Letters to the Editor, July 11, 2004

Al-Jazeerah.info in a megaphone world of propaganda

Dear Editor,

Obviously I am basically sympathetic with the views that you express so I permit you a certain amount of hyperbole (as you know some of your opponents would find apartheid wall a loaded word) . What, however, impresses me is the high quality and rationality of the articles from your contributors. In a megaphone world of propaganda and question begging they are a pleasure to read.

Thank you,

Peter Norton

Editor: I’m honored and humbled. But this is a collective effort from good people like yourself from around the world, particularly from the United States. You and other readers are invited to be part of this effort towards a better and more peaceful world.

The Sharon Wall

As Raygun might have said: Tear down that wall, Mr Sharon.

Vietnamization/Iraqization of the War

Just as Tricky Dicky tried to shift casualties to local security forces in Vietnam, so Bush seeks greater Iraqi involvement. It did not work in Vietnam......

Group 'Think'

How is that ordinary citizens like myself and 8 million peace demonstrators around the world could see very clearly the false and contrived nature of the case for razing Iraq. Yet the American political establishment did not have one brain to knock together. What sort of brainwashing goes on there? Or is it just plain stupidity?

I am angry to find my political judgments far better than those receiving zillions of dollars for their Presidential campaigns.

Invading the Wrong country

If only the US had invaded Israel instead of Iraq it would now be in a much happier position. Its WMD justification would be thoroughly justified, it would have rescued an oppressed civilian population from brutal occupation, restored stolen lands, stopped torture and abuse in prisons, and generally helped to right the greatest injustice of the modern world. American values of equality, justice and human rights would have been upheld and the whole world - and particularly America - would have become a much safer place. Indeed, Arab countries would be rushing to champion the American way of democracy.

Sorry guys. You got it wrong again.

Phil Hong

The Test of Democracy

Dear Editor,

The ICJ finally ruled that the Israeli land-grabbing wall is illegal and that they have also illegally occupied the Palestinian land.

This decision is made through a democratic process where the international community has made known their decision through this International Court of Justice that Israel is a 'criminal' state.

For a country that advocates herself as a model of democracy to the extent of imposing such ideas around the world, and even using her military forces to do that, will US now truly show to the the whole world if she is really a democratic country, by asking Israel, through the UN body, to dismantle the wall?

Fauzi Shahab, Malaysia

Israel's Separation Barrier.

Israel's separation barrier is reminiscent of (for one) the Warsaw Ghetto. The Warsaw Ghetto was the slippery slope to the Gas Chamber. The separation barrier is one more step towards the genocide of the Palestinians by the Zionazis. Slowly but surely Palestinians are being denied access to their farmland, to clean water, and to their own homes.

The International Court has rightfully condemned Israel but President GWB supports the separation barrier, saying it stops terrorism. Well, it hasn't stopped the Zionist army from terrorising has it? The only way to stop Terrorism is to get rid of the Zionists and make Israel a state where Israelis and Palestinians live together the way they did before the Zionist Entity existed.

Janice Keenan

The renaissance of astronomy in Baghdad in the ninth and tenth centuries:

A list of publications, mainly from the last 50 years

http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/fb13/ign/astronomy_in_baghdad/bibliography.html

BEST REGARDS

DAVID KING

Muslims of the Republic of Georgia

I am writing this e-mail message as a member of the Muslim Georgian population both in the republic of Georgia and outside as diaspora...

My name is Ahmad AL-FATEH (Artmeladze)... I live in North Cyprus...

Nowadays, the Muslim Georgians in Georgia are in hard situation because of the revolution of M. SAAKASHVILI... He has rooted his revolution on Orthodox Christianity with outside support...

Let me add that there is a community of Muslim Georgians in northwestern Azerbaijan... close to Georgia border... they are also in hard situation because of the Russian-backed administration of Azerbaijan symbolized with Ilham ALIYEV...

I'm attracting your attention to the hardship suffered by Muslim Georgians, siblings in Georgia, Ajaria, Abkhazia, South Osetia, Azerbaijan ...

For that; use the link: www.muslimgeorgia.org

It is prepared in 3 languages; English, Georgian and Turkish...

Ahmad Al-Fateh

Security for conventions

Dear All,

Re: Ridge and Ashcroft and the military providing security for conventions, check out this article I wrote a year ago:

http://www.counterpunch.org/valentine08112003.html

Best,

Doug Valentine