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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

The Israelyville Horror

By Mohja Kahf

Have you ever seen Poltergeist? Or The Amityville Horror? The family that moves into the house in each of those movies thinks they are innocent. Why oh why do they keep getting hit in the face with evil, why can’t they just be left to live in peace in that house? But the house is built on a deep, horrifying wrong done to others. The house is wrong and until it is made right, they will not live in peace.

The family didn’t know. That’s the convention in these horror films. But how can Israelis not know? When the daily destruction they visit, Godzilla-like, on Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, is all around them, not in the distant past, but continuously? Blind to the bloodbath in their own basement, oblivious to the bones buried beneath them belonging to a race they dismiss, they blame the neighbors for the evil visited upon them. The Arab states have their own internal horrors, God knows; neither are they solid houses or good neighbors. None of that changes the fact that Israel’s own house is not right. The house is wrong, Israel; look to your house. Go down those basement steps, face the truth.

http://www.muslimwakeup.com/main/.../2006/08/the_israelyvill.php#more
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To those of you who wrote, thanks for writing.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "If I make my enemy my friend, then, have I not destroyed my enemy?"

For nine years now, since long before the World Trade center attack, I have written criticisms of Islam, the Qur'an, and Muhammad, and for my criticisms I have received occasional threats from those who see violence as a solution to problems.

Some of my writings have actually explored the use of weapons of mass destruction as perhaps the last defense against the ideological enemy. And rest assured that there are those in the Islamic world who are also exploring the same strategy of last resort.

It so happens, quite by chance, that during the past two years I developed two very close friends on the Internet, one in Iran, and one in Pakistan, who are very secular minded and liberal and progressive, but happen to live in Islamic societies. I decided that, as much as I fear Islamic ideology, yet I would change my ways and make some effort to establish some kind of cordial dialogue with the more progressive and liberal minded Muslims at http://www.progressiveislam.org .

The mistake that some of you have made to day is quite a natural mistake. Your mistake is to assume that because I reposted an article from http://www.muslimwakeup.com
that therefore I must be in total sympathy with the opinions expressed by that article. After all, my only personal comment was that it is a repost from that website, citing the author and source. I reposted it at http://www.progressiveislam.org
as well as in myspace.com. Therefore you have no grounds to assume that I am for or against any particular issue. The repost in myspace generated more negative response than anything I have ever posted to date. And many who responded made the same error of assuming that I am in agreement with the article.

I reposted the article for several reasons. For one, it is quite cleverly written, making an imaginative analogy between horror movies such as Amityville, and the age-old animosity between Jews and Arabs. Secondly, I have decided as a matter of principle to practice some fair play, and try to look at things from both sides of the conflict, even though my personal opinions lean more towards increased military effort on the level of Dresden and Nagasaki, rather than a cease fire, or some temporary compromise or appeasement, such as was make in Poland in the 1930s. Finally, I am always curious to see other peoples' reaction to such an article.

I also reposted this same article at http://www.progressiveislam.org (at the same time that I reposted in myspace.com) and there is not one single comment there, to date, either for or against what the article expresses.

If you have issues with Islam, or Arab peoples, then perhaps you will value reading such sites as http://progressiveislam.org and http://muslimwakeup.com , since the editorials there will give you more detailed ammunition for your criticisms.

I think the very fact that people jump to conclusions, and the wrong conclusions, regarding such a repost, and the reposter, is a glaring symptom of some of the misguided thinking today which is fueling what may possibly be a World War III Armageddon.

Some readers may assume that I am Muslim, but I am not. Some readers may assume that I am pro-Muslim and anti-Jewish, but this is not the case. Perhaps if you had a weapon and could not see me, you might simply shoot me on the basis of your assumptions, presuming that I have Arab features.

I certainly see conservative Islamic fundamentalism as an ideological enemy to secular democracy and freedom of speech, but then, there are progressive, secular minded Muslims who also see fundamentalism as an ideological enemy.

I have chosen to try and lay aside my own opinionated hostility and to engage in some cordial dialogue for the sake of that young Pakistani woman, and that young Iranian woman, whom I have come to love as daughters or sisters.

Please feel free to ask additional questions. If you desire to understand who I am as a person and how I think, then you are welcome to read my 300 plus blogs at http://www.toosmallforsupernova.org/blogindex.htm
You are also welcome to read my nine years worth of writings at http://literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org

I feel that the anger and hatred which has been directed towards me personally because of this simple repost, an anger and hatred fueled by a misconception, without asking first, or investigating further, is a valuable lesson to all of us on how easily the powder-keg of world war may ignite. Even if I am your enemy, it is worth your while to get to know your enemy, so that when you kill me, you will kill me for the right reasons, and not for imagined reasons.

I hope that one or more readers will feel some shame for their impetuosity in jumping to conclusions.

Reply #1:

Very very interesting that you would post that little anti-Semitic diatribe on a day uhhhh Arabs? Palestinians? islamo-fascists? planned to carry out murder on an unimaginable scale. Trying to divert our attention?

