support
of the military-industrial complex, despite the fact that president Dwight
Eisenhower warned against it in his 1961 farewell <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-dwight-d-eisenhowers-farewell-address">speech</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As seen in the election of McCarthy as House speaker, America
is run by two squabbling political parties. These politicians are more focused
on shaming one another than addressing the overwhelming national problems that
plague the country. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A
Dangerously Divided Nation</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is not surprising that the nation is divided, and so many
Americans are living every day in desperation and anger. Economic disparity and
discrimination are national issues which are particularly oppressive to
minority groups including Native Americans, blacks, Latinos, and Muslims. The
gap between the rich and the poor is deep and ever-widening. Approximately 32%
of all <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/01/richest-one-percent-gained-trillions-in-wealth-2021.html#:~:text=The%20top%201%25%20owned%20a,end%20of%202021%2C%20data%20show.">wealth</a>
in the US is held by only 1% of the population, an alarmingly disproportionate
statistic. Even more concerning is that at the same time, over 11% of Americans
live below <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html">poverty
level</a>. American politicians have not done nearly enough to address these
issues.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The two-party animosity of the federal government has
spilled over into the states. State level politicians often engage in a
manipulative practice called “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/gerrymandering">gerrymandering</a>”, a
redistricting scheme that intentionally marginalizes minorities, the poor and
the least-educated citizens.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This endless bipartisan frustration leads to hostility
between citizens, families, and friends. A <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/as-partisan-hostility-grows-signs-of-frustration-with-the-two-party-system/">poll</a>
conducted by the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/as-partisan-hostility-grows-signs-of-frustration-with-the-two-party-system/">Pew</a>
Research Center found that “72% of Republicans and 64% of Democrats” consider
the other party to be more dishonest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">While many Americans abhor the two-party system, some fear
that having more than two parties could result in a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/coalition">coalition</a>, making the
country even more unstable than it already is. However, this fear is
unsubstantiated. Many Americans will continue voting as their parents had, and
will remain loyal to one of the two major political parties that currently
dominate. Furthermore, competition will force the Republican and Democratic
parties to become more centrist in their policies, as extremism will no longer
be advantageous. Investing in lesser-known political parties would benefit the
US immensely. If this is not accomplished soon, the US is at risk for the first
ever global social progress <a href="https://www.socialprogress.org/static/f832a1893a12fcfb3f510ae55fe89e50/2022%20SPI%20Press%20Release_1.pdf">recession</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Crisis
Demands Reforms<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Most of the US’ <a href="https://www.enotrans.org/article/americas-infrastructure-crisis-isnt-overstated/">infrastructure</a>
was built after World War II, and is rapidly deteriorating. The American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) rates US infrastructure near failing with D+
grade. Across the country, highways, bridges, tunnels, railways, clean water,
electricity and other public services are either in complete ruin or are
insufficient to accommodate population growth. Despite this undeniable
infrastructure crisis, US politicians continue to overspend on the military.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 2021, the US military spent a whopping <a href="https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2022/world-military-expenditure-passes-2-trillion-first-time">$801
billion</a> while its top adversaries, China, Russia and Iran, spent $293
billion, $65.9 billion, and $24.6 billion respectively. Thus, the US spent more
than double on its military than the combined spendings of its global
competitors. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To break it down, US military spending was around three
times higher than China’s, over 12 times more than Russia’s and 32 times more
than Iran’s. This unnecessary spending could have been better spent to help the
poor, increase domestic production, and improve America’s dilapidated
infrastructure.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Without standards in place to ensure equal opportunity and
constitutional rights for all American citizens, democracy can easily be
transformed into what John Adams called, “the <a href="https://nyirkos.com/tyranny-of-the-majority/">tyranny</a> of the
majority.” Thomas Jefferson also purportedly claimed that democracy can often
resemble mob rule, and in the case of America’s current political sphere, this
saying has a ring of truth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The biased and corrupt two-party system is not sustainable
long-term. It is time to challenge the power of bipartisanism. To begin, I
recommend the following steps:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>First, provide sufficient funding to less extreme political
parties, to allow them to finally break through onto the political stage and
permit them to have actual influence on elections.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Second, cut all federal campaign financing and government
funding. When the government has such a powerful monetary hand in elections,
corruption is inevitable. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Third, provide free “<a href="https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/949/equal-time-rule">equal
air time</a>” in broadcasting for all election candidates, not just the ones
who can shell out the most money. Many quality candidates become overshadowed
by wealthy extremists who can afford to disseminate more political advertising
and propaganda.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fourth, limit contributions from all sources to that which
is equal to what the average American is willing to contribute to a candidate.
PACs, unions and other associations can multiply that amount by the number of
their active members. However, no member should be allowed to double-dip,
individually or as a group.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fifth, dismantle the “<a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Winner-take-all">winner-take-all</a>” electoral
system, which has been rejected by many emerging democracies. Nebraska and
Maine have already vowed to dismantle this system and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/us/nebraska-legislature-rejects-winner-take-all-electoral-vote-system.html">allocate</a>
results proportionately instead.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sixth, enforce the “<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/publications/code-official-conduct">Code of
Official Conduct</a>” in both government chambers. Insert a paragraph to ensure
that members of Congress, their family members, close friends, and associates
are unable to practice nepotism to accumulate wealth and power, or be favored
for high political positions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Only when the United States takes steps to implement these
changes will the nation begin its ascension to true democracy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">By <o:p></o:p>By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com">Mehdi Alavi</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">This article was originally published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-colossal-corruption-of-the-two-party-system/">Fair
Observer</a>.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-68983343762288022152023-02-23T12:47:00.003-06:002023-02-23T12:50:36.245-06:00Scary CIA-MI6 Coup Destroyed Iran and Damaged the World<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mohammad Mosaddegh changed Iran and the world. He
challenged the mighty British Empire, which then conspired with Uncle Sam to
get rid of him. This 1953 original sin led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and
is the fundamental reason for US-Iran tensions.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGFBXLU_OdI2O2JRnwt1GXpidXkdYNzSfzb0Q90gAC7cWz3d42lP0EdZtSq7sza4Gq4CnLfuJ4YeifVn_mt6-QBiXQQCpddjoM_jsXHBpaqUtDnRAJuURP3Jy9WxYgIL-xNHiiweRVz3A5NRfU0Nc_Ex0J1Upo4DqQ70KWjaP-8tIB3eLk3SrmD8GzLg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="975" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGFBXLU_OdI2O2JRnwt1GXpidXkdYNzSfzb0Q90gAC7cWz3d42lP0EdZtSq7sza4Gq4CnLfuJ4YeifVn_mt6-QBiXQQCpddjoM_jsXHBpaqUtDnRAJuURP3Jy9WxYgIL-xNHiiweRVz3A5NRfU0Nc_Ex0J1Upo4DqQ70KWjaP-8tIB3eLk3SrmD8GzLg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">flags of USA and Iran © <span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background-color: #fbfbfb;"><i>danielo</i> / shutterstock.com</span> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The recent <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/why-are-young-people-protesting-in-iran/">protests</a> in
Iran are a product of many compounding factors. It is indubitably true that
women want greater freedoms. What is often left unsaid that economic pain is
driving these protests. Much of this pain is caused by US sanctions against
Iran.<o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal">During these protests, some have chanted slogans in favor of
the Pahlavi dynasty. Sadly, these protesters do not realize that both father
Reza Shah and son Mohammad Reza Shah would have shot them dead or arrested and
tortured if they were in power.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In our previous <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iran-news/why-do-you-need-to-know-about-mohammad-mosaddegh/">article</a>,
we analyzed Mohammad Mosaddegh and the golden age of Iranian democracy. For a
12-year spell from 1941 to 1953, Iran experienced freedom, reforms and the
exercise of popular sovereignty. Mosaddegh cleaned up corruption and improved
the economy. He invested in health, unemployment insurance and infrastructure.
Mosaddegh also initiated programs to address women’s rights. However, this
Iranian statesman is most noted for leading the nationalization of the oil
industry.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The British Strike Back<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The British had a monopoly over Iran’s oil since its
discovery in 1908. Nationalization of the oil industry made Mosaddegh their
worst enemy and British agents began working to oust him. They used every
possible means to undermine his policies and question his competence. They
resorted to disinformation, bribery, blackmail, murder and riots.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In June 1953, the British succeeded in winning over American
support by painting Mosaddegh to be a socialist. By now, the US was <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/mccarthy-hearings/communists-in-government-service.htm">paranoid</a> about
the spread of communism. The British also promised Americans a share of the
oil. Nationalization was also a bad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBxbyjjOUfI">precedent</a> for other
countries and went against the interests of American oil companies. The US was
also disappointed that Mosaddegh did not show any <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1398/05/27/2077882/%D8%A7%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82-%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF-%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF/amp">interest</a> in
the formation of the Baghdad Pact, yet another anti-Soviet military alliance of
the Cold War.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hence, the US agreed with the British to launch “<a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/20/64-years-later-cia-finally-releases-details-of-iranian-coup-iran-tehran-oil/">Operation
Ajax</a>.” Its goal: remove Mosaddegh from power. Now, the CIA dispatched one
of its stars to Tehran. This swashbuckler was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/690363402/how-the-cia-overthrew-irans-democracy-in-four-days">Kermit
Roosevelt</a> and he worked with close coordination with MI6 for regime
change in Iran. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Together, the Americans and the British bribed politicians,
military officers, government officials, warlords, and reporters. They also
hired mobsters and hoodlums to pretend to be communists. These fake communists
attacked people, broke into stores, torched buildings and used profanity as
part of their shock and awe tactics to discredit Mosaddegh.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These tactics did not quite work. Mosaddegh remained wildly
popular. When this Iranian statesman called for a referendum to dissolve
the <i>Majles</i> (the Iranian parliament), he got <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/16/archives/mossadegh-terms-majlis-dissolved-premier-asks-shah-to-order-new.html">99%</a> of
the vote. However, the British and the Americans were infiltrating many
powerful interest groups in Iran. The plot against Mosaddegh was thickening. In
August 1953, even as Mosaddegh remained <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/16/archives/mossadegh-terms-majlis-dissolved-premier-asks-shah-to-order-new.html">immensely</a> popular,
he was unaware that many of his <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/indian-express/august-16-1953/">enemies</a>,
including some in his own party, were conspiring with the British and the
Americans to oust him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>One Coup Fails but the Second Succeeds<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On August 16, 1953, the Shah dismissed Mosaddegh. He
appointed General Fazlollah Zahedi, a <a href="https://www.leftvoice.org/iran-1953-how-the-cia-orchestrated-an-imperialist-coup/">CIA
agent</a>, as prime minister. Some close associates of the Shah have <a href="https://www.radiofarda.com/a/fk_downfall_e26/25377759.html">taken</a> the
view that this was unnecessary. Mosaddegh would have resigned had the Shah
asked him to do so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Zahedi and his cronies began arresting Mosaddegh’s top
aides. Mosaddegh saw Zahedi’s appointment as a military coup and refused to
step down. The prime minister summoned loyal military officers to his defense.
They arrested the party Zahedi had sent to capture Mosaddegh.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Shah fled the country and Zahedi took refuge with the
CIA. The CIA-led, MI6 first <a href="https://www.leftvoice.org/iran-1953-how-the-cia-orchestrated-an-imperialist-coup/">coup</a> attempt
miserably failed. Mosaddegh felt so confident that he did not take the
opportunity to <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1398/05/27/2077882/%D8%A7%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82-%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF-%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF/amp">speak</a> to
the nation about the coup. This turned out to be a historic blunder.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The CIA and MI6 did not give up. They carried on their
anti-government activities and instigated violence in the streets. Fearing
communist attacks, Iranians withdrew to their homes. After three days of
rioting, Ayatollah Abul-Qasem Kashani reportedly <a href="https://www.ashtoncentralmosque.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Encyclopedia-of-Islam-and-the-Muslim-world-by-Richard-Matin.pdf">warned</a> Mosaddegh
about a coup attempt to oust him. Mosaddegh dismissed the warning with
his aloof reply, “I am supported by the Iranian nation.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The very next day, large crowds suddenly appeared in the
streets in support of the Shah. On this historic day of August 19, 1953,
Mosaddegh was caught unawares. The second <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/revolution-erupted-in-iran-because-of-mohammad-reza-shah/">coup</a> attempt
succeeded. Zahedi came out of hiding and arrested Mosaddegh. On hearing about
Mosaddegh’s fall, the then British prime minister <a href="http://www.ensafnews.com/333102/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B4%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82/">Anthony
Eden</a> said that after a long time he finally slept well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the coup, Mosaddegh was put on <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/central-intelligence-agency/highlights-of-the-mossadeq-trial/">trial</a> as
a traitor in a military court. Fearing popular reaction, Mosaddegh’s statements
in his defense were all censored. Mosaddegh was sentenced to solitary
confinement to begin with and then house arrest for the remainder of his life.
At the age of 84, he died in 1967 while still in house arrest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLHwH85uCn1EWmHixREX1VW7oVotS3kOGtUdpgFVtKU0dIbPgWgSX9TjN3C_Q7m-P7XXk0XUHVP6gEB9TLmIePGeYMBZFpgZ1Vk6dims4saWmacRz_qu5MbswIhvPg50tBZQJeJ199VI6ZtVUt-02p-swIZjAGW_L-NTvl1f6q4KSQBiZSqZXV0QU_Ng" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="975" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLHwH85uCn1EWmHixREX1VW7oVotS3kOGtUdpgFVtKU0dIbPgWgSX9TjN3C_Q7m-P7XXk0XUHVP6gEB9TLmIePGeYMBZFpgZ1Vk6dims4saWmacRz_qu5MbswIhvPg50tBZQJeJ199VI6ZtVUt-02p-swIZjAGW_L-NTvl1f6q4KSQBiZSqZXV0QU_Ng" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohammad Mosaddegh in court martial</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">In the <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/biography/">court</a>, he said, “Yes,
my sin – my greater sin – and even my greatest sin is that I nationalized
Iran’s oil industry and discarded the system of political and economic
exploitation by the world’s greatest empire…. This at the cost to myself,
my <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/biography/khadijeh/">family</a>;
and the risk of losing my life, my honor, and my property.” Then, he continued,
“I am well aware that my fate must serve as an example in the future throughout
the Middle East in breaking the chain of slavery and servitude to colonial
interests.”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKR3m3sm7DSxjJOMZ-Y3yz8Xqv8k2cXqGuYAApk0_5XPr61_I_ezN69iHXiz8Bs4w6EvoZnGrPVPr06mp-2BR9uuB3ziLUMjTajsUAlUiEWuuwW59HuksDWWZUQI8V0EaeUcZcVneDK40Q6CG73jUnAfyQQoKL1dnQdplI3jb4cS_Y3Inm5VCcO0k0OA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="975" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKR3m3sm7DSxjJOMZ-Y3yz8Xqv8k2cXqGuYAApk0_5XPr61_I_ezN69iHXiz8Bs4w6EvoZnGrPVPr06mp-2BR9uuB3ziLUMjTajsUAlUiEWuuwW59HuksDWWZUQI8V0EaeUcZcVneDK40Q6CG73jUnAfyQQoKL1dnQdplI3jb4cS_Y3Inm5VCcO0k0OA" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">After the coup, the weak, narcissist and debauched Shah
returned to Iran. From now on, he wielded absolute power. Tutored by US
advisers, he became a cruel despot just like his father. He crushed all
political movements. The opposition went underground, discontent simmered and
eventually led to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.</div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Personal Memories and Consequences of the Coup<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the co-authors still remembers the day of the coup.
He was with his father doing errands in central Tehran. At midday, everything
seemed peaceful. Suddenly, all hell broke loose. People appeared in trucks
chanting, “Death to Mosaddegh, long live the Shah.” The co-author’s father
instinctively cursed the British for engineering this ruckus. The very next
day, Iranians such as the co-author’s father, friends and family knew that the
CIA and MI6 had engineered the coup because Zahedi thanked the US for its
support.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the US and in Britain, the people did not realize the
role the CIA and MI6 had played for years. They assumed that organic street
protests led to Mosaddegh’s fall. One co-author has been in the US since 1965.
He is married to an American. He has had numerous discussions with fellow
Americans who resolutely believed that the US could never do as dastardly a
deed as overthrow a democratically elected government through a coup.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The US mass media took the same line as uninformed American
citizens. In 2003, <i>The New York Times</i> supported the Iraq War.
In 1953, this venerable publication supported the coup against Mosaddegh. <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/time-magazine/iran-the-people-take-over/"><i>Time
Magazine</i></a> went further and claimed that “this was no military coup,
but a spontaneous popular uprising.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2013, such claims were proved patently false. The
CIA <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB435/">admitted</a> that
it carried out the 1953 coup with the approval of the highest levels of the US
government. The British have yet to issue a mea culpa but numerous retired MI6
and CIA officers have remarked to the other co-author that this coup turned out
to be a historic blunder. These officers maintain that this 1953 coup had
unintended consequences and led directly to the 1979 revolution.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It turns out that the coup was planned, coordinated and
directed by Cyprus-based MI6 agent <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/video/end-of-empire-iran/norman-darybyshire-interview/">Norman
Darbyshire</a>. The CIA’s Roosevelt merely executed Darbyshire’s plans. The
1953 coup was the CIA’s first exposure to covert operations that caused regime
change. Since then, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/23/the-cia-says-russia-hacked-the-u-s-election-here-are-6-things-to-learn-from-cold-war-attempts-to-change-regimes/">CIA</a> has
replicated it in numerous other countries.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The dissolute Shah rewarded the US generously for installing
him on the throne. In October 1954, Iran signed the <a href="https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-relations-iran-1953-2022">Consortium
Agreement</a>, giving the “US, British, and French oil companies” 40% ownership
of its nationalized oil industry. The management of the consortium was led by
American oil companies for 25 years and many consider it to be “the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40107317">largest commercial deal</a> ever
put together.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Surprisingly, the <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/iranian-revolution-february-1979">Islamic
Revolution</a> took over the country in February 1979 about 7 months
before the agreement was due to expire. In January 1979, one of the major
concerns of the world leaders at the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36431160">Guadeloupe</a> summit
was the flow of oil from Iran as revolution erupted in the country. The US and
Britain had profited handsomely from the 1953 coup and the 1979 revolution was
an unnecessary headache.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Why MI6 and the CIA Succeeded<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Given Mosaddegh’s popularity, a question recurs repeatedly:
Why did the coup succeed?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mosaddegh was unlucky. The communist Tudeh Party was at
least as powerful as Mosaddegh’s National Front. Tudeh could have come out on
the streets to prevent the unrest and the coup. However, Joseph Stalin’s death
in March 1953 left Tudeh in <a href="https://www.leftvoice.org/iran-1953-how-the-cia-orchestrated-an-imperialist-coup/">disarray</a>.
Just as the Shah was the lackey of the West, the Tudeh Party was controlled
directly by Stalin. With the Soviet strongman dead, Tudeh was rudderless and
useless.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to bad fortune, Mosaddegh himself was to blame.
He was an idealist who could be exceedingly naïve when it came to realpolitik.
