Benazir Bhutto: Bin Laden Murdered
watch video on you tube
This is a video response to Frost over the World - Benazir Bhutto - 02 Nov 07
please visit following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnychOXj9Tg
and this is the edited version where the statement about laden is missing!
see your self and decided
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbpABK_SSws
turn off the so called ''main stream media'' and think..........
From
awami bharat
exposing the politics of terrorism
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
new year new strength
Dear friends,
Peace be upon you!
Awami Bharat wishes you a very happy, blissful, enlighten, and consolidate new year 2008. Therefore, we can all together strengthen the Awami Bharat, through which we can provide our concrete contribution to people’s struggle for justice and peace.
Peace be upon you!
Awami Bharat wishes you a very happy, blissful, enlighten, and consolidate new year 2008. Therefore, we can all together strengthen the Awami Bharat, through which we can provide our concrete contribution to people’s struggle for justice and peace.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Christian leaders ask for Muslim forgiveness
Christian leaders ask for Muslim forgiveness(Wam)27 November 2007
ABU DHABI -- Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, according to leading Christian leaders. Responding to an open letter in October signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world, the Christian leaders also asked the Muslim world for forgiveness...
'We want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world', they said in the letter which was made available to the press here yesterday
Following is the full text of the letter:
As members of the worldwide Christian community, we were deeply encouraged and challenged by the recent historic open letter signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world. A Common Word Between Us and You identifies some core common ground between Christianity and Islam which lies at the heart of our respective faiths as well as at the heart of the most ancient Abrahamic faith, Judaism. Jesus Christ's call to love God and neighbor was rooted in the divine revelation to the people of Israel embodied in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). We receive the open letter as a Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians worldwide. In this response we extend our own Christian hand in return, so that together with all other human beings we may live in peace and justice as we seek to love God and our neighbors.
Muslims and Christians have not always shaken hands in friendship; their relations have sometimes been tense, even characterized by outright hostility. Since Jesus Christ says, 'First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye' (Matthew 7:5), we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past ( e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.
Religious Peace-World Peace 'Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world.' We share the sentiment of the Muslim signatories expressed in these opening lines of their open letter. Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, and perhaps of the whole present epoch. Though tensions, conflicts, and even wars in which Christians and Muslims stand against each other are not primarily religious in character, they possess an undeniable religious dimension. If we can achieve religious peace between these two religious communities, peace in the world will clearly be easier to attain. It is therefore no exaggeration to say, as you have in A Common Word Between Us and You, that 'the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.' Common Ground What is so extraordinary about A Common Word Between Us and You is not that its signatories recognize the critical character of the present moment in relations between Muslims and Christians. It is rather a deep insight and courage with which they have identified the common ground between the Muslim and Christian religious communities.
What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbor.
Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well. That so much common ground exists-common ground in some of the fundamentals of faith-gives hope that undeniable differences and even the very real external pressures that bear down upon us can not overshadow the common ground upon which we stand together. That this common ground consists in love of God and of neighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.
Love of God We applaud that A Common Word Between Us and You stresses so insistently the unique devotion to one God, indeed the love of God, as the primary duty of every believer. God alone rightly commands our ultimate allegiance. When anyone or anything besides God commands our ultimate allegiance-a ruler, a nation, economic progress, or anything else-we end up serving idols and inevitably get mired in deep and deadly conflicts. We find it equally heartening that the God whom we should love above all things is described as being Love. In the Muslim tradition, God, 'the Lord of the worlds,' is 'The Infinitely Good and All-Merciful.' And the New Testament states clearly that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8). Since God's goodness is infinite and not bound by anything, God 'makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,' according to the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel (Matthew 5:45). For Christians, humanity's love of God and God's love of humanity are intimately linked. As we read in the New Testament: 'We love because he [God] first loved us' (1 John 4:19). Our love of God springs from and is nourished by God's love for us. It cannot be otherwise, since the Creator who has power over all things is infinitely good.
Love of Neighbor We find deep affinities with our own Christian faith when A Common Word Between Us and You insists that love is the pinnacle of our duties toward our neighbors. 'None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself,' the Prophet Muhammad said. In the New Testament we similarly read, 'whoever does not love [the neighbor] does not know God' (1 John 4:8) and 'whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen' (1 John 4:20). God is love, and our highest calling as human beings is to imitate the One whom we worship. We applaud when you state that 'justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part' of the love of neighbor. When justice is lacking, neither love of God nor love of the neighbor can be present. When freedom to worship God according to one's conscience is curtailed, God is dishonored, the neighbor oppressed, and neither God nor neighbor is loved. Since Muslims seek to love their Christian neighbors, they are not against them, the document encouragingly states. Instead, Muslims are with them. As Christians we resonate deeply with this sentiment. Our faith teaches that we must be with our neighbors-indeed, that we must act in their favor-even when our neighbors turn out to be our enemies. 'But I say unto you,' says Jesus Christ, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good' (Matthew 5:44-45). Our love, Jesus Christ says, must imitate the love of the infinitely good Creator; our love must be as unconditional as is God's-extending to brothers, sisters, neighbors, and even enemies. At the end of his life, Jesus Christ himself prayed for his enemies: 'Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34).
The Prophet Muhammad did similarly when he was violently rejected and stoned by the people of Ta'if. He is known to have said, 'The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you.' (It is perhaps significant that after the Prophet Muhammad was driven out of Ta'if, it was the Christian slave 'Addas who went out to Muhammad, brought him food, kissed him, and embraced him.) The Task Before Us 'Let this common ground'-the dual common ground of love of God and of neighbor-'be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us,' your courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which the letter is written you embody what you call for. We most heartily agree. Abandoning all 'hatred and strife,' we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other's good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond 'a polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders' and work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another. Given the deep fissures in the relations between Christians and Muslims today, the task before us is daunting. And the stakes are great. The future of the world depends on our ability as Christians and Muslims to live together in peace. If we fail to make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony you correctly remind us that 'our eternal souls' are at stake as well.
We are persuaded that our next step should be for our leaders at every level to meet together and begin the earnest work of determining how God would have us fulfill the requirement that we love God and one another. It is with humility and hope that we receive your generous letter, and we commit ourselves to labor together in heart, soul, mind and strength for the objectives you so appropriately propose.
Signataries
*Harold W. Attridge, Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School *Joseph Cumming, Director of the Reconciliation Program, Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Yale Divinity School *Emilie M. Townes, Andrew Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School, and President-elect of the American Academy of Religion *Miroslav Volf, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale Divinity School Martin Accad, Academic Dean, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (Lebanon) Scott C. Alexander, Director, Catholic-Muslim Studies, Catholic Theological Union Roger Allen, Chair, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals Ray Bakke, Convening Chair, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding Camillo Ballin, Bishop, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait (Roman Catholic) Barry Beisner, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Northern California Federico Bertuzzi, President, PM Internacional, Latin America James A. Beverley, Tyndale Seminary, Canada Jonathan Bonk, Executive Director, Overseas Ministries Study Center Gerhard B?wering, Yale University Joseph Britton, Dean, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale John M. Buchanan, Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century Joe Goodwin Burnett, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska Samuel G. Candler, Dean, Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta Juan Carlos C?rdenas, Instituto Iberoamericano de Estudios Transculturales, Spain Joseph Castleberry, President, Northwest University Colin Chapman, Author David Yonggi Cho, Founder and Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals Corneliu Constantineanu, Dean, Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia Robert E. Cooley, President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School John D'Alton, Presiden! t, Melbo urne Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Australia Andr? Delbecq, University of Santa Clara Keith DeRose, Yale University Andr?s Alonso Duncan, CEO, Latinoamerica Global, A.C.
