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by William Ndung’u

The Arab-Israeli conflict has been going on now for some 60 odd years. From the US, to Europe to Africa and Asia, with the exception of Muslim-inhabited lands particularly in north Africa and the Middle East, the politically-correct position has been one – be on Israel’s side always; talk but not too much on behalf of the suffering Arab children and other non-combatants whose lives are shattered in the current conflict.

But sometimes political correctness goes overboard. What with Bush’s insistence that it is Hamas to blame for causing deaths of Palestinian children, women, the elderly! As for Bush, at least his time is over, but for the Kenyan body-politic, I don’t know what to say.

For one, no politician worth their salt wants to openly comment and in the process appear pro-Arab. It is understandable. With the dehumanization and misinformation about Muslims and Arabs, by extension, it means ‘you have to be sharp…and know when to look before you reap’, especially when you are a politician with ‘future hope’, more so when your ambitions can only be realized through support from the West.

I have just seen today’s edition of a widely circulating local daily. The editorial talks of ceasefire as the solution. Don’t ask me why the editor only spoke out after days of indiscriminate killings of hundreds of people in Gaza. What concerns me most is, why has the international community allowed Israel to react in such a bad manner? Violence only begets more violence and by the simple act of invading Gaza, however genuine the reasons, Israel is creating – in dozens, if not thousands – tomorrow’s suicide bombers.

In Kenya, the problem is not that people do not want to voice their concerns. No. The Muslim community was on the streets after Friday’s Ibada (prayer). It is just that we’re too pro-US, pro-Israel for reasons best understood by Tel Aviv and Washington, than us. It is common to hear a rant about how Blacks are mistreated, only for the same voices to go silent when an Arab is mistreated or killed. Has Bush fed us with so much misinformation that we have permanently labeled all Arabs terrorists?

This is where as a country we need to come to our senses. At least our leaders should, with facts, condemn what is going on in Gaza, but equally and unequivocally call for Hamas’ halt to Qassam strikes into Sderot and other neighbouring Israeli territories. The last time I checked, we are all humans and there’s a valid point, whether we’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim or not, to condemn misguided acts. We should not bury our heads in the sand anymore…let’s speak out, but with facts only.

If we allow the same to happen, who will speak for us when we are suppressed? Remember the story of the man who lived in Nazi Germany. Because he wasn’t Jew, he didn’t complain much when the Nazis came for Jews. Then when done with all others, he was the next victim! You just never know…

This story is filed under: Politics