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Katrina, A Warning To The Mighty

By Junaid Aslam Khan

15 September, 2003
Countercurrents.org

As the citizens of the American states of Lousinia, Missisipi, Florida and Alabama having been devasted by the destruction of nature caused by the Hurricane Katrina searched the debris for their dead and the injured. As they fought for their survival aginst the odds ,trying to overcome hunger , thirst, rapidly spreading diseases , poor sanitation , lack of medical care and above all the gangs of looters raping and robbing in the streets. As they focused their hopeful gazes on the skies waiting for the arrival of the promised aid and their desperate ears craving to hear the sound of an approaching helicopter. As they helplessly watched their near and dear ones die in their own arms, their eyes filled with tears of pain and sorrow. As they sat under the open sky with nothing to cover their bodies , their lips dried due to lack of water . As all of this was happening , perhaps one of them might have thought "Are they going through the same or perhaps worse in Iraq , Afghanistan and Palestine". Perhaps some one amongst the 1.3 million who sat in the dark at night without electricity might have wandered how it would feel if it was the norm rather then the exception as the case is with Iraq and Afghanistan.Perhaps some one amongst them after having lost a loved one might have thought "Can i get worse then this ?".the answer is yes it can

Ask the Iraqis and the Afghan. The Americans atleast have the satisfaction of knowing that they have been hit by a natural calmity but the Iraqis and Afghans die many deaths in a day everytime they see the very same occupied forces patrolling their streets who brought them destruction and devastation. Every day they see more of their loved ones being added to the list of casualities not because they were hit by Katrina but because they live in a part of the World which either has huge energy resources or it serves as a gateway to these treasures. Every day a Katrina hits them more severe then the previous one , a Katrina which they know has come to stay and will be there tomorrow and the day after.The loss of life due to Katrina is sad but sadder is the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The US has suffered a loss of $ 26 billion so far in this catastrophical hurricane which has effected the lives of millions . The death toll is estimated to be in thousands and may increase further considering the fact that 7000 national guard troops which should have been at hand for such a national crisis are in Iraq fighting to secure the oil wells for Mr Bush and Co resulting in "unsatisfactory rescue and aid efforts" as put by George W.Bush . The 26 billion dollars would hurt the American economy badly which is already going through a turmoil due to the enormous expenditures on the Iraq war. This loss would make George W.Bush and Co more desperate to achieve the kind of results which have eluded them so far in Iraq. Would it mean more violence , more torture , more sufferings , more rapes , more cluster bombings for the Iraqis. Perhaps yes. Once again perhaps Iraqis would pay the price for something that they didn't have anything to do with , or will the American public opinion which is already shifting against the war force Bush to back track ,though it seems very unlikely as the recent past has shown.

Another thing which must be looked at is the negligance of the American Government towards it's civilians. The same US which has spent a total of $190.8 billion in Iraq[1].The toll from the man-made Iraqi War is of a mega-catastrophe level! A nation of 22 million souls, Iraq, and its ancient cities, like Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul, have been reduced mostly to rubble by the U.S.'s invasion and occupation of that country. Water, gasoline, food, medical supplies and electricity are always in need there, while dangerous radioactive depleted uranium dust saturates the country. As many as 100,000 Iraqi civilians may have been killed so far in that conflict.[2].This once again brings under the microscope the capitalist system where by material and economic benefit has been prefered and the loss of human life and that too the "sacred American lives" has been ignored.In contrast when one looks back at the super powers of the yester years, say the Islamic Caliphate one would note that the suffering of human beings and the value of human life was the most fundamental criteria for setting priorities. One would find examples whereby the machinery of the whole state was brought into action in the face of a natural calmity such as a famine or drought.

What ever the outcome and impact of Katrina may be , one thing is for sure.The rulers of the Muslim countries will not rethink or revisit their foreign policies towards America. At a time when America so very desperately needs oil resources will Saudi Arabia again increase it's oil production to facilitate it's long standing "ally" as it did in the past .Will the rest of the Arab states continue their policy of servitude and obeyance . the answer most definitely is in the affirmitive.
At such a critical juncture of history one would have expected more from a sincere leadership , but sincerity is a virtue not found in abundance these days, atleast amongst the leaders. Perhaps the time has come for the real leaders to emerge from amongst the masses and take their rightful places at the helm of the affairs of the Ummah.Perhaps it's about time the tables are turned and the records are set straight. This is the right time for those who really mean business to come forward and lead the Ummah towards revival. The need of an Islamic state "the Khilafah" was never felt more as it is today. A state which cares not only for it's own citizens but the whole of humanity is the need of the hour.

[1]. http://www.costofwar.com
[2]. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/29/iraq.deaths/


House # 443 , Street NO 41 , G-9/1Islamabad.
[email protected]
Junaid Aslam Khan is an engineer by profession and currently working in the technical field.


 

 

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