Diana L. Eck, Harvard University Bertil Ekstrom, Executive Director, Mission Commission, World Evangelical Alliance Mark U. Edwards, Jr., Senior Advisor to the Dean, Harvard Divinity School John Esposito, Director Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge University Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University Roberto S. Goizueta, Boston College Bruce Gordon, University of St. Andrews William A. Graham, Dean, Harvard Divinity School Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM Frank Griffel, Yale University Edwin F. Gulick, Jr., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky David P. Gushee, President, Evangelicals for Human Rights Kim B. Gustafson, President, Common Ground Elie Haddad, Provost, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Lebanon L. Ann Hallisey, Hallisey Consulting and Counseling Paul D. Hanson, Harvard Divinity School Heidi Hadsell, President, Hartford Seminary David Heim, Executive Editor, The Christian Century Norman A. Hjelm, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, retired Carl R. Holladay, Candler School of Theology, Emory University Joseph Hough, President, Union Theological Seminary, NY Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church Nabeel T. Jabbour, Consultant, Professor, Colorado Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop Coadjutor, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Stanton L. Jones, Provost, Wheaton College, IL Tony Jones, National Coordinator, Emergent Village Riad A. Kassis, Theologian, Author, Consultant Paul Knitter, Union Theological Seminary, NY Manfred W. Kohl, Vice President of Overseas Council International, USA James A. Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NY Sharon Kugler, University Chaplain, Yale University Peter Kuzmic, President, Evangelical Theological Faculty Osijek, Croatia Peter J. Lee, Bishop, Episco! pal Dioc ese of Virginia Linda LeSourd Lader, President, Renaissance Institute Tim Lewis, President, William Carey Int'l University John B.Lindner, Yale Divinity School Duane Litfin, President, Wheaton College Greg Livingstone, Founder, Frontiers Albert C. Lobe, Interim Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee Rick Love, International Director, Frontiers Douglas Magnuson, Bethel University Peter Maiden, International Coordinator, OM Danut Manastireanu, World Vision International, Iasi, Romania Harold Masback, III, Senior Minister, The Congregational Church of New Canaan, New Canaan, CT Donald M. McCoid, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America C. Douglas McConnell, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Don McCurry, President, Ministries to Muslims Brian D. McLaren, Author, Speaker, Activist Kathleen E. McVey, Princeton Theological Seminary Judith Mendelsohn Rood, Biola University Steve Moore, President and CEO, The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA) Douglas Morgan, Director, Adventist Peace Fellowship Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary Salim J. Munayer, Academic Dean, Bethlehem Bible College, Jerusalem Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus David Neff, Editor in Chief and Vice-President, Christianity Today Media Group Alexander Negrov, President, St. Petersburg Christian University, Russia Richard R. Osmer, Princeton Theological Seminary George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies of the Episcopal Church Greg H. Parsons, General Director, U.S. Center for World Mission Doug Pennoyer, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University Douglas Petersen, Vanguard University of Southern California Sally Promey, Yale Divinity School Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Loyola Marymount University David A. Reed, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto Neil Rees, International Director, World Horizons Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Fuller Theological Seminary Leonard Rogers, Executive Director, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding William L. Sachs, Director! , Center for Reconciliation and Mission, Richmond Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School Andrew Saperstein, Yale Center for Faith and Culture Robert Schuller, Founder, Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power Elizabeth Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School Francis Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School William Schweiker, University of Chicago Donald Senior, C.P., President, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago C. L. Seow, Princeton Theological Seminary Imad Nicola Shehadeh, President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary David W. and K. Grace Shenk, Eastern Mennonite Missions Marguerite Shuster, Fuller Theological Seminary John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Regent College, Vancouver Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary Andrea Zaki Stephanous, Vice President, Protestant Church in Egypt Wilbur P. Stone, Bethel University, MN John Stott, Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, London Frederick J. Streets, Yeshiva University William Taylor, Global Ambassador, World Evangelical Alliance John Thomas, President and General Minister, United Church of Christ Iain Torrance, President, Princeton Theological Seminary Michael W. Treneer, International President, The Navigators, CO Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director, World Evangelical Alliance George Verwer, Founder and former International Director, OM Harold Vogelaar, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Berten A. Waggoner, National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners Rick Warren, Founder and Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church, and The Purpose Driven Life, Lake Forest, CA J. Dudley Woodberry, Dean Emeritus, Fuller School of International Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Christopher J.H. Wright, International Director, Langham Partnership, London Robert R. Wilson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Yale Divinity School Nicholas Wolterstorff, University of Virginia Godfrey Yogarajah, General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship in Asia Community Council of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, OH.
ABU DHABI -- Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, according to leading Christian leaders. Responding to an open letter in October signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world, the Christian leaders also asked the Muslim world for forgiveness...
'We want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world', they said in the letter which was made available to the press here yesterday
Following is the full text of the letter:
As members of the worldwide Christian community, we were deeply encouraged and challenged by the recent historic open letter signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals from around the world. A Common Word Between Us and You identifies some core common ground between Christianity and Islam which lies at the heart of our respective faiths as well as at the heart of the most ancient Abrahamic faith, Judaism. Jesus Christ's call to love God and neighbor was rooted in the divine revelation to the people of Israel embodied in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). We receive the open letter as a Muslim hand of conviviality and cooperation extended to Christians worldwide. In this response we extend our own Christian hand in return, so that together with all other human beings we may live in peace and justice as we seek to love God and our neighbors.
Muslims and Christians have not always shaken hands in friendship; their relations have sometimes been tense, even characterized by outright hostility. Since Jesus Christ says, 'First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye' (Matthew 7:5), we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past ( e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the 'war on terror') many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbors. Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.
Religious Peace-World Peace 'Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world.' We share the sentiment of the Muslim signatories expressed in these opening lines of their open letter. Peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians stand as one of the central challenges of this century, and perhaps of the whole present epoch. Though tensions, conflicts, and even wars in which Christians and Muslims stand against each other are not primarily religious in character, they possess an undeniable religious dimension. If we can achieve religious peace between these two religious communities, peace in the world will clearly be easier to attain. It is therefore no exaggeration to say, as you have in A Common Word Between Us and You, that 'the future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.' Common Ground What is so extraordinary about A Common Word Between Us and You is not that its signatories recognize the critical character of the present moment in relations between Muslims and Christians. It is rather a deep insight and courage with which they have identified the common ground between the Muslim and Christian religious communities.