I am German-Irish by the way.

I am just curious as to how Mr. Kahf, and Arabs in general, feel about gay rights, women’s rights, democracy, freedom of the press, the right to privacy, freedom of religion. I think we both know.

I find it amazing how leftists (AND I AM NOT SAYING YOU ARE ONE) support the groups that would be the first ones to slit their infidel throats.

The war is a terrible tragedy FOR ALL. Terrorism is a tragedy FOR ALL. But so is the propaganda you post.

Reply #2:

What proof do you have for these accusations against Israel? Please provide documentation, historical records because Israel has always been attacked, not attacking.
Egypt had them as slaves, Hitler killed over six-million of them, Rome ruled them with an iron hand, Greece Hellenized them, Assyria and Babylon took them captives, destroyed their city, Titus did this too in 70 Ad, Remember England, Spain?
Israel has always been attacked because Jerusalem is the Holy City, where Jesus the Lord walked.
Satan hates Israel.

Reply #3:
So Sitaram,

What do you suggest they do? Where should they go? Have you considered it may be their stand? They were around during the birth of Christ and registered in Jerusalem... has it all defaulted to the Muslim faith? The land gained was because their neighbors tried to drive them out when they just wanted a piece of their own heritage .... Why can't the people live in peace among their neighbors... the threat to Israel was "We have driven you out of parts of Lebanon and we will not stop until we have it all." So, where does it stop?

It is all wrong ... so who takes the step to right it? Just one side, or both?

Reply #4 (and the most reasonable, open-minded reply):

Interesting post.....

I think a large part of the trouble is that the media (U>S>) doesn't present a totally objective view....I' not an expert, but no one seems to realize that historically
(i.e. since the 40's ) a large portion of Arab/Palestine land - at least land that had been theirs for hundreds of years since the crusades - was basically commandeered
in the name of Israel. What I like to argue here in USA is imagine if the world dictated that we give back all states west of Mississippi to the native Indians... crazy??

But is that not similiar ot what happened to the Palestinians?? Again, the U.S. media is not prone to be objective & simply ignores a lot of the facts of teh past in all of this.....

Do you agree??

The horrors seems to be on both sides, but Israel clearly overdoes it in my opinion...

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- Sitaram

http://www.myspace.com/literarydiscussions

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Regarding "Israelyville Horror" Post:

One myspace reader wrote:

Dear Sitaram:

So exactly what is wrong with the Israeli house? Is the writer suggesting that a Jewish homeland in the middle of Arab territory is wrong? That the Jews don't have a right to the land? Or is he criticizing their government/politics?

Please clarify your interpretation--I'd love to get into the discussion, but I need to know what I'm replying to.

Sitaram replies:

Thanks for writing. Time is a bit short for me this morning because I have an appointment.

The author of that article "The Israelyville Horror" is a popular woman columnist on the Internet, for an Islamic publication.

Obviously, she has her own "spin" on things.

But, I have been having long discussions about the article with several people.

When I was a young adult and first read in the Book of Numbers about spies being sent into the land of Canaan,

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehardeah/shlach.html

http://www.swedenborgdigitallibrary.org/sower/exnmdt/num49.htm

quite frankly, it occurred to me that this promised land was a land which already belonged to another people or tribe.
The Israelites were going to conqueror another people and steal their land. When I discuss this with Jews and Christians, they are quick to point out that it was God's will.

Well, if you found someone taking your car, and you questioned them, and they explained that God had commanded you to take it, as "the promised vehicle", then what would you think.

One person argued that Israel improved the land which they occupied, and now that it is more attractive, the Palestinians want it back. So I asked, "Suppose you had a car that needed a paint job and some engine work. So I stole it from you and fixed it up, and when we went to court, I argued that you had neglected the car, but that I had improved it and had some entitlement to it."

I mention all this because it fits in with the Amityville horror notion of some wrong that happened long ago which is haunting the place as a source of evil.

On a personal level, I would rather see Israel conquer and defeat Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, since I fear Arab Islamic aggression as a threat to democracy and freedom of speech. I do not fear Judaism as an ideological enemy.

But I simply thought I would make the effort to get to know some Muslim writers, and see what they have to say, and what kind of spin they put on events.

But in my mind, that Old Testament account alone qualifies as something sinister and monstrous hidden under the haunted house.

If someone argues with me that Jehovah commanded this, or Allah willed that, well, quite frankly, that is all rhetoric to me. I suspect that there may be some higher power or intelligence in the universe, but I cannot see the sense of eternal torment in hell with no possibility of reform or repentance. For me, the threat of eternal torture is something monstrous in all Abrahamic religions.

Well, I must go now. But I shall be posting more on this topic as I have additional correspondence and conversation.

I heard one U.S. Senator exclaim "I will bless those who bless thee, and I will curse those who curse thee." I find such a sentiment admirable piety and faith, but questionable politics and diplomacy. Such a statement is not very different from a child explaining that they did something because it would have brought bad luck not to do it.

- Sitaram

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