Mosaddegh believed deeply in democracy but failed to realize that many of his
enemies did not. When he was informed about legislators, officials and military
officers plotting a coup, Mosaddegh’s reaction was to ask for proof. Naturally,
such proof was hard to come, which lulled this venerable Iranian statesman into
a false sense of complacency.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://youtu.be/mQFgmVgHCpU">https://youtu.be/mQFgmVgHCpU</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mosaddegh’s championing of freedom of religion annoyed many
conservatives. In particular, it strained relations with his most powerful
religious and patriotic supporter <a href="https://www.ashtoncentralmosque.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Encyclopedia-of-Islam-and-the-Muslim-world-by-Richard-Matin.pdf">Kashani</a>.
This support was crucial for Mosaddegh because Kashani commanded a powerful
base that could have countered those plotting a coup. To make matters worse,
Mosaddegh ignored Kashani’s warning a day before the coup.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mosaddegh lost some of his secular supporters because they
feared communism. Furthermore, some parliamentarians were upset with the prime
minister for dissolving the <i>Majles</i>. A few switched sides and
supported the coup.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mosaddegh fatally did not seize the moment after the first
coup. This attempt was reported on the radio but the prime minister did not
give a public address disclosing all the facts. He did not summon the masses to
his defense. Mosaddegh was a sick man during much of his premiership and,
particularly, at the time of the coup. He had lost touch with the masses, key
interest groups and many members of his own party. Mosaddegh also failed to
realize that success today gives no guarantee of success tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mosaddegh was a touch too credulous in trusting the US. He
expected Uncle Sam to be an honest broker between Iran and Britain. During his
visit to the US, the then president Harry Truman arranged for Mosaddegh’s
medical care. Relations between the US and Iran continued to be <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/exchange-messages-between-the-president-and-prime-minister-mossadegh-the-oil-situation-and">cordial</a> even
when Dwight D. Eisenhower became president. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As fear of communism rose in the US, Eisenhower turned
against Iran. The sweet prospects of access to Iranian oil also facilitated
this change of heart. Given the US stress on capitalism and securing oil for
its energy-hungry economy, it was inevitable that Washington would look extremely
unfavorably upon nationalization of the oil industry. Mosaddegh did not realize
the stakes on the geopolitical chessboard and was unprepared to counter the
foreign powers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com"><span style="background: white; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif; font-size: 15pt; line-height: 107%;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #313131; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh"><span style="background: white; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif; font-size: medium;">Atul Singh</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/scary-cia-mi6-coup-destroyed-iran-and-damaged-the-world/">Fair
Observer</a> on February 12, 2023.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-81730171449835559582023-02-13T07:07:00.004-06:002023-02-13T07:41:22.455-06:00The Truth About US Democracy<p><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
United States has declared itself to be the global leader in democracy through
its mass media, powerful economy, and extensive military. However, much reform
is needed before the US can become truly democratic.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHhMpTBDqdbly98ddlrjeaUQFRTZjWwWHM0Cb8oZJYyOsDQjH1zojx0EFyK9n_RvHWTAn2kD4_YvrLen1C44JKm_bIZYn7OyBcOPIlX3c5WGl5WZ_x-0zaqObs80vQjuEB8mZw33uf1KSXo3kHtwTVm4Eo-nLMTU3-5romqV_5psYL6U-zvYKoactHkQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="975" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHhMpTBDqdbly98ddlrjeaUQFRTZjWwWHM0Cb8oZJYyOsDQjH1zojx0EFyK9n_RvHWTAn2kD4_YvrLen1C44JKm_bIZYn7OyBcOPIlX3c5WGl5WZ_x-0zaqObs80vQjuEB8mZw33uf1KSXo3kHtwTVm4Eo-nLMTU3-5romqV_5psYL6U-zvYKoactHkQ=w356-h200" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Capitol Building <br /></span><o:p style="text-align: left;"></o:p></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Despite its domineering international presence and
persistent claim to democracy, the US has never been truly democratic. While
the Western superpower does have some features of democracy, many authoritarian
regimes, such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/russia-vote-victory-for-putin-who-could-now-stay-in-power-until-2036.html" target="_blank">Russia</a> and <a href="https://timep.org/commentary/analysis/egypts-elections-and-parliament-old-habits-never-die/" target="_blank">Egypt</a>, have democratic features as well. <o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal">The US claims to be a representative democracy, meaning the
people’s elected officials are obligated to consider their constituents’ ideas,
interests, concerns, and welfare in making political decisions. However, the
reality is that US politicians feel indebted to the megadonors who finance
their elections, and as a result, choose to serve not the people who voted them
into power, but the financiers who made their election to office a
reality. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The rich have US politicians on a leash. In 2017, the then
president, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/353681-trump-met-with-sheldon-adelson-after-las-vegas-shooting-report/" target="_blank">Donald Trump,</a> was accused of meeting with his 2016
campaign megadonor, Sheldon Adelson, for counsel on how to address the mass
shooting in <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/news-photo-gallery/chilling-images-from-active-shooter-scene-on-las-vegas-strip" target="_blank">Las Vegas</a>, a horrific attack that killed 59 people and
injured over 500 at a country music festival. That was two days before Trump
finally arrived in Las Vegas to meet with the surviving victims and the
families mourning the dead. Trump has denied these allegations, claiming that
the timing of his meeting with Adelson was purely coincidental, and had nothing
to do with the fact that Adelson had major investments in Las Vegas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The US electoral system is incredibly <a href="https://www.pogo.org/analysis/2021/11/american-voters-say-corruption-is-a-concern-congress-should-heed-the-message" target="_blank">corrupt</a>, as demonstrated by its <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-fight-enters-fourth-day-amid-antebellum-era-dysfunction-2023-01-06/" target="_blank">recent election</a> of the House Speaker, an event that
will go down in history as one of the most notorious examples of the
inefficiency of American politics. The country seems to be exclusively run
by two conflicting political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans.
Consequently, the nation has become extremely politically polarized, and many
Americans experience daily frustration and anger over conflicting political
beliefs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Economic disparity and discrimination are particularly
oppressive to minority groups including Native Americans, blacks, Latinos, and
now Muslims. The gap between the rich and the poor is deep and ever-widening.
Approximately 32% of all wealth in the US is held by only 1% of the population,
an alarmingly disproportionate statistic. Even more concerning is that at the
same time, over 11% of Americans live below poverty<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html" target="_blank"> level</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A 2020 article by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/opinion/sunday/inequality-america-paul-krugman.html" target="_blank"><i>The New York Times </i></a>described the economic
disparities in the United States quite accurately, stating that, “Americans may
be equal, but some are more equal than others.” Even when the US is in a deep
deficit, the government tax policy consistently favors the rich, despite the
fact that <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/396737/average-american-remains-higher-taxes-rich.aspx" target="_blank">60%</a> of Americans believe the nation’s wealthiest
should pay more taxes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">The United States government (USG) is entangled with
the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/23/sheldon-adelson-trump-super-pac-donation-25-million" target="_blank">rich</a>, the “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state" target="_blank">deep
state</a>” of America. By definition, any government whose power, either
overtly or covertly, is controlled by a small group of wealthy constituents, is
called plutocracy. Former US president <a href="https://ips-dc.org/rich-rule-america/" target="_blank">Jimmy Carter</a> once
alluded to the plutocracy of the US political system, describing it as, “an
oligarchy with unlimited political bribery.”<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Incentive for Corruption<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Because political candidates in America require <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/the-price-of-winning-just-got-higher-especially-in-the-senate/" target="_blank">substantial funding</a> to run their campaigns, they
become obliged to the rich. To<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/11/the-price-of-winning-just-got-higher-especially-in-the-senate/"> </a>win
a Senate seat, a candidate spends an average of over $10 million. According
to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/14/somebody-just-put-a-price-tag-on-the-2016-election-its-a-doozy/" target="_blank"><i>The Washington Post</i></a>, the 2016 presidential
candidates, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, spent a combined sum of over one
billion dollars on their political campaigns.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wealthy also use their power to manipulate the media,
flooding broadcasting platforms with polarizing advertisements and persuading
the American public that the only votes that count are votes for either the
Democratic or Republican parties. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This sort of propaganda makes many Americans feel
overwhelmed and confused about which candidate they should be
voting for, and some even choose to abstain from voting at all because they
don’t support either candidate. Many Americans are ignorant that the elections
are a scheme to make them think about having a voice in the government.
However, the choice of who ultimately becomes president, congressman, or other
official is usually left to the two political parties at the mercy of the
rich. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Even at the state level, wealthy Americans control political
candidates and elected officials by donating to their campaigns. The rich also
use their financial power to marginalize certain communities through a process
called <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/gerrymandering" target="_blank">gerrymandering</a>, in which the boundaries of electoral
districts are strategically drawn in a way which favors one political party
over the other. . Minorities, the poor, and the least educated are usually the
victims of this unethical practice.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A Call for
Reform<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Without ethical
standards in place to ensure equal opportunity and constitutional rights for
all citizens, democracy can easily become what John Adams called, “the </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://nyirkos.com/tyranny-of-the-majority/" target="_blank"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #29a8e8; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">tyranny</span></a></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> of the majority.” Thomas Jefferson also purportedly claimed
that democracy can often resemble mob rule, and this comparison has a ring of
truth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The USG must reform.
The country’s current system is riddled with corruption and will not be
sustainable long term, as evidenced by the 2021 </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-worrying-consequences-of-the-january-6-insurrection/" target="_blank"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #29a8e8; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">insurrection</span></a></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> at the U.S. capitol building. At the very least, steps must
be taken to make sure that campaign funding</span><strong><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></strong><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">is</span><strong><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></strong><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">democratic and fair first
by cutting all government funding to individual campaigns and political
parties, and instead requiring the media to allocate “</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/949/equal-time-rule" target="_blank"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #29a8e8; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">equal air
time</span></a></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">” at no cost to candidates. Second, the USG must
create and enforce regulations to limit campaign funding and prevent
“megadonors” from manipulating elections and government policy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To alleviate the
megadonors’ influence, the USG could limit all contributions from all sources
equal to what an average-income American is willing to contribute to a
candidate. PACs, unions and other associations can multiply that amount by the
number of their active members. However, no member can be allowed to
double-dip, individual and in group.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Only when the United
States takes steps to implement these changes will the nation begin its
ascension to true democracy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">By </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com/"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 15pt;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This article was originally edited by </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-gage-b0a2b5194/" target="_blank"><em><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none;">Hannah Gage</span></em></a><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> and published in </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/the-truth-about-us-democracy/"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fair Observer </span></a><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">on February 7,
2023.</span><o:p></o:p></p><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-33222058691947510202023-02-04T22:25:00.002-06:002023-02-04T22:28:51.654-06:00Why Do You Need to Know About Mohammad Mosaddegh?<p><b>In 1941, the British deposed their lackey Reza Shah for
cozying up with the Germans and placed his callow, decadent, opulent and
worthless son on the throne. This led to a pro-democracy movement and the rise
of Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran’s first-ever democratically elected leader.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwY-IcD7C1g4oM3P6zQb3ZSCujyY3Z8a5uT_AWy_953HjHJvtzC1SzdO_s4QowRLy0HFBINYMYV6ajgMIXoUxafIZzdWj4LdVe2iT7OaZIvfd8h37NgnyQTgPDFqi2CWe3UldXVbJImsdIRvVP8Nl_7uGqjGxtNxhdiPpOpoxacaQl2O_aRFE4ZJtQaA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="975" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwY-IcD7C1g4oM3P6zQb3ZSCujyY3Z8a5uT_AWy_953HjHJvtzC1SzdO_s4QowRLy0HFBINYMYV6ajgMIXoUxafIZzdWj4LdVe2iT7OaZIvfd8h37NgnyQTgPDFqi2CWe3UldXVbJImsdIRvVP8Nl_7uGqjGxtNxhdiPpOpoxacaQl2O_aRFE4ZJtQaA=w365-h237" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal">Courtesy of the
International Court of Justice<o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">In 1941, World War II was in full swing. Thanks to its oil
reserves, Iran was a key piece on the geopolitical chessboard. Reza Shah
Pahlavi was in-charge as an absolutist ruler. The British had backed his rise
but were uncomfortable with his flirtations with Nazi Germany. In 1941, the
British decided to get rid of </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/the-dirty-secrets-about-how-reza-shah-destroyed-iran/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Reza Shah</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> and install his son </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/revolution-erupted-in-iran-because-of-mohammad-reza-shah/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Mohammad Reza Shah</a><span style="text-align: justify;">. He was a weak 22-year-old who was putty
in British hands. His rise to power had a silver lining though.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">From 1941 to 1953, Iran experienced a golden period of
freedom. During this era, seven political parties emerged in the Iranian
parliament <i>Majles</i>. Mohammad Mosaddegh emerged as the most important
leader during this period. He became prime minister in 1951 and initiated
significant reforms.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Before 1941, Reza Shah ruled Iran with an iron hand. If
people dared to protest, they were shot on the spot or tortured to death or
whisked away to a brutal prison. From 1941 to 1953, free speech, democracy and
rule of law emerged in Iran. Mosaddegh was a key figure in democratizing
Iran. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Brief Story of Iranian Democracy<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Educated in France and Switzerland, Mosaddegh came from a
patrician family. However, he was a reformer who believed in democracy. In
1925, Mosaddegh voted against Reza Khan taking over as the Shah. Once in power
as Reza Shah, the monarch exiled him from public office. With Reza Shah out of
power in 1941, Mosaddegh emerged from the shadows to play a key role in Iranian
history.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 1944, Mosaddegh was re-elected to the Iranian parliament,
the <i>Majles</i>. As a patriot, he wanted a strong Iran. Mosaddegh aimed
to build an Iran with rule of law, freedom of religion, freedom of expression,
parliamentary democracy and a strong economy. Above all, this Iranian leader
opposed foreign interference in the internal affairs of Iran. In particular, he
did not want the British to exploit Iranian oil for London’s imperial benefit.
He was also against concessions to the Soviets in northern Iran.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mohammad Reza, the new Shah, and Iran’s <i>comprador</i> elite
were beholden to the British for their hold on power. So, they did not take
kindly to the rise of Mosaddegh. This corrupt and absolutist elite was also
against democracy because they would have lost power. They tried the age old
trick of rigging elections.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As a result, protests erupted in 1949. People came out into
the streets to rally against voter fraud. <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/national-front-iran" target="_blank">Mosaddegh</a> led a group of delegates to the Shah’s to
protest the “lack of free elections.” That forced Mohammad Reza to promise
“fair and honest” elections. Mosaddegh and some other leaders founded a party
named <i>Jebhe Melli</i>, which literally translates to <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/national-front-iran" target="_blank">National Front</a>, to contest the elections.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Once the <i>Majles </i>convened after the
elections, Mossadegh emerged as the most powerful parliamentarian. As leader
of <i>Jebhe Melli</i>, Mossadegh pushed for major reforms. The <i>Majles</i> approved
a development plan with agricultural and industrial reforms. The plan required
financing, which was only possible through oil revenues. Sadly for Iran, most
of these revenues were going to Britain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Oil Catches Fire<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Unsurprisingly, oil revenues were a hot button issue in the
1949 elections. Once the <i>Majles</i> assembled, many of its members
were duty bound to renegotiate the patently unfair agreement imperial Britain
had forced a subservient Iran to conclude. In the words of the fictional
character Michael Corleone, made famous by the 1972 movie <i>The Godfather</i>,
the British had made the Iranians an offer they couldn’t refuse. Led by
Mosaddegh, Iranians now mustered the gumption to reject that British offer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.iranchamber.com/history/oil_nationalization/oil_nationalization.php" target="_blank">Mosaddegh</a> promised to end the British control of
Iran’s oil industry. He demanded renegotiation with the Anglo-Iranian Oil
Company (AIOC), the British oil giant now known as BP. Note that the AIOC was
supposed to pay a mere 17.5% of oil revenues to Iran. In contrast, its American
counterpart was paying Saudi Arabia <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1951/01/03/archives/saudi-arabia-gets-half-u-s-oil-profit-ibn-saud-and-aramco-agree-to.html" target="_blank">50%</a> of oil revenues in 1950. To rub salt in Iranian
wounds, AIOC practiced creative accounting and did not even pay the <a href="https://ebisupublications.com/another-iranian-revolution-part-2/" target="_blank">17.5%</a> it owed Iran. In fact, they paid more in taxes
to London on their profits from Iranian oil than to Tehran. Led by Mosaddegh, Iranian
patriots resolved to get Iran’s fair share from AIOC.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLbbRy22XYNKeaFbvaWfUXjPr9eEA_F4bRlVsZn30AvMNlUn9T03wtwjMNTHsh1n-Q-BXqc40wrbw8b1HllXz03nSVMV3oexpSWLlQyTd7zjgiBAgVWZWuE36Oo_VwZIGVIX0kAmUtNlLrr-KluXRu1ji45LyKwzYmkcRq8C3TeVAjzyXxVipmjcx3zA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="975" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLbbRy22XYNKeaFbvaWfUXjPr9eEA_F4bRlVsZn30AvMNlUn9T03wtwjMNTHsh1n-Q-BXqc40wrbw8b1HllXz03nSVMV3oexpSWLlQyTd7zjgiBAgVWZWuE36Oo_VwZIGVIX0kAmUtNlLrr-KluXRu1ji45LyKwzYmkcRq8C3TeVAjzyXxVipmjcx3zA" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iranian Oil Nationalization Rally</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Iranian pressure made the British offer slightly better
terms in 1950. Mosaddegh was key in rejecting this unfair offer and demanded a
50-50 split, the same enjoyed by Saudi Arabia. Naturally, the British opposed
Mosaddegh tooth and nail. They claimed that revision of their agreement with
Iran would amount to a breach of contract. The British very conveniently
ignored their own common law idea of duress as grounds for invalidating a
contract. Simply put: if Winston puts a gun to Rumi’s head to get his signature
on a contract, that legal document is null and void. Such legal principles were
moot for AIOC, which tried every trick in the book to safeguard its
extortionate illegitimate profits.<o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">British intransigence fueled Iranian patriotism on oil
revenues. The public swung behind nationalization of AIOC. By the time the
British belatedly agreed to a 50-50 split in February 1951, the ship for
renegotiation had sailed. In March, the <i>Majles </i>passed
legislation to <a href="https://iranpress.com/content/36041/nationalisation-iran-oil-industry" target="_blank">nationalize</a> the oil industry. True to form, the Shah
did not sign this bill. This British lackey stayed loyal to his imperial
masters, not the Iranian people.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">By not signing the nationalization bill, the Shah frustrated
the <i>Majles</i> and the Iranian people. In April, the <i>Majles</i> made
Mosaddegh prime minister, with around <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/biography/" target="_blank">90%</a> voting
for him. A few months earlier, Mosaddegh had turned down the prime ministerial
position. This time, he took charge with a single-point agenda: <a href="https://www.kojaro.com/2021/7/23/192134/mossadegh--prime-minister-exile/#%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1%20%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82" target="_blank">cut out</a> foreign powers from Iran’s oil industry. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With Mosaddegh in-charge, the Shah reluctantly signed the
nationalization bill. This dramatically changed Britain-Iran dynamics. The AIOC
left Iran, dismantling even the massive Abadan Refinery and associated
facilities. For the first time in two centuries, Britain was on the backfoot.
