Murder of Zahra Kazemi and time for Tough Talk. November 28, 2007

I really cannot believe that I am having to write this to some educated, seemingly decent, ”Catholic” blonde woman who lives in UK……

 

 

 

After finding THIS BLOG I ended up posting an odd comment there. The one mentioned in my last post about freedom of speech. The simple discussion led me to her other post, ”Amnesty International, Iran and Propaganda” and I am not saying this out of some childish rivalry or anything but I personally found it a very disturbing read. Just visit the link to the post and let me know what you think. But what really disturbed me was this blogger’s insensitive treatment of Zahra Kazemi’s tragedy. I never thought on the other end of the political spectrum there could exist the antithesis of Anne Coulter…. In the true spirit of a friendly debate- which does not mean agreeing to each other, I post this comment for people who might have or harbor such notions:

emberglow Says:
28 November, 2007 at 3:45 am

I appreciate your taking so much time to do a lengthy write up. NO big organization, entity, publication etc. is objective or error,corruption free. If something exists on such a large scale there will always be cracks somewhere. I recently wrote a post about how I like New York Times for many reasons despite it’s obvious or not so obvious misgivings. Amnesty International is a big bureaucracy too. But you cannot trash it altogether and other human rights organizations and reliable sources.

Now let me come to the second point. As much as I admire your resolve to counter ”Islamophobia” I am appalled by your blatant prejudice. I myself hate Islamophobia and its creators. For example this is my lengthy post on Mark Steyn and people like him: CLICK FOR LINK

But at the same time it is important to criticize human rights violations, related crimes in any country of the world. Police torture and custodial deaths are the norm in most eastern countries, not just Iran. You begin talking about Kazemi’s case and then suddenly trash it and move on:

 

 

”The Kazemi case is only a human rights violation if the Iranian version of events is untrue, which AI can’t possibly know. Otherwise it’s just an accidental death in police custody. So why mention it three years on?”

She was a journalist. If she wanted to discover the truth and ”violated” laws or restrictions she should be praised for her bravery. But you make her into a ”criminal” and then you embrace the evidence of Iranian news agency IRNA and Iranian government ”inquiry” and reject the international community, Human rights groups, government of Canada, where Kazemi had gained citizenship and where her family resides. Her son in Canada, Stephan Hachemi, still believes that his mother was tortured, raped and murdered. Is he supporting international anti- Iran propaganda? Maybe he is getting paid for it? huh ?

If you cannot sympathize with the most cruel, unjust, barbaric rape and murder of a woman…,do you also have no sympathy for Kazemi’s surviving family just because you choose to think it is all anti- Iran propaganda? I really don’t know what is driving your maniacal prejudices, and, let’s say, Islamophilia/Iranophilia that so tragically blinds your mind and clouds your judgment.

Please wake up!

Free Trade VS Freedom November 26, 2007

The Times of London’s website carried this news story, CLICK TO READ, ”French leader goes quiet on human rights”. This story shows the disturbing trend among the Western countries to greedily pursue trade relations with autocratic and criminal regimes at the expense of suffering humanity. Many corporate giants have been blamed for running sweat shops in many parts of the Third World where working conditions are exploitative, wages are minimal and children too are employed as laborers. The New York Times’ Nicholas D. Kritof has a differing view on sweat shops though which he opines help starving third world people to pull themselves out of extreme poverty. But he must be talking about few polished and benign sweat shops that he visited (or was taken to) on his tours to China. But the esteemed governments of Western countries are no different from these sleazy big businesses, maybe because they’re funded by them?

 

 

 

Nowhere, does this trend of greed become more conspicuous than the Western trade relations vis-a-vis China. The above Times news report records,

 

 

”President Sarkozy will avoid public criticism on human rights when he tries to persuade China to make France its top European partner on a state visit to Beijing today…The last French president, an expert on oriental culture and a regular visitor to China, was appreciated by the leadership for his resistance to US power in Asia, but he failed to win the commercial favour for France that is enjoyed by Germany and Britain. Mr Sarkozy, who has taken seven ministers and 40 businessmen with him, is setting out what he calls his policy of “new realism”…”



It is clear that Free Trade is not all cool as the free traders would have us believe. Notably, Down Under, Australia too has shown the similar reluctance to bringing human rights violations in China to the table. Indeed China is now Australia’s biggest trading partner leaving USA and Japan behind. Click here to read, ”China emerges as our biggest trade partner” from The Australian newspaper. Australian government has been in a very tight spot over Chinese Asylum seekers in Australia, especially the ones who do so before international media like Chen Yonglin in June 2005. Click to read, ” China defector accuses Australia” from BBC news website.

 

This blog is not pointing accusing fingers or calling this ”realism” totally wrong. This blog sort of understands people’s basic need to survive or on the other hand to feed on caviar and ride flashy cars and own bigger homes. This blog is only pointing towards the hypocrisy of those (especially UNETHICAL big businesses and their lackeys) who cry for FREE TRADE FOR FREEDOM. The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that Free trade results in pushing human rights concerns on the back burner. Human rights and liberties are sacrificed on the altar of FREE TRADE. So, this blog wishes to ask just one question only. What is so FREE about the FREE TRADE?

Not so polite Canadians and not so lucky Poles November 23, 2007

Finally, Canada has made a statement to the international community: ”We’re not as soft as you might think” Surely, Canada is coming of age. They may not have the courage to mess with more aggressive minorities like fundamentalist Muslims yet but they can always go for a Pole and Taser him to death. And when he falls down dying and writhing in pain the brave Canadian men of RCMP (Which Stands for ”Royal Canadian Mounted Police”, The Canadian Scotland Yard in other words) can be heard shouting war slogans and here is what they say and do, ”A voice is heard yelling, “Hit him again, hit him again.” The four officers clamber on top of him, restraining his arms and his head, as Dziekanski twitches. Finally, he is still.”



