September
17, 2001
A Moroccan American's
View of 9/11
What I Think I've Seen
By Ali Zaoua
My name is not Ali Zaoua. Ali Zaoua
is the title of a Moroccan movie directed by. It is also the
name of the main character in the movie, a homeless kid in the
streets of Casablanca who dreams of a better life as a skipper
on a boat. Why a boat??? Maybe because the sea is the only pure,
peaceful space left on this world.
I have seen this movie the
Saturday preceding the terrorist acts of New York and Washington
DC; Two horrible acts that have put so many things in perspective.
The title of this piece was inspired by a column in the French
newspaper "Jeune Afrique". The editorial from the author
Bachir Ben Yahmed is called "What I believe" ("Ce
que je crois"). However, things are moving so fast, and
we are so blinded from truth that "What I believe I have
seen" is a more appropriate title to my short stories than
"What I believe".
It is in a state of profound
confusion and depression that I have started to write this piece.
Where will it lead me? God only knows.
I am Arab (partly if not completely)
and Muslim. Although my life has not been shattered like the
hundred of thousands who have lost loved ones in the terrorist
acts, it has nonetheless been seriously shaken.
Most of the people in the developed
world ("as we call it") live a "regular"
life consisting of work and other materialistic things. Until
very recently, I was one of those people. I am married and have
a decent job with a Medical equipment company. My main concerns
until a few days ago, were to try to earn more, save more, afford
a house and be able to send my baby daughter and another one
on the way to very good schools. I love politics and was to a
certain extend involved in the world problems. I have after all
lived in three continents and I am after all African, Arab and
Muslim. I have felt (although not publicly voiced it) anger and
frustration at the lack of intervention of world powers to help
the Palestinians in their justified struggle to liberate their
land. I have felt and still feel anger for the millions of Iraqi
kids that have been killed by bombing and embargo. Was the war
against Sadam Hussein justified? No doubt in my mind. What about
the embargo and constant bombing in Iraq for the last 11 years?
Is the population of Irak responsible for Sadam Hussein's action?
It would be hard to find a rational person that would argue that
this was a justified response. Was not there an injustice committed
in Iraq? Is it normal that Palestinian territories be occupied
for 34 years without the people of the developed world asking
their leaders to take action or to voice their disapproval of
that occupation? Those injustices involved to a certain extent
the governments of the United States and Israel. Where the people
in both those countries responsible for this injustice? NO, NO,
NO and NO.
I used to believe that the
Palestinian terrorist acts were a punition to the Israeli government.
The magnitude of the disaster of New York City and Washington
has shaken the foundation of my beliefs. The Palestinians will
not have their independent state because Israelis died in a pizzeria,
and the US will not stop bombing Iraq because thousand of innocent
people died in America. I was never as convinced as today that
violence could not be a human response to violence and that it
can not solve problems. Today, because of the horrible, inexcusable,
terrifying events that took place in NYC and Washington DC something
changed in the way I perceive the world.
I understood that the cycle
of violence will not only kill humans, but it will also kill
the humanity in us.
Unfortunately that click did
not occur with many leaders in America and the rest of the Middle
Eastern world who had last experienced a horrifying event of
this magnitude in the early forties (Pearl Harbor).
Our leaders
react: Will war bring us closure and understanding?
On the weekend following the
disaster, I did a few things. I have gone to the mosque on Friday
to pray for the victims and their suffering relatives. Friday
was declared a day of prayers and mourning by president Bush.
At the Santa Clara mosque, this holy Muslim day was an opportunity
for the Imam to remind us that Islam meaning peace in Arabic
is a religion of rightness, tolerance and guidance. The acts
that were committed in NYC and DC cannot and will not be justified
in Islam.
The other thing I did on the
weekend was to buy a book titled "Islam in Democracy"
from a renown Moroccan sociologist, professor Fatima El Mernissi.
Ms. El Mernissi wrote her book after the gulf war in 1991. In
the first pages, Ms. El Mernissi exposes the lack of understanding
in the Arab world for an action of war to seek peace. Today,
I voice a similar concern. The reason I do voice this concern
are many. The embargo and bombing of Iraq has obviously not brought
justice to the region. Saddam Hussein is still in power and the
only result of the Iraqi war is the death toll of innocent people
in Iraq and the suffering of the once still alive, none of which
are guilty of invading Kuwait. I can help to think that a similar
war offensive against Afghanistan will lead to the same result.
A majority of innocent Afghanis will probably die and suffer
the same way they are suffering under the Talibans and their
hatred will someday be at the roots of other terrorist acts.
It may have been wrong for me a Moroccan to expect another reaction
from President Bush and his administration, but I did. Some will
tell me that the irresponsible policies from some middle-Eastern
leaders are even more extreme than the one preached by Bush and
his administration. I will agree.
However, it is from a country
of liberty and freedom and acceptance that you would expect tolerance
and justice. If the Americans and Europeans do not preach a message
of peace, justice and tolerance, then the last hope for a more
human world will be forever gone. If we do answer dictator actions
(such as Saddam Hussein's invasion) with more injustice, we will
feed into the cycle of violence. The US government and people
should know better. A Iraqi or an Afghan bombing the US as a
suicide bomber will never be right. His actions will always be
appalling, horrible and wrong. But if we do not try to understand
the reasons of his actions (which could be the destruction of
his country, the death of his people), we will not solve the
problem and will further the cause of violence.
In the last few days, I have heard Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Barak and
Mr. Sharon asking all the governments to choose the side of the
civilized world against the one of darkness.
In the last few days I have
chose my side. It is one of a few responsible organizations such
as the "KPFA" radio station in Berkley, such as "In
These Times" magazine, (and, of course the "Counterpunch"
website) such as the "not in my name" organization.
Those represent the civilized work. They are the ones fighting
against violence. They are also fighting. But their fight is
a fight for understanding, truth and justice. The people inflicting
terror on us are driven by despair and injustice. They need help
and not violence.
Do not get me wrong: I condemn
terrorism and the latest attacks in NYC and Washington DC. I
just believe that there is a different way to fight it.
Peace on Earth. CP
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