Unsurprisingly, this mighty imperial power fought back. It went to the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) to appeal against Iranian nationalization.
Mosaddegh cannily disputed the court’s jurisdiction. Months later, the ICJ
decided in favor of Iran.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Empire Strikes Back<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The British did not just resort to legal measures though.
Their fabled intelligence agencies started conspiring to oust Mosaddegh through
hook or crook. The British courted American support to do so. Their task was
not easy. After World War II, the US had been siding with Iran on the oil
issue. It had its own strategic interest to break into the Iranian oil market.
Mosaddegh was well aware of the importance of the US. In November 1951, the
Iranian prime minister visited Washington to meet <a href="http://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/biography/harry-s-truman/letters/premier-mossadegh/june-july-1951/" target="_blank">President Harry Truman</a>. Mosaddegh had a good reception and
returned to Iran positive that the US would act as an honest mediator between
Iran and Britain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcd-JYQdSqgkMHd17Aj7L37l-DRPYAcniR6k88aEM_1wuOJ4w3KVSc6eo4RmE9dclNqjAgSOCvvv_Ncj0dgIV-htT6VSJ_lTME77p7ZAllP-r1tRiB6hTjLjOeuRfSsypFR8LFADkxRa4xoOk2V1vqo4gdWTQA-1EqIg9tLhkZlaAGz7SYif6Ldk8-Nw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="927" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcd-JYQdSqgkMHd17Aj7L37l-DRPYAcniR6k88aEM_1wuOJ4w3KVSc6eo4RmE9dclNqjAgSOCvvv_Ncj0dgIV-htT6VSJ_lTME77p7ZAllP-r1tRiB6hTjLjOeuRfSsypFR8LFADkxRa4xoOk2V1vqo4gdWTQA-1EqIg9tLhkZlaAGz7SYif6Ldk8-Nw" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mosaddegh’s successful US trip and rising international
popularity unsettled the Shah. Vainglorious and insecure, the Shah resented
Mosaddegh. When the prime minister appointed a minister of war, the Shah vetoed
him. In response, Mosaddegh resigned.<o:p></o:p></p><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This act in July 1952 led countrywide protests. People
poured into the streets, <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/biography/30-tir/" target="_blank">chanting</a> “Give
me death or give me Mosaddegh.” <a href="https://iranian.com/History/July98/30Tir/Images/page2.jpg" target="_blank"><i>Hasht
Subh</i></a>, a leading Iranian newspaper, published the headline: “Salaam to
Hero Mosaddegh, We Swear That We Stand by You to Our Death.” In keeping with
the tradition established by his brutal father, the Shah ordered a crackdown.
On July 21 — 30 Tir in the Iranian calendar — the Shah’s forces killed hundreds
of people. This bloody day in 1952 is still remembered as the 30 Tir Uprising.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The very next day, on July 22, the ICJ <a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/16" target="_blank">decided</a> in
favor of Iran. This fueled popular support for Mosaddegh. Despite his brutal
actions, the Shah was unable to establish control over Iran. He was forced to
recall Mosaddegh. The <i>Majles</i> now firmly backed the prime
minister. Iranians were euphoric. They believed that they could now move
forward towards a new future.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The British had other plans. They refused to accept the ICJ
decision. They saw Iranian insubordination as a danger to the British Empire
and imposed a worldwide embargo against Iranian oil. They froze Iranian assets
and banned exports of all goods to Iran. Britain acted against Iran in much the
same way as the US is <a href="https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/return-us-sanctions-iran-what-know" target="_blank">doing</a> today. Like the US today, Britain planned a
regime change in Tehran: Mosaddegh had to go.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">British covert operations against Mosaddegh were savage and
sophisticated. Misinformation, bribery, blackmail, murder and riots were all
part of the toolkit. On April 20, 1953, news broke out that General Mahmood
Afshar Tus, Mosaddegh’s chief of police, had been kidnapped and <a href="https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/581512/%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%AA%D8%A7" target="_blank">killed</a>. Investigations revealed that generals sidelined by
Mosaddegh were responsible for this brutal killing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">By now, the British had Americans on their side. The
zeitgeist in the US had changed. Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, Richard
Nixon was vice president and Joseph McCarthy was the most powerful voice on
Capitol Hill. McCarthy saw a communist under every bush and feared the Soviet
Union would take over the world. The British found US paranoia against
communism fertile ground to sow seeds of doubt about Mosaddegh. Bit by bit,
they convinced Washington to join them in their conspiracy to overthrow Mosaddegh.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">British and American efforts in weaning support away from
Mosaddegh in the <i>Majles </i>forced the prime minister’s hand.
Mosaddegh <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/16/archives/mossadegh-terms-majlis-dissolved-premier-asks-shah-to-order-new.html" target="_blank">asked</a> the Shah to dissolve the <i>Majles</i>. Now
both a British and an American lackey, this weak ruler declined. Mosaddegh
called for a referendum on the dissolution of the <i>Majles</i>. Over 99%
of Iranian voters supported him. On August 15, 1953, Mossadegh dissolved
the <i>Majles</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This proved to be the highpoint of Mossadegh’s power. Events
would soon overwhelm him. His political <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/indian-express/august-16-1953/" target="_blank">enemies</a> were now <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-chapter2.html" target="_blank">conspiring</a> with the British and the Americans to get
rid of him. Yet Mosaddegh had changed history. He had challenged autocratic
rule at home and deepened democracy. At the same time, he had taken on imperial
powers and won back Iranian sovereignty.<o:p></o:p></p>
<h2 style="background: white; line-height: 30pt; margin-bottom: .1in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1in; margin: 0.1in 0in;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 21.5pt;">Why Mosaddegh Matters<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif">Mosaddegh was a great statesman. He was honest, hardworking,
idealistic and resolute. He made immense personal sacrifices in his political
life. Mosaddegh steered Iran in a new direction despite the odds. In 27 months
as prime minister, he achieved more than any other Iranian leader in the last
two centuries.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif">In the land of absolutist Shahs, Mosaddegh <a href="http://www.ensafnews.com/333102/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B4%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none;">championed</span></a> rule
of law, creating an independent judiciary to check the powers of the executive.
Mosaddegh also supported freedom of expression, freedom of the press and
freedom of religion. An ardent democrat, he tried to increase political
participation and organize free elections.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif">Mosaddegh’s economic
reforms were significant and are often overlooked. A frugal man, he balanced
the budget and focused on increasing Iran’s economic output. The tiff with the
British was as much about economics as politics. Mosaddegh <a href="https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/history/us-history/mossadegh/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">invested</span></a> in health, unemployment
insurance and infrastructure. Unlike the Shah who believed in ostentatious
consumption, Mosaddegh was a believer in long term investments that would have
a major multiplier effect.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif">Mosaddegh <a href="https://www.kojaro.com/2021/7/23/192134/mossadegh--prime-minister-exile/#%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1%20%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">curtailed</span></a> the culture of corruption
fostered by the Shahs. He <a href="https://www.kojaro.com/2021/7/23/192134/mossadegh--prime-minister-exile/#%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1%20%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">removed</span></a> corrupt ministers and appointed
honest ones. He got rid of generals who served British interests. He
redistributed lands illegally seized by Reza Shah. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif">One of Mosaddegh’s last attempts in power was to give <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/04/iranian-women-and-the-struggle-for-democracy-i-the-pre-revolution-era.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">women</span></a> the right to vote in municipal
councils. He also wanted to provide women maternity leaves and give them the
same rights as men in social insurance, benefit, and disability allowances. He
had little <a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">success</span></a> but that was not for lack of
trying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 1952, Mosaddegh was <a href="https://www.mohammadmossadegh.com/news/time-magazine/man-of-the-year/" target="_blank">named</a> <i>Time Magazine’s Man of the Year</i>. As
American media often does, they painted this unfamiliar foreign figure as a
villain. In contrast, Mosaddegh was <a href="http://www.ensafnews.com/333102/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B4%D9%87-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82/" target="_blank">hailed</a> in colonies and newly independent colonies. In
Yugoslavia, Egypt and India, he was hailed as a liberating hero. Remember, this
was a time when almost all of Africa was still under European rule and the US
still practiced race segregation. In his far-sighted reforms, Mosaddegh
was far ahead of his time. Noted American diplomat Henry F. Grady <a href="https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/sep-keyword/henry-f-grady/">ca</a><a href="https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/sep-keyword/henry-f-grady/" target="_blank">l</a><a href="https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/sep-keyword/henry-f-grady/" target="_blank">led</a> Mosaddegh “a man of great intelligence, wit and
education—a cultured Persian gentleman.” To Grady, the Iranian leader
reminded him “of the late Mahatma Gandhi.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com"><span style="background: white; font-family: ACaslonProRegular, serif; font-size: 15pt; line-height: 107%; text-decoration-line: none;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #313131; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;"><span style="background: white; font-family: ACaslonProRegular, serif; text-decoration-line: none;">Atul Singh</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/iran-news/why-do-you-need-to-know-about-mohammad-mosaddegh/">Fair
Observer</a> on January 27, 2023.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div></div></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-23839139932857116622023-01-21T15:48:00.003-06:002023-01-21T16:03:10.550-06:00British Genocide in Kenya: Time for a Reckoning<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>During the colonial era, Britain routinely committed
ethnic cleansing and applied genocidal policies in Kenya. It is time Britain
apologized and paid reparations to millions of Kenyans who suffered under
British rule.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF2ZvIM2YTttNtp-M8kKKJlH5C8pg44TwMWZmVs6tDV3YxKUa3TF6wF6jn0gUDYEPQ5Z2FGzspXNDdPZcXZyF8FCJbvqMYkYMsXCYNTdjnUiyv9UDzLI8NWDAIr1qSppWw9oqZ1uzGwewQnSPyjyAnType79_cFVwKTLMDfJnhELnLUFardM4xwJCyqg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="975" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF2ZvIM2YTttNtp-M8kKKJlH5C8pg44TwMWZmVs6tDV3YxKUa3TF6wF6jn0gUDYEPQ5Z2FGzspXNDdPZcXZyF8FCJbvqMYkYMsXCYNTdjnUiyv9UDzLI8NWDAIr1qSppWw9oqZ1uzGwewQnSPyjyAnType79_cFVwKTLMDfJnhELnLUFardM4xwJCyqg=w374-h250" width="374" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">On August 20, a group of</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenyan-group-sues-uk-government-over-what-it-calls-colonial-era-land-theft-2022-08-23/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"> Kenyans</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> filed a case against Britain at the
European Court of Human Rights. They were seeking justice for the atrocities
the British committed against them during the colonial era. They are
seeking </span><a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/kenya-tribes-suing-uk-for-200-billion-over-colonial-era-torture-3286411" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">$200 billion</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> in reparations for the crimes perpetrated
in the tea-growing regions in the Kenyan Highlands. Unsurprisingly, Britain has
failed to address, leave aside apologize for, these atrocities in Kenya.</span></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To be fair, the British have apologized for one of their
darkest acts in Kenya. In 2013, the government “finalized an out-of-court
settlement with thousands of Kenyans who were tortured in detention camps
during the end of the British colonial reign.” The British were crushing the
Mau Mau — Kenyan rebels from the Kikuyu tribe — who fought in the 1950s and
1960s. It took years before the historic apology and the unprecedented
settlement was finalized in 2013.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 2022, Kenya is back in the news for seeking justice for
another brutal British act. With nearly 56 million, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XXUKBLSM6G6Z&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1671832125&s=books&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Kenya</a> is a dynamic East African country. It now has a
literacy rate of 78% but its per capita income is barely $1,879, ranking lowly
144 in the world. Many argue that many of Kenya’s current problems are a legacy
of British colonialism.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>British Colonization<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For millennia before British colonization,<a href="https://africanphilanthropy.issuelab.org/resources/19699/19699.pdf" target="_blank"> the people we now call Kenyans</a> comprised many
tribes. There was sporadic violence but these tribes lived in relative peace
and harmony. Some communities farmed, others raised livestock, while others
practiced a combination of both activities. Some were hunters and those by Lake
Victoria fished. Production served the needs of communal survival. Family and
clans shared ownership and cooperated in production as well as distribution.
These communitarian societies ensured that no one fell into abject poverty.
Boundaries between different ethnic groups were fluid. Trade and intermarriage
were prevalent. Notably, communities generally operated without the modern
version of the chief.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">British<a href="https://africanphilanthropy.issuelab.org/resources/19699/19699.pdf" target="_blank"> colonization</a> ripped apart the social fabric of
the communities who now live in Kenya. British rule kicked off with the
1884/85 <a href="https://africanphilanthropy.issuelab.org/resources/19699/19699.pdf" target="_blank">Berlin Conference</a>, which deprived Kenyans of their natural,
territorial, and political rights. In 1894, Britain declared Kenya a
protectorate of the Crown. Its officials created Kenya and drew the nation’s
boundaries without ever consulting the Kenyans themselves. These new boundaries
divided existing communities and brought disparate ethnic groups into a new
country. The British created an atmosphere in which communities had to compete
for resources and survival. They ruled over the communities with an iron hand.
Their military expeditions stole people’s lands and forced many to migrate in a
genocidal campaign.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The<a href="https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/african-history/the-colonisation-of-kenya/" target="_blank"> British</a> confiscated the land they coveted. They
instituted forced labor, turning Kenyans into the property of the British
settlers. In 1902, they inaugurated the hut tax, which forced the natives to
work for the British to pay the tax or be forced to serve the British settlers.
In 1913, they introduced the land bill. This gave British settlers a 999-year
lease and effectively confiscated nearly all Kenyan land. In 1919. they
required all native men to wear identity discs, more than a decade before the
Nazis adopted the same policy with the Jews. In the 1920s, natives were forced
to live on reservations and subjected to flogging, much as the British had done
to the indigenous peoples from North America to Australia.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mau Mau Uprising<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After World War II, India gained independence in 1947. This
inspired the African independence movements. In 1952, the Mau Mau movement for
self-determination began. When Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip
visited Kenya that year, Elizabeth reportedly went up into a treehouse as a
princess and came down as <a href="https://meaww.com/tributes-paid-treetops-hotel-where-elizabeth-25-went-up-the-tree-a-princess-and-came-down-a-queen#:~:text=NYERI%2C%20KENYA%3A%20The%20Kenyan%20safari,father%20King%20George%20IV%27s%20death." target="_blank">Queen Elizabeth II</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Whilst the royals were putting up a pretty face, British
forces were planning one of the world’s worst ethnic cleansing operations. They
went on to smash the Mau Mau through brutal methods. When Kenya achieved
independence in 1963, the British destroyed all their official records. In this
Cold War era, the US was aware of British atrocities but looked the other way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Supported at the “highest levels”, the British purged the
capital city Nairobi of<a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/09/19/kjjl-s19.html" target="_blank"> Kikuyu</a> people,
placing them in “barbed-wire enclosures”. They interrogated thousands of
detainees. Their interrogators resorted to all types of torture, including
forced labor, beatings, starvation, and sexual abuse. Records show that one of
those “tortured was the grandfather of former US President Barack
Obama”. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In a span of 18 months, the British dropped “6 million<a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/kenya-genocide/3" target="_blank"> bombs</a> into
Kenya’s forests to disrupt guerrilla activity.” Then, the British “dusted
Kikuyu areas with photographs of mutilated women to intimidate the
populace.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In her book, <i>Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of
Britain’s Gulag in Kenya</i>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Reckoning-Untold-Story-Britains/dp/0805080015" target="_blank">Caroline Elkins</a> observes that thousands of
Kenyans fought alongside British forces against Germany in World War II.
The British repaid the Kenyans with barbarism, not gratitude. They locked up
around 1.5 million Kenyans in detention camps and barbed-wired townships in
response and killed thousands.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In her 70-year reign, Elizabeth never acknowledged or
apologized for British atrocities. Neither did any prime minister. Winston
Churchill was then prime minister. Lionized in the UK even today for taking on
Adolf Hitler, Churchill escapes scrutiny for his racist, imperialist and
ruthless actions in the colonies. In 1919, he <a href="https://www.rudaw.net/english/opinion/29042018-amp">wrote</a> that
he was “strongly in favor of using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes.” He
ordered that British forces put down the 1920 Iraqi rebellion with an iron
hand. Churchill <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/605488" target="_blank">advocated</a> spreading “a lively terror” among the natives
so that they would come to heel. In Iraq, the Royal Air Force flew missions for
4,008 hours, dropped 97 tons of bombs and fired 183,861 rounds. They used <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/605488?journalCode=jmh" target="_blank">chemical weapons</a> on Iraqis, over 60 years before
Saddam Hussein who targeted Iranians, Shia Arabs and Iraqi Kurds. Under
Churchill, the British government unleashed similar brutality upon the Kenyans.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/kenya-genocide" target="_blank">British</a> forced
the natives away from their ancestral lands and into reservations. Only a few
years after the Holocaust, the British locked up 1.5 Kikuyu people in
concentration camps, torturing, beating, and starving them to death in large
numbers. This was an egregious act amounting to naked genocide. Their signature
on the UN Charter did not hold them back.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">An example of British brutality was revealed in court in
2012. Four Kenyan victims appeared before the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/law-and-history-review/article/prosecution-of-rape-in-wartime-evidence-from-the-mau-mau-rebellion-kenya-195260/76D09C3563C93BA25C0292945314E4F0" target="_blank">High Court</a> in London. Jane Mara, one of the victims,
was 15-years-old at the time. She was repeatedly beaten by the interrogators.
They pinned her down on her back while four guards held her thighs wide open
and kicked a heated glass bottle into her vagina. After that excruciating pain,
she witnessed the same torture inflicted on three other young women. Men were
not spared either. The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/5/5/we-are-the-mau-mau-kenyans-share-stories-of-torture" target="_blank">British</a> designed pliers to squeeze male
testicles. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The US Supported the UK<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After World War II, the US became top dog. The Cold War
began. The UK was now a trusted ally. Therefore, the US overlooked British
atrocities in Kenya. <a href="https://escholarship.org/content/qt1r1924fh/qt1r1924fh_noSplash_77c31d6d894912b94e82ceb176c47f4a.pdf?t=mnipme" target="_blank">Washington</a> was well aware of the British conducting
genocide in Kenya. Just as in the Congo and in Vietnam, the US sided with the
white imperial powers against the colored peoples of the colonies. Remember
this was still a time when the US itself was segregated along racial lines. The
US wanted to free Eastern Europe from Soviet rule but it wanted to perpetuate
British, French or Belgian rule elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the first half of the 20th century, Vanderbilt University
scholar <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jah/article-abstract/99/2/658/860148?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank">Juan M. Floyd-Thomas </a>observed in the <i>Journal
of American History </i>that Americans thought of East Africa as “a real
white man’s country.” They believed that Kenya deserved Western imperialism and
white supremacy. Over centuries, the US practiced ethnic cleansing of Native
Americans, enslaved African Americans and subjugated ethnic minorities. These
races were deemed biologically and intellectually inferior to the white race.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As is their habit, the US mainstream media, including <a href="https://upr.lse.ac.uk/articles/abstract/38/" target="_blank"><i>The New
York Times</i></a>, followed the official US narrative. They painted a picture
of the African continent described as “synonymous with terror,
hopelessness, and conflict.” The media represented the Mau Mau fighters as
terrorists and criminals with communist connections. They failed to recognize
that Kenyans were involved in a liberation movement. Just like George Washington
and Thomas Jefferson, they too were fighting for independence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>UN Failure and Case for Reparations<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After World War II, the UN has consistently failed to stop
genocide, prevent ethnic cleansing or rescue victims. It has been unable to
bring the guilty to justice. The UN has failed all around the world from
Cambodia to Sudan.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The UN represents the interests of powerful nations. Five of
them have veto power in the Security Council. Naturally, the Peace Worldwide
Organization considers the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U47AUO85JX01&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1655585533&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Caps%2C401&sr=8-1" target="_blank">UN</a> a failed institution, and gives it a mere 12 out of
100.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The UN has failed to deliver justice to the Kenyans too.
