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Speech by Mr Fayez Lababedi to Sydney Palm Sunday 2005 rally for peaceMr Fayez Lababedi is Deputy Chairperson, Arab Council Australia.
On 9 / 11 I was sitting in front of my computer busily working when I received a phone call from my step son asking me if I was watching CNN. Turning on the television I saw an unimaginable tragedy unfold in front of my eyes as aeroplanes slammed into the Twin Towers, bringing them down in Manhattan, New York city. As the tragedy was shown again and again my stomach dropped to my feet - I had two daughters and a brother all working in the vicinity of the attack. I worked the phone tirelessly in an attempt to ensure that my brother and children were alright, and when we finally spoke I gave thanks to the Lord that they had been spared. The entire world united in its unquestioning support for the USA and almost every country offered its services to catch the perpetrators and punish them. The Afghan war broke out and was soon occupied by troops from all over the world. Unfinished in Afghanistan, President Bush turned his eyes on oil rich Iraq and unilaterally decided it was time to 'take out' President Saddam Hussein for his possession of weapons of mass destruction, a president that in the past was heavily supported by the US with weapons, including chemical and biological weapons in Iraq's war against Iran. Can there be a more simplistic rhetoric than that of the USA's current administration? And who today, in the fast-paced complicated world that we live in, can state highly complicated situations in terms of black and white, or to paraphrase President Bush's infamous quote, 'you are either with us or against us'? How can I be against the US when my family live there? I grew up loving the USA and Americans as a cheerful, optimistic, hard-working people, but that does not mean I agree with everything that the US government do. I love my children but that doesn't mean I agree with everything they do either. Several years ago, under the Clinton Administration, as I was watching a news program the then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was being interviewed on the situation in Iraq and the possibility of alleviating the prohibitions on children's powdered milk black-listed under UN sanctions. Secretary Albright responded with a "no comment". When questioned about her views on the welfare of Iraqi babies and asked what her feelings were at the death of some 500,000 through starvation and illness as a result of US-sponsored sanctions, I will never forget her answer. She replied that "it was a price well worth paying". The USA, Britain, Australia and Spain and a few (US bribed) Eastern European countries were cobbled together to give the impression that there existed a broad-based support for the US invasion of Iraq than actually existed. Prime Minister Aznar of Spain had elections coming up and unheeding as he was to public opinion, chose to contribute Spanish forces to Iraq. His constituents paid him back for his arrogance by throwing him out of office, where he suffered a humiliating defeat at the polls. It is a shame that Americans and Australians lacked the strength of character to do the same to President George W Bush and Prime Minister Jon Howard. Where is US foreign policy taking the world and how much damage will they inflict on their designated rogue nations? The situation in the Lebanon today is extremely precarious and another civil war could be imminent if the Lebanese lose their strength to resist. The USA is giving Syria signals not unlike those given to Iraq prior to that invasion, and one fears another outbreak of war. Iran and North Korea are also in President George W Bush's sights as he enforces his philosophy and will around the globe. However, these countries are far more powerful than Iraq, and it has been determined that the latter possess tow or three nuclear warheads. The USA has little stomach to face countries that may have the capacity to defend themselves. Recently, as the USA licks its wounds inflicted by an Iraqi insurgency battling the made-in-the-USA government that has still not been formed seven weeks after the election results, President George W Bush is finding it extremely difficult to enlist any country no matter how small or insignificant to join him in subjugating Iraq to the USA's will. The result of this effort at subjugation is more dead Iraqi men, women and children. There are also deaths among the American and British troops, but they are now relatively safe as they hide behind the rag tag Iraqi army and police force, whiling away their hours by degrading and torturing suspected Iraqi insurgents. I never thought I would see the day that I would fear the USA and an American President, but I have no shame in admitting that I fear President George W Bush and his administration. His administration is as dangerous as any in modern history and imposing President George W Bush's beliefs, both political and religious, onto a reluctant world could witness the Administration faltering in its arrogance and stumble into a world war. We demand peaced and justice for all humankind, we demand non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states. We demand freedom of religion, speech and media. In fact, we demand everything that the Bush Administration has promised the Iraqi people but without the lies, greed and intrigue. |
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© Walk Against the War Coalition 2003. |
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