IN AMERICAN- ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITEE, ADC
12 June 2004
Dr. Shaaban Shaaban:
I'd like first to thank Mary Roz Uker for her sending me this invitation to join you this morning. I feel very happy to be with you here because I truly believe in ADC and in all what they are trying to do. And I believe it is extremely important not only for the Arabs-Americans, but for all the Arab world and for the United States of America.
I also like to thank the ADC for putting the state of the Arab world. It is a thing that we miss very much in the Arab world. What I am referring to is that the Middle East, or the criminal Middle East, or the United States or anything but not the Arab world that is the dearest term to our house.
It is very difficult to count after so much distinguished analysts and try to act something new, but I extremely interested that each analyst continues from where the another left which extremely expresses the diversity of ideas. But now I am going to share with you the perspective that I carry with me from the Middle East.
Really I do believe that there is a lack of coverage of what is going on in the Arab region. There is much need to share information, and to see what is truly happening on the ground, at the opposite the concept of what is happening, or what we need that's happening.
I believe that what is happening in the Arab world really is extremely dangerous for the future of the Arab world, for the credibility of the United States, for the future of the Israelis and for the future of humanity. But I have to say that every dangerous moment that have provide opportunity as well. And the opportunity I see here is that perhaps more that others our destinies are indulgent; Arabs and Americans, Middle East and Europe, our destinies are indulgent. For the first time I read the Economist and under America I read about Iraq. So, whether we like it or not our destinies are indulgent. And we have to think about these constructive knowledge. We have to think that we have to do something positive together because what's negative is affecting all of us.
Perhaps after nine eleven the destiny of the Arab and Muslim world is extremely indulgent to the destiny of the United States. And what we think as Arabs and Muslims is that nine eleven is an disastrous act to Arabs and Muslims as it has been disastrous to the Americans. Each Arab and Muslim today feels that he is in much worse position in the world than he had been or she had been before nine eleven. This is an indication for all of us; Arabs, Muslims and Americans to think of a constructive act for the world. In order to do that I will give few minutes to separate what is appearing or assuming to be taking place and what is truly taking place, and then I will say from an Arab perspective.
What's assuming to be taking place is that the war against terrorism which unfortunately have been called "Islamic terrorism" is something extremely harmful to all of us. There is a war on Iraq for WLP. There is a negligence for the Arab – Israeli conflict and for the peace process. There are attempts to withdraw from Gaza, and you know to do peace in the Middle East. There is an attempt to see why the information wasn't correct, you know about WMD. All these assumes to be happening or this is what we read about in the newspapers.
In our opinions, in the Arab world, what is truly happening is the following: the Palestinians are been killed, children are being killed for no reason, houses are being destroyed, lands are being grasped, humiliation and crimes in their homes.
What is happening is much more dangerous that reach the eye. What is happening in Iraq is not only a war to remove the regime there. And Arab people don't believe that this is happening for just oil, or for economic or financial purposes, it is much bigger than this. Perhaps the Iraqi museums are the victims of what is happening in Iraq because of the war on Iraq. The only copy of thee Koran written by the hands of Ali Bin Abi Taleb has been destroyed. There are records about all the treasure that have been looted from Babel and Nenawa. All the Iraqi scientists that have been killed. All the Iraqi doctors that have been transferred of the country or killed. You remember the wedding that took place in the Syrian – Iraqi borders where Americans shells and kills forty people. Do you know why is that happening from our perspective. Why should a wedding be shelled?? Because there was a group of musicians who only sang for the Arab unity, for Arabism.
So, what we see happening in our world is truly an attack on the Arab identity; this army is not only in Iraq it is in the entire Arab world. Two weeks ago weapons were prevented to go to Egypt; Egypt is an Arab country that made peace with Israel, and it always tried to play a constructive role, as they call it. So, what we see on the Arab world is an attack on our culture, on our system.
In her meeting with the committee for the nine eleven Dr. Rice said that we have to change the nature of the Middle East. To be honest with you, we are extremely concerned with the future of our identity, and for the future of Arab – American relations, and for the future of the American credibility.
We do want the United States to play a constructive role in the region. It is in our interest what Arab and Americans to have the United States to play a constructive role in the region.
Arab countries expressed many times that we want peace. But certainly the key for that is the resolutions for the Arab – Israeli conflict. It is the consideration for international legitimacy, for the United Nations resolutions.
You know, it was very difficult for anyone at that time to take the right stand, but I think as Nelson Mandella has decided that he is retired, I think the twenty first century needs Nelson Mandella who stands and say the truth no matter how hard and difficult it might be.
The truth is that after nine eleven the policy of the United States in the Middle East works against the interests of the American people, and works against the Arab and Muslim people. And the truth of that is this policy is played at the hands of the extremists everywhere. And we can never be sure whether it is Bin Ladin who is controlling all these people or is a extremist mashroom everywhere as a result of this separation that someone is trapping between Arabs and Muslims on one hand and the Americans on the other hand.
If a Palestinian is killed they say a Palestinian militant is killed. All the Arab people have become militants.
There is a very dangerous confusion between the fact that Arab countries do suffer from a weak juncture in their history, but that doesn't mean that Arab culture and Arab identity doesn't worthy of the highest respect.
We do realize that we have one hundred things to put right, but we are proud people with a proud history, and we certainly believe in dialogue, in peace and security for all. And that is what would like to work for. We would like to work for peace and security, and we would like to work for a partnership with the United States. Because the United States for the first time is part of our region and is certainly the deciduous factor in the world of politics.
That was you as Arab – Americans will work for as a candidates, and that's what we would like to support in the Arab world.
I have some pictures with me that I would like just to leave you with to tell you that this was the motivation for the way we feel things in the Arab world. These are the pictures we see almost everyday in our newspapers and on our screens. I know you don't have the opportunity to see such pictures, but perhaps it is useful to understand where we are coming from and why we are saying as what I'm saying.
What I want to conclude with is that no matter how difficult the tasks are, the only alternative we all have is to work for better times, and to keep exchanging advices to each other, to consult each other and to indulge dialogue with each other. And I hope the next meeting of the ADC we will be seeking about different reality, much better reality for both Arabs and Americans. Thank you very much■