Despite the
obvious stupidity of war, the largest anti-war demonstrations
in U.S. history, the largest global anti-war demonstrations in
history, and the probable opposition of the U.N. Security Council,
the Bush Administration continues to drive toward its invasion of
Iraq, designed to reconsolidate
U.S. control of
the Middle East, world oil supplies, and its global hegemony. The
"shock and awe" strategy is being designed to instill terror in more
than the Iraqi elite and people. It's designed for all of us.
An international
contingent of people from various nationalities have come to Iraq to
form "human shields" there to prevent the United States and U.K.
from bombing and attacking Iraq and to prevent these oil-obsessed
hegemons from inflicting any more harm on Iraqi children, women and
people. For today, the people of the world identify with the plight
and suffering of the people of Iraq who have been deprived of food
by the U.S.-led economic embargo since the 1990s, bombed out of
their wits for the past 12 years and now , targeted in the
preparations for war by the United States. This plea by humanity, as
manifested by the tens of millions who rallied for the Iraqi people
against war in more than 61 countries last February 14-15, 2003 is
unprecedented in the history of anti-war movements.
For this time,
even BEFORE war has begun, hundreds of thousands, even millions of
people in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia are already
rallying and marching against the war for the sake of world peace.
Today, we are all Iraqis, just as 'we were all Americans' in
sympathy especially with the civilian victims of September 11.
Needless to say,
we are also angered by the return of U.S. fighting forces to the
Philippines, especially in Sulu and other parts of Mindanao. We do
not want more Muslims and Tausug people including women and children
of Sulu to be killed just as thousands were butchered by conquering
American forces between 1903-1913, as in Bud Dajo. In the same
instance, we do not wish American troops to be killed and buried
there as an outcome of their government's foolhardy intervention. We
are, of course, working to oppose the deployment of these troops and
wish that the Philippine peace movement will garner more
strength and success in forcing their withdrawal and creating true
security and lasting peace for our nation.
Today, WE ARE ALL
IRAQIS. WE ARE HUMANITY.
* Article by Roland G
Simbulan - For a full professional background of Professor Roland G.
Simbulan (Click
Here)
