American Glory

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Dear Mr. President:

The fast turn of events in the Middle East and the US reaction to them will determine whether the United States is truly a world leader or just an Israeli servant.  We quite understand the political and financial pressure the Israeli lobbyist organizations have on the White House, Senate, and Congress. But the US can no longer afford maintaining the status quo of its unconditional support for Israel.  Our reputation as a superpower is on the line.  Our honesty and credibility are on the line.  The streets of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are boiling with anger against the United States and it’s scandalous biased policy towards Israel.  The cost of suffering and loss of human lives, on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, are tremendous. Our silence on the atrocities of the Israeli army is costing us a lot of friends and allies.

Sir, you have continuously blamed Arafat for failure to control the violence.  May I ask a simple question, Sir?  How can you expect someone to win the marathon after you amputate his legs?  Arafat is under siege for the last several months, his security forces are being annihilated by the Israeli army, and therefore, as you well know, there is now way he can control the situation.  Sir, it is quite obvious that Sharon did not want Arafat to control the situation.  And if he did, Sharon would instigate violence by an assassination, bombing, etc.  

For the US to gain trust and credibility in the region, we need to stop blaming the victims.  The Palestinian people have waited more than 54 years for the world, lead by the US, to give them justice, dignity and freedom.  They have been ignored. And when they rise up, we call them terrorists.  Israel’s apartheid occupation of Palestinian land is the prime reason for the violence.  For more than 35 years, Israel continues to confiscate and steal more territories from the Palestinians to build Israeli settlements and dominate the region’s natural and economic resources.  Enough is enough Mr. President.  The Palestinians had enough false hopes and promises.  They have the right to rise for their independence, just like the Americans did.  Like any struggle for independence, the cost is high, unless the GOOD powers intervene and bring justice to the region.  Are we a good and fair power, Mr. President?

Mr. President, Ariel Sharon’s hands are still stained with the blood of 8000 Palestinian civilians in the massacres of Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in his 1982 invasion of Lebanon.  He was found “indirectly” responsible for the massacres by his own government.  He is wanted for war crime tribunal in the courts of Belgium.  He is doing it again, Sir, and no one is stopping him.  And yet, we shake hands and have dinner with this war criminal, but refuse to even talk directly with Arafat.  Mr. President, the majority of the American people, including officials, may not be aware of all the facts that indict Israel for its criminal and apartheid practices, but the whole world outside of our continent knows.  They are watching how we react to Israel’s arrogance and atrocities.  So far, Mr. President, we are doing so poorly in the world’s public opinion.  We have demonstrated great weakness when it comes to Israel; as if it is the world’s superpower, and we are only its instrument.  We may buy approval from all leaders of the world for what we are doing, but we can never buy nations, except with fairness and justice.  Sir, it greatly saddens me and angers me to see our glorious American flag torn and burnt in demonstrations in the streets of all major cities of Asia, Europe and the Mideast, along with the flag of a racist, criminal, apartheid regime (Israel’s).  I love my America, and I love the motherland Palestine.  I dream of the day when the American flag is loved and respected, and even defended, by all Arabs and Muslims for what it really represents: freedom, courage, and justice for all.  The formula for that is very simple, Sir; it is non-biased justice.  Sometimes, it is only speaking the truth against the true and first aggressor.

I appeal to you, Mr. President, to deal with all aggressors the same, to deal with all terrorists the same, to take action against Israel as swiftly and urgently as you would do against any other state or country that violates international law and inflicts terror and suffering against the people.  Israel commits terrorism against civilian people.  The blood shed continues as I write.  The Palestinian people are deprived from army and weapons to defend themselves, so they resort to acts of hopelessness and desperation, such as suicide bombing. Suicide bombers are the product of Israeli occupation.  Sharon is not only an enemy to the Palestinians, he is rather the WORST enemy for Israel.  Sadly, because of his “Nazi” like policies, hatred against Israel and the Jews is being ignited again all over the world.  He must be stopped, Sir,  for the Palestinian sake, for the Israeli sake, for our sake, and for the sake of peace in the region.

I appeal to you again and again, Sir, on behalf of my family and friends, here and abroad, in the name of freedom, justice, and peace; in the name God and all his prophets and messengers, I appeal to you to take swift, decisive action to stop the massacres in Palestine by bringing a just peace.

We must not support terrorism.  Freeze military aid to Israel

We must not harbor terrorists.  Freeze assets of the Jewish Defense League and other Zionist organizations in the US

The world is watching, Sir. God is watching. Let us prove to the world that America is what we really say it is:  Fair, just, and strong.  Let us maintain the proud glory of our history and our future

Very truly yours,

Khalil and Patricia Amrikani

Khalil and Patricia Amrikani contributed above Open Letter to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from Las Vegas, NV, USA.