Mr Bagel: The World watches as ...

Tuesday 26 June 2007

The World watches as ...

I hate to say it but the West is actual complicit in the recent outbreak of violence in the Middle East.

No its not the usual, blame Israel, the United States, Britain and the evil West rhetoric we've all grown accustomed to when ever a Middle Eastern based radical group shows its true nature.

Its far more subtle than that.

Its the implied consent we in the West give to radical Islamists every time they commit a horrific crime and we fail to call it for what it is.

A 'Suicide Bomber' isn't a 'Suicide Bomber'. They are a Murder Bomber.
The attention should not be placed on the bomber [they're dead, let him enter into the book of nothingness and recieve they're 72 raisins], the attention should be placed on the unfortunate victims of this murderous rampage.

A Soldier who is attacked within his own countries border isn't captured, he is Kidnapped.

Militants don't fie rockets at Cities with civilian populations, Terrorist do.

Militants don't set roadside bombs, Terrorists do.

Militants don't throw people off buildings Terrorists do.

Militants don't blow up buses Terrorists do.

Uncoerced Civilians don't hide bombs and rockets, Terrorist and their sympathizers do.

Mufti's don't preach violence, Terrorist sympathizers do.

A Legitimate State doesn't call for the genocide of another, a Terrorist State does.

Sheiks don't have militias, Terrorists Organizations do.

A Car that is destroyed containing rockets with three young men in it, is a car with three Terrorists in it.

When the West stops appeasing its Middle Eastern readers, and slanting its news to be more palatable for its unacceptable radical views, then the mainstream populations in the Middle East will slowly become less radicalized and see things for what they are.

The recent description of Gilad Shalit in the press yesterday is a case in point.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants posted an audio message on Monday from an Israeli soldier captured a year ago at an army base near the Gaza Strip, the first sign of life from the young serviceman since he was seized.

Source: Diaa Hadid Associated press Writer.

GAZA - Following is the text of a statement by captive soldier Gilad Shalit, as heard in an audio tape released by his Palestinian captors in Gaza yesterday. Translation is by Reuters from the original Hebrew:

Source: Reuters

(AP) Hamas militants posted an audio message on Monday from an Israeli soldier captured a year ago at an army base near the Gaza Strip, the first sign of life from the young serviceman since he was seized.

Source: CBS News

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - A Hamas Web site posted an audio message on Monday from an Israeli soldier captured a year ago by militants allied with the Islamic group - the first sign from him since he was seized at an army base near the Gaza Strip.

Source: Guardian

Separately, Hamas militants on Monday released a recorded message from Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the Israeli serviceman captured near the border with Gaza a year ago. It was the first sign of life from the young serviceman since his seizure.

Source: AP Sarah El Deeb

GAZA CITY, 26 June 2007 — The Hamas movement’s armed wing yesterday released an audio message said to be from captured Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who said his health was deteriorating and that he needed hospital treatment. “I’ve been in prison one year. My situation is deteriorating. I need an extended period in hospital,” said the voice in the audio clip posted on the website of Hamas’ armed wing exactly one year after Shalit was taken.

“I am sorry that the Israeli government has not shown more interest. It should meet the demands of my kidnappers so I can be released,” said the voice in Hebrew on the tape.
Source: Arab News
?!: So as long as you're quoting a Hebrew translation you can use the word Kidnapped?

Hamas to release tape of captured Israeli soldier

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas's armed wing will release an audio tape on Monday of an Israeli soldier seized by militants in Gaza a year ago, a senior official in the Islamist movement said.

Sergeant Gilad Shalit was captured on June 25, 2006 by gunmen who tunneled into Israel from Gaza. Except for a handwritten letter to his parents in September, there has been no sign of life from the soldier since he was spirited into the enclave.

Source: Reuters Canada

At least one news network stated it the way it is...

Hamas airs tape of kidnapped Israeli soldier
The armed wing of Hamas has released an audio message said to be from captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in which he says his health is deteriorating and he needs hospital treatment.

It used the word 'captured' but at least it called the crime what it is. A Kidnapping.
Source: ABC News

The West should hang its head in shame.

Not only have we capitulated in the worst possible way, we stand by whilst media corporations such as the Reuters, AP and the BBC allow, no read encourage the use of 'sanitized' prose.

The West is allowing the greed of Multinational corporations to dictate Foreign Policy.

We have lost our moral compass, a person who kills civilians, uses Suicide bombers, abides by no international rules of military engagement, is not a militant.

They are a terrorist.

That the Arab street sees this differently is an indictment on their cultural values. That we from the West are willing to sanitize news to the Middle East to accommodate this, is simply cultural prostitution of the worst kind.

Its an aberration in decency that what one says to one group of people is 'rephrased for cultural sensitivities' to another.

The West needs to stop pandering to the Middle East.
Maybe then the baseness of some of these values might just become more apparent.