DOWNPLAYING THE THREAT OF SECTARIANISM - BAD IDEA!

[Zainab_M]

Our excitement was boundless over the recent Hezbollah drone code-named "Hussein Ayyub" that went into the heart of Israeli territory (possibly close to Dimona nuclear plant) undetected by the 'advanced' Israeli radar system.  One would expect the pan-Islamic state to be delighted, shedding tears of joy.  Not surprisingly, with the exception of certain circles, there was little excitement anywhere in the Muslim world.   Anger, fury, jealousy on being triumphant over the enemy???  What's the problem with the "Ummah?"  A quick, monosyllable response to this very complicated and embarrassing question would be - SECTARIANISM.

Sectarianism is the single most destructive factor playing havoc on the Muslim world.  It's even more threatening than the vicious media war.  Yet, not all are amused looking through the prism of realism.  Many 'thirsty' Muslims tend not to crave for water if they can get a view of a glimmering mirage, including those who unanimously agree that the scourge of sectarianism must be eradicated.   But how do we eradicate an affliction in society if we aren't brave enough to acknowledge it's presence in the first place?   How far will our efforts take us in forging unity by slipping the basic point of contention under the rug?   Let there be no misconceptions: Sectarianism is the catalyst to the Muslim masses and a tool for many of their self-serving leaders.   Yet scores of our neutral well-wishers discredit the corrupt policies of leaders alright, but they prefer to overlook the glaring link between these leaders and their subjects whom they control emotionally and sentimentally.

The terse disagreements to bypass the reality of sectarianism goes to the extent of being accused of using "sectarian language" if you expose it.  It's no secret that most of the Sunni world, many Palestinians included, are currently backing the Syrian opposition financed by the Zionist State and its providers.  Shameful as it is, try saying that.  You might get a frown even from you best friend.  The crux of the argument that's going around is:  The "Resistance" is grounded upon unity, so why shouldn't we?   That the entire Sunni world supported Hezbollah in 2006 and they are against imperialist powers attacking Iran are among some of the bizarre notions many of us are forcing ourselves to accept.   Vague assertions without specific elucidations and confirmations such as  "Palestinians are not a monolith" and "civil society and political factions have varying opinions about the unrest" in Syria are some more indispensable comforters we often need to protect ourselves from the cold. 

~sigh~

I COULDN'T DISAGREE MORE. 

The Resistance upholds unity within itself (that is, Iran/Syria/Hezbollah which is the only force that still survives to thwart Zionist hegemony in the region).  The Resistance isn't just Hezbollah.  It must include Iran and Syria to form a solid block that cannot be fragmented.  This block does NOT "exemplify unity" with Gulf Cooperation Council, for God's sake .. and why should it?  Any such insinuations would be an affront on the Resistance.  Neither does this elucidation of truth hold any connotations of "sectarian language."   We use the terms "Sunni" or "Shiia" only to identify the segments of a community we discuss.   Unfortunately these sects do exist, don't they?   As simple as that.

Those who have worked tirelessly on the abolition of sectarian concepts know what an uphill task it is and the erosion it's causing to the values of our great Faith and principles of ethics.  United we rise divided we fall!   What's our status now?  DIVIDED -  very, very divided.  And I say that with a very heavy heart.

Presently Palestine is split between Gaza and the WB.  Politically they have had their differences in the past.  They're somewhat united now.   One of the reasons for their political unity (of sorts) is they are both in the GCC block.   Abbas has been a GCC lackey since long.  Haniya is a newcomer drawn into it through Morsi because of MB's close ties with Hamas.  Erdogan (with the blessings of his cheerleaders in the WH and Pentagon) is itching to pounce on Syria.  Morsi is enthusiastically giving him the thumbs-up while also promoting his own image as the main power broker of the Middle-East.  There's no need to go any further. Palestine's political approach concerning the Syrian episode is no secret. Palestinian leaders support the fall of Assad and neither do they want us to believe otherwise.   It's all about ambitions, power, territory, traditional bigotry and ill-gotten money.   The political ideology of almost all factions consisting of the Sunni Arab leaders of the Middle-East are intertwined and the Palestinian leadership is no "dove trooping with crows."   Thus, I'm unable to guess what "political factions" pertaining to Palestine and their "varying opinions" our good old neutral friends keep reminding us about.   Are we seriously supposed to presume that the Palestinian leaders will some day opt to be independent of the GCC by standing up for their principles?