Despite British denials and cover-ups, evidence of their atrocities is
overwhelming. So, an International Court of Tribunal for Kenya (ICTK) would be
a good first start. Just as Holocaust victims have been compensated, their
properties restituted, Kenyans must also get compensation and restitution.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The British must acknowledge, apologize and make reparations
for the genocide and atrocities they committed during colonial times.
Importantly, reparation payments should go directly to victims and their
descendants, not into the coffers of Kenya’s corrupt government. A sum must be
set aside for education and infrastructure to compensate for the ravages of
colonization.<o:p></o:p></p><h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt; margin: 8.05pt 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 14.4pt;"></h1><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>What’s Holding Kenya Back?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">No sum can ever wipe out the suffering of the Kenyans
people. However, reparations are important for three reasons. First, victims
get justice. Second, poor countries and poor victims get valuable financial
support. Third, they set an important precedent of imperial masters being held
accountable. Germany paid compensation to Jews who suffered unspeakable tragedy
during the Holocaust. This has made the country less likely to repeat the
atrocities of the past. The UK must be held to account so that the British do
not repeat the colonial misadventures of Kenya and India in places like Iraq
and Libya.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="background: white; font-size: 15pt; line-height: 21.4px;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">This
article was originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/british-genocide-in-kenya-time-for-a-reckoning/" rel="nofollow">Fair Observer</a> </span><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; line-height: 107%;">on January 2, 2023.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-67989093186742446462022-11-14T11:38:00.012-06:002023-01-21T16:06:26.114-06:00The Worrying Consequences of the January 6 Insurrection<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The January 6 insurrection on the US Capital can only be
compared in severity with the 1814 British burning of the White House. The
aggravation of the rivalry between Democrats and Republicans represents an
existential threat to US democracy.</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM5UG8yVOmYdCsl-Fndh4Tsvs3NPKyTIN7FwDqDR1lG-12bEB32LRhbWySfBdv2uvgFqPvP6n7ZeYvYrP3y4_qDGkoZjIN9aOfeFNhReA9XvmYc1u9bE4p-4GET5J_x3SlftO54IL2JsDmtnYd6eN95gb9Pf8DN9JTTB81lNukTzVQd633Oe8B29qyUA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM5UG8yVOmYdCsl-Fndh4Tsvs3NPKyTIN7FwDqDR1lG-12bEB32LRhbWySfBdv2uvgFqPvP6n7ZeYvYrP3y4_qDGkoZjIN9aOfeFNhReA9XvmYc1u9bE4p-4GET5J_x3SlftO54IL2JsDmtnYd6eN95gb9Pf8DN9JTTB81lNukTzVQd633Oe8B29qyUA=w444-h334" style="cursor: move;" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">3D render of Democrats Donkey vs Republicans Elephant symbols on dark blue background © pryzmat / shutterstock.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p>The United States (US) is on a perilous path that has a
potential to end in tragedy, pulling apart the nation. As January 6
demonstrated, a few thousand resolute individuals can initiate the
fragmentation of the union, a process that began with the bickering between
Democrats and the Republicans. If it hopes to survive, the US must change its
course.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In contrast to popular belief, life in the US is not as rosy
as it may appear in the popular media. Americans suffer from inequality in
gender, income, and wealth. They receive poor healthcare and face frequent
violence. Minority groups are routinely subjected to cultural and racial
discrimination. Poverty and homelessness are visibly growing. Minorities and
the poor disproportionately die from the COVID-19 and its variants.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the US,<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U47AUO85JX01&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1655585533&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Caps%2C401&sr=8-1"> human
rights</a> have deteriorated. Nepotism, corruption, racism, and impunity
of much of the criminal class persist. Former US President Donald Trump
retained his immediate family members among his top advisors. He threatened and
harassed political opponents, whistleblowers, and others. He pardoned criminal
associates and friends. His administration continued promoting discrimination
and xenophobic nationalism. US President Joe Biden is still unable to explain
how his son Hunter secured a high paying directorship in Ukraine’s largest
privately owned gas producer Burisma Holdings Ltd when his father was the White
House’s point man for that country. US presidents often enjoy impunity
with regard to such arrangements.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The list of human rights’ concerns is impressive in a nation
that accuses other nations of not living up to the highest standards. It
includes violence against women and girls, an increasing number of hate crimes,
the tolerance of gun violence and mass shootings, abuse of Native American
women and girls, permitting an environment of Islamophobia, a carceral system
that reduces 1.3-percent of the population to modern-day slavery, and
international trafficking of women and children.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In particular, the judicial system rather than reducing
injustice perpetuates it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The US possesses the world’s <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2021.html">highest</a> criminal
incarceration rate, <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/10/08/indigenouspeoplesday/">disproportionately</a> imprisoning
Native Americans and blacks. The justice system routinely excuses law
enforcement guilty of <a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Human-Rights-on-Capitol-Hill-June-2020.pdf">excessive
force</a> employed against minorities, protesters, detainees, and
prisoners. The US by far leads all other democracies in “<a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/how-police-compare-different-democracies">police
killings</a>”. A high number of detainees <a href="https://www.aila.org/infonet/deaths-at-adult-detention-centers">die</a> in
custody and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/21/us-border-agents-shocking-abuses-asylum-seekers">abuse</a> of
migrant workers and asylum seekers is rampant. In 2022, a major blow to women’s
rights was especially initiated by the US Supreme Court’s reversing the 1973<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn"> Roe
v. Wade</a>, which gave rights to abortion for nearly 50 years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>January 6 Insurrection<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Many of the problems derive from the competitive political
rivalries between the two dominant parties. Both have developed the reflex of
serving the rich at the expense of other segments of the population. The
bickering between Democrats and Republicans peaked on January 6, 2021 in the
attack on the US Capital in Washington, D.C. That assault could only be
compared with the 1814<a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-troops-set-fire-to-the-white-house"> British</a> attack
on Washington DC when they set the White House on fire.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On January 6, 2021, the US President<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966396848/read-trumps-jan-6-speech-a-key-part-of-impeachment-trial"> Donald
Trump</a> gave a speech before a large crowd of his supporters in
Washington, D.C.. He persisted in promoting his conspiracy theory claiming that
Democrats had stolen the presidential election. He repeatedly asserted that
Democrats rigged the Presidential election in favor of their candidate. This
inspired his supporters to march to the Capitol to threaten the US Congress as
it was about to certify the election of Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s
victory. “All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen
by emboldened radical-left Democrats,” said Mr. Trump. He urged the supporters
to take action. “Together, we will drain the Washington swamp and we will clean
up the corruption in our nation’s capital,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Inspired by Trump’s bombastic rhetoric, his<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/jan-6-insurrection-capitol/"> supporters</a> broke
into the Capitol and rampaged through its corridors, forcing the US Vice
President Mike Pence and the members of the US Congress to flee to save their
lives. Several people died before it was brought under control. That assault on
the Capitol did not make Mr. Trump damp down his rhetoric. Instead, it impelled
him to repeat that the election was fraud and rigged by the Democrats. His
position fortified his standing among Republicans, many of whom question the
validity of the 2020 election results and demand for more restrictions on
voting rights.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The insurrection could have turned into a revolution, and
proved fatal to American democracy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Power of the people<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">We must not underestimate the power people have to change
things. We should remember, for example, that the Soviet Union headquarters in
Moscow was not attacked by resurrectionists but fell apart under pressure from
generally peaceful nationalist protesters. The Soviet fall simply began when
some small nationalist groups in Latvia and Lithuania demanded independence for
their republics. Other republics gradually joined the movement with similar
demands, leading, within 2 years, to the fall of the Soviet Union in
December 1991.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the case of the January 6 resurrection, we might imagine
what would have happened if the police had faced an aggressive confrontation
from the insurrectionists. Camouflaged federal police might have responded
heavy-handedly in Humvees as the local police had done in the 2014 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/18/obama-attorney-general-eric-holder-ferguson">Ferguson
crisis</a>. The assembled crowds were protesting the killing by a white police
officer of an unarmed African-American <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/11/ferguson-protests-police-militarization-humvees">18-year-old</a>,
Michael Brown., At the moment the fatal shots were fired, the teenager was
reportedly “trying to surrender”. As the protests grew, the police didn’t
hesitate to greet the crowd with “teargas and stun grenades.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If Trump had ordered something similar by calling out the
National Guard, it would have resulted in a large number of the
insurrectionists being brutally killed. That in turn would have incited large
numbers of people across the country to come out in support of the
insurrectionists. Trump would then have been in a position to declare a
national emergency. That would then serve as an excuse for remaining in the
White House and canceling Mr. Biden’s coming inauguration. Protest movements
would have expanded and intensified, pitching Democrats against Republicans.
General mayhem would have followed and the US and its famed constitution, could
have become history.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Superpowers are not invincible<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">In 1985, people assumed that the Soviet Union, the other
superpower that shared a claim to global domination, was invincible. In March
of that year, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Communist
Party in the Soviet Union. A year later in February 1986, he<a href="https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/m/Mikhail_Gorbachev.htm"> introduced</a> a
policy orientation known as <i>glasnost</i> (“openness”) and <i>perestroika</i> (“restructuring”).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Focused on opening the prospects for world peace, Gorbachev
enthusiastically proposed the concept of a new world order at the UN General
Assembly in December 1988. His initiative played out in unanticipated ways. In
November 1989, the Soviets under Gorbachev allowed the<a href="https://time.com/5714770/mikhail-gorbachev-berlin-wall/"> Berlin
Wall</a> to fall. That would eventually lead to the unification of East
and West Germany in October 1990.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In March 1990, the Soviet Union’s Congress of the People’s
Deputies elected Gorbachev as its president. He pushed for an amendment to the
Soviet constitution intended to strengthen his position as president. That
month, Lithuania declared its independence, and Latvia followed in May.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">By November 1991,<a href="https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/m/Mikhail_Gorbachev.htm"> nationalists</a> in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kirgizia Moldova, Tajikistan,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and other Soviet republics arose to declare their
independence from the Soviet Union. To Gorbachev’s credit, in contrast with his
predecessors, he refrained from using brutal force to restore the dying order.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In December 1991, to the disbelief of even the foreign
policy experts in the US, the Soviet Union, a global superpower collapsed. Much
of the old Soviet world collapsed with it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The US World’s Superpower<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">With the fall of the Soviet Union, the US emerged as the
world’s unique superpower. With such power goes immense ethical responsibility.
It creates the opportunity to collaborate with other nations in enhancing human
rights, freedom from oppression, and global peace.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The US found itself with a chance to redefine its role in
the world. The most obvious urgency was to fill the void that the Soviets had
left behind by saving the former republics of the Soviet bloc from falling into
economic collapse, ethnic tension, and political instability. This would have
played a major role in leading the world towards the ideals of freedom and
peace. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">President George H. W. Bush hadn’t forgotten Gorbachev’s
call for a “new world order.” Appropriating it for his own purposes, he
referred to it over forty times thereafter, turning it into a personal slogan.
But like most slogans, the repeated declarations were little more than talk.
Since then, the US has persistently contributed to global conflicts by
venturing military into various countries and threatening others with either
invasion or sanctions. Instead of becoming a global peacemaker, the US has
become the world’s worst <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U47AUO85JX01&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1655585533&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Caps%2C401&sr=8-1">troublemaker</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Following the US invasion of Iraq and the fiasco of
Afghanistan, the <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2021/08/26/united-states-favorability-global-countries-afghanistan/">standing</a> of
the US even among its allies has reached an historic low. Furthermore, the
position of the US as the world’s unique superpower is being challenged by its
adversaries, most notably China, Iran, and Russia. If the US intends to remain
a major player in international affairs, it will need to change its course. To
start, it must first clean up its house.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>An action plan<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The time is always right to do the right thing,” said
Martin Luther King. The US should learn the major lesson from the fall of the
Soviet Union: being a superpower is no guarantee for survival when people begin
to rise and challenge its authority. As January 6 has shown, the biggest threat
to the US appears to be domestic. For its own good, the US must seriously
address its own internal issues.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">To carry out its ethical responsibilities, the US could
start with two important steps. The first would be to give opportunities to
more than the two established parties that function as a permanent duopoly. So
long as there are only two favored parties, the rivalries between them to
govern the nation will continue, polarizing the electorate with the risk of
dissolving an ever more fragile union.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The second would be to reverse the trend of outrageously
funding the military and spend more generously to improve domestic prosperity.
Both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were built on strong, advanced military
forces. People thought both of them were unbeatable, yet neither exists today.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But there is more to do. To ensure domestic tranquility the
US should provide more opportunity to nearly 35 million Americans who live in
poverty. It should begin to implement programs to elevate women and halt
widespread and alarming violence against women and girls. It should have the
honesty to refrain from labeling — on the basis of ethnicity, race, and
religion — some crimes as terrorism while dismissing others simply as a
personal psychological disorder.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It is also time to make right certain obvious historical
wrongs by addressing the question of persistent cultural and racial injustice
against Native Americans, African-Americans, and other minorities. And for a
country that claims to believe in human rights, the US should make a real
effort to provide intensive training for judicial and law enforcement personnel
on how human rights play out, notably by respecting fellow human beings
regardless of gender, race, religion, and ethnicity. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As for US citizens, to function in an increasingly complex
world, instead of hiding behind a superficial idea of “exceptionalism,” you
should take seriously the responsibility leadership implies. What are the
buzzwords and propaganda patterns of your news station, your peers, your
president? Instead of repeating them blind, try another approach. Think.
