A war of honor…
John Tierney, armchair political analysis of the latest conflict in the Middle East in this week op column, is nothing but a tired conservative self-fulfilling prophecy. His oversimplification claims that the strong Hezbollah fighter’s resistance to the Israeli military superiority is all about honor and saving faces. He fumed, “These terrorists consider themselves men of honor they fight he explains “to gain respect of the local honor group, family, the extended clan, the tripe, the religious sect.” … “ This traditional meaning of Middle Eastern perception of honor is different than how western understand it” he said; the western honor is “honor by-merit, epitomize by the Victorian ideal of gentleman who earn his reputation by working hard, playing fair, defending the weak and fighting for his country” . If the truth is the first causality of wars, historical perspective comes close second. Looking at the latest Israeli overwhelming military reaction out of the context of the overall Arab Israeli conflict is disserving. In wars he claims that the western honor is based on defending the week and playing by the rules. Are the Israelis playing fair and by the rules, when they never adhered to any international laws since UN 242 resolution to withdraw from all occupied territories, or do their troops fight by-merit honor? When using their Military machines superiorities in destroying a weak democratic country for a few kidnapped solder. How about the American invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq just to get ready of one man; Ben Lading or Saddam. What is more tribal honor than that? Abu Ghraib fiasco and Guantanamo trickery are a fine symbol of western honor and Cheverly indeed. In the last 60 years, Israel fought a half dozen wars with the Arabs, won most of them, the Arabs solders never showed any furies fight for honor, and didn’t real care about clan honor or extended family respect or shame, because these were conducted under their corrupt political elites rhetoric. As we saw the Egyptian Army in 65, 76 wars, and the Iraqis Arms didn’t even challenge the Americans in 91 and 2003 golf war series. But when Israeli occupied Egypt in 67, the well motivated Egyptian Army later in 1973 war gave their lives to liberate their own country from the Israelis occupation. And when the American occupied Iraq in 2003 war, we saw the fierce resistance of the Iraqi insurgences. Each war has its own political dynamic hardly explained by this business of honor rule which only applies in school yards bullies and street corners fights. Hezbollah or Hamas, or Iraqis insurgents they are like or not national movements fighting for their rights to save their country from foreign occupiers not their faces. This is not a culture war as Mr. Tierney and his conservative views would like us to believe, if you really wants to raises the culture card in this war, here is a peaceful Arabic culture concept that may help us to understand wars in the everlasting conflict in the Middle East; the concept of “Haram”, (forbidden) which has a religious meaning; eating pork or drinking alcohols is Haram, but the culture meaning of “Haram” that I’m interested in, which means abusing of power that it is dishonorable act for the stronger to use his/her overwhelming power to win a concession from the week, but giving concession seems an alienate concept for the arrogant Israelis generals right now. As far as most of the Arabs now peace loving or otherwise, Israel lost its legitimacy as an Arab neighbor who could be trusted to a civilized behavior in a moment of crisis.
Ahmed Tharwat
Host and Producer of the Arab American TV show belahdan