Friday Sermon
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
An American admission of their bad image
How does America’s image in the Arab and Muslim world look like?
A report by a Congress advisory committee that was sponsored by the state department confirms the negative reputation of America in the Arab and Muslim world where the hatred to America has reached extraordinary levels that left the Americans, according to the report, vulnerable to lethal threats to their interests and security.
We welcome this admission but we do not agree with the Committee’s recommendation of increasing the funds allocated to public diplomacy. The problem lies in the American stance of full support to Israel in all its plans. The US even encourages, if secretly, Israel to carry on with its strategic plan of continuing the closures, assassinating Palestinian leadership, killing civilians, destroying the Palestinian infrastructure… In public, it might criticize certain Israeli practices, and shyly advise them to lessen the Palestinian suffering, but without talking about ending the occupation.
Confiscating the European position
Moreover, the American Administration was able of confiscating the European position which drew nearer to the American stance in considering collective punishment of innocent civilians as self-defense and in considering the Palestinian national struggle for liberation as a form of terrorism, although the Europeans practice a kind of political hypocrisy by continuing to talk with the Palestinian Authority in a way that does not provide any solution.
Thus, we could confirm that the American Administration, the European union, along with the Russian federation and the United Nations support the Israeli occupation when the going gets tough with some meaningless word, to the Palestinians... We ask the Quartet committee: What is the meaning of the Israeli Road Map with all the reservations that the Americans endorsed and that the Quartet Committee did not object on? What is the meaning of this American gradual approach of decreasing its opposition to the separating wall: First it was considered a problem then it was accepted with reservations, then the reservations were lifted.
We do not want to talk from the viewpoint of some one who is infuriated by this international political hypocrisy, but from the standpoint of the downtrodden who are affected by arrogant plans. We, as Arabs and Muslims, wish to be friends of the entire world. We do not have any complex towards the Western nations on any other nation for that matter… But our problem lies with some of the Western administrations is the same problem those who are governed by these administrations suffer from… We call for a dialogue between the West and the East, and between Islam and other religions… for dialogue draws nations closer and creates mutual understanding.
This is why we told the Quartet Committee that your support of Israel, will not be able to reach a solution to the Arab Israeli struggle. It is the dialogue which ought to be conducted with all parties that will find this solution. And this is what they did not do with regard to the Palestinian problem.
The American Administration: An addiction to deception.
On another level, the American Secretary of State talks to the Arabs about the “amazing progress” the American Administration has accomplished in Iraq and ask them to help him” In building a new prosperous peaceful and free Middle East”… But what about the American political and economic interests that see only the interests of their capital and vast companies. Would the American Administration accept that a democratic and free Middle East practice its right in opposing the American policies that cares only about its own interests? Would it accept any decisions taken democratically by the nations of the Middle Eat even if they run counter to the perceived American interests? What about the Palestinian people’s stand with their political and militant leadership.
This administration and the previous ones have become addicted to lying, deceiving and pressurizing the nations in the name of false pretenses the last of which was “combating terror” and possessing weapons of mass destruction which it accuses Syria and Iran by, while it keeps silent when it comes to Israel and forgets about the most brutal massacres of Sharon and the like, especially those of Sabra and Shatila, Kana and the daily on- going massacres in Palestine.
The American policies produce hostility
The Problem is that the American policies which reflect the interests of the companies its members are a part of, will produce in every stage a new hostile feeling towards the Americans that will be transmitted from one generation to the other, with “terrorism” prospering since its root causes are not addressed.
We love peace based on justice but the international arrogance wants war in the name of peace and dictatorship in the name of democracy.
…The struggle between freedom and colonialism, between the nations and arrogance will go on… In addition to Palestine Afghanistan and Iraq more and more wounds will be added and more resistances will be initiated.
Reform in Lebanon:
In Lebanon, the reform will continue to mark time as a result of the personal and sectarian feuds. We do not need a new law or to amend the constitution. We need to apply the existing laws and do away with the corrupted and those who constitute obstacles …
The people are demanding that they want to live as citizens and not as members of a sect while the region is shaking as a result of the international tempests and the state is shaking due to its cliental and corrupt policies. Could Lebanon ever turn into the state of human beings and not a farm the thieves? O God; save us and guide us to see the good and adhere to it, You are the most Merciful