Reason. Criticize. Elect ethical people who truly represent your interests. It
is only then that you can bring to overcome inequalities, to prosper, and go
boldly forward on the world stage in unison. Then, you can proudly say,
“America is great”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="background: white; font-size: 15pt; line-height: 107%;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">This article was originally published on </span><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/why-are-young-people-protesting-in-iran/">Fair
Observer </a></span><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">on November 12, 2022.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div><br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-68361446530451572972022-11-05T09:08:00.000-05:002022-11-05T09:08:03.202-05:00Why are Young People Protesting in Iran?<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Women are chafing against intrusive restrictions. Young
women and men worry about lack of opportunities and well-paying jobs, making
marriage difficult. Resentment is on the rise and the regime faces a rocky ride.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIzEFaGn7S0wNCkxUKaECgscAR9wOCkSGJqWnb0Ab94xG0Dkyu0Mf_Uh9OfrZJyX208BZbsMa8Dz1VGRoGlLcVHHcOfeGWey7fOAk0PcVy7vBMX2wItpxN6mgakW6refa-_MMFO9vG_3ltlU761UF4G-un7-FXAf_xSECqkfKPQPlg3wzc_mZXf4m1IQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="975" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIzEFaGn7S0wNCkxUKaECgscAR9wOCkSGJqWnb0Ab94xG0Dkyu0Mf_Uh9OfrZJyX208BZbsMa8Dz1VGRoGlLcVHHcOfeGWey7fOAk0PcVy7vBMX2wItpxN6mgakW6refa-_MMFO9vG_3ltlU761UF4G-un7-FXAf_xSECqkfKPQPlg3wzc_mZXf4m1IQ=w359-h239" width="359" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Headlines in the BBC, The
Guardian and other western media have focused on protests in Iran. They erupted
after a tragic incident in Iran. On September 13,</span><a href="https://www.scmp.com/video/world/3195383/iran-says-video-proves-mahsa-amini-fainted-custody-her-death"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> Mahsa
Amini</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">, a 22-year-old Kurd, was arrested by <em>irshad</em>, the
morality police. She was taken to a detention center to receive training to
observe hijab rule where she fainted. Amini was then taken to a hospital. Three
days later, she</span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/7/iranian-coroner-denies-mahsa-amini-died-from-blows-to-body"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> died</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> in
police custody. The next day, protests broke out across Iran and continue to
this day.</span></div><p></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">The BBC tells us that
women around the world are now </span><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-63204259"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">cutting</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> their
hair to show their solidarity with their Iranian counterparts. Abir Al-Sahlani,
a Swedish Member of the European Parliament, cut her hair in the midst of her
speech, giving a rallying cry: “women, life, freedom.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 30.0pt; margin-bottom: .1in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1in; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 21.5pt;">Why are
women protesting?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Since 1979, Shia clerics
have ruled Iran. They have imposed strict moral codes and restrictive rules on
society. Women are supposed to dress modestly and cover their hair in
accordance with clerics’ strict interpretations of Islam. As education levels
increase, Iranian women are increasingly unwilling to play by such rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Irshad </span></i><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">can stop
and intimidate any woman for the most arbitrary of reasons. Over the years,
Iranian women have become highly educated. The percentage of females in higher
education </span><a href="http://www.us-iran.org/resources/2016/10/10/myth-vs-fact-women-in-iran"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">increased</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> from
3% in 1978 to 59% in 2018. Women have entered almost all professions now. Their
expectations have risen similarly. Even when there have been no protests, there
is a simmering discontent among women about the restrictions they face on a
daily basis. Many women hate the morality police. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">So unpopular is <i>irshad </i>that
conservative president Mahmoud </span><a href="https://www.namehnews.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%DA%AF%D9%88%DA%AF%D9%84-%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%B2-66/662294-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D9%86%DA%98%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81-%DA%AF%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ahmadinejad</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> proposed
to parliament to get rid of this morality police but he was shot down by those
far more conservative than him, led by Parliament’s members Mutahari and
Pizishkiyan. He explained that the police are also young people and they cannot
make a correct diagnosis. Overall, Ahmadinejad </span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/07/irans-morality-police-dont-sound-very-fun/325617/"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">opposed</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> forcing
people to observe the hijab rule. He held that people had rights to choose and
they must be given choices so he was accused by ultra-conservatives of
supporting indecency. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">While women may have done
well in gaining an education, jobs have been hard to find. Glass ceilings
remain thick and strong. Few women make it to top positions. They also find it
difficult to get married because educated men with good jobs are in short
supply. Furthermore, strict rules make it difficult for women and men to
socialize. Like women elsewhere, Iranian women want some choice when it comes
to their life partners.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Last year, Ebrahim Raisi
was elected president. He is a conservative cleric who has </span><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/29/irans-ruling-ayatollahs-are-hanging-on"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">sought</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> to
reinvigorate the old cultural revolution. <i>Irshad</i> have stepped
up patrols and taken women away for “re-education” because of their supposedly
improper dress. A hijab-and-chastity decree bans women without headscarves from
posting pictures of themselves on social media. Naturally, women are
dissatisfied with the tightening of restrictions and Amini’s death has set off
a powder keg.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="background: white; line-height: 30.0pt; margin-bottom: .1in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1in;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 21.5pt;">Why are men protesting?</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 21.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Not only women but also
men have taken to the streets. If Iranian women are dissatisfied, so are the
men. They are really frustrated with the lack of opportunities. Many have lost
hope in the future. In particular, educated men are most discontented. They are
unable to get decent well-paying jobs. This restricts their marriage
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Young people are
increasingly influenced by western media. They think of the US as a land of
milk and honey. Alumni of the elite Sharif University of Technology leave the
country in the search of a better life. Those who remain behind are frustrated
by the lack of jobs in Iran. They access western media and want similar
lifestyles to what they see on screen. This exacerbates their discontent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">American sanctions have
taken their toll on the Iranian economy. Since 2012, per capita income has
stagnated. After the Russia-Ukraine War, inflation has further soared. To make
matters worse, Iran is facing an environmental crisis. Rivers have run dry,
groundwater is falling, lakes are drying up and farmland is parched. A growing
population has led to wanton felling of forests. In turn, deforestation has exacerbated
desertification. As in India and China, pollution is choking cities. Young men
find it very difficult to be hopeful about the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Over 60% of Iran’s 84
million population is under 30. Historically, young single men have been a
source of instability in any society. Iran has millions of discontented young
men. During the recent protests, unknown assailants have </span><a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-stabbing-mosque-clerics/32037592.html"><span style="color: #29a8e8; font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">attacked</span></a><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> banks,
police, ambulances, other government officials, mosques, clerics and religious
people. The 1979 revolution may not yet be at risk but Iranian society is
volatile and could erupt in a volcanic eruption given the slightest
provocation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/authormehdialavi-com"><span style="background: white; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #313131; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif;"> and </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh"><span style="background: white; font-family: "ACaslonProRegular",serif; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Atul
Singh</span></a><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This article was
originally published on </span><span style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/why-are-young-people-protesting-in-iran/">Fair
Observer </a></span><span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">on October 15,
2022.</span><span style="font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-43234394711491953572022-09-05T22:11:00.004-05:002022-09-05T22:17:30.323-05:00Belgium’s Regrets Not Enough: Congo Deserves Apology and Reparations for War Crimes<p style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #313131; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">Belgium committed war crimes and vicious human rights abuses against the Congolese people. The Belgian King has finally expressed regrets but still not offered an apology. Belgium must offer an apology, pay reparations and bring its brutal officials to justice. So must the US, which colluded with the Belgians to exploit the Congolese.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #313131; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKZjPPCYln_3pF6x69ZTxzkVelLNwEKnDTG1qSF80-jhB4y8zr3paDXrqY3ey8Cu6st-BKkiBFtlGg9iLojq18kj6vSRXs6y0gbpRVXhzzgIdu-rprfNvw_zW0CMs2CcJlgIcacWETzkt1hOe6swYOuGJjN4iXSSoQls7kx4HAsxDOp6M2gS4xyipnbA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1536" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKZjPPCYln_3pF6x69ZTxzkVelLNwEKnDTG1qSF80-jhB4y8zr3paDXrqY3ey8Cu6st-BKkiBFtlGg9iLojq18kj6vSRXs6y0gbpRVXhzzgIdu-rprfNvw_zW0CMs2CcJlgIcacWETzkt1hOe6swYOuGJjN4iXSSoQls7kx4HAsxDOp6M2gS4xyipnbA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">On June 8, 2022, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/belgian-king-returns-mask-congo-symbolic-gesture-restitution-2022-06-08/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Belgian King Philippe</a> expressed his regrets for the exploitation, violence and racism during the colonization of the Congo Free State, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This followed years of denials and excuses by Belgian authorities.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">The DRC, a territory 76 times bigger than Belgium, is the second largest country after Algeria in Africa and the 11<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12.75px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> largest in the world. Today, it is torn by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U47AUO85JX01&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1655585533&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Caps%2C401&sr=8-1" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">conflicts</a> between armed groups that recruit children as soldiers. To make matters worse, DRC’s security forces operate with impunity. They continue harassing, threatening, attacking, arresting and murdering human rights defenders, journalists and members of the political opposition. Civilians are arbitrarily killed and abducted. Women and girls are systematically raped and subjected to other forms of violence. Communal violence and ethnic cleansing are widespread. Most minorities including Hutu, Tutsi, Hema, Lendu, Lunda, Luba, Mbororo, and Batwa live under continuous threat. The country remains the source and destination point for trafficking in children and women for prostitution. The country desperately needs humanitarian assistance.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">The DRC’s problems are not entirely the fault of the Congolese people. Their roots can be traced back to Belgian King Leopold II and successive Belgian governments.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Belgian King belatedly expresses regrets</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Before his recent admission, Philippe denied Belgian atrocities and made excuses for Leopold II and Belgium for years. Despite pressure from his own country’s people along with that of the international community who were inspired by the <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter</a> (BLM) movement, Philippe hesitated to take any action other than offer excuses for the last two years.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">On May 27, 2021,<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-macron-rwanda-reset-ties-survivors-expect-apology-2021-05-26/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> French President</a> Emmanuel Macron spoke at the genocide memorial in Rwanda’s capital Kigali where many victims were buried. He<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57270099" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> asked</a> Rwandans to forgive France for its role in the 1994 genocide. On May 28, 2021,<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/germany-officially-calls-colonial-era-killings-namibia-genocide-2021-05-28/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Germany</a> apologized for its genocide against Herero and Nema tribal people in Namibia and offered to launch “projects over a billion euros” as compensation. Even those apologies did not inspire Philippe to admit Belgian atrocities in the Congo.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Over a year later, increased Belgian and international pressures finally forced<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/belgian-king-returns-mask-congo-symbolic-gesture-restitution-2022-06-08/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Philippe</a> to face reality. When he finally spoke out, the Belgian king just expressed regrets. Philippe stopped short of formally apologizing for Belgian atrocities during the colonial period. “This [Belgian] regime was one of unequal relations, unjustifiable in itself, marked by paternalism, discrimination and racism,” he said before a joint session of parliament in the DNC capital Kinshasa, He want to state: “I wish to reaffirm my deepest regrets for those wounds of the past.”</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;">The toxic legacy of the past</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53017188" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Leopold II</a> was a tyrant who pursued a brutal pogrom that resulted in the deaths of millions. His policies also led to the destruction of the livelihoods and cultures of the people of the Congo. Leopold II came to power in 1865 and was determined to build an empire. Authorized by the 1885<a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001/acref-9780195337709-e-0467" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Berlin Conference</a>, he formed the Congo Free State, separate from Belgium but privately owned and controlled by himself. Leopold II knew evangelization was the most effective way to dominate people. He took the view that, if the Congolese converted to Christianity, they would become more subservient. This would allow Leopold II to plunder Congo’s valuable resources. So, this ruthless Belgian king brought in missionaries to convert the Congolese people to Christianity. He issued and enforced inhumane decrees that not only caused misery and death but also pushed the Congolese to convert to and practice Christianity.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">To extract ivory, rubber, and minerals, Leopold’s men viciously used whipping, wounding, enslaving, beheading and severing body parts, including the penis. They routinely resorted to sexual violence against the Congolese people. They treated the Congolese as animals, exhibiting them in their<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/29/arts/design/human-zoos-africa-museum.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> zoos</a> in Belgium. Their atrocities are estimated to have caused the deaths of around 10 million, then 50% of the Congolese population. This led to international scandal and outrage, forcing the Belgian government to take over the colony.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">In 1908, under immense international pressure the Belgian government took over Leopold II’s private estate and made it a Belgian colony, christening it<a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/belgium-annexes-congo-free-state" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;"> Belgian C</a><a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/belgium-annexes-congo-free-state" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">o</a><a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/belgium-annexes-congo-free-state" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;">ngo</a>. After 23 years of Leopold II’s rule, the Belgian government ruled Belgian Congo for another 52 years. The colony only gained its independence in 1960.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Under Belgian rule, genocidal actions reduced in number and severity but persecution and forced labor continued. The racism initiated by Leopold II continued though. Africans were excluded from education, employment and other opportunities. Children of mixed race were abducted and sent to orphanages in Belgium.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">After World War I, European and US companies moved in and used the Congolese as indentured laborers to produce cotton, coffee, cacao, palm oil, rubber, copper, gold, diamond, cobalt, tin, zinc, uranium and other raw materials. They used forced labor to develop roads, railroads, utility stations, and other public facilities in Belgian Congo. During World War II, the US was heavily involved in mining uranium in the Congo. When postwar decolonization began, Belgium insisted that the Congolese were not mature enough to run their own country. So, Belgium stood firm on retaining its Belgian Colony, forgetting that the Belgians had wanted freedom from Nazi Germany themselves.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Under Belgian annexation, Congolese<a href="http://ultimatehistoryproject.com/belgian-congo.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> education</a> undermined critical thinking and ripped up the social fabric. Only a very few were allowed to get basic education by the government-paid Christian missionaries whose primary goal was to advance colonization and conversion to Christianity. Only in 1954, a Congolese was first admitted to a Belgian university to study a subject other than Christian religion. To this day, the DRC is hobbled by its toxic colonial legacy.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;">Independence is snuffed out, exploitation continues</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Starting from 1919, the Congolese began fighting for their independence. Their revolts were regularly suppressed by the Belgian authorities. In 1958, the Congolese formed their first political party. Riots broke out in 1959 with mobs demanding independence. A year later, Belgium capitulated, granting its huge colony independence. On June 30, 1960, the nationalist leader<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61993601" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Patrice Lumumba</a> became the prime minister and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Kasavubu" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Joseph Kasavubu</a> president. They put Colonel <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/Mobutu-Sese-Seko" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Joseph Mobutu</a> in charge of the defense. Backed by Colonel Joseph Mobutu, Kasa-Vubu soon removed Lumumba. In January 1961, the US and Belgium backed a military coup. Mobutu murdered Lumumba. Mobutu went on to take over the presidency from Kasavubu in 1965. Backed by the US, he ran the DRC as a brutal dictator for 32 years, embezzling government funds at a gargantuan scale.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">In 1997 backed by Rwanda and Uganda, Laurent Kabila took over the presidency and ruled for 4 years, causing over 3 million deaths. In 2001, he was killed and his son Joseph Kabila took over the presidency and ruled until late 2018 when opposition leader<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/who-is-felix-tshisekedi-dr-congos-new-president/a-47025072" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Felix Tshisekedi</a> supposedly won an election that did not meet international expectations and was contested by the country’s dominant Catholic Church. He has remained in power as president to the present time.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">In the 1880s, the US was becoming a world power. Leopold II used the services of an American to survey the Congo. He also sought American recognition of his personal rule over Congo. Some Americans were fearful of the power of American blacks who were demanding equality and liberty. They saw Leopold II’s request as an opportunity to cleanse the US of its black population by sending them to the Congo. In exchange for the favor, Leopold assured the US that its citizens could buy lands in Congo and US imports would be exempt from all customs duties. Leopold received recognition of his rule in Congo by the US, paving the way for him to earn recognition from European powers. Leopold II’s deal with Uncle Sam also opened the gate for the US to plunder Congo”s wealth.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">The US emulated Leopold II’s egregious abuses in minute detail, including displaying Congolese people in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/29/arts/design/human-zoos-africa-museum.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">zoos</a> in numerous cities across the country. As late as 1906, New Yorkers would rush to see a Congolese in the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/nyregion/thecity/06zoo.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Monkey House</a> at Bronx Zoo. This led to protests by American blacks and became a national scandal.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Suffice to say, the US has been exploiting Congo since Leopold II’s days. In particular, the US has been extracting uranium from<a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-forgotten-mine-that-built-the-atomic-bomb" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Shinkolobwe</a> mine since the 1930s. This small mine in the southern province of Katanga provided most of the uranium used in the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, US mining companies backed by the American military continue taking cobalt, copper, zinc and other minerals from the DRC, giving the country peanuts in return. </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;">The Belgian role in the Rwandan genocide</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">After World War I, the<a href="https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> League of Nations</a> transferred Rwanda and Burundi from Germany to Belgium. Taking a leaf out of its Congo playbook. Belgium yet again resorted to Christian evangelization and appointed white agents to dominate and control the new colonies. It also implemented a<a href="https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> caste system</a>, decreeing the minority Tutsis, a cattle-herding people, as superior to the majority Hutus, a farming people, and the native Twa, a pygmy people. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">In Rwanda, the Hutu king was removed for refusing to convert to Christianity. Then, the religion was forcefully imposed on the masses. Imana, the local monotheistic religion, was wiped out. For centuries, it had been the cultural force unifying the community. To dominate Rwanda, Belgium offered the Tutsis access to education and designated them as superior to others. The Tutsis became subordinate agents of Belgian colonial administration.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Belgium authorized the Tutsis to impose forced labor and punishments on other communities. Belgian policies imposed by Tutsis caused several famines. Later, Belgian colonial authorities took the administrative step of issuing identification cards for each ethnicity. That racial segregation policy along with the removal of their king angered the majority Hutus. To the Hutus, the Tutsis became known as “invaders”. In the late 1950s, the Hutu movement began to organize to oppose the Tutsis and expel Belgium. The Hutus also finally began to earn some sympathy from Belgians.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">When Rwanda won independence in 1962, a Hutu campaign to incinerate Tutsi huts sent many Tutsis fleeing into exile. The Hutu president Juvénal Habyarimana, known for his anti-Tutsi rhetoric, maintained a good relationship with Belgian King Baudouin. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46687492" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Habyarimana</a>, Burundian President Cyprien Ntarvamira, and other high-ranking officials was shot down, killing all on board. Blaming the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Hutu extremists began the slaughter of Tutsis and their Hutu sympathizers. On April 7, 1994,<a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/7-709-video" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Rwandan forces</a> killed 10 Belgian officers. They threatened Belgium not intervene in the ongoing genocide against the Tutsis. Belgium dutifully abandoned Rwanda to the Hutu killers. In April 2000,<a href="https://mondediplo.com/2021/06/11rwanda" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Guy Verhofstadt</a>, the Belgian prime minister, went to Rwanda and said, “In the name of my country and of my people, I beg your forgiveness.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/those-responsible-for-the-1994-rwandan-genocide-must-be-brought-to-justice/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Fre</a><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/those-responsible-for-the-1994-rwandan-genocide-must-be-brought-to-justice/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">n</a><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/those-responsible-for-the-1994-rwandan-genocide-must-be-brought-to-justice/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">ch forces</a> were also present in Rwanda during the genocide. They watched the massacres, but did nothing. The <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/those-responsible-for-the-1994-rwandan-genocide-must-be-brought-to-justice/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">French</a> government persistently denied this until recently. After 27 years of denial, France was finally forced by its own government commission to officially admit its complicity in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. As stated earlier, Macron asked Rwandans for forgiveness in May this year. He said, “Only those who went through that night can perhaps forgive, and in doing so give the gift of forgiveness.”. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">As in Rwanda, Belgium divided<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/burundi-to-demand-36-billion-from-germany-belgium-for-colonial-rule-report/a-54589695" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Burundi people</a> into Tutsis and Hutus, which led to ethnic conflicts and civil war, causing the deaths of 300,000 people. In 2009, Belgium officially apologized for its atrocities. </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;">Imperial powers must compensate their victims</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">In 2022, the time for reparations has come. So far, the UN proved impotent in the face of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The oppressed people of the Congo are still waiting for justice and reparations for Belgian atrocities that still haunt them. It is for good reason that <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/30/belgium-moving-regrets-reparations" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Human Rights Watch</a> observed, “Belgium cannot undo its colonial past but it’s not too late to redress its contemporary fallouts to build a future based on justice and equality.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">Fortunately, many Belgians today recognize that apology must be accompanied by reparations.<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/30/belgium-moving-regrets-reparations" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Patrick Dewael</a>, the speaker of the Belgian federal parliament, said: “apart from any apologies or excuses … anyone who makes a mistake, says our legal code, must compensate for the damage.” In 2001, the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/17/world/report-reproves-belgium-in-lumumba-s-death.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Belgian Parliament</a> found the nation morally responsible for the assassination of Lumumba and apologized for its role. Belgium has yet to make any reparations though.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">The “<a href="https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/44974-belgium-colonial-past-ten-experts-to-set-the-scene.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Belgium’s Colonial Past</a>” commission, founded in 2020, is still working on issues related to the pre-independence history of the country’s three former colonies: Belgian Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. To address the crimes of the past, Belgium must take these actions:</p><ol style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 35px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Acknowledge all the past abuses that include genocide and crimes against human rights.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Bring to justice all those individuals, living and dead, who perpetrated those egregious abuses.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Make reparations to all three former colonies based on the harm done to the Congolese people from Leopold II’s personal rule as well as Belgian colonial exploitation. The reparations must meet the following criteria:<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 35px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: lower-alpha;">correlate directly with all the economic profits Belgium earned from Congo, and</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: lower-alpha;">ensure that reparations do not go to the coffers of DRC’s corrupt government but are spent to improve education and infrastructure, bringing them to Belgian standards within 10 years.</li></ul></li></ol><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">As we have seen above, the US was Belgium’s accomplice in colonization of the Congolese people. Therefore, the US must take the following actions.</p><ol style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 35px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Acknowledge its collaboration with the Belgian authorities in the Congo regarding human rights abuses, including violence and genocide, and economic exploitation..</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Form a committee that brings to justice US officials, living or dead, who abetted Belgian atrocities in the Congo.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Make reparations to remedy the harms done to the Congolese people. The reparations must meet the following criteria:<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 35px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: lower-alpha;">include a bipartisan committee to evaluate all the economic profits earned by the US from the Congo, starting 1885 to today, and</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: lower-alpha;">ensure that reparations do not go to the coffers of DRC’s corrupt government but are spent to improve education and infrastructure, bringing them to Belgian standards within 10 years.</li></ul></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: decimal;">Emulate Belgium and apologize for assassinating the nationalist leader<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61993601" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Lumumba</a>,</li></ol><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: justify;">None of these actions can destroy the hurt and pain from the past but they will make our world a kinder, gentler and more just place.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By<b> </b></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/"><b><span style="color: #135aba; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt;">Mehdi Alavi</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/belgiums-regrets-not-enough-congo-deserves-apology-and-reparations-for-war-crimes/"><span style="color: #135aba;">Fair Observer</span></a> on August 13, 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #313131; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-79594806330731666502022-07-18T23:10:00.023-05:002022-07-29T22:13:57.495-05:00Negotiate With Russia and Let Ukraine Have Peace<p>NATO continues interfering in the affairs of other countries, causing
much pain and suffering across the world. It is time to tether it or
dissolve it for good.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="attachment-twentyseventeen-featured-image size-twentyseventeen-featured-image wp-post-image" height="175" src="https://www.fairobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Vladimir_Putin_at_Fort-1.jpg" style="height: 61.7%; max-width: 1880px; width: 100%;" width="501" /> <br /></p><p>Ukraine is the largest country in Europe after Russia. Surrounded by
Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Sea of Azov,
and the Black Sea, it shares the longest border with Russia. </p>
<p>According to the Peace Worldwide Organization’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Report-2022-Mehdi-Alavi-ebook/dp/B0B2M7NBGT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2U47AUO85JX01&keywords=civility+report+2022&qid=1655585533&sprefix=civility+report+2022%2Caps%2C401&sr=8-1" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Civility Report 2022</i></a>,
Ukraine has a population of about 44 million. It has a reputation for
being racist and widely corrupt. It faces internal armed conflict for
suppressing the people of Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk regions), a fact
that has resulted in many civilian injuries, deaths, and displacements.