What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbor.
Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well. That so much common ground exists-common ground in some of the fundamentals of faith-gives hope that undeniable differences and even the very real external pressures that bear down upon us can not overshadow the common ground upon which we stand together. That this common ground consists in love of God and of neighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.
Love of God We applaud that A Common Word Between Us and You stresses so insistently the unique devotion to one God, indeed the love of God, as the primary duty of every believer. God alone rightly commands our ultimate allegiance. When anyone or anything besides God commands our ultimate allegiance-a ruler, a nation, economic progress, or anything else-we end up serving idols and inevitably get mired in deep and deadly conflicts. We find it equally heartening that the God whom we should love above all things is described as being Love. In the Muslim tradition, God, 'the Lord of the worlds,' is 'The Infinitely Good and All-Merciful.' And the New Testament states clearly that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8). Since God's goodness is infinite and not bound by anything, God 'makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous,' according to the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel (Matthew 5:45). For Christians, humanity's love of God and God's love of humanity are intimately linked. As we read in the New Testament: 'We love because he [God] first loved us' (1 John 4:19). Our love of God springs from and is nourished by God's love for us. It cannot be otherwise, since the Creator who has power over all things is infinitely good.
Love of Neighbor We find deep affinities with our own Christian faith when A Common Word Between Us and You insists that love is the pinnacle of our duties toward our neighbors. 'None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself,' the Prophet Muhammad said. In the New Testament we similarly read, 'whoever does not love [the neighbor] does not know God' (1 John 4:8) and 'whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen' (1 John 4:20). God is love, and our highest calling as human beings is to imitate the One whom we worship. We applaud when you state that 'justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part' of the love of neighbor. When justice is lacking, neither love of God nor love of the neighbor can be present. When freedom to worship God according to one's conscience is curtailed, God is dishonored, the neighbor oppressed, and neither God nor neighbor is loved. Since Muslims seek to love their Christian neighbors, they are not against them, the document encouragingly states. Instead, Muslims are with them. As Christians we resonate deeply with this sentiment. Our faith teaches that we must be with our neighbors-indeed, that we must act in their favor-even when our neighbors turn out to be our enemies. 'But I say unto you,' says Jesus Christ, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good' (Matthew 5:44-45). Our love, Jesus Christ says, must imitate the love of the infinitely good Creator; our love must be as unconditional as is God's-extending to brothers, sisters, neighbors, and even enemies. At the end of his life, Jesus Christ himself prayed for his enemies: 'Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34).
The Prophet Muhammad did similarly when he was violently rejected and stoned by the people of Ta'if. He is known to have said, 'The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you.' (It is perhaps significant that after the Prophet Muhammad was driven out of Ta'if, it was the Christian slave 'Addas who went out to Muhammad, brought him food, kissed him, and embraced him.) The Task Before Us 'Let this common ground'-the dual common ground of love of God and of neighbor-'be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us,' your courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which the letter is written you embody what you call for. We most heartily agree. Abandoning all 'hatred and strife,' we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other's good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond 'a polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders' and work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another. Given the deep fissures in the relations between Christians and Muslims today, the task before us is daunting. And the stakes are great. The future of the world depends on our ability as Christians and Muslims to live together in peace. If we fail to make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony you correctly remind us that 'our eternal souls' are at stake as well.
We are persuaded that our next step should be for our leaders at every level to meet together and begin the earnest work of determining how God would have us fulfill the requirement that we love God and one another. It is with humility and hope that we receive your generous letter, and we commit ourselves to labor together in heart, soul, mind and strength for the objectives you so appropriately propose.
Signataries
*Harold W. Attridge, Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School *Joseph Cumming, Director of the Reconciliation Program, Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Yale Divinity School *Emilie M. Townes, Andrew Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology, Yale Divinity School, and President-elect of the American Academy of Religion *Miroslav Volf, Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale Divinity School Martin Accad, Academic Dean, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (Lebanon) Scott C. Alexander, Director, Catholic-Muslim Studies, Catholic Theological Union Roger Allen, Chair, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals Ray Bakke, Convening Chair, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding Camillo Ballin, Bishop, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait (Roman Catholic) Barry Beisner, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Northern California Federico Bertuzzi, President, PM Internacional, Latin America James A. Beverley, Tyndale Seminary, Canada Jonathan Bonk, Executive Director, Overseas Ministries Study Center Gerhard B?wering, Yale University Joseph Britton, Dean, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale John M. Buchanan, Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century Joe Goodwin Burnett, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska Samuel G. Candler, Dean, Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta Juan Carlos C?rdenas, Instituto Iberoamericano de Estudios Transculturales, Spain Joseph Castleberry, President, Northwest University Colin Chapman, Author David Yonggi Cho, Founder and Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea Richard Cizik, Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals Corneliu Constantineanu, Dean, Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia Robert E. Cooley, President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School John D'Alton, Presiden! t, Melbo urne Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Australia Andr? Delbecq, University of Santa Clara Keith DeRose, Yale University Andr?s Alonso Duncan, CEO, Latinoamerica Global, A.C.
