Details & omissions
Reader comment on item: [Alastair Crooke's Conflict Forum and] Sharing Jokes with Hamas

Submitted by C (United States), Apr 21, 2005 at 11:32

Thank you, Dr. Pipes. for writing another important column to help the citizens of the world read between the lines of the usual apologia for terrorism. The omissions from most newspaper articles, as the details you have described of the meetings Crooke et al. have had, are as frightening as the blatant "spin" in favor of those who wish to use unspeakable violence to advance their "cause." There continues to be a standard of relativism perpetuated by too many "leaders" and writers: who the victims are will determine how the story is reported. Attempts to minimize the immorality of acts of terror continue to fill Western media's hard copy and airwaves.

In my opinion, there are two schools of those who continue to defend those who perpetuate acts of horror in this world. First, there are those individuals who truly believe, on an emotional level, that Islamic terrorists and related thugs, are just political activists. Blaming the victim -- the Israeli, the American -- is the order of the day -- an act these so-called defenders of the downtrodden and underdog would find abhorrent if the victim were, for example, a woman raped by a criminal. The politics of the day determines who is characterized as the victim -- therefore, for those who defend Hamas and Hezbollah, Israelis, Jews, Americans, can never be the victim, but are the perpetrators.

The second group is comprised of those leaders, politicians, and media who do what is expedient from their point of view. Commenter Octavio Johanson writes, "I don't know how American and European politicians sleep at night when they are doing business with Hamas and similar organizations." Sadly, Mr. Johanson, as we continue to see what unfolds with the Oil-For-Food scandal, a conscience is not something we should expect of many politicians and diplomats. Power and money drives those who would sleep with the devil to advance their own agenda.

Mr. Crooke, and the people who associate with him, frighten me as much as the Islamic terrorists themselves.

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