I recognize Faith to be the foundation of nationalism, not geographical boundaries.  No matter where I am, my heart bleeds thinking of occupied Palestine.  But my head is left spinning like a top when I ponder on Palestinian geopolitics and the recent spell it has created on its people, many of whom seem to have short memories despite their endless and unprecedented sufferings.  It's an occupied and beleaguered country divided into two separate entities with two leaderships.  The newest process of unification of its masses largely depends on the issue of sectarian denomination. Their are many misinformed Palestinians without a darn clue of what they are doing. If Assad is toppled and replaced with the puppet Syrian opposition in alliance with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey, it's then to be seen where the frightened Gazans and West Bankers run for refuge from their Zionist assassins. In the past they would flee to Syria. In fact, Damascus was the headquarters of Hamas outside Palestine where they felt safe from the murderous eyes of Mossad predators. Or, do they think Morsi or a future al-Qaeda regime in Syria be able to give them the same protection as Assad's Syria?  The cause behind their idiocy is their pent up frustration resulting from the poor quality of lives in an occupied land.  They are venting this fury in the form of 'jihad mania' for nothing better to do. This is what happens to vulnerable people when their political leaders and imams turn into a bunch of greedy and murderous prostitutes of their masters.  Just as it isn't rare for children of a broken home to grow up into deliquents, so do the masses of a leaderless country.

Additionally, the Arab masses (and Sunni Muslims at large) are not inclined to being introspective.   Unlike their Iranian counterparts, they tend to get influenced by their leaders as a matter of servitude without being mindful of its practical implications.   When these leaders play the sectarian card to win a geopolitical battle for money and power, the firebrand rhetoric spouted from them and their muftis invariably gets the better of their masses.

Certainly Palestine is not a monolithic society .. very few societies are for that matter.  But the zeal of sectarianism is one aspect that has been observed to have ugly magical powers to unify the most diverse of Muslim communities.  What a way to unite!   But denial won't make it any prettier.   No wonder thugs like Montaser Beirouni and several of his comrades wrecked havoc in Damascus and Aleppo.  I still wouldn't say they represent the majority in Palestine. But when I find tons of Palis zealously (or discreetly at best) applauding their "jihadi heroes," I would need to be very naive to continue looking the other way.  I HOPE they don't back Israel in case there's a war with Iran or Hezbollah.  But at the moment they aren't giving me any reasons to convince myself that they won't.

Though even in 2006 not all Sunnis supported Hezbollah against Israel, the political climate has changed drastically from 2006 until now.   Strengthening  our sentiments by deriving hopes from 2006 and ignoring the dramas on the ground in 2012 wouldn't be rational optimism but a false one.

From a wider perspective, can we forget the fact that Pakistan which is the second largest Shiia country in the world after Iran (55 million Shiias out of a population of 185 million) is the most difficult place in the world for Shiias  to survive in?  The number of children killed by US drones in Northern Pakistan and the number of Shiias slaughtered by the Talibans annually are running neck and neck.  It's hard to tell which one is more.   Also, would it be proper to shut our eyes to the reality in Iraq which goes beyond occupation?  The former head of the AQ branch of Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqavi, stated back in 2005 that AQ's prime goal in Iraq was to annihilate the Shiias, not the occupying forces .. and the Zionists were very low in his list of priorities.  To date the Sunni insurgency in Iraq continues on the same lines.  Ayatollah Syyed Ali Khamanei has called out for Shiia / Sunni unity many more times than just once, followed up by social networking sites putting up pages underscoring its importance but alas, to no avail.  Apart from a barrage of angry rejoinders preferring the existing divide, nothing came out of them.   Alternatively, personally talking to rigidly preconditioned minds has been a still greater disaster .. and sometimes a security risk as well.  Some "unity" we exemplify!

We are well aware of the era of media war we are living through along with all its distortions and manipulations to dupe us.   It's been getting more fierce with the passage of time as the failure of the economic and political agenda of the NWO unfolds.  Right now the Western mainstream media is feeding us with enough mud garnished with 'peaches & cream.'  It would be unwise to guzzle yet another type of fantasy by the 'neutral umpires' of the modern geopolitical game within the Muslim world.   Their lullabies and rosy myths are only helping to drive the naive ones into a deeper state of slumber.

Let us NOT downplay the ever-growing threats of sectarianism within the Muslim community.  If we are against unpleasant events such as the foreign aggression against Syria that's likely to encourage the emergence of a Sunni front, we need to tackle it head-on and not conceal it.