Unbalanced

Much of the Palestinian and Arab world are upset at George W Bush.

The moderate Palestinian president said Sunday he was angered by U.S. President George W. Bush's recent remarks to Israel's parliament, which were widely seen in the Arab world as tilted toward the Jewish state.

President Mahmoud Abbas said he conveyed his disappointment to Bush when they met at the World Economic Forum on the Mideast, a meeting of 1,500 global policymakers and business leaders in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheik.
Bush's speech Thursday marking the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding caused an outcry in Arab media, which called it offensive.

"In principle, the Bush speech at the Knesset angered us, and we were not happy with it," Abbas told reporters Sunday on the sidelines of the conference.

"This is our position and we have a lot of remarks (about the speech) and I frankly, clearly and transparently asked him that the American position should be balanced," Abbas said. He had dinner with Bush on Saturday but it was unclear when he confronted the U.S. leader about his comments.

Arab commentators have said the speech showed strong support for Israel while barely mentioning Palestinian aspirations.

"The Torah-inspired speech [emp-SC&A] of Bush raised question marks over the credibility of the U.S. role in the Middle East," Mursi Atallah, the publisher of Al-Ahram, the flagship daily of Egypt's state-owned press, wrote Saturday. "Bush aims to do nothing but appeasing Israel."

Perhaps the 'Torah-inspired speech' is something Mr Atallah might want to reconsider. In fact, lets examine some other religious texts

Female Genital Mutilation, along with that other delightful practice known as ‘honor killing’ are a stain and blot on society, period. No culture or society that turns it’s back on those practices can be considered civilized and no such society is in any position to dictate what is and isn’t moral to others. What religious texts and which religious authorities can offer up such a muted outrage after 140 million women that have suffered Female Genital Mutilation? Not surprisingly, the cultures and societies where such practices are still a part of their 21st century reality make clear they are not 'Torah-inspired.'

The slaughter in Sudan has gone on for over 20 years. Successive regimes in Khartoum made no effort to conceal their desire to slaughter the Christians and Animists of that nation. They were so successful that 2 million were killed and there are virtually no Christians or Animists are left in that country to slaughter. The proof is in the pudding, as that truth has been of little concern to Arabs and Muslims the world over. They too, are clearly not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the slaughter by the Arab tribal Janjaweed of Christians and animists in Darfur (perhaps there might even be a fatwa directed to keep Muslim women from singing as their 'men' rape women)? Clearly such behavior is not 'Torah-inspired.'

The genocide in Algeria seems to be coming off a moratorium. The GIA Islamic fundamentalists spent decades raping boys and girls in the name of God before murdering and dismembering them. The government offered an amnesty to the rebels, save for those who committed sexual crimes against minors. The GIA were outraged at that unfair and unjust precondition. As of late, there has been a resurgence of fundamentalist activity.What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the ongoing silence? It is safe to say that they too, are not 'Torah-inspired.'

In Mauritania, the slave trade, almost exclusively the domain of Arab slave traders goes on unabated as it has for centuries. As expected, the Arab and Islamic world remains silent on the issue. It is safe to say that the slave traders are not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the vile and despicable Muslim world portrayals of Jews, Judaism, Christians and Christianity in the 21st century? Clearly such behavior is not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the regular bombings, shootings and mosque and church burnings in Pakistan- with worshipers inside? Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the barbaric practice of beheading 'infidels' and other kinds of torture so often found in the Muslim world? Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the thunderous silence at the UN Report on Human Development that noted the Arab World has the lowest standard of education in the world, with the exception of sub Saharan Africa? Clearly such silence is not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone and encourage Holocaust denial that leads to promises to 'Finish what Hitler started?' Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities condone Muslim clerics who whip their flock into a frenzy, with cries to ‘Slaughter the Jews!’ and ‘Slaughter the Christians!’? What religious texts and which religious authorities condone the vile and ugly portrayals of Jews, Judaism, Christians and Christianity, as well as bigoted and racist religious pronouncements of the same? How is possible that we see parishioners leave prayer services, looking for victims? Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

What religious texts and which religious authorities turn a blind eye to the truth that Mein Kampf to be at the top of the best seller list, after the Quran? Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

Three, four or five dozen Muslims are killed each day in Iraq, Muslims are silent. The same is true of sectarian violence in Pakistan. That barbarity and savagery is ignored- and as such, appears to be tacitly accepted. Clearly such behaviors are not 'Torah-inspired.'

These and other truths are not lost on the kaffirs.

There is no ‘balance’ when you get right down to it and it isn’t the western world that is tilted.

Much of the Arab and Muslim world would do well to clean their own houses and remove the stench they have left before remarking on the state of others. They would do well to find some inspiration from the Torah they so clearly revile.