Diana L. Eck, Harvard University Bertil Ekstrom, Executive Director, Mission Commission, World Evangelical Alliance Mark U. Edwards, Jr., Senior Advisor to the Dean, Harvard Divinity School John Esposito, Director Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge University Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University Roberto S. Goizueta, Boston College Bruce Gordon, University of St. Andrews William A. Graham, Dean, Harvard Divinity School Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM Frank Griffel, Yale University Edwin F. Gulick, Jr., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky David P. Gushee, President, Evangelicals for Human Rights Kim B. Gustafson, President, Common Ground Elie Haddad, Provost, Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Lebanon L. Ann Hallisey, Hallisey Consulting and Counseling Paul D. Hanson, Harvard Divinity School Heidi Hadsell, President, Hartford Seminary David Heim, Executive Editor, The Christian Century Norman A. Hjelm, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, retired Carl R. Holladay, Candler School of Theology, Emory University Joseph Hough, President, Union Theological Seminary, NY Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church Nabeel T. Jabbour, Consultant, Professor, Colorado Shannon Sherwood Johnston, Bishop Coadjutor, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Stanton L. Jones, Provost, Wheaton College, IL Tony Jones, National Coordinator, Emergent Village Riad A. Kassis, Theologian, Author, Consultant Paul Knitter, Union Theological Seminary, NY Manfred W. Kohl, Vice President of Overseas Council International, USA James A. Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NY Sharon Kugler, University Chaplain, Yale University Peter Kuzmic, President, Evangelical Theological Faculty Osijek, Croatia Peter J. Lee, Bishop, Episco! pal Dioc ese of Virginia Linda LeSourd Lader, President, Renaissance Institute Tim Lewis, President, William Carey Int'l University John B.Lindner, Yale Divinity School Duane Litfin, President, Wheaton College Greg Livingstone, Founder, Frontiers Albert C. Lobe, Interim Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee Rick Love, International Director, Frontiers Douglas Magnuson, Bethel University Peter Maiden, International Coordinator, OM Danut Manastireanu, World Vision International, Iasi, Romania Harold Masback, III, Senior Minister, The Congregational Church of New Canaan, New Canaan, CT Donald M. McCoid, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America C. Douglas McConnell, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Don McCurry, President, Ministries to Muslims Brian D. McLaren, Author, Speaker, Activist Kathleen E. McVey, Princeton Theological Seminary Judith Mendelsohn Rood, Biola University Steve Moore, President and CEO, The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA) Douglas Morgan, Director, Adventist Peace Fellowship Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary Salim J. Munayer, Academic Dean, Bethlehem Bible College, Jerusalem Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus David Neff, Editor in Chief and Vice-President, Christianity Today Media Group Alexander Negrov, President, St. Petersburg Christian University, Russia Richard R. Osmer, Princeton Theological Seminary George E. Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies of the Episcopal Church Greg H. Parsons, General Director, U.S. Center for World Mission Doug Pennoyer, Dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University Douglas Petersen, Vanguard University of Southern California Sally Promey, Yale Divinity School Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Loyola Marymount University David A. Reed, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto Neil Rees, International Director, World Horizons Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Fuller Theological Seminary Leonard Rogers, Executive Director, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding William L. Sachs, Director! , Center for Reconciliation and Mission, Richmond Lamin Sanneh, Yale Divinity School Andrew Saperstein, Yale Center for Faith and Culture Robert Schuller, Founder, Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power Elizabeth Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School Francis Sch?ssler Fiorenza, Harvard Divinity School William Schweiker, University of Chicago Donald Senior, C.P., President, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago C. L. Seow, Princeton Theological Seminary Imad Nicola Shehadeh, President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary David W. and K. Grace Shenk, Eastern Mennonite Missions Marguerite Shuster, Fuller Theological Seminary John G. Stackhouse, Jr., Regent College, Vancouver Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary Andrea Zaki Stephanous, Vice President, Protestant Church in Egypt Wilbur P. Stone, Bethel University, MN John Stott, Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, London Frederick J. Streets, Yeshiva University William Taylor, Global Ambassador, World Evangelical Alliance John Thomas, President and General Minister, United Church of Christ Iain Torrance, President, Princeton Theological Seminary Michael W. Treneer, International President, The Navigators, CO Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director, World Evangelical Alliance George Verwer, Founder and former International Director, OM Harold Vogelaar, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Berten A. Waggoner, National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners Rick Warren, Founder and Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church, and The Purpose Driven Life, Lake Forest, CA J. Dudley Woodberry, Dean Emeritus, Fuller School of International Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary Christopher J.H. Wright, International Director, Langham Partnership, London Robert R. Wilson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Yale Divinity School Nicholas Wolterstorff, University of Virginia Godfrey Yogarajah, General Secretary, Evangelical Fellowship in Asia Community Council of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, OH.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
AWAAMI BHARAT
"EXPOSING THE POLITICS OF TERRORISM"
We are in "The Age of the Empire". The new phase of Imperialism is now wherein; monopoly capital has transformed itself into "Globally Integrated Monopoly Capitalism" leading to an international ruling class elite across the nations. The Global Imperialist-Capitalist project is creating conditions for Global fascism in the garb of fighting terror. It is not only US Imperialism as is misconstrued, but it is a US-Zionist project. The Military-Industrial Complex is controlled by an alliance of Neoconservatives and Zionists. The Zionists are not only Jewish as is popularly assumed, but also consists of Christian Zionists. Therefore it is not a clash of civilizations or a battle between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but is a joint struggle against Zionism. In fact the Palestine-Israel conflict lies at the epicenter of International politics and the key to global peace lies in a just solution to this issue.
The Global War on Terrorism is only a pretext for waging wars for global hegemony. The centre piece of this bogus war is the attack on the WTC on September 11, 2001 as well as the supposed threat from Al Qaeda and Bin Laden. This has given the Neocon-Ziocon Bush junta, an unfettered license to declare and wage wars upon the peoples and nations of the world. This is a "war without borders" a seemingly endless war that is both "pre-emtive and pre-ventive" and can be waged as per the whims of any US president. We are being pushed into a phase of "controlled chaos" through a "perpetual state of warfare".
As per independent research and analysis, the attack on the WTC was planned, financed, facilitated and executed by the US and Israeli political and military leadership. Bin Laden is dead way back in December 2001 and today they are using his ghost to scare the people of the world. Also Al Qaeda is not an organization but is a covert American operation. Every act and video tape of the Al Qaeda helps the Imperial agenda and they also come at very opportune times for the Bush junta.
Today terrorism has emerged as the political and social challenge of our times. Terrorism is not being fostered to instigate communal riots as is wrongly perceived but in fact it has replaced communal riots as the strategy of the ruling elite / state to divide the people, weaken their struggles and thereby enforce the neo-liberal agenda.
Every terror attack results in the widening of the religious divide and increases fear and suspicion amongst the communities. It leads to the further demonization of the Indian Muslim community and pushes them further down the scale. After every terror attack, calls for a strategic alliance with America and Israel against "Islamic terror" have become the norm both within the Government and dominant sections of the corporate media. The Neoconservative–Zionist agenda of globally demonizing Muslims and Islam is becoming the norm in our country as well.
It is my contention that terror attacks at the furious rate that they are occurring in our country, cannot be planned and executed without the connivance of certain rogue elements from within the Indian state that are committed ideologically to the US-Israeli imperial project, accepting India as a junior partner. The problem is also that our system has been infiltrated by Individuals sympathetic to the RSS and those that are CIA-MOSSAD assets.
Sadly due to the role of the media, the ordinary people who are the victims of terror have resigned themselves to the fact that terror attacks cannot be prevented and we cannot blame the government or the security apparatus for the same. This is an utter lie!! The key to preventing terror attacks is intelligence gathering and surveillance and this is what has and can prevent terror attacks from occurring.
Also the terror attacks occur during significant political periods and the terror attacks help to divert the attention of the Indian people away from the core issues. This was the same role that was earlier played by the staging of communal riots by the political establishment. The attacks on the Sankat Mochan Mandir, Mumbai train blasts and the recent Hyderabad blasts area a case in point.
But terror attacks are far more easier to manage and also the fact lies that no commission of inquiry is constituted and the media as well does not investigate the matter. The story as dictated by the police is routinely accepted by the media and the people at large. The post-terror attack phase is always the same, breaking news, followed by the names of certain Muslim organizations, then the arrest of two dozen Muslim youngsters or so, torture, false charge sheets and the like. Invariably the cases filed have not withstood the judicial criteria barring the terror attacks of Mumbai 1993 and the Coimbatore blasts.
On the other hand the state as well as the media has turned a total blind eye to the Bajrang Dal terror network that was / is manufacturing bombs in Nanded. The police have caught a number of people across the country carrying explosives, but these people have been released with little explanation, as they were not Muslims. The police have also been accused of false encounters wherein they have shot dead their own informers and criminals as terrorists, as have been the cases in Gujarat , Delhi and in Nagpur .