Torture and other forms of human rights abuses are widely used. Human
rights defenders and independent journalists risk being attacked.
Harassment and suppression of non-Slavic ethnic minorities, especially
the Roma, Tartars, Jews, and political asylum seekers continue. Violence
against women and girls remains widespread. </p>
<p>Ukraine has a short history relative to its powerful neighbor Russia.
Although people lived there for centuries, as Ali Rogin, a foreign
affairs producer at the PBS <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ukraines-history-and-its-centuries-long-road-to-independence">Newshour</a>,
explains, the region was often ruled by Austria-Hungary, Lithuania,
Poland, or Russia. The end of World War I inspired an independence
movement that led to the birth of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet
Republic in 1922. Ukrainians nevertheless remained divided. Some favored
Nazi occupation before World War II. </p>
<p>The territory we now know as Ukraine was finalized when the Soviet
leader Nikita Khrushchev took Crimea away from Russia and gave it to
Ukraine. In 1991 when the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine declared
independence. In 2004, Ukrainians elected Vikto Yanukovych, a
pro-Russian prime-minister, to lead the country, though the election
failed to meet international standards. </p>
<h2><b>A Free Election, Status of Russian and Crimea</b></h2>
<p>In 2010 in a fair and free election in Ukraine,<a href="https://www.oscepa.org/en/news-a-media/press-releases/press-2010/international-observers-say-ukrainian-election-was-free-and-fair"> Viktor Yanukovych</a>
was elected president of Ukraine. The new president favored better
relations with neighboring Russia. In 2013, a pro-European Union
uprising broke out in Ukraine. Ukrainian security forces over-reacted,
shooting and killing numerous people, which led to much wider protests
against Yanukovych. Instead of an official impeachment, the Verkhovna
Rada Committee, composed of experts advising the Ukrainian parliament,
declared that Mr. Yanukovych should be removed from office on February
22, 2014. The large Russian ethnic minority in Ukraine rejected that
declaration and generally remained loyal to Mr. Yanukovych. </p>
<p>On February 23, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill that repealed
Russian language as an official status. That further angered the
pro-Russians in Ukraine. Their protests intensified causing a rebellion
to emerge against the Ukrainian forces. Russians formed about 90 cent of
Crimea’s population and overwhelmingly<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/03/16/290525623/crimeans-vote-on-splitting-from-ukraine-to-join-russia"> voted</a> in a referendum to leave Ukraine and become a part of Russia. Days later, In March 2014, the<a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine"> Russo-Ukrainian</a> War began with Russia lending its support to pro-Russian separatist forces in Crimea. </p>
<p>Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a territory that Russia had previously received from the Ottomans in the 1774 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Kucuk-Kaynarca">Treaty</a>
of Kucuk Kaynarca, at a time when it was fully inhabited by ethnic
Tatars. Crimea remained a part of Russia for 180 years until 1954 when
Soviet leader <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point">Nikita Khrushchev</a> assigned it to Ukraine. Prior to 1954, Crimea had been inhabited by Russians and persecuted Tatars. </p>
<p>It was only on May 25 of that year that President Yanukovych was officially <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/2/22/ukraine-president-yanukovich-impeached">impeached</a> and removed from office by the Ukrainian Parliament.</p>
<h2>A History of Cold War and More</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroads-europe-and-russia">Russia and Ukraine</a>
have deep cultural, economic, familial, and political ties, going back
for centuries. Millions of Russians live in Ukraine and have family ties
with other Ukrainians. Furthermore, Russia and Ukraine were the two
original members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that was
formed in 1922, eventually consisting of 15 republics, including Russia
and Ukraine.</p>
<p>The US, the Soviet Union, and a number of other countries allied to
defeat the Nazi Germany in the Second World War that was followed by the<a href="https://www.britannica.com/study/cold-war-introduction"> Cold War</a>,
a political rivalry began between the US and the Soviet Union. They
emerged as the world’s two superpowers, competing for political
influence and access to resources. They <a href="https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/coups-proxy-wars/">waged</a> proxy wars throughout the world, producing many bloody conflicts across the globe.</p>
<p>In 1949, the US led the move to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato">NATO</a>),
specifically designed to resist Soviet aggression. Paradoxically, the
US-led NATO has been amongst the first to violate its commitments to the
UN, leading to its perception by some as the world’s leading
troublemaker since its inception. According to the previously cited <i>Civility Report 2022</i>,
NATO has continued “stockpiling as offensive; conventional, biological,
radiological, chemical, and nuclear weaponry as well as arming other
nations or groups, having a military presence in other nations, giving
military aid to belligerent nations, participating in military
alliances,” actions that “would increase tension worldwide and violate
the commitments to the UN for working towards peace and security.” NATO
countries are responsible for over 75% of global arms exports. Among
the recipients are some of the world’s most repressive regimes, such as
“Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.”</p>
<p>In 1955, the Soviet Union led the formation of the Warsaw Treaty Organization (<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1953-1960/warsaw-treaty">WTO</a>),
also known as the Warsaw Pact, as a balance of power to NATO to resist
NATO’s aggression. The Korean War and the Vietnam War are just two
examples where the two fought proxy wars, wasting millions of lives.</p>
<p>In 1990, after the <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/declassified_136311.htm">fall</a> of the Berlin wall in 1989, the US and Russia <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/russia/20220130-did-nato-betray-russia-by-expanding-to-the-east">agreed</a>
that NATO would not expand beyond East Germany after its reunion with
Germany. This was confirmed by NATO’s secretary. That set the stage for
the<a href="https://history.state.gov/countries/german-democratic-republic"> unification</a> of East Germany and West Germany later that year.</p>
<p>In 1991, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/fall-of-soviet-union">fell</a>.
However, NATO did not dissolve, but continued. Despite the assurances
from the US and the NATO’s Secretary that NATO would not go beyond the
former East Germany into the former republics of the Soviet Union, they
did not live up to their promises. On the initiative of the US, NATO
moved eastward, taking in former Soviet republics. In 1994 as a response
to NATO, Russia persuaded Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
and Tajikistan to sign a defense <a href="https://en.odkb-csto.org/">treaty</a>
– the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), similar to the
NATO – stipulating that aggression against any signatory is to be seen
as aggression against all. </p>
<h2>Russian Invasion a Reaction to NATO Expansion</h2>
<p>After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has persistently
expressed its disapproval of NATO expansion into the former Soviet
states. The last official<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/12/21/russias-draft-agreements-with-nato-and-the-united-states-intended-for-rejection/"> warning</a>
to NATO was given in December 2021. The US has consistently ignored
those warnings, including the latest one. In its 2021 draft agreements
with NATO, Russia demanded, among other things, that NATO bar any
military activity in Ukraine. NATO ignored the warnings.</p>
<p>To stop the NATO aggression, Russia deemed itself forced to invade
Ukraine. The invasion kicked off on February 24, 2022. The 2022 Russian
invasion of Ukraine could be seen as an escalation of the 2014
Russo-Ukrainian War.</p>
<p>For Americans to understand why Russia believes that Ukraine must not
be a member of NATO they might see a parallel with the 1962 Cuban
Missile <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis">Crisis</a>
when the Soviets installed some of their offensive nuclear missiles in
Cuba. If the Soviets had not withdrawn those missiles, it could have
resulted in another world war. If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia could have
the US offensive nuclear missiles at its borders. </p>
<p>It has now become apparent that most nations representing a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/20/opinions/sachs-ukraine-negotiation-op-ed/index.html">majority</a> of the world’s population do not support the US-led NATO’s action against Russia and reject the US effort to isolate Russia.</p>
<p>The US political leaders should learn lessons from their past
mistakes. Sanctions are counterproductive. The US has imposed
particularly hard sanctions on Iran with no effect on the Iranian
government’s behavior. Rather, Iran turned to developing its own
military capabilities and becoming a far stronger adversary to the US
hegemony in the region. US sanctions have caused price increases on many
goods and services across the world, resulting in more poverty and
destruction worldwide. If US sanctions against Russia, Iran, Venezuela,
and other countries continue, it may have the effect of leading the
world into a deep recession, where the American people themselves would
be among the victims..</p>
<h2>Negotiating Peace Is the Right Thing to Do</h2>
<p>“We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom,”<i> </i>said
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States. Instead of
pouring fuel on fire by arming Ukraine in the war, the US should take
the lead negotiating with Russia. If the war continues, both the US and
Russia will lose.</p>
<p>Just as in the Cuban Missile Crisis, negotiation is the only path for
resolving the issues. Escalation may ultimately lead to a nuclear war,
threatening the existence not only of the US and Russia, but the entire
world. </p>
<p>Most of the world’s population is sympathetic to Russian security
concerns and fears NATO’s aggression. Regional powers like China, India,
and Iran would like to see a ceasefire and negotiations to address the
Russian issues. Former U.S. secretary of state <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/24/henry-kissinger-ukraine-russia-territory-davos/">Henry A. Kissinger</a>,
who has blood on his hands for the US interventions in other countries,
has come to the realization that NATO’s aggressive stance is
counterproductive. Kissinger has urged NATO to negotiate and give up
territory to Russia to stop the war.</p>
<p>It is now time for the US to act. On behalf of NATO, the US should
negotiate directly with Russia, addressing its security concerns. The US
must be willing to let Ukraine remain a neutral country. If that does
not mitigate the Russian security concerns, the US may have to consider
letting Estonia’s, Latvia’s and Lithuania’s membership be withdrawn from
NATO to become neutral countries as well. Once the negotiation is
completed, the UN Security Council would have to guarantee the
neutrality of those countries.</p><p>Yet, far better would be an initiative of the US to prepare the
dissolution of NATO, an organization that has brought about so much
pain and suffering across the world. This would be the first step in
working towards a world free from armaments.</p>
<p>As for Russia, it should make reparations for the loss of lives,
injuries, human displacement, and property destruction inflicted on
Tatars and Native Crimeans, since taking over from the Ottomans in 1774.</p>
<p>The path to peace can only be achieved by everyone coming to the
negotiating table, giving up something they want and atoning for past
wrongs. With 250 million people on the verge of starvation, that time
has come.</p><p><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By<b> </b></span><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/"><b><span style="color: #135aba; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mehdi Alavi</span></b></a></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This article was
originally published on <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/negotiate-with-russia-and-let-ukraine-have-peace/">Fair
Observer</a> on July 9, 2022.</span></p>
<p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-41320223822527445062022-06-16T17:07:00.015-05:002022-07-08T20:37:01.671-05:00Those Responsible for the 1994 Rwandan Genocide Must Be Brought to Justice<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Source Sans Pro",sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Big
powers such as France and the US played a sinister role in exacerbating the
1994 Rwandan genocide. They must pay reparations and bring their officials to
justice. African players who participated in the terror and the genocide must
also be held accountable for their actions.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span face=""Source Sans Pro",sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZSYwQ0J27H-zRbR5OKjKscc2pM3nCR8VWdfmyXFWGzCJ8tVD4xOpla8Tc8XukQG9RBwmyqDvSMOvi2PFrbJeEN7uQ5Xq38qJCjcEVnewYisYOFNji42Agqbxi9EHtCt2GgKDbkw28jsO66TbpG06lZaTCc0Dde5uJRXjpdKXk_MaEifPIZHqN2rq2Lw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="511" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZSYwQ0J27H-zRbR5OKjKscc2pM3nCR8VWdfmyXFWGzCJ8tVD4xOpla8Tc8XukQG9RBwmyqDvSMOvi2PFrbJeEN7uQ5Xq38qJCjcEVnewYisYOFNji42Agqbxi9EHtCt2GgKDbkw28jsO66TbpG06lZaTCc0Dde5uJRXjpdKXk_MaEifPIZHqN2rq2Lw" width="320" /></a></b></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 60.8pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background: rgb(251, 251, 251); font-size: 8pt;">Kigali, Ruanda – October, 10th 2015 – The house
were ten UN Belgium soldiers were shot dead during the beginning of 1994
genocide in Ruanda. Today its a memorial. East Africa. ©
LMspencer/shutterstock.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Rwanda is a landlocked country located in East Africa. According to the Peace Worldwide Organization’s<a href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Civility Report 2021</em></a>, Rwanda has a population of 13 million, a literacy rate of 73%, a gross domestic product (GDP) of $10.4 billion, and per capita income of $800, which makes it one of the poorest countries in the world. Rwanda is ruled by an authoritarian regime that persecutes political opponents across the country. Journalists and human rights defenders are often killed or disappear. Security forces work with impunity. Refugees are treated badly and some are killed. About <a href="https://thefinancialcrimenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rwanda-Summary-2020-Pbd-5.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">134,000</a> or 1.2% of the population are forced into modern-day slavery. The country remains a source of, and to lesser extent, transit and destination point for trafficking women and children.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Rwanda has a tragic past. For 100 days in 1994, around 800,000 Rwandans were massacred in Rwanda by the ethnic Hutus in what has become known as the<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Rwanda genocide</a>. Once, the country was run by the ethnic minority Tutsis. In 1959, they were overthrown by the ethnic majority Hutus. Thousands of Tutsis escaped to neighboring countries. Some of the Tutsis in exile united to set up the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which began fighting against the Hutu government until a peace treaty was signed in 1993. In April 1994, a plane carrying Rwanda’s Hutu president and high-ranking officials was shot down, killing all on board. Blaming the RPF, Hutu extremists began the slaughters of the Tutsis and their Hutu sympathizers. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">The RPF maintained that the plane was shot by the Hutu extremists in order to blame the RPF and rationalize genocide. Meanwhile, French forces present in Rwanda watched the massacres, but did nothing. The French government has denied this persistently until recently. After 27 years of denial, France was finally forced by its own government commission to officially admit its complicity in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. In May 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron, spoke at the genocide memorial in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, where many of the victims were buried. He<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57270099" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> asked</a> Rwandans to forgive France for its role in the 1994 genocide. “Only those who went through that night can perhaps forgive, and in doing so give the gift of forgiveness,” Macron said. </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">United Nations Measures to Prevent Genocide</strong></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">The<a href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-1" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;"> </a>United Nations (UN) <a href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-1" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Article 1</a> clearly states that the countries are bound to suppress “acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means,” a “settlement of international disputes” or resolution of situations that could lead to violence. In 1946, the UN General Assembly in its<a href="https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/96(I)" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;"> Resolution 96 (I)</a> defined genocide and considered it an international crime. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In 1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the<a href="https://treaties.un.org/doc/publication/unts/volume%2078/volume-78-i-1021-english.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Crime of Genocide</a>, defined genocide as, “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.” In the case of disputes, the convention made the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the final legal authority on genocide. In 1949, the<a href="https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.33_GC-IV-EN.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Geneva Convention</a> prohibited willful killings, torture, property destruction, unlawful deportation or confinement, and the taking of civilians as hostages.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">More recently, international law has sought to prevent genocide. In May 1993, a Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former<a href="https://www.icty.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Yugoslavia</a> (ICTY) was established. The ICTY indicted a number of the perpetrators of the Bosnian genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Those indicted include Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In August 1993, the Rwanda government signed a peace treaty with RPF, known as “Arusha Accords.” In October, the UN Security Council (UNSC) established the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (<a href="https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/past/unamirS.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">UNAMIR</a>) to assist the parties executing the peace agreement. The UNAMIR was supposed to monitor the progress in the peace process and help form the transitional government.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">As mentioned earlier, the plane carrying the Rwandan Hutu President was shot down in 1994 and the Hutu government blamed the RPF. The next day, on April 7, 1994, government forces and Hutu militia began killing Tutsis, moderate Hutus and the UNAMIR peacekeepers who were among their first victims.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">On June 22, 1994, after two and a half months of killings, the UN finally authorized a French-led multinational operation, “Operation Turquoise”, which set a protection zone in Rwanda to help victims and refugees. On July 15, 1994, RPF took over the country and stopped the 100 days of killings. In August 1994, whatever was left of the UNAMIR took over the French-led multinational operation and provided shelter to thousands of refugees.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In November 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for<a href="https://unictr.irmct.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> Rwanda</a> (ICTR) was established. Headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, the ICTR was supposed to “prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda and neighboring States, between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994.” So far, ICTR has brought to justice 93 persons “responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda in 1994.” </p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">French Support of Genocidal Hutu-led Regime</strong></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In April 2019, the US law firm Levy Firestone Muse released <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Foreseeable Genocide</em>, a<a href="https://www.gov.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/gov_user_upload/2021.04.19_MUSE_REPORT.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> report</a> based on million pages of documents after years of interviews and investigation. The report found France to be a “collaborator” of the Hutu government in the genocide. The French were aware that the regime planned to exterminate the Tutsis. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">As per the report, the “French government was unwavering in its support for its Rwandan allies even when their genocidal intentions became clear, and only the French government was an indispensable collaborator in building the institutions that would become instruments of the Genocide.” The report concluded that “the Government of France bears significant responsibility for having enabled a foreseeable genocide.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In March 2021, a French commission<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57270099" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> found</a> that France bore “heavy and overwhelming responsibility” for the Rwanda genocide. After this finding, the French government could no longer deny its involvement in the genocide. Under international pressure, the French president was finally forced to apologize for supporting the Hutu-led genocidal regime in Rwanda in 1994.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">US Support for RPF</strong></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Even as the French backed a genocidal regime, the US supported the rebel RPF. Helen C Epstein, a visiting professor at Bard College, chronicled the secret role of the US in the Rwandan genocide in a tour de force in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/sep/12/americas-secret-role-in-the-rwandan-genocide" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. Rwandan President Paul Kagame was “then a senior officer in both the Ugandan army and the RPF, was in Kansas at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, studying field tactics and psyops, propaganda techniques to win hearts and minds.” He flew back to lead Uganda-backed RPF against the genocidal Hutu regime.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Kagame and the RPF were not blameless either. Epstein tells us that Robert Flaten, the then US ambassador to Rwanda, witnessed the terror caused by the RPF invasion of Rwanda. Apparently, “hundreds of thousands of mostly Hutu villagers fled RPF-held areas, saying they had seen abductions and killings.” Flaten urged the George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush Senior) administration “to impose sanctions on Uganda, as it had on Iraq after the Kuwait invasion earlier that year.” Instead, the US and its allies doubled aid to Yoweri Museveni’s government. Uganda’s defense spending ballooned to 48% of the budget. Strongman Museveni allocated a mere 13% for education and 5% for health, even as AIDS was ravaging the country and killing thousands.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In 2022, Museveni continues to rule Uganda while Kagame is the big boss of Rwanda. There has been relative peace in the region but both regimes are based on the barrel of the gun. Under the Belgians, the Tutsis “formed an elite minority caste in Rwanda” and “treated the Hutu peasants like serfs, forcing them to work on their land and sometimes beating them like donkeys.” Today, the Tutsis continue to occupy the top echelons of the Rwandan state. The Hutus may be better treated than a few decades ago but they are clearly second class citizens in their own land.</p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 1.8em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Time for Action</strong></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Like many other countries, Rwanda is still waiting for justice. It is another example of the failure of the UN to stop genocide, save victims, and bring to justice all guilty parties. In 1994, the UN only acted after 75 days of killings. Even then, it chose France, a biased party, to lead the operation. The UN has acted belatedly, inadequately and irresponsibly repeatedly. Genocides in Cambodia, the Balkans and other places are proof of that fact.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">The UN usually serves the interests of the powerful and ignores the poor. Thus, we cannot rely on the UN to prevent genocides, crimes against humanity and other atrocities. It is we the people who must assume responsibility and support political leaders who strive for global peace and harmony.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">In the hope of avoiding another genocide, we must demand that our political leaders take the following actions:</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">First, ICTR must continue its work until all individuals, Rwandan or not, are brought to justice. Its mandate must be expanded to include the forces of other countries who watched but chose not to take any action to stop the ongoing killings.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Second, France, which has already appointed a commission, must now form a criminal tribunal to investigate those who collaborated with the genocidal Hutu government in 1994. French troops who watched the killings, but chose not to act, should also be brought to justice. The French cannot be tried by the ICTR because France is a permanent member of the UNSC and will veto any such proposal. So, we must put pressure on France to bring its citizens to justice.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Third, France must make reparations for the loss of lives, injuries, human displacements, and property destruction caused by its illegal collaboration and complicity with the Hutu government.<a href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"> France</a> has a GDP of over $2.7 trillion compared with Rwanda’s $10.4 billion. France must put its money where its mouth is and allocate at least $20 billion, amounting to less than 1% of its GDP, to compensate the victims of the genocide.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Fourth, the US must form a bipartisan committee to investigate its officials who played a dubious role in Rwanda or Uganda in the 1990s. Those who knew about killings and did nothing to prevent them must be brought to justice just like their French counterparts. Like France, the US is a member of the UNSC and its citizens cannot be tried by ICTR. So, it is up to American citizens to demand a reckoning of the dark days of the 1990s.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em;">Fifth, the US must also pay reparations for the loss of lives, injuries, people displacements, and property destruction that occurred during the genocide. The US GDP is much larger than France and the US could easily give Rwanda $20 billion, about 1% of its GDP. If the bipartisan committee discovers systemic support of genocide, then this amount should be higher. This money should be spent to build infrastructure, educate people, improve healthcare, create means of production and much more.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background: rgb(251, 251, 251); font-size: 8pt;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); line-height: 21pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By<b> </b></span><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/"><b><span style="color: #135aba; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mehdi Alavi</span></b></a><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This article was