You can CLICK HERE to READ THIS STORY-”Questions arise after Polish man Tasered by Canadian Mounties dies ”- by Associated Press from Daily News which carries the account in writing and also the video of Canadian toughness.




The Poles and the one who recited Pushkin in New Zealand

Poland’s poverty has driven Poles out of Poland in search of employment all over the World especially to the rich Western European countries; Germany, UK and even Ireland. CLICK HERE to read another interesting article, ”SHOCKED TO DEATH” from The Los Angeles Times on the Polish immigrants that also mentions the Canadian hospitality. Today, The Poles work under very hard conditions, for very low wages and do jobs that no one in their ”host country” would do, certainly not for that kind of money. Just last night I left a comment on an Irishman’s blog who lives in Poland and blogs on the life in Poland. I talked about how I met a young Irish guy here in New Zealand who was on a working Holiday visa and I barraged him with questions about Ireland’s recent economic boom, the consequent flow of immigrants and Irish society’s reaction to it. Ireland has always been the nation of emigrants not immigrants.



He informed me that probably the biggest group of immigrants to Ireland is of Polish folks. Scores of them work like mules for peanuts but what is worse, large sections of Irish society resent them and even hate them for – the oft cited crime in immigrant countries- immigrants taking up their jobs. It is indeed a great irony that Irish people– in their less fortunate times– faced grave discrimination, hatred, prejudice, racism in the new lands during the time of great Irish exodus and mass immigration for better life in countries like America.

About 2 years back I met a Polish guy here in New Zealand who lived in our private student accommodation over Christmas break as the rents are cheap. He was a tall and handsome man of nearly 40 with a very warm personality but with some aggressiveness and impatience, especially when discussing something. He was educated and could talk about European history, politics and so on. He scared most people but I managed to strike friendship with him as I showed interest in knowing things about Poland.

One morning I found him in the common kitchen scrubbing the sinks and the slabs all by himself. He told me he had nothing better to do so he thought of cleaning up the really messy kitchen. He also mentioned that someone has been stealing his food and meat from the common refrigerator (a common crime). I expressed my indignation and said, this kind of thing makes one so angry. But he just smiled warmly as he scrubbed the sink, ”Oh no no…!!! So what, maybe someone needed the food. Let’s say, I donated the food. I’m a Catholic and you gotta show compassion for the needy and hungry.” Of course there were bits of sarcasm but he took it quite well and concentrated on cleaning the kitchen.

It was a warm sunny December (summertime in Southern Hemisphere) in New Zealand and the place was really peaceful as most international students (mostly Chinese) go to their homes for summer holidays. To divert his attention to pleasanter things I asked him questions about Polish and Russian culture. He seemed to know a good deal about Russia. So I asked him whether he knows anything about Alexander Pushkin. He put his scrubbing pad aside and with passionate gestures and gregariousness this gentle Pole broke into a poem by Pushkin in his booming voice. I had never seen him so happy.

Religion and tribalism- Fourth honor killing in small palestinian town in a month November 20, 2007

I just read this sickening news story, ‘‘As order slides, Palestinian women face

honor killings.” <<Click to Read>> This reports the ghastly murder of a young woman in Palestine, according to a law based on an old Jordanian law that makes it almost lawful to kill women for ”honor”. Members of family can convict a woman for breaching family honor and kill her. If arrested they can get only about 6 months prison according to the law. The report notes:

 

 

 

 

‘A few weeks ago, the body of the young mother of four was found in a garbage dump east of town. Police arrested two of the woman’s male cousins for having trapped Ms. Wahdan and shot her to death, committing the third “honor killing” in Qalqilya last month.”

 

 

 

 

This is truly disgusting. Most Arab countries and societies exhibit shocking tribalism, especially in their treatment of women. **Notably, other Muslim countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Lebanon do not display such brutal tendencies. But many non Islamic societies in the region also show trend towards honor killing of women. For example many parts of India, especially Northern India (CLICK HERE to read this blog and related news story) **

 

 

 

In short this is a crime against humanity and not just a concern of the Arab world. It is a concern for international community and this must not be tolerated. I personally think (pardon the rhetoric) that the United States and NATO should consider Iranian nuclear development as the second threat to the civilized world. If slaughtering of women like pigs goes on in Arab and Iranian society, I believe NATO, Israel along with any other willing partners have the moral right as well as obligation to militarily invade such tribalistic enclaves and shoot their madmen on sight.

 

 

 

I also use this post to shame all the prominent Arab leaders and that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clown from Iran. They have absolutely no right to mourn ”occupation” and ”human rights abuses” in Palestine, allegedly, at the hands of Israel. Not condemning this barbarity perpetrated and connived at by their own society but crying foul over Israel (and even denying Holocaust) all the time shows how moronic and hypocritical they are. I think Israel is the only bright hope for human freedom in the whole of Middle East and North Africa. Israel should be encouraged to take over all Palestinian land (and any other such criminal and dysfunctional society or country) and put it under civilized rule of law to stop crime.

 

 

 

 

Arab hands are covered in blood of their own weak, poor, vulnerable and the innocent. Arab leaders are not only a stigma on humanity but also a blot on the name of Islam, which literally means peace. Whole civilized world and every true Muslim anywhere on this planet must act to stop these crimes occurring within their own society right now.