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July 14, 2006
A bad sign
This is very disturbing news: BAGHDAD, Iraq - Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Friday praising the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and denouncing Israel and the United States for attacks against Lebanon. Some protesters said they were ready to fight the Israelis.(Via Pajamas Media.) The article goes on in like vein. While I'm tempted to stomp up and down and yell "What a bunch of f---ing ingrates!," I think I should at least try to hold out hope that this represents a small minority of activist Shiites, who see the Shiite-led Hezbollah as allies. It doesn't help that the "moderate" Ayatollah Sistani (who thinks homosexuals should be killed "in the worst way") also seems to have voiced support: In the Shiite holy city of Karbala, Sheik Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, representative of Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani said” we condemn the Zionist terrorist offensive against Lebanon that targeted the infrastructure of this country, while Hezbollah hasn’t targeted the infrastructure of the Zionists. They targeted military facilities.”There's an important point that doesn't matter. Israel was attacked! Or doesn't that count for anything anymore? Sigh. I'm reminded of similar arguments I've had with people over 9/11. There's a growing mindset that if you're attacked you're just supposed to accept it, and start negotiating surrender. Would the people advancing that argument feel that way if someone broke into their houses? I guess some of them would. Times change. MORE: Dave Price thinks that Israel is at war with Iran: Israel should behave as though they are at war with Iran, because they are. The mullahs are barely even bothering to pretend otherwise anymore.Price also makes a good comparison to our own situation: These truly are regimes run by thugs, and nothing less than the probability of retaliatory violence being visited at their own doorstep will deter them.I think he's right. posted by Eric on 07.14.06 at 09:32 PM
Comments
The real question is how much of it was protesting and how much of it was rioting. Civil protesting is perfectly acceptable. I'm sure we've got some people over here saying Israel shouldn't defend itself. Or have nuclear weapons. Or have weapons. Or exist... Ahem. The point is, they are protesting to show their opinions, so it isn't going to destroy us. If the same thing is happening in Iraq, that is just a sign that they are moving toward a full democracy. Jon Thompson · July 15, 2006 01:41 AM Well, that's par for the course in Arabia. The really shocking thing is that some Iraqis in official capacities have expressed (gasp!) their sympathies for Israel. In a very real way, Iraq is becoming more and more like Israel: a free society under attack by terrorists sponsored by unfree states. TallDave · July 15, 2006 11:06 AM "The article goes on in like vein. While I'm tempted to stomp up and down and yell "What a bunch of f---ing ingrates!," I think I should at least try to hold out hope that this represents a small minority of activist Shiites, who see the Shiite-led Hezbollah as allies." What do you mean, ingrates? you think you take away saddam and inside every iraqi is a suburban american waiting to get out? Welcome to the middle east, where arabs don't like israel actus · July 18, 2006 02:35 AM |
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Don't be too discouraged. I'm sure these Iraqis are a minority, and it would be expecting a lot for them to have an accurate and full understanding of the current conflict. And Sistani's statement isn't far from the "disproportionate response" rhetoric we've heard elsewhere this week.
I suspect you'll find similar or worse rhetoric much closer to home than Iraq, and from people who should know a lot better. Like the UN Secuity Council.