[News] "Creative anarchy" in the Gaza Strip

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10096.shtml

"Creative anarchy" in the Gaza Strip
Dr. Akram Habeeb writing from the occupied Gaza Strip, Live from 
Palestine, 1 January 2009

[]

Mourners carry the body of Ali Lahobi, who was killed in an Israeli 
missile strike, during his funeral in the Rafah refugee camp, 
southern Gaza Strip, 1 January 2009. (Hatem 
Omar/<http://www.maanimages.com/>MaanImages)

Unlike other people in the world, Gazans counted down the last 
seconds of 2008 anticipating the next Israeli air attack, shelling by 
tank, or the launch of a missile from warships crouching just 
offshore. Many of our children thought the flashing explosions were 
fireworks with which the Israeli military wanted them to mark the 
advent of the New Year. But too many children were shocked to learn 
some of their peers were either injured or killed. It was then that 
they discovered that Israel wanted them to have a macabre welcome for 
the year 2009.

Last night, the last of 2008, was the most horrible and horrendous 
for all Gazans. Almost every moment, a bomb fell on civilian homes, 
or other targets that had already been bombed to rubble. At least 10 
people were killed and many other injured. Among the targets bombed 
by the Israeli Offense Forces were the Ministry of Justice, the 
Ministry of Education and the Legislative Council.

Bombing these institutions has nothing to do with isolating Hamas or 
weakening the resistance. The Israeli intent seems to be to create 
what US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called "creative 
anarchy." Indeed Israel has always wanted to keep Palestinians living 
a life of disorder. They want chaos to prevail in the Gaza Strip. 
They want to eliminate any legislative or judicial system and replace 
it with the law of the jungle that existed before Hamas took power.

Such a state of anarchy would be further perpetuated by keeping 
Palestinians in Gaza ignorant and illiterate. It is to advance this 
sinister policy that Israel is systematically destroying the 
education system, targeting universities, schools, and above all the 
Ministry of Education. As a colonial power, Israel has adopted this 
old colonial strategy to dominate the Palestinians. It is precisely 
the same strategy used by slaveholders and colonizers: keep the 
people you want to control in ignorance so they cannot rebel.

Israel's claims that Palestinians have been using their institutions 
as military sites or for hiding and manufacturing weapons are 
preposterous and ridiculous. These allegations are just like the fake 
claims about Iraqi weapons former US Secretary of State Colin Powell 
used to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Laying waste to the Gaza Strip is another way for the colonizers to 
"prove" that Palestinians are just disorderly, monstrous, barbarous 
terrorists who do not deserve a state of their own. Instead they 
should be in the fetters of occupation, they should always be 
oppressed and repressed so they cannot disturb those living in the 
Garden of Eden. What should Palestinians do in response to such 
oppression? Should they remain imprisoned in Gaza, the world's 
largest concentration camp? Should they acquiesce to the Israeli 
siege and pray to God, "imprison me to make me free"?

What is happening in Gaza today is really catastrophic. The 
systematic destruction of holy places, schools, universities and the 
killing of innocent Palestinians are war crimes whose perpetrators 
must be brought to justice. We Palestinians appreciate the efforts of 
everyone in the free and civilized world to do what you can to 
intervene to stop this aggression, and bring the war criminals to 
trial in an international court.

Dr. Akram Habeeb is Assistant Professor of American Literature at the 
Islamic University of Gaza.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20090102/ad73cdd0/attachment.htm>