The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 180
Temh Friday Senno11 Ja11 25, 1991 The unspoken feelings of a Muslim is that Iraq was attacked in the interest of Israel. The accumulated experience of Western antagonism will affect Muslims thinking. An ordinary Muslim cannot but feel that the West is only active as usual in enmity to the Muslim world. ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAQ'S NUCLEAR PLANT Israel has the right to send its jets to attack Iraq's nuclear plant and destroy it. Who determines that the nuclear plant is being built for the production of atomic bombs and not for peaceful purposes? Did the U. N. grant Israel this authority to raid and attack or did Israel, of its own, come to that decision? No one has ever claimed that Iraq has the right to take retaliatory action against Israel whenever it likes. Is it up to Iraq to decide whether it retaliates against Israel today, tomorrow or next day? After this naked Israeli aggression does the U. N. confer the right or to avenge itself? I have not beard of it, nor have my eyes read such news. MUSLIM IMPRESSION IS BASED ON FACTS The impression of the world of Islam that the present stance by the West is anti-Muslim is founded on fact. The world at large has seen the injustices and inequities perpetrated on the Muslims, and even if the world remains silent, it cannot erase such memories from its collective consciousness. It is strange that when Iraq attacks and fires its scud missiles at Israel and some parts of Israeli cities are damaged, the whole world raises a hue and cry against it and does not remember Palestine. It does not remember the air raid by Israel on the nuclear plant. Despite these attacks, Israel is laying the foundation for future atrocities against Muslims. These are facts which continually bruise and exacerbate the feelings of Muslims. When they express their frustrations and injured feelings, the nations in which they live ask them if they owe allegiance to Islam or to the nation or states where they reside. What sort of j ustice is this ? It is gross injustice to raise the spectre of nationalism or national loyalty, when citizens are expressing their opinions on factual issues and world events. Is the issue of nationalism raised to suppress true expression? This analysis is based on facts and truth and Muslims have every right to discuss and propagate it. 180