There is also a religious divide in how people view the terror attacks. A majority of Hindus are convinced that it is Indian Muslims who are perpetrating the terrorist attacks in collusion with the ISI and elements from Bangladesh . This perception has slightly shifted after the terror attacks on the Masjid's in Malegaon , Hyderabad and the Ajmer Dargah, where now even Indian Muslims are seen as victims of terror. So the climate of fear, distrust, suspicion has worsened and has proved productive, far more than communal riots.
The majority of the Muslim community, who are both the victims of terrorism and the ensuing victimization by the state apparatus, view this entire episode with grave concern and do not understand their way to escape this double trap. They are convinced that it is the Bajrang Dal / RSS combine who are at the core of formenting terror attacks across the country. The increasing climate of Islamophobia and the demonization of Muslims will have grave and adverse consequences for the Muslim community as was the case of the Jews in Europe .
Therefore the terror attacks on the Indian people are linked to the larger International geo-politics. By and large the terror networks causing death and mayhem in India include rogue sections of the Indian state that are aligned with the US-Israeli axis, the Bajrang Dal-RSS in allaince with the MOSSAD, as well as the SIMI-ISI networks. Both the ISI and MOSSAD are allies of the CIA, therefore at the core of the International terror lies the USA . Also the fact lies that it is primarily those nations that are part of the US strategic orbit, that are facing the problem of terror. Countries like Venezuela , Cuba , Russia and China are not being subjected to the plague of terror.
It is clear from the policy documents and statements of Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Ehud Barak, that formenting terror has become an integral part of American and Israeli foreign policy. There is a clear relationship between terror and the reshaping of the geo-political and economic map of the world.
In other words, the primary source of global terror is the Military-Industrial Neoconservative and Zionist alliance centred in Washington DC , Tel Aviv and their global allies.
The impending war on Iran will be dictated by the logic of Zionism and will be the final catalyst for WWIII, which in any case is on. This attack on Iran will be launched in the aftermath of another 9/11 style attack (expected by both Bush and Cheney), which again will be executed by the same forces. This war will have tragic consequences for all of the world.
Undoubtedly the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have been a defining moment in modern history. It has forever changed the direction of global politics. 9 /11 was not a bolt out of the blue but occurred in a political and socio economic global context that needs to be analyzed if we are to deconstruct the myth of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror (GWT). "9/ 11 " is the showpiece of the GWT declared by the George Bush Junta and their doctrine of "preventive wars" which is pushing the world into a state of "perpetual warfare". Thus in order to combat the deception and hypocrisy of the GWT we have to expose the true reasons as well as the perpetrators who planned and executed the 9 /11 terror attack.
POLITICAL CONTEXT of the Strategy of Global Terrorism
In the early 1990's in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union there was a crisis for the US Military-Industrial-Energy complex. There were no enemies! Thus military spending was slashed, questions were raised about foreign deployments and the role of NATO was very difficult to define. The then chief of armed forces General Colin Powel stated " think hard about it, I'm running out of villians", Condoleeza Rice wrote " the US has found it exceedingly difficult to define it's national interests in the absence of the Soviet power".
At the same time American foreign policy was being radically redefined by Neocon cabal of Rumsfield, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle. In the PNAC (2000) in a report titled "Rebuilding America's Defenses; Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century". It spells out "American Grand Strategy" for "as far into the future as possible".
This report clearly states that "while the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the gulf, transcends the issue of the regime change of Saddam Hussein". Clearly, the US plan to invade Iraq had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein or weapons of mass destruction. The invasion of Iraq was planned well in advance and Saddam Hussein was only an excuse.
Another document, "The National Security Strategy of the USA "( released on Sept.17, 2002 hereafter NSSUSA ). It is an official statement and should be studied carefully since it is the official foreign policy statement. Following are some of the key excerpts. The US enjoys a position of unparalleled military strength and great economic and political influence. "Today the world's great powers find ourselves on the same side" i.e. the US lacks any rival... "this is the time of opportunity for America to extend the benefits of freedom across the globe. We will definitely work to bring the hope of democracy, development of free markets and free trade to every corner of the world."
The NSSUSA goes on to add that : "The US is faced by a new enemy, shadowy networks of individuals ........organized to penetrate open societies .......To defeat this threat we must make use of every tool in our arsenal....... the war against terrorists of global reach is a global enterprise of uncertain duration......."
It is in the above context that we must view Condoleeza Rice's statement in the aftermath of 9/11 while addressing the National Security council she said: " How do you capitalize on these opportunities to fundamentally change the US doctrine and the shape of the world in the wake of Sept. 11".
In other words, terrorism is not the target, but instead terrorism offers opportunities for the US to pursue its strategic agenda over an infinite time frame and across geographical boundaries.
Out of this foreign policy which clearly defines strategies and goals for the US global hegemony has also arisen the theory of a New Imperialism for the 21st century encompassing every aspect and sphere of politics, economics, society, religion and culture.
Unbelievable to most people, especially in the third world who have gained their independence and sovereignity by struggling against colonialism and racism, imperialism is once again emerging as a vital and respectable school of thought in certain key quarters US-UK-Israeli intellectuals.
The threat of justification is that advanced states face a threat from "pre-modern states" such as Afghanistan. The pre-modern world is a world of failed states. They can provide a base for non-state actors who may present a danger to the post-modern world. Thus some theoreticians of the empire advocate a "defensive imperialism".
Interestingly, even the failures of such states to follow "economic policies" as laid out by the advanced world justify colonialism. What is needed, they say is a new kind of imperialism, one acceptable to a world of human rights and cosmopolitan values. Zbigniew Brzerzinski, a key advisor to Carter and architect of the fall of the USSR, describes the main task of the US in the preservation of its empire as being "to prevent collusion and maintain dependence among the vassals, to keep tributaries pliant and protected and to keep the barbarians from coming together".
There is a concerted attempt by the US in the wake of its wars and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq to prod the UN to reinstate the "Mandate System" so as to give a legal and respectable basis to Colonialism. Here the occupied countries would be put under the supervision of the occupying Imperial power.
ECONOMIC CONTEXT of the Strategy of Global Terrorism
Undoubtedly one of the central underlying objectives of the US wars is control of the Oil resources as well as the Pipeline routes. For the US to maintain the Dollar hegemony, especially against the Euro, it was imperative for the US to control the oil reserves to preserve its status as the sole superpower. The European nations as well as Japan are totally dependent on oil imports to power their economies. Thus the US stranglehold over the oil reserves is a key component of its strategic long term objectives. Prior to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq the major oil producing nations namely Iran, Iraq , Russia and Venezuela were contemplating a shift to the Euro.
