Boycotting Israel to support Palestine

by John Wight 

George Galloway’s decision to walk out of a recent debate at Oxford University as soon as he realized that the opposing speaker was an Israeli was both principled and correct. It has been deemed controversial only because of the willful and ongoing denial, prevalent within the British political, media, and cultural establishments, of the fact that Israel is an apartheid state.

The real controversy, and the only j’accuse vis-à-vis Israel that should be levelled, involves those whose cowardice prevents them from not only acknowledging this truth, but worse from acting to end what is by any reckoning the most sustained and systematic injustice inflicted on a people by a state in modern history.

George Galloway has spent his entire political life speaking and standing up for the rights of the Palestinians – who have and continue to be blamed by Israel and its apologists in the West for their own suffering. In the over three decades of Galloway’s unfailing support for the Palestinians, he has endured more calumniation, smears, attacks, and attempts at demonization than any single political figure not only in Britain but the entire West.

Pakistan, A Fractured Society

The Pakistani Shia community has once again suffered at the hands of hard line Sunni groups. A second bomb attack on Shia Hazaras took place in a busy market area. The human casualties this time were more than 80 people killed and nearly 200 injured. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence in Pakistan in recent years. Sectarian violence is slowly, but surely, destabilising the country and creating more enmity between Muslims in an all-ready deeply fractured society.

Fundamental differences in creed between the two groups have led to a deep historical and religious schism. These differences are so deeply ingrained in the consciousness of some Muslims that to them it legitimatises using violence as a means of advocating the righteousness of their own beliefs. Surely this is flawed logic, as the message these hard line Sunni groups are trying to proselytise is essentially then lost amongst the mindless bloodshed and carnage.

This problem is further exacerbated by the negligent stance taken by the Pakistani government. They face criticism from many quarters because they are failing to protect some of the most vulnerable groups (Shias) in their fragmented society. This poses the pertinent question - how can a government that cannot protect minority groups serve in the best interests of the majority?

Moreover, this is a sad and precarious situation because arguably there are more important issues that Pakistan needs to be focusing on such as poverty, corruption and the drone attacks the Pakistani government condones. Muslim groups in Pakistan should be uniting to produce a strong voice which tackles the more pressing issues affecting Pakistan.

Globally, all Muslims share one creed and testify to uphold and believe in the strongly monotheistic nature of Islam. So let this commonality be the unifying stance by which Muslims protest, rather than them expending their energies on the diverging elements of the religion. A united Ummah can effect change, Real Change!

Respect on Question Time

Galloway responds to David Cameron

Bradford West MP George Galloway responded to Prime Minister David Cameron's refusal to answer a parliamentary question, by resorting to a cheap insult, by detailing the Arab tyrannies and puppet presidents Britain backs.

'I asked a reasonable question, to detail the difference between the jihadists in Mali we oppose and the jihadists in Syria we back and in response to a legitimate inquiry I received a sneering insult more fitted to the gutters of Eton than the Mother of all Parliaments,' Galloway said. 'Britain is guilty to backing the worst, most bloodthirsty dictators in the world, bar none. This country backs and arms the foul Saudi Arabian sheikhdom which has the least democracy and probably the worst human rights record on the planet.