originally published on </span><a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/those-responsible-for-the-1994-rwandan-genocide-must-be-brought-to-justice/">Fair
Observer</a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> on June 3, 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p><b><span face=""Source Sans Pro",sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-69234530000429946202022-04-09T14:46:00.004-05:002022-07-31T23:04:04.410-05:00Nationalism is not Patriotism, it is a Threat to World Peace<p style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="ae acy acz" height="286" role="presentation" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/538/1*0eIiZgWh-QBtOIf-QQhCoA.png" style="box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 430px;" width="430" /></p><div class="am an" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><div class="au ae ao ap lf lg lh li lj lk ll" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 32px; max-width: 692px; min-width: 0px; width: 692px;"><article style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="y" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="y" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><section style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="ps zx ue act acu" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><figure class="of og abu abw acw acx rj rk paragraph-image" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; margin: 32px auto 0px;"><figcaption class="qn jb abq rj rk aea aeb bv b bw bx ho" data-selectable-paragraph="" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #757575; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 728px; text-align: center;"><a class="ay rc" href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBH_enUS712US724&sxsrf=APq-WBsog5DjJE3HA1KuZyVIRP4EKvnbzQ:1648766337680&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=images+in+public+domain%27capitol+insurgency&fir=vd3OHXYVJWQhsM%252CdnIWgthK3iNnmM%252C_%253BeD1Ojznl-mP0NM%252CzCxFpbq5f4VNtM%252C_%253B002wFecEEt2XgM%252CdnIWgthK3iNnmM%252C_%253BvxMlgnVBAR_vzM%252Cs1LFj-IYOKWtYM%252C_%253BWpIbNDx2S8s3GM%252CHslOq8bl_9hoXM%252C_%253Bqv7Gnol_8NsUxM%252CzCxFpbq5f4VNtM%252C_%253B1oFYoxRTzf9WjM%252CdnIWgthK3iNnmM%252C_%253BApA7sBe2QJBvBM%252CmmKu3FSaRq0niM%252C_%253Bsy-QoGa6-jS-AM%252CEXzrDCXgv5lhCM%252C_%253BZxH6oV0qVwWWnM%252CMISgDfato2DERM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kSANm5VxwrV2zI0ASRQboTWWSXv0Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg2_-etfH2AhVmmmoFHQmyCTQQjJkEegQIAhAC&biw=1540&bih=700&dpr=1.25#imgrc=eD1Ojznl-mP0NM" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank"><span class="bv kh" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600;">January 6 insurrection at the US capitol, image by NPR.org</span></a></figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><h1 class="pw-post-title aec fk aed bv he aee aef aeg aeh aei aej aek ael aem aen aeo aep aeq aer aes aet aeu aev aew aex aey by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="69cb" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.016em; line-height: 40px; margin: 0.6em 0px -0.27em;"><span style="font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Peace in Europe and America may be at risk given the recent emergence of nationalism, which first emerged in Europe and now on the rise within the US.</span></h1></div><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8403" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">European nations waged wars against one another for centuries. The two European wars <a class="ay rc" href="http://www.centre-robert-schuman.org/userfiles/files/REPERES%20%E2%80%93%20module%201-1-1%20-%20explanatory%20notes%20%E2%80%93%20World%20War%20I%20casualties%20%E2%80%93%20EN.pdf" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">WWI</a> and <a class="ay rc" href="http://www.centre-robert-schuman.org/userfiles/files/REPERES%20%E2%80%93%20module%201-2-0%20-%20explanatory%20notes%20%E2%80%93%20World%20War%20II%20casualties%20%E2%80%93%20EN.pdf" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">WWII</a> engulfed the world and were the deadliest in human history. Around 120 million people died as a result of these two wars. A majority of those who died were women, children, teenagers, and young men. Since WWII, what distracted the Europeans from waging wars against one another was the United States (US), which provided the <a class="ay rc" href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/marshall-plan" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Marshall Plan</a> to rebuild Western Europe and modernize its industries, encouraging cooperation among nations. To this day, the US continues keeping its military forces in the region and redirecting Europe’s attention outward towards influencing affairs in other regions through vehicles such as the <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-1" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">United Nations</a> and <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120.htm" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">NATO</a>. These initiatives promulgated peace in Europe, leading to the emergence of the European Union (EU).</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="70c4" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">However, the emergence of nationalism threatens Europe into conflicts and wars. “We know what happens when Europeans start dividing themselves up and emphasizing their differences and seeing a competition between various countries in a zero-sum way,” warned the US <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-201600783/html/DCPD-201600783.htm" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">President Obama</a> in November 2016.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="54dd" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><span class="tb he" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Nationalism</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2fc9" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">The rise of nationalism across the world, especially in the US, the UK, and the EU continue to threaten the fabric of democracies across the world. It contributes to poor and often hostile treatment of refugees and asylum-seekers coming from the Middle East and other regions.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="c4ad" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">In Europe, the nationalists are joining together to divide Europe. They are gaining power in numerous countries, including Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Serbia, and the UK. In December 2021, the right-wing <a class="ay rc" href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-poland-warsaw-viktor-orban-european-union-b6b0678d874d8bcade22fa1c54e9035a" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">European leaders</a> met in Poland to cooperate in strengthening their nationalistic ideals and activities.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8eca" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">In June 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) nationalists led the vote in a referendum, known as the Brexit or <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/vote-in-general-elections/referendums-held-in-the-uk/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">EU referendum</a>, to leave the EU. In the US, President Trump empowered nationalism. Consequently, the rise of nationalism in the EU and the US resulted in hardship for the refugees and asylum-seekers, especially those coming from the Muslim countries. It also resulted in attacks on American Jewish and Muslim religious minorities. Worst of all in the US, it contributed to the 2021 <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/01/12/what-the-capitol-insurgency-reveals-about-white-supremacy-and-law-enforcement/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">capitol insurgency</a> that threatened the fabric of American democracy, revealing the extent of domestic terrorism, racism, and white supremacy.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f5f8" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalist aspiration has also been rising in other countries, including Russia, Myanmar, and India. <a class="ay rc" href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-holidays-6daf08619663cabcd4cad47b0b97aee8" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Russia</a>’s claim on Crimea, the land of Tatars — the indigenous people of Crimea, is totally baseless. It is a naked nationalist aggression.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="856f" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><a class="ay rc" href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/now-is-the-time-to-recognize-the-genocide-in-burma/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Myanmar</a> has experienced vicious Buddhist nationalist genocide of the Rohingyas, causing an exodus of refugees into Bangladesh and other neighboring countries. This scenario resembles that of Nazi Germany, Rwanda, and the Balkans where nationalism led to demonization, cleansing, and genocide.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1faa" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">In India, the Hindu nationalist government has been empowering the persecution of the Indian Muslims bring up the question if Indian government is ruled by bigots. According to <a class="ay rc" href="https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2020/leaderless-struggle-democracy" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Freedom House</a>, the Indian government continues instilling Hindu nationalism and abrogating the “rights of different segments of its Muslim population”.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2813" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">“So, it is the human condition that to wish for the greatness of one’s fatherland is to wish evil to one’s neighbors,” said Voltaire. <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nationalism" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Nationalism</a> is based on a belief that, “the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">nation-state</a> surpass other individual or group interests.” It is a poisonous idea for producing a feeling of superiority over others and hostility towards other peoples and nations.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="0e8d" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalism naturally leads to interventionism, conflicts, and wars. It first surfaced in <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nationalism/European-nationalism" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">England</a> in the 17th-century and became fashionable through the 1789 <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199209194.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199209194-e-7" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">French Revolution</a>. It is an evil Western innovation responsible for many deaths, destruction, pain, and suffering across the world. This type of behavior must not be tolerated and must be stopped.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="5bd0" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><span class="tb he" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Nationalism vs. Patriotism</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="12df" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalism is not patriotism. Nationalism breeds defiance, stemming from fear, feeding insecurity, and producing abusive energy. In contrast, <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/patriotism-sociology" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">patriotism</a> is a “feeling of attachment and commitment to a <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">country</a>, nation, or political <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">community</a>.” It is being pride of its own country, nation, or people for its accomplishments. It is being ready to cooperate with others towards doing good deeds, and willing to defend it against any foreign aggression. While nationalism has a history of a few hundreds of years, patriotism has a history of thousands of years and is as old as the world’s first civilization.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a06b" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalism is destructive while patriotism is productive. In the <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-iraq-war" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Iran-Iraq</a> War, Iraqis and their accomplices acted on the behalf of the Arab nationalists and the Iranian defenders were patriots. In the Iraq conflict, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (<a class="ay rc" href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">ISIS</a>) terrorists were behaving as Wahhabi nationalists and Iraqi defenders were patriots.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6169" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><span class="tb he" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Time to Pause and Think</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f415" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said George Santayana. We can remember that it was German nationalism that empowered Hitler and afterward brought shame to the Germans. It was the Hutu nationalism led to the genocide against the minority Tutsis with the support and in the presence of the <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56536659" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">French</a> forces. It was the Serbian Christian nationalism that perpetrated genocide against the Muslims in the Balkans in the presence of the UN peacekeeping forces, especially in the 1995 <a class="ay rc" href="https://www.hrw.org/legacy/summaries/s.bosnia9510.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Srebrenica</a> massacre declared “safe haven” under the UN Dutch troop Protection.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f115" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalism as it is expressed in the UK, the EU, and the US is harming our democratic virtues and weaning our rule of law. It also threatens global security. If unabated, it will leave us all economically exploited and morally humiliated. Unintentionally, it could also lead to WWIII, if its seeds have not been already planted by the US draconian sanctions against Iran. In his recent visit to Greece, <a class="ay rc" href="https://cruxnow.com/pope-in-greece-cyprus/2021/12/pope-arrives-in-greece-blasting-rise-of-nationalism-across-europe" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Pope Francis</a> condemned nationalism and asked to stop partisanship and work towards, “engaging ourselves actively for the promotion of all.”</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="093c" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">The US was founded upon liberal individualism and common language and culture, but not religious or ethnic nationalism. It has been a melting pot, welcoming immigrants and providing opportunities. For its long-term interests, the US leaders must bring nationalism under control by reminding the citizens about the nation’s democratic values, ethnic diversity, and power of commonalities. If the US as the world’s superpower can have its house in order, chances are the European and other countries will follow.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="99ce" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><span class="tb he" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Plenty for us All</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="563a" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;">Nationalism stems from fear and insecurity, which produce abusive energy. Fortunately, we all share the same basic needs and desires: food, clothing, shelter, prosperity, and respect. And, nature has plenty to offer to us all. May we release our fears behind judgment, control, and power thus opening the avenue to peace worldwide!</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="563a" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.06px; text-align: start;">By </span><a class="ay rc" href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.06px; text-align: start;" target="_blank"><span class="sz he" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">Mehdi Alavi</span></a></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ea18" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; text-align: justify; word-break: break-word;"><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;">*[Dr. Mehdi Alavi is the founder and president of </em><a class="ay rc" href="http://www.peaceworldwide.org/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank"><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Peace Worldwide Organization</em></a><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;">, a non-religious, non-partisan and charitable organization in the United States that promotes freedom and peace for all. It recently released its Civility Report 2021, which can be downloaded </em><a class="ay rc" href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank"><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;">here</em></a><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;">.]</em></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aez afa aed tb b afb afc wi afd afe aff wl afg afh afi afj afk afl afm afn afo afp afq afr afs aft ps by" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ea18" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: charter, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><em class="afu" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal;">This article was originally published on Medium </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal;">on March 31, 2022.</span></em></p></div></div></section></div></div></article></div></div><div class="xi y" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-top: 16px;"></div><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"></div><div class="hv rv am an afv afw" style="bottom: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center; opacity: 0; position: sticky; transition: opacity 300ms ease 0s;"><div class="afx ks nk afy lu am bq c" style="align-items: center; background-color: white; border-radius: 20px; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 2px 10px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; height: 40px; padding: 0px 14px 0px 16px;"><div class="am bq ax" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"><div class="pw-multi-vote-icon cu afz aga agb agc" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-right: 0px; position: relative; user-select: none;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div aria-describedby="303" aria-hidden="false" aria-labelledby="303" class="cp" role="tooltip" style="box-sizing: inherit; 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font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 8px 2px;"><svg fill="none" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M4.39 12c0 .55.2 1.02.59 1.41.39.4.86.59 1.4.59.56 0 1.03-.2 1.42-.59.4-.39.59-.86.59-1.41 0-.55-.2-1.02-.6-1.41A1.93 1.93 0 0 0 6.4 10c-.55 0-1.02.2-1.41.59-.4.39-.6.86-.6 1.41zM10 12c0 .55.2 1.02.58 1.41.4.4.87.59 1.42.59.54 0 1.02-.2 1.4-.59.4-.39.6-.86.6-1.41 0-.55-.2-1.02-.6-1.41a1.93 1.93 0 0 0-1.4-.59c-.55 0-1.04.2-1.42.59-.4.39-.58.86-.58 1.41zm5.6 0c0 .55.2 1.02.57 1.41.4.4.88.59 1.43.59.57 0 1.04-.2 1.43-.59.39-.39.57-.86.57-1.41 0-.55-.2-1.02-.57-1.41A1.93 1.93 0 0 0 17.6 10c-.55 0-1.04.2-1.43.59-.38.39-.57.86-.57 1.41z" fill-rule="evenodd" fill="#000"></path></svg></button></div></div></div><div class="co gm ca ty" data-popper-escaped="false" data-popper-placement="top" data-popper-reference-hidden="false" style="border-radius: 4px; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; inset: auto auto 0px 0px; position: absolute; transform: translate(548px, -51px); z-index: 700;"><div class="qw gm" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 4px; box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="pw-highlight-menu uk hl" id="305" style="background: rgb(41, 41, 41); border-radius: 3px; box-sizing: inherit;"><span face="medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="box-sizing: inherit;" tabindex="0"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-20167369839984781542022-01-07T10:22:00.004-06:002022-04-09T15:08:54.350-05:00US Foreign Policy in the Middle East Needs a Rethink<p> <span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">The US has a responsibility to right its many wrongs, starting with the Middle East.</span></p><p><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkrsrFx5U1FB_fOo-ubLiinSo4PMnc6eLoM5MjW1Om4f7EPrqg7OGb15mD8uyCPS-euh1-jdePmDJ1tk9guxADPCTZwjynzJqtRgYRUTLlL2ekfvny9g8jSY8dr2STW6vG3RitB7c05UM//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="975" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkrsrFx5U1FB_fOo-ubLiinSo4PMnc6eLoM5MjW1Om4f7EPrqg7OGb15mD8uyCPS-euh1-jdePmDJ1tk9guxADPCTZwjynzJqtRgYRUTLlL2ekfvny9g8jSY8dr2STW6vG3RitB7c05UM//" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><span> </span>Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly on 9/21/2021. © Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz</span><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In 2019, former US
President Jimmy Carter </span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jimmy-carter-china-war-infrastructure-economy-trade-war-church-1396086"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">told</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> a church congregation about a conversation he had with Donald Trump, the
incumbent president at the time. He said Trump called him for advice about
China. Carter, who normalized US ties with China in 1979, told the president
that the United States had only been at peace for 16 years since the nation was
founded. He also called the US “the most warlike nation in the history of the
world.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Carter considers
his time in office to be peaceful, but his </span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/12/15/carter-doctrine-rip-donald-trump-mideast-oil-big-think/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">record</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> says otherwise. Under his one term as president
from 1977 to 1981, the US was still instigating conflicts across the world. The
most notable was the Iran-Iraq War, which the US, the Soviet Union and their
allies were heavily involved in by supporting the Iraqis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Causing Trouble<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The </span><a href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Civility Report 2021</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, a publication of the Peace Worldwide
Organization, labels the US the world’s worst troublemaker, followed by Russia.
The evidence for this is clear. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">First, the </span>US<span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/10/infographic-us-military-presence-around-the-world-interactive"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">maintains</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> at least 750 military bases in around 80
countries. It also has more than 170,000 troops stationed in 159 countries.
