I am deeply disturbed by how easily people use of the word terrorist in the US ever since this “war on terror” began. Listening to the Palin/McCain rhetoric over the past few weeks, I am terrified and angry. Terrified because I see many similarities with the devastating right-wing propaganda generated when I was a teenager in Israel. And angry because at how lightly the word “terrorist” is used by politicians and the media.
Yasser Arafat led Fatah at a time when its subgroups were purposefully killing civilians as acts of resistance against the state of Israel. They highjacked planes, kidnapped and killed athletes at the olympics and detonated bombs in public locations. My definition of terrorism encompasses directed action against civilian population. I categorize some of Fatah’s operations in the 70’s as terrorism. Move the clock 35 years forward, and we have Yitzhak Rabin severely scrutinized for negotiating with this “terrorist” and signing the Oslo accords. The right wing tore him to shreds using catchy-aggressive slogans. I remember the pictures depicting blood dripping from Rabin wearing an Arafat-style “keffiya”. He was portrayed as a Jewish traitor and extremist right wing rabbis legitimized “Pulsa denura” ceremonies calling for Rabin’s death. It was not wholly surprising that once Rabin was considered persona non grata by his extreme right wing opponents, a fanatic assassin in that right wing camp would arise and murder him.
Calling Ayers a terrorist is problematic. Yes, he was a radical figure in his youth, but the weathermen group were a troupe of troublemakers, acting against US powers and authority. Their bombs were not placed with an intention to kill civilians, but to harm state-recognized icons. No, I do not support such actions, but I take issue with how US media frames the organization as “domestic terrorist”. Moreover, Obama was only eight-year-old when Ayers and the Weathermen were active. He collaborated with Ayers on a professional-political level, within a commission many years later. If this means his friends are terrorists why not call a spade a spade – Bill Clinton worked intensely with “terrorists”. He was one of the main negotiators between Rabin and Arafat. Arafat, who has a substantial history of terrorist activities.
McCain’s campaign deliberately uses the terrorist ‘tag’ to create fear and hatred towards Obama, taking this whole story out of context. In her speeches, Palin points to the Times who framed Obama’s friend as terrorists as a way to legitimize this point. The fact that it is a pivotal topic in the campaign’s arguments against Obama shows just how desperate they are. Its dirty politics, and I am glad to see that it is not working in McCain’s favor. Still, I am disgusted. I see the slippery slope I witnessed before Rabin’s assasination. I see the ease at which words such as “terrorist” will affect people’s emotions… especially those with relatives in Iraq. I am disgusted because most Americans have *NO* idea what living with “terror” is like, yet they use the word so easily. The majority have never experienced the smell of death after a bomb explodes in a public space. Most never felt the need to calculate their odds of survival every time when using public transport.
I do hope you Americans never have to live through that. Just please don’t use the word “terrorist” to seed baseless fear.
[tags]elections,US,Ayers,Obama,McCain,Palin,Rabin,assasination,Arafat [/tags]
great post