Monday , 17 September , 2001
...About the US arms mania, treating Arabs
as pariahs and random accusations
By M . Ali Ibrahim
It goes without saying that last Tuesday's malicious terrorist attacks on prominent US targets have sown panic and confusion amongst Americans. This state of bewilderment and agitation has never been witnessed before. The recent terrorist attacks have left ordinary citizens feeling baffled and fearing further terrorist strikes. Americans have rushed to buy various weapons, including handguns, rifles and even machine guns. Arms dealers have reported soaring sales. The US media have pointed out that many American citizens who have been buying up weapons live in areas with a high density of Arabs and Moslems. The Washington Post said that a lot of people who have purchased weapons do not even know how to fire them, let alone which sort of ammunition to use. Unfortunately, an anti-Arab and anti-Muslim fever is spreading everywhere. In Orlando, 9,000 rounds were sold within minutes of the first attack on the World Trade Center. Daily arms sales are now more than 400 per cent up on any other ordinary day. "US citizens prefer to buy a gun rather than the usual daily necessities of life like food," one arms trader commented. Light weapons and handguns are the most popular, because you need a licence in the United States to buy heavy-duty arms. You also have to wait three days in order for the licence to become valid. The tragedy which took the USA by surprise was so devastating and painful that Americans have understandably been left feeling totally muddled. This feeling has made Americans crazy about revenge, retaliation and hunting down criminals. OK, we can appreciate this, but the problem lies in the extremism, racism and discrimination against Moslems and Arabs. Every Moslem is a suspect; every Arab could be arrested and tried.
Hate

The terrorist attacks have turned US citizens into machines with tunnel vision, whose only priority is to save their lives, and safeguard their property and jobs. But what is wrong about all this is the hate they harbour for Arabs and Moslems. Their first reaction was Ð and still is Ð to point the finger at Arabs. The investigative authorities are focusing on Moslems and Arabs.
In 1995, US citizens were shocked by the explosion in Oklahoma. Instantly, investigators hit out at Arabs and Moslems, blaming them for the appalling tragedy in which some 100 people lost their lives.
Shortly afterwards, Americans found out that a US citizen and former war veteran, Timothy James McVeigh, had been arrested on suspicion of causing the blast. McVeigh was tried and executed as recently as June of this year. Nonetheless, many Americans still believe that he was innocent and the 'real' criminal must be an Arab or Moslem.
The arms purchase mania has also affected Arabs who feel that they are living in a hostile atmosphere. Moslems Ð whether immigrants or US residents Ð have been treated roughly since last Tuesday. Arabs are now portrayed by all the US media as being the 'enemy' who plan to destabilise the USA and steal all its wealth. Arabs, as a local newspaper in Los Angeles said, are the "looming danger," just like the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s.
Filmmakers in Hollywood are now even planning a huge movie about Black Tuesday. The film will highlight the role of Moslems in the catastrophe. By so doing, the USA is intentionally tarnishing the Arabs' image, doing its best to portray them as criminals, terrorists, gangsters and above all as vampires eager to suck American blood.

Oil panic

The recent crisis in the USA has also led to an oil panic. People have rushed to stockpile petrol, in case there is an oil embargo, which reminds us of what happened in the October 1973 War. This petrol panic has resulted in a rise in prices, putting a heavy financial burden on the Americans, adding insult to injury in this tragedy.
The US administration prefers the easy solution: "Let's blame the Arabs and throw all the rules of crisis management out of the window." Even if some Arabs are found to be guilty, this does not mean that all Arabs should be made to suffer.
Secondly, no-one Ð whether a single person, a gang or Osama bin Laden Ð could have planned such a well-organised, perfectly timed operation without having good connections with high-ranking US officials.
Only one thing is sure as yet, and that is that Black Tuesday would not have happened, unless prominent Americans were involved in the attack. Any other argument is simply biased.
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