Oct 07 2007
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The West and the Islamic world clash not because of religion, but because a Darwinian current has taken hold in the West that reduces life to mere production and consumption, writes Abdel-Wahab Elmessiri
By Abdel-Wahab Elmessiri
10/7/07
In the opening years of this century, the world was presented with a historic confrontation between the West and Islamic and Arab worlds. This confrontation has been used in the pursuit of imperial agendas. American failure in Iraq has left underlying reasons exposed. Can the damage done be repaired?
Our relationship with the West began with Alexander the Great, the founder of the colonialist Ptolemaic Dynasty that ruled Egypt and the Levant for several hundred years. In that distant past there existed a form of parity; a certain give and take, an alternation of victory and defeat between the two sides. Even to today, however, it is possible to point to factors that can as easily form the basis of mutual understanding and cooperation between Islam and the West as they can trigger conflict. For example, we share with some Western nations the border of the Mediterranean, whose importance for trade and maritime wealth should compel neighbours on either side towards closer cooperation, especially in this age of the global village.
Yet that very proximity has also been the source of intense friction because of the lure of land and resources on the other side. In its height, Islamic civilisation expanded geographically at the expense of the West as defined by the ambit of Christian civilisation, and the reverse was also true: the expansion of the West took place at the expense of the Islamic world, and tensions reached a zenith when Western powers moved to partition that world amongst themselves. Conversely, the further removed societies and civilisations are from one another geographically, the lower the potential for conflict between them. At least before the rise of Western colonialism, which staked out the entire world as its field of enterprise, there existed no tension between the West and Thailand, for example, simply because land and resources were so far out of reach.
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Sep 04 2007
Cyrano’s Journal Online and its semi-autonomous subsections (Thomas Paine’s Corner, The Greanville Journal, CJO Avenger, and VoxPop) would be delighted to periodically email you links to the most recent material and timeless classics available on our diverse and comprehensive site. If you would like to subscribe, type “CJO subscription” in the subject line and send your email to
By Ramzy Baroud
9/4/07
As the security check line began moving slowly at Washington Dulles airport, one passenger standing a few steps ahead of me appeared particularly uneasy. His dark skin, long beard, trimmed moustache, prayer spot centered on his forehead, and overall demeanor quickly gave away his identity, though he had obviously labored little to hide it.. He was a Muslim and a religious one at that. Predictably, a few minutes later he was singled out and his clothes spread across a separate station reserved for those “randomly” selected for extra security check.
In the current climate, those who are not singled out for the humiliation of extra checking are still often daunted by their names — any Arabic or Muslim sounding name —, birthplace — any Arab or Muslim country —, suspicious travel destinations — all Arab and Muslim countries, although some are more “suspicious” than others —, or past records — which can include anything from conventional crimes to a single antiwar comment made to a local newspaper. Airport authorities across the US would vehemently deny any racial discrimination, but indeed such selective screening and harassment is real. Many civil rights organizations and human rights groups have worked tirelessly to verify this, but all it really takes is one candid conversation with any Muslim or Arab American. Each person seems to have a personal record of injurious stories, if not at a port of entry, then at some other public place. Whenever I run into an Arab or a Muslim during my frequent travels, the subject often serves as an icebreaker.
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Aug 23 2007
Cyrano’s Journal Online and its semi-autonomous subsections (Thomas Paine’s Corner, The Greanville Journal, CJO Avenger, and VoxPop) would be delighted to periodically email you links to the most recent material and timeless classics available on our diverse and comprehensive site. If you would like to subscribe, type “CJO subscription” in the subject line and send your email to
by Ivor Hughes
8/23/07
“Menezes was shot in the head seven times during the chase on to an underground train, which happened two weeks after the major terrorist suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005, and an attempted repeat attack on July 21″.
Fit the evidence to the crime and close ranks .. this particular crime happened on Traitor Tony Blair’s watch …. he has been well rewarded for his perfidy .. we hear that he now has hobnobbed with the Pope, has a luxury home in Jerusalem and is the Middle East Peace Envoy .. ugh! pass the bucket I need to vomit.
The incident was quite clearly engineered by the British Security Apparatus.. The whole purpose of these engineered incidents is what the military used to call .. ‘putting the frighteners on’ .. Empire has beens and Empire would be’s are well versed in such tactics .. I know .. I have been part of it.
Trust us .. we are doing this to protect you .. nothing could be further from the truth.
It was done to send a message to the British Public .. in the same way the US and Israel sends messages to its Citizens .. Menezes was the Messenger .. the Lamb and also the Warning to the Public ..
We will kill you like a dog in the gutter .. and send the ashes to your loved ones in an urn .. you have been warned..
No ifs or buts .. we control the press .. we control the education system …. we control the justice system .. we control the economic system .. we will tell you what to think .. believe in the rule of law .. we will protect your sniveling shitty little lives and save you from the big black scary infinite.
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