PUBLIC STATEMENT
 The fall and the end of the brutal dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is a defeat of the US-Israeli project for the control of the Middle East. The popular People’s Revolution currently sweeping the Arab nations is committed to the end of dictators and monarchies. The revolution is also a movement against Imperialism and Zionism. Mubarak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia were not only brutal despots but also collaborators and supported by the US as ‘moderates’.
Despite Mubarak’s cruel record, where he used brute force of his police apparatus for torture and imprisonment, Joe Biden (Vice-President, USA) refused to call him a dictator, even though free elections have not been held in Egypt for over 3 decades. Similarly Hillary Clinton tried to reduce the revolution as a call for certain reforms, thus desperately attempting to deflect the core demands of the People that called for an end to US backed dictatorships. Obama also tried to address the People in a similar manner, taking the cue from Hillary. Also the next time, Obama should be more careful in his selection of the Arab capital to make his speeches on democracy, as Cairo was definitely the wrong choice when he chose to address the Muslim world in 2009. Israel was clear and said that Mubarak was indispensable and should deploy his security apparatus and resort to brute force to quell the unrest.
The revolution has also challenged certain anti-Arab and Islamophobic narratives. It was generally assumed that Arab and Muslim nations are anti-democratic and incapable of democratic aspirations and extremely violent. But the truth is there for all to see.
The democratic revolution that started from Tunisia, and then the protests began to spread to Jordan, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Bahrain and Egypt and the flames soon reached Saudi Arabia.
All the dictators and monarchs are now terrorized after having terrorized their people.
Egypt is the key US-Israeli ally and receives the second largest amount of aid after Israel, to the tune of $2Billion. Of this 2/3rd’s is directed towards weaponry and training for the police and the army. Mubarak’s rule has pauperized the masses and the levels of inflation and unemployment are unprecedented, whilst the Mubarak’s regime is totally corrupt and violent and heeds no dissent. Mubarak’s support for the Israeli siege of Gaza also fuelled hatred for Mubarak and his regime.
Yes, siege to the man who was complicit in the Israeli siege of Gaza. The Arab monarchs and dictators looked on as the Apartheid Wall imprisoned the West Bank, looked on as the houses were demolished in Jerusalem, looked on when the Settlements continued to built across Occupied Palestine, looked on as Palestinian women and children were bombed during the war on Gaza, looked on when the Right to Return was being betrayed, looked on when mosques and churches were demolished, looked on when Sharon and Netanyahu laid claim to all of Jerusalem and look on as the threat of destruction of the Masjid al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock are only a matter of time. It was this central issue, of daily ignominy, sorrow, pain and helplessness that has turned into a rage, a rage that will only be quelled when justice and freedom have been achieved.
Till then the Revolution will carry on across the towns, cities, villages, streets, in the factories, schools, colleges and the fields across the Arab and Muslim world.
Solidarity protests began to break out across the world, even right outside the White House, where people chanted slogans for Mubarak to Go slogans that Obama and Hillary and Biden could not hear.
The fall of Mubarak of Egypt is the most strategically important loss for the US and Israel. Now the entire edifice of the US occupation of the region is collapsing. The US complicity in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and interventions in Lebanon, have all exposed the hypocrisy of the West. The duplicity of the US-EU-Israeli nexus on Iran has been there for all to see.
Thus now there is a new Middle-East. Not that was in the image of America and Israel, but in the image of the People. The People have brought about “Regime Change” and are fighting for a Democracy and a Multi-Party system, with Freedom of Expression and Dissent, an economic system free of corruption and that empowers the poor, for free education, health-care and housing – this is not the Middle-East that either Obama, Bush or Netanyahu wanted.
More importantly, now the new Middle-East is witnessing the unraveling of the US-Israeli. In Lebanon, there is finally a nationalist government, backed by the Hezbollah led alliance. Lebanon is also a model for Arab Sunni-Shia-Christian unity. After Israel, having lost the US backed war to Hezbollah and its allies is far more weakened as a military power. And now Egypt and Jordan that border Palestine-Israel are also witnessing revolutions that bring governments that are opposed to the imperialist and Zionist hegemony of the region. The strengthening alliance between Iran, Turkey and Syria are also openly challenging the US role across the Middle-East. In protests are due to break out in Saudi Arabia, as that will be the last major state in the US sphere of influence. In Iraq, the nationalist forces, will call for the total withdrawal of all US forces and bases from across their country and increase the unity of the Iraqi people.
Though the key is PALESTINE!! It is the daily violence and wars, indignity and torture of the Palestinians that continues to anger the masses. Till Palestine is liberated, this struggle will carry on. Till then there will be no respite for the US-Israel and their allies and collaborators.
Protests are breaking out across the Arab and Muslim world and the agenda is freedom and liberation from US backed dictatorships and monarchs. They too are committed to the values of democracy and an egalitarian order and thus the entire Islamophobic debate is collapsing.
In this context, the alliance with the US-Israeli Imperial corporate interests will be detrimental for Indonesia short and long term interests. As the US-Israeli Empire collapses, as it is clearly in a state of free-fall, all those who are still part of the sinking Titanic are doomed.
The Indonesian people need to be warned and the nation rescued before it is too late. We will go back to our roots and with the other nations, continue the relentless struggle for the freedom and emancipation of humanity.
Jakarta, 31 January 2011
INDONESIAN SOLIDARITY FOR PEOPLE POWER MOVEMENT IN EGYPT Coordinator, Irman Abdurrahman |
