Letters to the Editor, October 13, 2003

Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

Editor: The Introduction of Abdul Rahman Ibn Khaldoun is the most well known title about how ancient civilizations or empires emerged, expanded, then came to an end. He also analyzes how wealth and poverty are made. However, I'm not sure whether this 14th century work is void of Eurocentrism, as Ibn Khaldoun lived and traveled between Andalusia and North Africa.

Among the notable contemporary authors, the late Edward Said has written about Eurocentrism in his famous book, Orientalism. But most of his books are about how Israelis dispossessed the Palestinian people, thus making them poor by evicting them from their property. Also Samir Amin can be read, particularly in relation to the dependency, development and underdevelopment, and the world system theories.

Guantanamo Bay and Canada!

The Arab News article on "Guantanamo Bay" is very telling. US government hypocrisy and illegality carried out with impunity. And we have Canadian version as well!

It is no small wonder a US Army chaplain and two translators, all three Muslims, American citizens, have been charged with spying. But the other 600 plus detainees are languishing in Guantanamo Bay for almost 2 years, all without charges. What hypocrisy from a country which as the article states "sets such great a store by human rights, justice and equality before the law". Not surprising at all from a rogue state!

In Canada we have the horrendous scandal of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, also a Muslim, on returning from a vacation abroad was detained at Kennedy airport in New York where he was connecting to a flight to his home in Montreal. US authorities questioned him, and supposedly contacted Canadian authorities about him since he was a Canadian, though both Canada and US are issuing conflicting statements now in a monumental cover-up. He was sent back to Syria by the US (he has dual citizenship) where he was imprisoned for a year, and only released a week ago. There were no charges, the US believed he was a terrorist!

The US treated Maher in the manner it treats the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, that is all these people are held illegally without charges in the name of the so-called US appointed 'war on terrorism'. Maybe the US would want Canada to be "Guantanamo Bay North", that would save them some transportation costs!

There is such an outrage in Canada at the moment over the game of blame by both American and Canadian authorities. We are demanding that there be a full and independent inquiry without delay. This is a long shot because both Governments have a lot to hide. I will attach 2 letters I have written to our Government, and another to the Editors of the daily papers.

Jack Lakavich

Kelowna, BC Canada

Peace with settlements?

How can Israel return to its borders from 1967? There is the settlement of Maale Adumim, 100 000 people live in that city, Ariel 75 000 people live there, East Jerusalem 120 000 people live there.

These are all occupied areas, never that they will return to the original Israel created by the UN.

They want an Israel like 2000 years ago till the Jordan river! But money can break every law like in this case

Boaz

Editor:

These are all illegal Israeli settlements built on confiscated Palestinian lands. They represent the worst kind of theft, armed robbery. For peace to happen between Palestinians and Israelis, these settlements should be evacuated or dismantled.

The biggest deception so far has been the claim that Zionist Israelis represent ancient Israelites. Actually, most Israelis of European origin are descendants of converts. Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) and Middle Eastern Jews are more likely to be descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob than European Jews who brought death and destruction to the Middle East. So, if anybody has historical rights, its the Palestinian people.

US Iraq war critic gets German peace prize

Euro News

An outspoken critic of the US-led invasion of Iraq has won a prestigious German literary prize. US writer Susan Sontag has been awarded the annual peace prize of the German Book Sellers Association. In her acceptance speech, Sontag not only lashed out at Washington but also at the US Ambassador to Germany.

"I can only the more regret the deliberate absence of US Ambassador Daniel Coats whose immediate refusal of the invitation in June shows he is more interested in affirming the ideological stance and rancorous reactive ness of the Bush administration than he is in fulfilling a diplomatic duty which is to represent the interest and reputation of his and my country," she said.

Sent by Karim A G

Western media double standard

UK mourned 21 dead British soldiers in a memorial service attended by Queen. All died fighting in an illegal invasion of Iraq, to colonize a UN member country. Shades of Hitler moving into Poland on any pretext whatsoever.

Australia’s Prime Minister traveled all the way to Bali, the Indonesian island, to attend a service for 88 dead Australian civilians; victims of bomb blast in the Bali dance club last year.

BBC telecast both ceremonies, with due solemnity and grace.

However Western media is criminally silent on 37000 dead Iraqi civilians that were victims of US/UK bombings on civilian areas of Iraq. Are they less of the human beings to be so callously and disdainfully ignored?

GHULAM MUHAMMED, MUMBAI, India.

Adoption of Children from the Middle East

Hi. I am an educated, professional African-American woman who reads the international papers via the Internet, and I really feel saddened for war-torn families in the Middle East. I am also a single adoptive parent here in the US, and have two children, ages 7 and 15. There's nothing I can do to bring peace to the world, but I do have an idea that could help a few.

Why don't you run a story on how people from other countries could adopt a child from any country in your region. I think of all the kids living on the streets or in orphanages, and I'd certainly have room for one more. I think of how hard the life of a female orphan will be in particular.

There is a old story, and I'll tell you one version I've heard. A father saw his son on the beach, where thousands of small starfish had been washed up upon the shore. The boy was throwing them back into the ocean. The father said, "You're wasting your time. There are too many to make a difference." The boy turned to his father and replied, "Yes, but it'll make a difference to the ones I save."

So if you do such a story, I hope your reporter will outline the rules of intercountry adoptions, and whether orphanages in some countries would care more about finding a good home for a child than whether it's a married couple or single parent or the religion of the family. In the USA, all families must have the local Social Services department or a licensed adoption agency investigate any potential adoptive family before approving them, this way, crazy or inadequate people can't adopt. Lastly, your paper should include the names and addresses and phone numbers of the available orphanages and the contacts where giving families can get in touch with those orphanages to start the process.

Hope you like my idea. Every now and then, I read sad news or bad news in your paper. How about a story that will inspire hope, and give hope for many children throughout the impoverished and war-torn areas? There are many who would adopt older, and even handicapped children also, especially here in America.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Vita Noble, Silver Spring, MD, USA

Editor:

I'm afraid that there are no orphanages in Iraq because of the chaos and the absence of government. However, if readers know about the topic, their replies are appreciated.