Hope & Ed Said

[barbara100 at jps.net]

I see what Edward Said says.  But I also ask 'why they hate us so.'  I saw a
panel of Muslim clergymen speaking on the TV lately (a very ethnically
diverse panel).  All of them agreed Muslims should be outraged by Osama bin
Laden, and they felt it was their religious duty to declare a jihad of sorts
on him.  They believe he's hijacked their religion, and they want him down.
They didn't discuss the other politics of the of the matter, but you can
imagine they have a lot of criticism for America's role in the problems of
the Middle-east today.  If nothing else, a whole lot of Middle-easterners
hate us, and that's a problem in itself, whether we're to blame or not.

You know, Doug, this public relations firm Washington's hired might not be
such a bad idea. Is it a new kind of political strategy?  Maybe it's just my
crazy optimism again, but they could put Washington  more in tough with the
people of the world.  You know they're not miracle workers.  Inevitably
they're gonna reach a point and have to say, 'Look, Mr. President,  we're
not miracle workers.  Get it through your thick head, these people fucking
HATE  you!'  Whoever the President be, I think it would be good he hear more
of that.

cfa, I remember you now.  You were the one fighting a Jew/Palestinian
debate.  It was *your* bloodpressure I could still feel rise, not the other
guy.  Yeah, that was some exchange. I don't remember which side you were
fighting--they're all so alike--but I still feel  your sick passion.  I
wonder what you mean to tell us with this message.  I wonder if you're not
serving it up as justification for being the a cruel bastard you or your
country or your race or your religion wants to be.

Said is warning his people not to fall into the 'victim' trap and evade
personal responsibility.  I think he's absolutely right.  And I think the
same wisdom should apply to us.  America has to take her fair share of
responsibility too.





----- Original Message -----
From: <calbert at hslboxmaster.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 8:25 AM
Subject: Hope & Ed Said


> 'Edward Said recently admonished Arabs for failing to
> denounce suicide missions and hiding instead behind the excuse
> of their own suffering: how many of us (he asked) have taken
> responsibility for the poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and repression
> in our own societies, and the
> political manipulation of Islam, while complaining about Zionism
> and imperialism.'
>
> Backlash and Backtrack, al-Ahram, weekly on-line edition,
> September 27- October 3, 2001.
>
> Quoted in America and the War, Tony Judt, NYRB, 11/15/01
>
>
>
> Well said, Ed........Thanks.....
>
> Now what is it that Ed sees that the "why do they hate us" crowd
> cannot?
>
> love,
> cfa