What Would MLK/Gandhi Do?

War to Mobilize Democracy, LLC ^ | 8/4/06 | Andrew Jaffee

[forty_years]

Just as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah admitted publicly that Israel's offensive against his terrorist army was taking its toll, some Muslims poured into their streets to stomp on Israeli and U.S. flags. U.N. diplomats and Western appeasers are busily trying to back Israel into an indefensible corner. But how would Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi stand on the current conflict? Gandhi called terrorists "murderers." MLK recognized the Jewish "religious and cultural commitment to justice."

Just yesterday, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah:

...for the first time since fighting began 22 days ago, offered Thursday to stop rocket attacks on northern Israel in return for an end to airstrikes throughout Lebanon.

Remember the context here; we're talking about a fierce terrorist leader who "offered his first gesture toward diminishing the conflict." This is Middle East, where some Muslims are willing to strap explosives to their own bodies and blow up civilian targets. Whether Westerners like it or not, or do not wish to believe the truth, might makes right in the Middle East. For Nasrallah to make such a "gesture" is an admission that Israel's offensive is working. I'm not whitewashing Nasrallah -- saying he's really a good guy -- I'm emphasizing that he's admitting that Hezbollah is hurting. He merely wants to cut his loses before there is nothing left of his terrorist army. That's a good thing.

Unfortunately, the weak hand in the West, like those who populate Daily Kos, will use their wishful thinking to interpret Nasrallah's "gesture" as meaning that he's really not a terrorist, but a man of "peace." Never mind the fact that Hezbollah's missiles have killed Arab children and struck near Palestinian villages. Never mind that even the BBC admitted that Hezbollah started this whole conflict. Never mind that Hezbollah is deliberately targeting Israeli civilians, firing hundreds of badly-aimed rockets into the Jewish state every day -- AND hides behind civilians when shooting these missiles.

Despite all these facts, some Muslims are pouring into their streets to support Hezbollah's promise of destroying Israel. Protests are now taking place in Iraq, Iran, etc., etc.

Unfortunately, the Daily Kos crowd will seize upon this outpouring of hate against Israel and the U.S. to justify their comfortable but dangerous "world view:" Look! The Arab street is enraged! Let us disengage completely from the Middle East!

How easily the limousine liberals forget the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi. Would either of these men rationalized the hate that many Muslims teach their children -- to hate anything Jewish or American, no matter what? Would MLK or Gandhi have supported the anti-Semitic overtones of the U.N. -- how its own Deputy Secretary-General refuses to call Hezbollah a "terrorist" group? Would either of these great men have supported the deliberate slander generated by the press to undermine Israel's right to defending its citizens?

Would MLK or Gandhi have looked the other way as history books were sanitized of Arab/Muslim crimes against Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims by other Arabs/Muslims -- like the Samarra bombing; or the Amman, Jordan bombing; or Al-Qaeda's slaughter of 88 innocent Egyptians last July; or Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in 1990; or Kuwait's ethnic cleansing of 400,000 Palestinians in 1991; or Jordan's killing of thousands of Palestinians during Black September; or a 30-year Lebanese civil war; or the Iran-Iraq war which claimed 1 million casualties; or the annual violence at Mecca (three-hundred trampled to death in last year’s Hajj; 1,426 killed in the 1990 Hajj; 251 in 2004; etc.)?

Gandhi freed India from British rule without terror. Gandhi said that terrorists were "murderers." ([1]) Of terrorism he said, "Even should the British [occupiers] leave in consequence of such murderous acts, who will then rule in their place? The only answer is: the murderers…" ([1]) Perhaps the Palestinians/Muslims/Arabs, and their Western supporters, will turn to alternative means for achieving their goals. Non-violent tactics would appeal to a much deeper level of the Israeli (and Western) psyche -- to what Martin Luther King, Jr., called the Jewish "religious and cultural commitment to justice." ([2])

But just as Israel is about to defeat its enemies, Western governments indulge in fear, listen to "world opinion", and force Israel into an indefensible position. Israel must be allowed to put a stop to Hezbollah. It is time to see Hezbollah for what it is: a genocidal mob of murderers.

The lessons here: "world opinion" is still steeped in anti-Semitism; Westerners are too eager to placate radical Islamists because of their own fears of terrorism; too many in the Muslim world see Israel through hate-colored glasses; and, it doesn't matter what the "world" thinks as Israel has a right to defend its own security.

Endnotes
[1] Chadha, Yogesh. "Gandhi: A Life," John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1997, page 146.
[2] Carson, Clayborne, editor. "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.," Warner Books, New York, NY, 1998, page 310.

http://netwmd.com/blog/2006/08/04/798

[Brilliant]

Well, Ghandi and MLK were both assassinated. I'm hoping for a different outcome.

[cripplecreek]

Well Ghandi seemed to think that the Jews should simply accept their fate and await the peace of death at the hands of the nazis.

[usmcobra]

And Most would say that all the good things they did while they were alive have been wasted upon those that they did them for.

[yankeedame]

But how would Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi stand on the current conflict?

Oh, brother. How 'bout: But how would George Patton and Charles Martel stand on the current conflict?

[martywake]

The most interesting thing about your question is the philosophical views of the person posing the question and the historical context of both men.

Point #1. From what I gather from your post, you feel that these two beacons of passive resistance would strongly disapprove of the hate mongering by the Muslims. They would.
However, many others would co-opt the teachings of these two individuals to undermine the Israelis and the U. S. They would claim that these two gentlemen would oppose violence at all costs and would seek a peaceful means by which to settle the Arab/Israeli conflict.
This brings us to point #2.
Point #2. When contemplatitng what either of these two men would do in this situation, one should remember the historical context that these two men lived in. They passively resisted two western democracies. THIS POINT CANNOT BE OVERSTATED! Both movements occurred in enlightened societies where peaceful resolutions could be obtained. Such passive movements are not only impractical in the current conflict, but will inspire even more contempt and hatred in the hearts of the Arabs.

[martywake]

One can only imagine.

[johnny7]

I wouldn't ask input from either... on national defense.

[yankeedame]

One can only imagine.

Alas, I fear that just might be the case -- we can only imagine.

[Onelifetogive]

Gandhi

He'd use a battering ram, knock the doors down and burn all the inhabitants in oil.....Maybe I'm thinking about Ghengis Khan.....One of them would have, for sure...

[mkmensinger]

Re: Ghandi

Why would anyone want to take advice from a guy who drank his own urine?

[MarineDad]

I read about that, too.

Was that his weight loss secret?

[RedQuill]

What would Gandhi do?

We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living g-damned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun c#!!suckers by the bushel-f!@#king-basket. War is a bloody, killing business.

~Gandhi 1943

[PistolPaknMama]

WWJD? (What would Je$$e do?) How come he's not over there trying to upstage Condaleeza Rice?

[Sonny M]

Well, Ghandi and MLK were both assassinated. I'm hoping for a different outcome.

Note that Ghandi was killed by a muslim, and MLK, by an anti-semetic racist.

[TASMANIANRED]

Nonviolent protests only work when those you are protesting are more civilized than yourselves.

If they are not, just like Tienanmen square, you will be slaughtered.