[FRSomaliRefugeesTruck.jpg]

"The Muslim religion is used as a convenient scapegoat to further the aims
of war."

[FRSomaliaVillagersMissile.jpg]

What does the word "Islamist" mean? The millions of people around the globe
who practice Islam are called Muslims, but this new term has crept into the
language without question or investigation. It seems to apply to Muslims who
fight against the occupation of Iraq, or Somalians who don't take kindly to
the U.S.-backed Ethiopian government invading their country and killing
their countrymen and women. In short, an Islamist seems to be any Muslim who
has the nerve to act in opposition to the American government. Like anyone
else deemed an enemy, a new word has to be invented in order to dehumanize.
If Somalian resistance fighters were called just that, then Americans might
question their government's decision to keep killing them.

America's intervention gave Ethiopia license to invade Somalia and begin a
horrific cycle of violence. According to Amnesty International [1] , more
than 600,000 Somalis have fled from their homes, at least 6,000 are dead and
90,000 children in refugee camps are in danger of death from starvation and
lack of hygiene and medical care.

The so-called war on terror is in fact a war of terror practiced against
millions of people all over the world. The Muslim religion is used as a
convenient scapegoat to further the aims of that war and Somalia is just one
of the victims. Somalia is now in the grip of one of the worst humanitarian
crises in the world, and it is all happening under the direction of George
W. Bush. In a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions and all
international human rights standards, a U.S. naval vessel sent cruise
missiles into the city of Dusa Mareb to commit an extra judicial killing, an
assassination, of Hashi Aden Ayro, the leader of al-Shabab. Al-Shabab is
dedicated to fighting the American backed Ethiopian occupation and is
therefore tagged as "Islamist," "terrorist," and "linked to al-qaeda."

"A U.S. naval vessel sent cruise missiles into the city of Dusa Mareb to
commit an extra judicial killing, an assassination."

The corporate media, who make no pretense of independently reporting the
news, repeat the administration's well worn phrases about Islamists and
al-Qaeda connections but never bother to tell their readers and listeners
about the atrocities committed on their behalf or about resistance to them.

At least 1,000 residents of Dusa Mareb gathered to protest the killing [2]
of Ayro and at least 20 other civilians in the bombing. "Down with the Bush
administration," was the marchers slogan of the day. To their credit,
Somalis who are in harms way from American bombs have a greater willingness
to take to the streets and condemn Bushism than American citizens do.

[FRSomaliWomanWashing.jpg]

If American warships are sending cruise missiles into Somalia, shouldn't
Congress have authorized this use of force? Obviously they should have, but
they aren't interested in fighting the lame duck Bushies. There will be no
impeachment, no investigation of torture, and no pesky questions about
military attacks on the Somali people. Like the Iraqis, Somalians have done
America no harm but die in large numbers at the hands of Americans
nonetheless.

While Americans turn a blind eye to yet another act committed by its rogue
government, Somalians are not suffering in silence. Thousands protested [3]
in Mogadishu against soaring food prices. The Somalians' food crisis is a
direct result of the terror inflicted upon them. Ethiopian and Somalian
government troops raid local food markets [4] and literally take food from
the mouths of the people. So much evil, so little time to protest.

"Somalians have done America no harm but die in large numbers at the hands
of Americans."

As the Democratic presidential nomination winds down, there should be
opportunities to protest and make the war on terror extinct when Bush leaves
office. This campaign provided an opportunity to put both Barrack Obama and
Hillary Clinton on notice that the status quo must be gone with Bush. It is
foolishly optimistic to think that the same people who allowed the political
twins to fight over so little of substance would suddenly begin making
demands. So the next president, McCain or a Democrat, will continue the war
on terror that kills so many people. The Democrats are accessories to all of
the Bush administration evil doing. It takes foolish optimism to think that
the willing accomplices to crime will change their ways when Bush is gone.

The Amnesty International report diplomatically states that all parties are
responsible for the atrocities carried out against Somalian civilians. That
is not true at all. There is one force more to blame [5] than any other.
"...the bankroller, armorer and trainer of the Ethiopian invaders, the
paymaster of the Somali warlords, the missile-striker, the refugee-bomber,
the `extrajudicial' assassin, the renditioner, the wielder of death squads:
the United States government, under the direction of George W. Bush, and
with the full and willing complicity of the entire political establishment."

God damn America.

Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms.
Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at
Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley maintains an
edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com [6]. More
of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive [7] page.


---------------
References:
[1]  http://www.amnesty.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_18413.pdf
[2]  http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/05/05/somalis-protest-us-air-strike
[3]  http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0507/p99s01-duts.html
[4]  http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/5/thousands_of_somalis_protest_deadly_us
[5]  http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/1503/135/
[6]  http://freedomrider.blogspot.com/
[7]  http://www.blackagendareport.com/archives/mk/mkhome.php