118 | Appendix Green Zone / Red Zone
Excerpt of President Ahmadinejad’s “Address to the UN General Assembly” 26 September 2007 “Humanity has had a deep wound on its tired body caused by impious powers for centuries. Today, the problems that people around the world face are mainly rooted in the disregard of human values and ethics and also in the rule of the selfish and incompetent. The only sustainable way to the betterment of mankind is the return to the teachings of the divine prophets, monotheism, respect for the dignity of humans and the flow of love and affection in all relationships, ties and regulations, and to reform the present structures on this basis. To fulfil this objective, I invite everybody to form a front of fraternity, amity and sustainable peace based on monotheism and justice under the name of “Coalition for Peace”, to prevent incursions and arrogance and to promote the culture of affection and justice. I hereby announce that with the help of all independent, justiceseeking and peace-loving nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be heading down this path.” […] “Peoples and governments are not obliged to obey the injustice of certain powers. These powers, because of the reasons already mentioned, have lost the competence to lead the world. I officially declare that the age of relations arising from the Second World War as well as materialistic thoughts based on arrogance and domination is well over now. Humanity has passed a perilous precipice and the age of monotheism, purity, affinity, respecting others, justice and true peace-loving has commenced.” Arjan Erkel: The starting point for Islamic radicalization is not, as we believe, a problem with integration into our Western society. In fact Moroccans [seen as the most problematic group in the Netherlands in terms of integration] are more integrated into Dutch society than Turks or Chinese are. The latter stick to themselves, and are definitely less integrated. What do we mean by ‘integrated’ then? Apparently it means ‘not creating problems for others’. Anyway most radicals are people who are well integrated, studying, working, not involved in drugs or criminality, often with a high level of education. But reading about the wars in which most victims are Muslims and feeling the West is not doing enough about this they gradually get involved. They start meeting other concerned Muslims and that’s where you get ‘a radical network’. Actually they are idealists wanting a better society, without prostitution, drugs, with the same rights and education for all. In Islam they find a structure and a discipline that Western society doesn’t provide them, and guidance as to what a just society is. Then there is the romance of brotherhood – changing the world together – but also a gradual legitimating
Borders / Gemak
of violent resistance. Rashad Selim: We see that in all wars, in all violent situations, a culture of violence emerges. Arjan Erkel: We should be careful not to criminalize Islam. We have to distinguish between the criminal impulse and the idealistic one. We must listen to these young radicals just as we listen to Greenpeace and Al Gore, not dismiss their idealism as religious. We have to be capable of self-criticism to understand their points.
Excerpt of Hezbollah leader Saved Nasrallah’s Quds International Day” 5 October 2007
“Speech for Al
“Let us not rule out the existence of a coordinated “Israeli”American motive to drag Syria into war, and thus the entire region, because this is Bush`s plan for the area. His project for the region is not one of peace but war, just as he did in Iraq, Palestine and as he did in Lebanon in July 2006 last year, he now tries to do the same at the entire regional level. We know that when the Americans want to implement any project, they begin with the media, then pursue it politically and psychologically until it becomes the norm” […] “Imagine the state which possesses the world`s second biggest oil reserve if not the biggest, a state leading the Countries of the world in petroleum exports, yet its people are displaced, migrated, poor and in need for food rations just to eat? This is the prosperity the Americans promised us: a people without nutrition, medicine, security, stability or freedom. Where is this freedom in Iraq today? Americans continue their systematic destruction of Iraq” Arjan Erkel: The text of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah begins with some valid points about Western lives seemingly counting more than Palestinian ones, but then it falls into conspiracy theories when Nasrallah accuses Israel of being behind the recent spate of assassinations of Lebanese politicians. It reminds me of Joris Luyendijk’s book ‘They’re Just Like People’. That the Israelis are so good in handling the media, and the Arabs so bad at it, is unfortunate, but at some point you also think: it’s their own fault, they should express themselves more carefully. I found it boring to read Nasrallah’s speech. AE: While I was kidnapped by Chechens I heard them complain a lot about the role of the media, which they believe is controlled by Jews. I understand that because of news fatigue dead Afghans or Iraqi’s don’t make the news anymore, but I think western media have the task to give more background information, instead of merely reporting incidents. They are becoming less and less concerned about good international reporting generally.