Also it is important to understand as to how the US in spite of having a massive national debt manages to maintain itself as a superpower. Any other nation running an annual deficit of $500 billion annually would have gone bankrupt, but not the US. The answer to this riddle lies here. Being the world's leading capitalist economy and military superpower, its currency has and is being used for payments between countries and therefore for their foreign exchange reserves. When the US needs to pay it's debts, it merely issues a treasury bond ( i.e. borrows from the capital market) to which investors from around the world rush to subscribe. Foreign investors buy not only bonds issued by the government, but also American corporate bonds, shares and real estate. These inflows soaking up the world's savings ensures that the US is able to import more than her exports, year after year without suffering the treatment meted out by the World Bank and IMF to countries like Argentina and Brazil. The endless supply of golden eggs depends on the US maintaining its status as the supreme imperialist power and the dollar remaining as the prime currency for international payments. However, that is precisely what is now threatened.
But why is a dry, dismal and sandy Afghanistan worth conquering? Zbigniew Brzerzinski tells us exactly why in a Council on Foreign Relation Study called the Great Chess Board: American Primacy and it's Geo-Strategic Objectives (1997). Do keep in mind that Afghanistan is strategically located between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Thus the hawkish Brzerzinski gives us a history lesson, "ever since the continents started interacting politically, some 500 years ago, Eurasia has been the centre of world power". Eurasia is all the territory east of Germany and accounts for 75% of the world's population, 60% of the world's GNP and 75% of the world's known energy resources.. This means Russia , Middle East , China and parts of India. He acknowledges that Russia and China bordering oil rich central Asia are the two main powers threatening US hegemony in the region. He further goes on to say that the power that controls Caspian oil and gas will control the global economy. Nafees Ahmad in his book "The War on Freedom" sums up "Brzerzinski clearly envisaged that the establishment, consolidation and expansion of US military hegemony over Eurasia through Central Asia would require the "unprecedented, open-ended militarization of foreign policy, coupled with an unprecedented manufacture of domestic support and consensus on this militarization campaign".
But the problem is the American people and Brzerzinski understands this small problem and is thinking ahead in 1997. He states "moreover, as America becomes an increasingly multicultural society, it may find it more difficult to fashion a consensus on foreign policy issues, except in the circumstance of a truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat".
Time and again leading US and Israeli leaders have publicly stated that they will be unable to get the sanction of their people for war unless "some catastrophic and catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbour takes place".
Consider the following: Rumsfeld's influential Defense Science Board 2002 Summer Study on Special Operations and Joint Forces in Support of Conquering Terrorism. The report states that the global war on terror requires new strategies, postures and organizations. Among other things this body would launch secret operations aimed at "simulating reactions among terrorists and states possessing weapons of mass destruction-that is for instance, prodding terrorist cells into action" and exposing them to quick response attacks by US forces.
Ehud Barak former prime minister of Israel similarly states "at the moment there is no consensus for an operation against the Syrians, except when the terrorists are concerned" Barak recommended that "the necessary infrastructure be prepared for a swift action, 1967 style against Syria - an operation - that will develop through a rapid chain of events, a terrorist attack, a strike on terrorists and a quick escalation surprising the Syrians."
There are various documented precedents for state abetted terrorist operations and in fact terrorism as an instrument of state craft.
In my estimation al-Qaeda is a hoax and a cruel fraud being perpetrated on the people. Bin Laden's acts of terror and video cassettes appear when Bush most needs them. There is a clear pattern here. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda are nothing but fronts of the CIA and MOSSAD, a phantom created to pursue their never ending war on terror. Rather Al Qaeda is another name for the outsourcing of terror by the CIA-MOSSADS-ISI and the Saudi Intelligence. In my assessment Osama Bin laden is dead way back in December 2001 and the CIA and MOSSAD are using his ghost to scare the people of the world.
In my analysis, the US and Israeli political and military leadership conspired at the highest levels and planned, financed, executed and facilitated the 9/11 terror attacks against their own people so that they could then, in the smokescreen of the bogus GWT, unleash their war machine, thus paving the way to realizing their ambition of a Global American Empire.
It is manifestly clear that the nations and people of the world are facing a ruthless enemy that will go to any extent to achieve their objective of Global domination. US imperialism along with its allies with their agenda of the Global War on Terror, have emerged as the single most potent threat and their recourse to lies, hypocrisy and deceit knows no bounds. At the present juncture there exists a Global ruling junta referred to as the neoconservatives which is an alliance of the Military-Industrial-Energy complex and is also simultaneously an alliance of Conservative Evangelical Christians as well as ZionistJews. The alliance extends, permeates and integrates segments of similar persuasion in every nation and society. As we approach another anniversary of 9/11, we can observe that the American people are beginning to see through the deception. Bush's domestic ratings are at an all time low and still falling. The Palestinian and Iraqi resistance are valiantly fighting against the occupier and is turning this battle into another Vietnam. Clearly the American-Zionist empire is on the retreat and it is only a matter of time before the Global resistance will triumph over the Bush-Cheney-Wolfowitz-Perle fascist cabal.
In these complex and confusing times it is for the "intellectuals of the people" to ask the questions, find the answers, speak out and write with courage so as to expose the falsehood being manufactured by the Empire and thereby bring the truth to the people.
Feroze Mithiborwala
"EXPOSING THE POLITICS OF TERRORISM"
We are in "The Age of the Empire". The new phase of Imperialism is now wherein; monopoly capital has transformed itself into "Globally Integrated Monopoly Capitalism" leading to an international ruling class elite across the nations. The Global Imperialist-Capitalist project is creating conditions for Global fascism in the garb of fighting terror. It is not only US Imperialism as is misconstrued, but it is a US-Zionist project. The Military-Industrial Complex is controlled by an alliance of Neoconservatives and Zionists. The Zionists are not only Jewish as is popularly assumed, but also consists of Christian Zionists. Therefore it is not a clash of civilizations or a battle between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but is a joint struggle against Zionism. In fact the Palestine-Israel conflict lies at the epicenter of International politics and the key to global peace lies in a just solution to this issue.
The Global War on Terrorism is only a pretext for waging wars for global hegemony. The centre piece of this bogus war is the attack on the WTC on September 11, 2001 as well as the supposed threat from Al Qaeda and Bin Laden. This has given the Neocon-Ziocon Bush junta, an unfettered license to declare and wage wars upon the peoples and nations of the world. This is a "war without borders" a seemingly endless war that is both "pre-emtive and pre-ventive" and can be waged as per the whims of any US president. We are being pushed into a phase of "controlled chaos" through a "perpetual state of warfare".
As per independent research and analysis, the attack on the WTC was planned, financed, facilitated and executed by the US and Israeli political and military leadership. Bin Laden is dead way back in December 2001 and today they are using his ghost to scare the people of the world. Also Al Qaeda is not an organization but is a covert American operation. Every act and video tape of the Al Qaeda helps the Imperial agenda and they also come at very opportune times for the Bush junta.
Today terrorism has emerged as the political and social challenge of our times. Terrorism is not being fostered to instigate communal riots as is wrongly perceived but in fact it has replaced communal riots as the strategy of the ruling elite / state to divide the people, weaken their struggles and thereby enforce the neo-liberal agenda.