Second, in 2016, The </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/23/the-cia-says-russia-hacked-the-u-s-election-here-are-6-things-to-learn-from-cold-war-attempts-to-change-regimes/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> reported that the US has tried 72 times to
overthrow governments of sovereign nations between 1947 and 1989. These actions
were in clear </span>violation<span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> of the UN Charter. Third, the US</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> continues using
economic </span><a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">sanctions</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> against numerous
countries to force their leadership to bow to Washington’s demands. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The worst example is </span>Iran<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, which the US has
sought to use a policy of “maximum pressure” against. Sanctions are also in
clear violation of the </span>UN Charter<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> and affect civilians more than the political
leaders they seek to squeeze. <span style="layout-grid-mode: line;">These
unwarranted interventions in Iran have brought pain and suffering to people in
a country that is not known for its human rights.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The US, meanwhile,
is known well as a country that pays lip service to human rights, democracy and
peace. It talks about a lack of democracy in some nations but favors tyrannical
rulers in others. This includes countries like Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab
Emirates and Saudi Arabia.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The US today is the
world’s only superpower, and with such power comes great responsibility. If the
US is truly interested in human rights, democracy and peace, then it too must
change its actions. It must begin by complying with the UN Charter and
respecting international law. Washington must right its many wrongs —
particularly in the Middle East — not because it is forced to do so, but
because it is the right thing for a world in which peace can prosper. For this
to become a reality, there are a number of areas for the US to consider.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The Coup That Has
Never Been Forgotten<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The first area is
addressing the US relationship with Iran. In the 1980s, in violation of the
Geneva Protocol of 1925, the United States and its European </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/mar/06/uk.iraq"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">allies</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> provided assistance to Iraq when it leader,
Saddam Hussein, ordered the </span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/08/26/exclusive-cia-files-prove-america-helped-saddam-as-he-gassed-iran/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">use</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> of chemical weapons against Iranian troops. Most victims of that attack
in 1988 died instantly, while many others are still </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2013/sep/02/iran-chemical-weapons-wmd-sanctions"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">suffering</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> from the consequences. Some survivors of the
chemical warfare now struggle to find inhalers in Iran, which is scarred by
sanctions. The US should acknowledge the role it played in the war and provide
reparations for the injuries and damage it caused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Today, the
draconian sanctions the US has placed on Iran has deepened a rift with the
European Union, Russia and China, all of which signed a nuclear agreement with
Tehran in 2015. The US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) in 2018 under US President Donald Trump led to the reintroduction of
crippling sanctions that have hurt </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">the Iranian middle class and the poor, causing
hardship and death.<span style="layout-grid-mode: line;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Washington must
lift its unlawful sanctions, which Trump introduced to bring Iran to its knees.
The US thinks that Iran is meddling in the affairs of countries like Iraq,
Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and that a policy of “maximum pressure” will force it
to rethink its foreign policy. The Trump administration used this as an excuse
to pull out of the nuclear deal, despite the Iranians complying with all of its
obligations under the JCPOA. The US under President Joe Biden should do the
same by rejoining the agreement and lifting sanctions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In the long term, a
détente between the US and Iran could pave the way for the Iranians to forgive
the 1953 coup d’état against the democratically elected government of Mohammad
Mossadegh. At the time, a US-orchestrated </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/690363402/how-the-cia-overthrew-irans-democracy-in-four-days"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">campaign</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> led to the overthrow of Prime Minister
Mossadegh. He was replaced with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the brutal last shah of
Iran, who himself was overthrow in the 1979 revolution. Yet the memories of the
coup have never been forgotten. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Lies Over Iraq<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Iraq is another
country where US actions have not been forgotten. If you attack anyone without
being provoked, any court with ounce of justice would require you to repair the
inflicted damage. Relations between nations work in the same way. If a nation
harms another without provocation, the aggressor is expected to repair the
damage caused.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In 2003, under the
false pretext that the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ties
with al-Qaeda, the US under President George W. </span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22794451"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Bush</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> invaded Iraq. The result was the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and his
government, the destruction of infrastructure, the death of hundreds of
thousands in the years to come and the displacement 9.2 million Iraqis. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The US invasion
inevitably led to the rise of radical groups like the Islamic State (IS), which
in 2014 seized territory in Iraq and Syria. The </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-taxpayers-spent-8000-each-2-trillion-iraq-war-study-2020-2?r=US&IR=T"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">trillions</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> that American taxpayers paid for the Iraq war
could have been well spent in the US on addressing poverty, building high-speed
rail networks or repairing infrastructure. Instead, the dollars were spent on
bombs and bullets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When Iraqis led by
Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Mahdi al-Muhandis
formed resistance against IS militants and expelled them from Iraq, many people
were jubilant that their country was freed. Instead of congratulating Soleimani
and Muhandis for the role they played, the US violated Iraq’s territorial
integrity. In a US drone strike at Baghdad airport in January 2020, both men
were assassinated in violation of international law. The US action was not only
</span><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53345885"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">unlawful</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, but it also puts all foreign diplomats in
danger by setting a precedent for other countries to assassinate enemies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">There are two ways
the US can make up for its illegal actions of 2003. First, holding those
responsible to account for the invasion and human rights violations would show
the world that the US is serious about the rule of law. That includes the likes
of Bush and his accomplices, who lied and betrayed the trust of the American
people, as well as security and military personnel who went beyond the rules of
war. Holding such persons to account would restore respect for the US across
the world by demonstrating that no one, not even the president or American
soldiers, is above the law. Second, providing reparations for the loss of Iraqi
and American lives, the injuries caused, the people displaced and the property
destroyed is essential. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Famine in Yemen<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Yemen is another
country where bombs have destroyed the country under the watchful eye of the
Americans. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition supported and armed by the United
States, Britain and France began indiscriminatingly bombing Yemen in response
to a takeover by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The destruction of Yemen has </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">led to accusations
of war crimes by all </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/M.%20Alavi/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/181/Attachments/bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-49563073"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">parties</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> involved. It has
also resulted in 5 million people being at the brink of </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/23/16-million-in-yemen-marching-towards-starvation-as-food-rations-run-low-un"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">famine</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> and millions more
facing starvation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The US must promptly stop all military
and intelligence support to the coalition. As the one nation with such
political power, the US must work on bringing the combatants together by
implementing the </span><a href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/chapter-1"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">UN Charter</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> that calls for
respecting “the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples,
and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As citizens in a
free world, we must assume responsibility for our political leaders’ actions.
First, as a bare minimum, we should realize that the problems we cause for
others, sooner or later, will come back to haunt us. The example of US support
for the mujahideen during the 1980s in Afghanistan is well known. Second,
electing the right political leaders who strive for freedom and peace will not
only benefit people in faraway lands, but also in the US itself. Instead of
taxpayer dollars being spent on weapons, cash can be reinvested into our
society to educate children, improve access to health care and do much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">United, we can put
“maximum pressure” on the US to become a leader in creating a world free from
war, oppression and persecution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="byline-single-post" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #313131; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; text-align: justify;">By<span style="font-weight: 700;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/">Mehdi Alavi</a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p></p><div class="byline-single-post" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #313131; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 14px;">December 21, 2021</span></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; tab-stops: center .25in right 6.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*[The author
is the founder and president of </span></i><a href="http://www.peaceworldwide.org/"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Peace Worldwide Organization</span></i></a><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, a
non-religious, non-partisan and charitable organization in the United States
that promotes freedom and peace for all. It recently released its Civility
Report 2021, which can be downloaded </span></i><a href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/"><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">here</span></i></a><i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.]<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; tab-stops: center .25in right 6.5in; text-indent: 0in;">This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a> on December 21, 2021.</p><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="color: #313131; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-11043467800340145802021-11-25T03:17:00.009-06:002021-12-10T22:20:55.781-06:00Giving Thanks to Indigenous People Throughout the world, indigenous people continue to face discrimination.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqaXMIY5Kr47n_lmP5D6gba6YpUyGWrt2a4Nlc5yD0-asY7p9gn45zdhzrJPl0jUI_LOcr1AxNMHkm9LLbexkhHjd5UCookSZYOyrmJYJ75r9XNKHgGLpV0LBudYajI33q45ujHndH-sL/s1800/Indigenous-FairObserver.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqaXMIY5Kr47n_lmP5D6gba6YpUyGWrt2a4Nlc5yD0-asY7p9gn45zdhzrJPl0jUI_LOcr1AxNMHkm9LLbexkhHjd5UCookSZYOyrmJYJ75r9XNKHgGLpV0LBudYajI33q45ujHndH-sL/s320/Indigenous-FairObserver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 21pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">hanksgiving provides us once again with an opportunity to
introspect and appreciate our blessings. But for many Native Americans, the day
is a </span><a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/11/25/native-americans-thanksgiving-mourning" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">reminder</span></a><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;"> of
all the slaughter, destruction and loss of lands inflicted on them by
outsiders, starting with the pilgrims arriving in Massachusetts some 400 years
ago.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">The plights of indigenous people in other
places are, in many ways, similar with those in the Americas. To this day, they
still face challenges every day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="line-height: 21.75pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">According to <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/indigenous-peoples/" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">Amnesty
International</span></a>, 370 million indigenous people across the world
constitute about 5% of the global population, living in more than 90 countries
and speaking over 4,000 languages. Wherever they live, they often face
discrimination, oppression, exploitation, eviction and other human rights
abuses. As expected, the COVID-19 pandemic has particularly impacted them due
to poverty, lack of clean water and access to health services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In much of the world, indigenous people suffer from high
unemployment, poor education and domestic violence. They are often targeted for
mistreatment and abuse and have the least access to health services compared
with other groups. They are usually imprisoned disproportionately and some die
in custody.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24pt;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Around the World</span></strong><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In Australia, indigenous people constitute around <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/profile-of-indigenous-australians" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">3%</span></a> of
the population, but they form more than a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-53436225" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">quarter</span></a> of
the prison population. Their children are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/16/nts-indigenous-young-people-43-times-more-likely-to-go-to-jail-than-non-indigenous-youth" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">17
times</span></a> more likely to be incarcerated than non-indigenous
children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="line-height: 21.75pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In the Americas, indigenous people are subjected to
discrimination, harassment and violence, particularly in countries like <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2013/08/indigenous-peoples-argentina-we-are-strangers-our-own-country/" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">Argentina</span></a>, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/13/chiles-indigenous-groups-decry-discrimination-on-columbus-day" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">Chile</span></a>,
Paraguay and Nicaragua, among others. They may also face unsubstantiated
charges that include sabotage, terrorism and murder and are particularly,
vulnerable to human trafficking. In Argentina, indigenous people are further
deprived of their rights to ancestral lands. In Paraguay, they continue being
evicted and denied their lands. In Peru, the killers of indigenous people are
often not brought to justice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">Similarly, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/19/canada-indigenous-women-fight-for-equality-discrimination-first-nations" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">Canada</span></a> and
the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/11/14/563306555/poll-native-americans-see-far-more-discrimination-in-areas-where-they-are-a-majo" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">United
States</span></a> have discriminated, mistreated and manipulated their
indigenous people. Both of these nations have exploited and mismanaged the
assets of the native population. Canada has continued oppressing its indigenous
people, confiscating their lands and eliminating their cultures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In June, more than 600 unmarked graves were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-67da8a8af88efc91e6ffc64630796ec9" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">discovered</span></a> in
Canada at a Catholic-run school for indigenous children that operated from 1899
to 1997. This followed a previous report of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/28/canada-remains-indigenous-children-mass-graves" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">215
bodies</span></a> at another Catholic school that was open from the late 19</span><sup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 9.5pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;"> century to 1969.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24pt;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">The Contributions of Native
Americans</span></strong><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">The contributions of indigenous peoples to the world are
countless. Native Americans alone brought us many plants from beans and peanuts
to pineapple and herbal medicines. They also greatly contributed to our
democracy, <a href="https://www.history.com/news/iroquois-confederacy-influence-us-constitution" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">inspiring</span></a> the
Founding Fathers in fashioning the US government. The Six Nations, known by the
French as the Iroquois, provided a great example of participatory democracy
where the government was truly founded on the consent of the governed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">The delegates from the 13 English colonies were inspired by the
Native Americans who were endowed with a rich heritage over thousands of years
that included counseling among the elders in the affairs of the tribes. As
early as 1744, Canasatego, the Iroquois Confederation’s spokesman, <a href="https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24099" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">advised</span></a> the
colonists on how to form a union in order to become a powerful confederation.
The colonists listened to his advice in forming what became the United States
of America. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="line-height: 21.75pt; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In 1751, Benjamin Franklin wrote a <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-0037#:~:text=1%20It%20would%20be%20a,a%20Dozen%20English%20Colonies%2C%20to" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">letter</span></a> inspiring
the 13 colonies to follow the Iroquois Confederacy in forming a union. John
Hancock, speaking on behalf of the 1775 Continental Congress, expressed it well
when he <a href="http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/government.htm" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">said</span></a> “the
Six Nations are wise people. Let us harken to their Council and teach our
children to follow it.” In 1988, the US Senate <a href="https://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/hconres331.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29a8e8;">finally</span></a> paid
tribute to the Native Americans by saying that the “confederation of the
original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was in</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">fl</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">uenced by the political system developed
by the Iroquois Confederacy as were many of the democratic principles which
were incorporated into the Constitution itself.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24pt;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Giving Thanks</span></strong><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">Those who live in democracies today, including the United States,
owe a lot to Native Americans for their freedom. Indigenous peoples have served
us well and deserve to be treated with respect, provided with the same
opportunities and appreciated for their contributions to the world. We should
work to ensure they have equal rights where they live and raise them out of
poverty, enabling them to have access to clean water, hygiene and health
services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">In the US, let us make this Thanksgiving Day special by embracing
our Native Americans, paving the way to remedy some of their wounds. As Amnesty
International recommends, we should follow other countries in the Americas by
replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in recognition of their
contributions to the United States of America.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; layout-grid-mode: line; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">By</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b><a href="https://www.mehdialavi.com/">Mehdi Alavi</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;">*[Dr. Mehdi Alavi is the founder
and president of </span></em><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.peaceworldwide.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none;">Peace Worldwide Organization</span></em></a><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">, a non-religious, non-partisan and charitable
organization in the United States that promotes freedom and peace for all. It
recently released its Civility Report 2021, which can be downloaded </em><a href="http://reports.peaceworldwide.org/civility-report-2021/" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #29a8e8; text-decoration-line: none;">here</span></em></a><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">.]</em><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21.75pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 13pt;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></span></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; tab-stops: center .25in right 6.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This article was
originally published on <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>
on November 24, 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795644007150218131.post-36499672796859319222021-09-12T23:46:00.006-05:002021-09-17T18:04:12.847-05:00WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD IN 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVpC7qVOsXlRXeSWfuhZIIGpfzGXbqHKRh0yWmS6Thlt9aPQgOwp4HmgcHCa961k3JENZCMuFY1adVzTIEVbVU1XiTYcpYkTUZBIC0olI30Vpr8RqNntdsM8cXLPNwtOjGQwdeo6sXSq4/s320/Front_Cover_CR2021_Rev1.jpg" width="213" /></div>
<p>In 2020, coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) expanded rapidly triggering a global crisis. Many political leaders manipulated the occasion, spreading propaganda to gain popularity. They often used the spread of the virus as an excuse to oppress their own citizens and persecute minorities. Consequently, human rights, democracy, and civility globally declined; however, global peace slightly improved relative to the previous year due to political leaders being preoccupied with domestic matters from the virus. </p>
<p>Courage was shown by doctors and other health workers on the front lines who many times put their own health and livelihoods at risk to help others. Courage was shared by those who followed health protocols by staying home when they could, wearing masks, observing social distancing, and frequently washing hands. Sadly, the worst impact, as expected, was felt by the indigenous people due to poverty, lack of clean water, hygiene, and health services.</p>
<p>The rise of nationalism kept threatening the fabric of democracies and instilling fear in people, resulting in human rights abuses, arms proliferation, proxy wars, and waves of unsettled refugees.</p>
<p>Western countries, particularly the United States (US), suffered from a decline in political and civil rights. Discriminating against immigrants, forced migrants, and refugees both from the Middle East and Latin America continued. The Western politicians continued disseminating negative rhetoric against Muslims, causing increased Islamophobia, which caused unwarranted hardship on their own Muslim citizens. As part of the backlash in the spread of COVID-19, Asians faced discrimination and hate rhetoric leading to the movement ‘Stop Asian Hate’. The Western actions led many people to question whether they were truly open societies.</p>
<p>Humanitarian crises continued in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Congo, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the Chinese crackdown of the ethnic Turks, India’s lynching of Muslims and Dalits, and the global oppression of the indigenous people persisted.</p>
<p>Discrimination against females remained widespread. Culturally, many people in overly populated countries like China and India continued preferring male offspring, leading to an influx of infanticide or patterns of “honor killings”. The female shortage in the population further exacerbated the sex trafficking issue in order to bring females back into the population. The #MeToo movement provided a continued platform for women to open up on their personal experiences and better corrective practices and measures to be put in place.</p>
<p>According to Amnesty International (AI), indigenous people constituted about 5 percent of the world’s population. Wherever they lived, they usually faced discrimination, oppression, exploitation, eviction, and other human rights abuses.</p>
<p>People became a serious threat to their own existence. Much of the world continued facing catastrophic wildfires, intense droughts, frequent and bigger tropical storms. In the pursuit of wealth, environmental pollution along with corruption, aggression, inequality, dreadful poverty, and armed conflicts persisted.</p>
<p>The UN veto powers (the US, the UK, Russia, China, and France) remained the culprit of much of the global problems. These powers continued stockpiling offensive chemical and nuclear weapons, arming other nations, having military presence in other countries, giving military aid to belligerent parties, and participating in military alliances. They continued being the first to violate their commitments to the UN, making them the world’s worst troublemakers.</p>
<p>Americans continued being deceived by the US government and its media into perceiving Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria as the sources of world tension. However, these other governments remained more globally peaceful as their military expenditures were by far much more restrained than that of the US. The US relationship with Saudi Arabia indirectly funded much of the terrorism and extremism that the West fought. The US arms proliferation kept contributing to the global conflicts, depriving the poor from opportunities, and leading to many shootings and deaths at home.</p>
<p>The US’ continual arming of Israel, in a very explosive region, was counterproductive. Israel remained as one of the world’s largest weapon exporters; it did not need arms. What Israel truly needed was to resolve the conflict with its neighbors and Native Palestinians and that was where the US should help.</p>
<p>Western media remained biased and disseminated propaganda in favor of its corporations and governments, right or wrong. For instance, the 2015 Zaria Massacre in Nigeria left 348 innocent peaceful worshipers dead and some burned alive did not make headlines and was soon forgotten, but the 2002 Iran’s stoning of a single man for adultery kept making headlines.</p>
<p>As the result of the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) in 2019, more improvements, accountabilities, and efforts were exerted across all industries to raise black voices and equality within the workspace.</p>
<p>In closing, some of the world problems could be addressed if we could work together to solve them. To start, the following actions would be helpful:</p>
<ol>
<li>Follow the recommendations by health authorities in handling coronavirus.</li>
<li>Stand against injustice, oppression, and persecution everywhere.</li>
<li>Advocate understanding, equality, compassion, love, and harmony.</li>
<li>Vote for officials and leaders standing for brotherhood, freedom, and peace.</li>
<li>Verify media’s information free from biases through independent sources.</li>
<li>Honor and stand with indigenous people in respecting the environment.</li>
<li>Recognize oneness in humanity, knowing that resources are abundant to feed, clothe, and share with one another.</li>
</ol>
<p>We hope 2021 will be a better year for human rights, democracy, and peace.</p>
<p>Also, you may visit peaceworldwide.org, download our annual <i>Civility Report,</i> and join our <i>Peace Contest</i>. Let’s be peace-makers together!</p>
<p>May peace be with you!</p>
<p>Dr. Mehdi Alavi, President</p>
<p>Peace Worldwide Organization</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com