Thoughts on the current crisis in the Lebanon
Egyptians shout anti-Israel slogans inside al-Azhar Mosque after the Friday prayer in Cairo. Protesters across the Arab world condemned Israel’s assaults in Gaza and Lebanon. (AFP)
Israel gears up for ground war
Sunni Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Jordan would be quite happy to see Hezbollah destroyed, as they see it as an agent of Iran. Conservative Arab countries have no love for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The 1979 Iranian revolution showed that the people could get rid of despotic leaders (in this case the Shah). Iran has major problems and it has nutty clerics directing the scene, but eventually they will die off and hopefully the youth of Iran will take over. Without the religious nutcases in charge I'm sure Iran would become a powerhouse.
Iran also has a different culture and history to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, for one they are Persians and another they have a very long pre-Islamic history.
Saudi and to an extent Jordan are run by dictatorial monarchs who don't like sharing power, the US like the British and the French beforehand are quite happy to support dictatorial regimes to further their own goals, they don't really care about 'democracy' and 'freedom'. The US is more concerned about establishing their own image in a coutry like Iraq, ignoring the culture and history of the place.
If there is to be democracy in the Middle East it must come from within Islam itself, it must be organic and it must come from the people.
As for creating stability in the middle east, raise living standards, generate wealth, create a new middle classe, this is what happened in Northern Ireland, the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Féin were given power, and as a result enjoyed all the trappings being in power brings, once they have a taste for this, armed resistance looks less appealing.
Of course this is too simple for the current nutcases in charge, they suffer from myopic short term vision.
Egyptians shout anti-Israel slogans inside al-Azhar Mosque after the Friday prayer in Cairo. Protesters across the Arab world condemned Israel’s assaults in Gaza and Lebanon. (AFP)
Israel gears up for ground war
The Lebanon crisis entered a dangerous new phase last night as Israeli troops and tanks massed on the border in preparation for a sweeping ground operation against Hizbullah fighters.
Israeli commanders plan to clear a 1.5km-wide zone on the Lebanese side of the border, where there are a series of well-fortified Hizbullah positions, a senior Israeli official said. Thousands of Israeli reservists were being called up.
Sunni Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Jordan would be quite happy to see Hezbollah destroyed, as they see it as an agent of Iran. Conservative Arab countries have no love for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The 1979 Iranian revolution showed that the people could get rid of despotic leaders (in this case the Shah). Iran has major problems and it has nutty clerics directing the scene, but eventually they will die off and hopefully the youth of Iran will take over. Without the religious nutcases in charge I'm sure Iran would become a powerhouse.
Iran also has a different culture and history to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, for one they are Persians and another they have a very long pre-Islamic history.
Saudi and to an extent Jordan are run by dictatorial monarchs who don't like sharing power, the US like the British and the French beforehand are quite happy to support dictatorial regimes to further their own goals, they don't really care about 'democracy' and 'freedom'. The US is more concerned about establishing their own image in a coutry like Iraq, ignoring the culture and history of the place.
If there is to be democracy in the Middle East it must come from within Islam itself, it must be organic and it must come from the people.
As for creating stability in the middle east, raise living standards, generate wealth, create a new middle classe, this is what happened in Northern Ireland, the political wing of the IRA, Sinn Féin were given power, and as a result enjoyed all the trappings being in power brings, once they have a taste for this, armed resistance looks less appealing.
Of course this is too simple for the current nutcases in charge, they suffer from myopic short term vision.
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