EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL. Cont'd.

Of course, the CIA and the FBI have many Muslims and Arabs on their payroll. Occasionally we saw many of them on the American television as they appeared as guests and political commentators or anti-terrorism experts. An avalanche of "former" CIA and various intelligence agencies experts and field officers parading and showing us how much they know about Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein and the Islamic Fundamentalist movement around the world. They brag about their expertise. The wise and the alert should hold his or her horses for a moment, reevaluate the statements and commentaries of those so-called retired experts, and remember how their so-called expertise and knowledge of the Islamic and Arab world did a great disservice to our nation and jeopardized the safety and lives of our men and women abroad! Their expertise brought us destruction and catastrophes! In Washington and on the American tube, we have more anti-terrorism experts than terrorists and trouble makers. This is the kind of "brilliant" people our government has been hiring for the past 10 years! Hiring was solely based upon political factors, "connection", "political favors", idiotic hiring criteria and ridiculous misjudgment of character and abilities.

MISTAKE #2: USA OFFICIALS AND DECISION MAKERS' COMPLETE IGNORANCE OF THE LANGUAGES, TRADITIONS, CULTURE, HISTORY, RELIGION AND DOGMATIC IDEOLOGIES OF THE MUSLIM AND ARAB WORLDS:

None of President Bush's cabinet members, including Dr. Rice, FBI director, CIA director and USA attorney general speaks Arabic. None of them lived and worked in the Near and Middle East. Of course, many of them visited the region, but 2, 3 or 4 day visits do not provide ample and meaningful understanding of the way of life, traditions, religions, jurisdictions, laws and the dogmatic philosophy of the people and nations of the Arab and Muslim worlds. None of them studied Al Shari'a, Islamic laws, Hadith Al Sharif (The speech of the Prophet Mohammad). None of them majored in comparative Islamic studies and civilizations. And those who have earned advanced degrees in political sciences and international relations, wrote their dissertations on American foreign policies (in general), Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The most highly educated figure of the Bush's administration is probably Dr. Rice. Unfortunately, Dr. Rice herself majored in Soviet Studies and not in Arab ideologies and political systems. She is not a leading expert on Islam and Arab civilization. Yet, she is the primordial advisor to President Bush. You cannot study Victor Hugo poetry in English. You cannot appreciate the poesy of Abou Tib Al Moutanabi and Ahmad Chawki in English. You cannot comprehend and fully absorb the essence of Arab tribal traditions and their influence on Arab politics and regional governments if you don't know Arabic. You have to know Arabic in order to understand how Arabs feel, think, fight, dream, terrorize, love, hate, mourn, rejoice and reason. President Bush's senior advisors and cabinet secretaries' linguistic weaknesses and total ignorance of the languages and dialects of the Arab and Muslim worlds prevented them from "grasping " and fully understanding the Muslim "reality" and Arabic psyche. HOW MANY TIMES THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE PENTAGON OFFENDED THE ARAB WORLD AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITIES BY GIVING NAMES TO MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHICH WERE CONSIDERED BY THE MUSLIMS AS BLASPHEMOUS AND OFFENSIVE TO THEIR RELIGION, BECAUSE THE NAMES OF THOSE OPERATIONS WERE AGAINST ISLAM, THE GOD OF THE MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC THEOLOGICAL TEACHINGS? Many times!

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