Every terror attack results in the widening of the religious divide and increases fear and suspicion amongst the communities. It leads to the further demonization of the Indian Muslim community and pushes them further down the scale. After every terror attack, calls for a strategic alliance with America and Israel against "Islamic terror" have become the norm both within the Government and dominant sections of the corporate media. The Neoconservative–Zionist agenda of globally demonizing Muslims and Islam is becoming the norm in our country as well.
It is my contention that terror attacks at the furious rate that they are occurring in our country, cannot be planned and executed without the connivance of certain rogue elements from within the Indian state that are committed ideologically to the US-Israeli imperial project, accepting India as a junior partner. The problem is also that our system has been infiltrated by Individuals sympathetic to the RSS and those that are CIA-MOSSAD assets.
Sadly due to the role of the media, the ordinary people who are the victims of terror have resigned themselves to the fact that terror attacks cannot be prevented and we cannot blame the government or the security apparatus for the same. This is an utter lie!! The key to preventing terror attacks is intelligence gathering and surveillance and this is what has and can prevent terror attacks from occurring.
Also the terror attacks occur during significant political periods and the terror attacks help to divert the attention of the Indian people away from the core issues. This was the same role that was earlier played by the staging of communal riots by the political establishment. The attacks on the Sankat Mochan Mandir, Mumbai train blasts and the recent Hyderabad blasts area a case in point.
But terror attacks are far more easier to manage and also the fact lies that no commission of inquiry is constituted and the media as well does not investigate the matter. The story as dictated by the police is routinely accepted by the media and the people at large. The post-terror attack phase is always the same, breaking news, followed by the names of certain Muslim organizations, then the arrest of two dozen Muslim youngsters or so, torture, false charge sheets and the like. Invariably the cases filed have not withstood the judicial criteria barring the terror attacks of Mumbai 1993 and the Coimbatore blasts.
On the other hand the state as well as the media has turned a total blind eye to the Bajrang Dal terror network that was / is manufacturing bombs in Nanded. The police have caught a number of people across the country carrying explosives, but these people have been released with little explanation, as they were not Muslims. The police have also been accused of false encounters wherein they have shot dead their own informers and criminals as terrorists, as have been the cases in Gujarat , Delhi and in Nagpur .
There is also a religious divide in how people view the terror attacks. A majority of Hindus are convinced that it is Indian Muslims who are perpetrating the terrorist attacks in collusion with the ISI and elements from Bangladesh . This perception has slightly shifted after the terror attacks on the Masjid's in Malegaon , Hyderabad and the Ajmer Dargah, where now even Indian Muslims are seen as victims of terror. So the climate of fear, distrust, suspicion has worsened and has proved productive, far more than communal riots.
The majority of the Muslim community, who are both the victims of terrorism and the ensuing victimization by the state apparatus, view this entire episode with grave concern and do not understand their way to escape this double trap. They are convinced that it is the Bajrang Dal / RSS combine who are at the core of formenting terror attacks across the country. The increasing climate of Islamophobia and the demonization of Muslims will have grave and adverse consequences for the Muslim community as was the case of the Jews in Europe .
Therefore the terror attacks on the Indian people are linked to the larger International geo-politics. By and large the terror networks causing death and mayhem in India include rogue sections of the Indian state that are aligned with the US-Israeli axis, the Bajrang Dal-RSS in allaince with the MOSSAD, as well as the SIMI-ISI networks. Both the ISI and MOSSAD are allies of the CIA, therefore at the core of the International terror lies the USA . Also the fact lies that it is primarily those nations that are part of the US strategic orbit, that are facing the problem of terror. Countries like Venezuela , Cuba , Russia and China are not being subjected to the plague of terror.
It is clear from the policy documents and statements of Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Ehud Barak, that formenting terror has become an integral part of American and Israeli foreign policy. There is a clear relationship between terror and the reshaping of the geo-political and economic map of the world.
In other words, the primary source of global terror is the Military-Industrial Neoconservative and Zionist alliance centred in Washington DC , Tel Aviv and their global allies.
The impending war on Iran will be dictated by the logic of Zionism and will be the final catalyst for WWIII, which in any case is on. This attack on Iran will be launched in the aftermath of another 9/11 style attack (expected by both Bush and Cheney), which again will be executed by the same forces. This war will have tragic consequences for all of the world.
Undoubtedly the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have been a defining moment in modern history. It has forever changed the direction of global politics. 9 /11 was not a bolt out of the blue but occurred in a political and socio economic global context that needs to be analyzed if we are to deconstruct the myth of 9/11 and the Global War on Terror (GWT). "9/ 11 " is the showpiece of the GWT declared by the George Bush Junta and their doctrine of "preventive wars" which is pushing the world into a state of "perpetual warfare". Thus in order to combat the deception and hypocrisy of the GWT we have to expose the true reasons as well as the perpetrators who planned and executed the 9 /11 terror attack.
POLITICAL CONTEXT of the Strategy of Global Terrorism
In the early 1990's in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union there was a crisis for the US Military-Industrial-Energy complex. There were no enemies! Thus military spending was slashed, questions were raised about foreign deployments and the role of NATO was very difficult to define. The then chief of armed forces General Colin Powel stated " think hard about it, I'm running out of villians", Condoleeza Rice wrote " the US has found it exceedingly difficult to define it's national interests in the absence of the Soviet power".
At the same time American foreign policy was being radically redefined by Neocon cabal of Rumsfield, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle. In the PNAC (2000) in a report titled "Rebuilding America's Defenses; Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century". It spells out "American Grand Strategy" for "as far into the future as possible".
This report clearly states that "while the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the gulf, transcends the issue of the regime change of Saddam Hussein". Clearly, the US plan to invade Iraq had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein or weapons of mass destruction. The invasion of Iraq was planned well in advance and Saddam Hussein was only an excuse.
Another document, "The National Security Strategy of the USA "( released on Sept.17, 2002 hereafter NSSUSA ). It is an official statement and should be studied carefully since it is the official foreign policy statement. Following are some of the key excerpts. The US enjoys a position of unparalleled military strength and great economic and political influence. "Today the world's great powers find ourselves on the same side" i.e. the US lacks any rival... "this is the time of opportunity for America to extend the benefits of freedom across the globe. We will definitely work to bring the hope of democracy, development of free markets and free trade to every corner of the world."
The NSSUSA goes on to add that : "The US is faced by a new enemy, shadowy networks of individuals ........organized to penetrate open societies .......To defeat this threat we must make use of every tool in our arsenal....... the war against terrorists of global reach is a global enterprise of uncertain duration......."
It is in the above context that we must view Condoleeza Rice's statement in the aftermath of 9/11 while addressing the National Security council she said: " How do you capitalize on these opportunities to fundamentally change the US doctrine and the shape of the world in the wake of Sept. 11".
In other words, terrorism is not the target, but instead terrorism offers opportunities for the US to pursue its strategic agenda over an infinite time frame and across geographical boundaries.
Out of this foreign policy which clearly defines strategies and goals for the US global hegemony has also arisen the theory of a New Imperialism for the 21st century encompassing every aspect and sphere of politics, economics, society, religion and culture.
