How could anyone not trust Siddiqi?
As we gather here today, our hearts are filled with sadness. On our minds are the terrible scenes of suffering of our people in Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkaram and many other areas of our beloved and sacred land of Palestine. In the last few weeks Israeli armies committed massacres of innocent children, women and men. They did not spare even the young babies, aged men and women. Homes were bulldozed along with their occupants. Rescuers were barred from reaching to the victims. Palestinian refugees, the poor people uprooted from their homes for decades cried for help and Israelis did not allow any one to reach them. People died asking for water. Little children rushed to broken pipes to catch some drops of water to quench their thirst. This all happened before the eyes of the world, but no one helped.
The UN special envoy called the devastation in Jenin as "horrific beyond belief." "It is totally destroyed, it looks like an earthquake has hit it. It is totally unacceptable that the government of Israel for 11 days did not allow search and rescue teams to come. This is morally repugnant," said Roed-Larsen, the UN Special Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories.
What we have seen is not new. It has been happening not only for the last 11 days, not for the last 19 months, not for the last 35 years; it has been happening for the last 55 years. Before Jenin there were many other massacres in Sabra and Shatila, in Deir Yasin and in many other places. During these 55 years hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, millions have been uprooted and dispersed from their homes and their land.
Our American government and media say very little about the real cause of conflict in the middle east. They focus on the sporadic horrible reactions of some individual Palestinians. No doubt killing any innocent people is wrong and we do not condone any acts of violence against any civilians whether they are Arabs or Jews. However, it is important to understand the real causes and real reasons behind suicidal attacks and violence. It is injustice and horrible social, economic and political conditions that are leading people to some desperate actions. We are asked again and again by the media why do you not condemn "suicide bombings." We do condemn all terrorism and all attacks on non-combatant civilians. We have explained our Islamic position on this issue many times. But we ask our media to condemn the state terrorism of Israel also. We ask them to condemn the racist, oppressive, apartheid state of Israel and its terrorist leader Ariel Sharon.
Suffering in Palestine and Our Responsibility
Islamic Society of North America
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi - April 19, 2002As the Israelis were busy hosing pools of blood off the streets after the latest murder-suicide bombing at Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market, the Palestinian propaganda machine was busy churning out yet another Big Lie: the "massacre of Jenin."
Palestinian mouthpieces claim that the Israeli military killed as many as 500 civilians in Jenin, a stronghold of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. When the Israelis cleared the booby traps and allowed Western media into the city on Monday, the reality turned to be completely different: difficult door-to-door infantry fight; 23 Israeli soldiers fallen in battle; dozens of terrorists killed. No massacre.
Jenin: The Big Lie Fighting the media war.
National Review Online
Ariel Cohen - April 16, 2002No, really... what's not to trust about Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi?
