From Shatila to New York

By Saifedean Ammous---

A few days after the terrorist attacks on the US, the 19th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres went by unnoticed. While the massacre and the terrorist attacks are both undoubtedly hideous crimes, it is frightening to compare the two considering the radically different reactions each got. Today, the whole world is scrambling to declare a war on terror and America announces that it is now, officially, Ôat warÕ. Forget the fact that the enemy is still unknown. Reassurances are coming out saying: ÒIt doesnÕt matter folks, weÕll get those bastards whoever they are, or whomever we think they areÓ. Tony Blair, as usual, is reiterating his Ôfull supportÕ for the United States in whatever action it may decide to take. Nations from across the globe are racing to prostitute their lands for AmericaÕs use in whatever military action it may deem appropriate. It is now officially the latest craze, and the coolest, wisest, most noble, most American thing to do. ÔFight those terrorists!Õ All this is fine. I am personally very touched by the tragedy and have been moved to tears by the accounts of survivors and victimsÕ relatives. I hope the perpetrators of this attack get their punishment, but only the perpetrators, not their entire cities, nations, and populations, and certainly not their entire religion and race. However, as a Palestinian Arab, I must admit I have been feeling a mixture of amazement and jealousy about all this. Amazement, because I can not understand how the world can seem to be so touched by civiliansÕ deaths when I had thought that this was something that no longer concerned people. Who can blame me, after millions had been massacred in Iraq, Rwanda, Vietnam, Palestine, Hiroshima, and other places, to hardly any reaction from the world. I thought civiliansÕ death had become something trivial. Jealousy, because when the Americans were attacked, the whole world wanted to fight their assailants and avenge them. In our case, as Palestinians, on the other hand, our assailants are still running free today in the world, and most of them are in high-ranking positions in their criminal state, Israel. In particular, Sabra and ShatilaÕs culprit, namely Ariel Sharon, is now an internationally recognized Prime Minister, and still he has the cheek to say he wants to eradicate terror from this world. IraqÕs culprits, namely the US administration in the Bush Senior era, is now revamped and re-vitalized in todayÕs Bush Junior administration, the same people who are calling for the fight to end all world terror. Am I the only one feeling a bit like an orphaned kid that can get beat up by anyone in class without anything happening to them? WhatÕs worse, that kid has to agonizingly watch all hell break loose when someone dares touch the son of the school headmaster.A few days after the terrorist attacks on the US, the 19th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres went by unnoticed. While the massacre and the terrorist attacks are both undoubtedly hideous crimes, it is frightening to compare the two considering the radically different reactions each got. Today, the whole world is scrambling to declare a war on terror and America announces that it is now, officially, Ôat warÕ. Forget the fact that the enemy is still unknown. Reassurances are coming out saying: ÒIt doesnÕt matter folks, weÕll get those bastards whoever they are, or whomever we think they areÓ. Tony Blair, as usual, is reiterating his Ôfull supportÕ for the United States in whatever action it may decide to take. Nations from across the globe are racing to prostitute their lands for AmericaÕs use in whatever military action it may deem appropriate. It is now officially the latest craze, and the coolest, wisest, most noble, most American thing to do. ÔFight those terrorists!Õ All this is fine. I am personally very touched by the tragedy and have been moved to tears by the accounts of survivors and victimsÕ relatives. I hope the perpetrators of this attack get their punishment, but only the perpetrators, not their entire cities, nations, and populations, and certainly not their entire religion and race. However, as a Palestinian Arab, I must admit I have been feeling a mixture of amazement and jealousy about all this. Amazement, because I can not understand how the world can seem to be so touched by civiliansÕ deaths when I had thought that this was something that no longer concerned people. Who can blame me, after millions had been massacred in Iraq, Rwanda, Vietnam, Palestine, Hiroshima, and other places, to hardly any reaction from the world. I thought civiliansÕ death had become something trivial. Jealousy, because when the Americans were attacked, the whole world wanted to fight their assailants and avenge them. In our case, as Palestinians, on the other hand, our assailants are still running free today in the world, and most of them are in high-ranking positions in their criminal state, Israel. In particular, Sabra and ShatilaÕs culprit, namely Ariel Sharon, is now an internationally recognized Prime Minister, and still he has the cheek to say he wants to eradicate terror from this world. IraqÕs culprits, namely the US administration in the Bush Senior era, is now revamped and re-vitalized in todayÕs Bush Junior administration, the same people who are calling for the fight to end all world terror. Am I the only one feeling a bit like an orphaned kid that can get beat up by anyone in class without anything happening to them? WhatÕs worse, that kid has to agonizingly watch all hell break loose when someone dares touch the son of the school headmaster.