Unbelievable to most people, especially in the third world who have gained their independence and sovereignity by struggling against colonialism and racism, imperialism is once again emerging as a vital and respectable school of thought in certain key quarters US-UK-Israeli intellectuals.
The threat of justification is that advanced states face a threat from "pre-modern states" such as Afghanistan. The pre-modern world is a world of failed states. They can provide a base for non-state actors who may present a danger to the post-modern world. Thus some theoreticians of the empire advocate a "defensive imperialism".
Interestingly, even the failures of such states to follow "economic policies" as laid out by the advanced world justify colonialism. What is needed, they say is a new kind of imperialism, one acceptable to a world of human rights and cosmopolitan values. Zbigniew Brzerzinski, a key advisor to Carter and architect of the fall of the USSR, describes the main task of the US in the preservation of its empire as being "to prevent collusion and maintain dependence among the vassals, to keep tributaries pliant and protected and to keep the barbarians from coming together".
There is a concerted attempt by the US in the wake of its wars and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq to prod the UN to reinstate the "Mandate System" so as to give a legal and respectable basis to Colonialism. Here the occupied countries would be put under the supervision of the occupying Imperial power.
ECONOMIC CONTEXT of the Strategy of Global Terrorism
Undoubtedly one of the central underlying objectives of the US wars is control of the Oil resources as well as the Pipeline routes. For the US to maintain the Dollar hegemony, especially against the Euro, it was imperative for the US to control the oil reserves to preserve its status as the sole superpower. The European nations as well as Japan are totally dependent on oil imports to power their economies. Thus the US stranglehold over the oil reserves is a key component of its strategic long term objectives. Prior to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq the major oil producing nations namely Iran, Iraq , Russia and Venezuela were contemplating a shift to the Euro.
Also it is important to understand as to how the US in spite of having a massive national debt manages to maintain itself as a superpower. Any other nation running an annual deficit of $500 billion annually would have gone bankrupt, but not the US. The answer to this riddle lies here. Being the world's leading capitalist economy and military superpower, its currency has and is being used for payments between countries and therefore for their foreign exchange reserves. When the US needs to pay it's debts, it merely issues a treasury bond ( i.e. borrows from the capital market) to which investors from around the world rush to subscribe. Foreign investors buy not only bonds issued by the government, but also American corporate bonds, shares and real estate. These inflows soaking up the world's savings ensures that the US is able to import more than her exports, year after year without suffering the treatment meted out by the World Bank and IMF to countries like Argentina and Brazil. The endless supply of golden eggs depends on the US maintaining its status as the supreme imperialist power and the dollar remaining as the prime currency for international payments. However, that is precisely what is now threatened.
But why is a dry, dismal and sandy Afghanistan worth conquering? Zbigniew Brzerzinski tells us exactly why in a Council on Foreign Relation Study called the Great Chess Board: American Primacy and it's Geo-Strategic Objectives (1997). Do keep in mind that Afghanistan is strategically located between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. Thus the hawkish Brzerzinski gives us a history lesson, "ever since the continents started interacting politically, some 500 years ago, Eurasia has been the centre of world power". Eurasia is all the territory east of Germany and accounts for 75% of the world's population, 60% of the world's GNP and 75% of the world's known energy resources.. This means Russia , Middle East , China and parts of India. He acknowledges that Russia and China bordering oil rich central Asia are the two main powers threatening US hegemony in the region. He further goes on to say that the power that controls Caspian oil and gas will control the global economy. Nafees Ahmad in his book "The War on Freedom" sums up "Brzerzinski clearly envisaged that the establishment, consolidation and expansion of US military hegemony over Eurasia through Central Asia would require the "unprecedented, open-ended militarization of foreign policy, coupled with an unprecedented manufacture of domestic support and consensus on this militarization campaign".
But the problem is the American people and Brzerzinski understands this small problem and is thinking ahead in 1997. He states "moreover, as America becomes an increasingly multicultural society, it may find it more difficult to fashion a consensus on foreign policy issues, except in the circumstance of a truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat".
Time and again leading US and Israeli leaders have publicly stated that they will be unable to get the sanction of their people for war unless "some catastrophic and catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbour takes place".
Consider the following: Rumsfeld's influential Defense Science Board 2002 Summer Study on Special Operations and Joint Forces in Support of Conquering Terrorism. The report states that the global war on terror requires new strategies, postures and organizations. Among other things this body would launch secret operations aimed at "simulating reactions among terrorists and states possessing weapons of mass destruction-that is for instance, prodding terrorist cells into action" and exposing them to quick response attacks by US forces.
Ehud Barak former prime minister of Israel similarly states "at the moment there is no consensus for an operation against the Syrians, except when the terrorists are concerned" Barak recommended that "the necessary infrastructure be prepared for a swift action, 1967 style against Syria - an operation - that will develop through a rapid chain of events, a terrorist attack, a strike on terrorists and a quick escalation surprising the Syrians."
There are various documented precedents for state abetted terrorist operations and in fact terrorism as an instrument of state craft.
In my estimation al-Qaeda is a hoax and a cruel fraud being perpetrated on the people. Bin Laden's acts of terror and video cassettes appear when Bush most needs them. There is a clear pattern here. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda are nothing but fronts of the CIA and MOSSAD, a phantom created to pursue their never ending war on terror. Rather Al Qaeda is another name for the outsourcing of terror by the CIA-MOSSADS-ISI and the Saudi Intelligence. In my assessment Osama Bin laden is dead way back in December 2001 and the CIA and MOSSAD are using his ghost to scare the people of the world.
In my analysis, the US and Israeli political and military leadership conspired at the highest levels and planned, financed, executed and facilitated the 9/11 terror attacks against their own people so that they could then, in the smokescreen of the bogus GWT, unleash their war machine, thus paving the way to realizing their ambition of a Global American Empire.
It is manifestly clear that the nations and people of the world are facing a ruthless enemy that will go to any extent to achieve their objective of Global domination. US imperialism along with its allies with their agenda of the Global War on Terror, have emerged as the single most potent threat and their recourse to lies, hypocrisy and deceit knows no bounds. At the present juncture there exists a Global ruling junta referred to as the neoconservatives which is an alliance of the Military-Industrial-Energy complex and is also simultaneously an alliance of Conservative Evangelical Christians as well as ZionistJews. The alliance extends, permeates and integrates segments of similar persuasion in every nation and society. As we approach another anniversary of 9/11, we can observe that the American people are beginning to see through the deception. Bush's domestic ratings are at an all time low and still falling. The Palestinian and Iraqi resistance are valiantly fighting against the occupier and is turning this battle into another Vietnam. Clearly the American-Zionist empire is on the retreat and it is only a matter of time before the Global resistance will triumph over the Bush-Cheney-Wolfowitz-Perle fascist cabal.
In these complex and confusing times it is for the "intellectuals of the people" to ask the questions, find the answers, speak out and write with courage so as to expose the falsehood being manufactured by the Empire and thereby bring the truth to the people.
Feroze Mithiborwala
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