Because charity begins at home and your kinsmen are far more in need of it than the much better fed clothed and housed palestinians. What is so obscene is that your ilk gets so worked up about the sufferings of Palestinians but have no tears for the vastly greater suffering of a vastly larger number of desis. Why is that?

I hate the fact that Turkey has become the primary nemesis of Israel

Nah, that’d still be Iran under Ahmedinejad. Turkey is simply speaking up (and possibly for local internal political reasons that I don’t know much about) And frankly, the EU has a lot of problems right now, and if I were Turkey, I’d wait it out before joining a group-economy spiraling towards disaster. You really don’t want Turks to be paying for the Greek’s swimming pools.

@Sachal Sarmast

It is kind of obscene to see desis crying rivers over their plight while turning a blind eye to the vastly greater suffering in the subcontinent.

You talk like the Israeli Foreign Minister http://www.deccanherald.com/content/72963/israel-cries-foul-over-flotilla.html So, a million people die everyday, whats 9 more! There are illegal occupations all over the world(ahem, Iraq/Afghanistan), so why target this one! I tried that stunt with a cop, telling him that other drivers were speeding too. no dice.

And why must my tears be reserved first for “my kins-men” ?

I am starting to feel sorry for the Jews. God knows what the future holds for them. Goldman Sachs and Bernie Madoff and now this. Their hubris is punctured and they are now on the defensive.

I expect Turkey to go nuclear within the decade….

So when are you going to write and protest about the cruel mistreatment of your fellow Muslim bangladeshis by the Arabs?

Last time I checked the Palestinians were far better fed, clothed, housed etc than the great majority of desis. It is kind of obscene to see desis crying rivers over their plight while turning a blind eye to the vastly greater suffering in the subcontinent.

Now implications for Turkey: “But for us here in Turkey, the implications run far deeper. In many ways, the botched raid by Israeli commandos on the high seas symbolizes our moment of return to the old neighborhood we left almost a century ago—back to the heart of the Middle East.

“I don’t understand how this happened so fast,” a friend lamented last night over cocktails at an upscale nightclub on the Bosporus in Istanbul. “We were about to go into the European Union, and before you know it, there we are, everyone wrapped in Palestinian flags and sending toothpaste to Gaza.”

She’s right. The flotilla episode may boost Erdogan’s popularity on the Arab street and increase Turkey’s self-confidence as the new patron of Palestinians and spokesman of the Muslim world. But, as a European official told me this week, “People might be happy for the current Israeli government to suffer a little. But in the long run, I doubt there is any room in Europe for a country that is on the forefront of the struggle against Israel….

…We are now officially caught up between the West and the Muslim world, between Islamic solidarity and our place in Europe, as our politicians lead the global jihad against Israel and we sip Cosmopolitans on the Bosporus.

But there is something in this neo-imperial, neo-Ottoman spirit that has taken over the country since the flotilla episode that is addictive, even for a secular Turk like me. Yesterday, I watched the footage of demonstrations against Israel all over the Middle East and Europe with mixed feelings. I hate the fact that Turkey has become the primary nemesis of Israel—a country where I have many good friends who look and live like me. But then again, from Beirut to Sweden, I watch demonstrators holding Turkish flags and take guilty pride in those scenes.

Once the dust settles, there is too much we need to discuss back home. Can we really help the Palestinians and energize the peace process? Is Turkey strong enough to lift the embargo in Gaza? Or wait, wait—are we just abandoning our place in the West, losing ourselves in a fleeting moment of grandeur?” http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-02/israel-flotilla-fight-pushes-turkey-away-from-west/?cid=hp:originalslist3

Interesting she asked is Turkey strong enough to lift the embargo? Hmmm wasn’t it a bunch of humanitarian activists acting without martyr seeking Islamists or for any country even Turkey? If Turkey wants to flex its neo-Ottoman muscles in the region it should do so without hiding behind the cover of actual activists. They actual NON-Islamist activists were the cover.

This act was Islamist Turkey blockade running the Egypt-Israel blockade against Islamist Hamas, a radical group that neither the Palestinian PLO/Fatah or the Arab Palestine country of Jordan support. This is Islamist Turkey supporting Islamist Hamas.

Is Islamist Turkey gearing for war with Israel?

Where were these peace activists when Hamas had a bloody battle with Fatah over Gaza?

Probably pointing out that both the election that had led to Hamas’s victory, the undermining of a national unity government and eventually the subsequent war among Palestinian factions was instigated by the Bush Administration. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804. Notably, this short-sighted divide and conquer tactic is not new to anyone who follows U.S. policy or British policy in British India before that. Nor to people who minimally follow the development of Hamas , including that it / predecessor groups received funding/support from Israel in the late 1970s to undermine the PLO under Arafat. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2002/06/18/Analysis_Hamas_history_tied_to_Israel/UPI-82721024445587/print/

Any of those actual peace activists have any ideas how to end the blockade AND keep Hamas from weaponizing again?

Same as before – for the rightwing Israeli government and its allies, which is in a position of greater power, to acknowledge what the current situation is – that it has turned Gaza into a massive prison and undermined the lives of over a million people in an act of collective punishment. It could then recognize that, on the basis of the last election results and that it behaves in the situation as one of being at war, Hamas was among its legitimate negotiating partners, whatever Israel might think of Hamas’s charter or its actions or any number of other things and accept an equitable solution. This would then force Hamas into a position of behaving less provocatively as have many other political forces that have in the past been anti-Israel but which have reached accomodations.

However, all this is premised on the far right in Israel actually being thrown out of power, both politically and socially, for the settlements to stop and preferably retract, and for either a plausible Palestinian state to be constructed alongside Israel or for Israel to become a binational state that treats all of its members effectively. Which entails recognizing that Palestinians are human beings, and that Israel is the greater power in this situation, and is serving deeply destrutive ends right now.

Or when Hamas was shelling southern Israel from Gaza with thousands of rockets?

Human rights and other humanistic claims should apply to ALL parties involved, who have conspired to create a situation that undermines the ability of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs (among others) to live dignified and decent lives. Hamas should be called out for any and all violations of human rights that it engages in and be expected to behave in a way that demonstrates a respect for human beings – both Palestinian, Israeli, and other, of all genders, sexualities, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, etc. I don’t believe that Hamas is a model for how to organize yourself politically to construct a decent society, and neither do a lot of other people who supoprt Palestinian rights.

But I can walk and chew gum and understand that there is a vast power imbalance in this situation and a sense of proportionality should be borne in mind. Did the ‘terrorism’ of African Naional Congress create the same magnitutde of damage as that of the Apartheid regime or that of Jewish and other resisters during the Holocaust the same as the British empire or Nazi Germany or that of the Indian natioanlists in 1905-1912 as much as the British Raj?

The bulk of the structural responsibility – because they have more power and in recent years have committed acts that are far more outrageous in their effects and at points intentions – lies with Israel and the United States. You’re talking about things like bombing Gaza to hell and then denying construction materials from entering the area. How would one expect people – whether there or as observers from outside – to react to such a show of callousness and inhumanity?

Therefore, Israel and the United States should have more attention focused on them for their own disrespect for peace processes with fairness and their denial of legitimate claims to human rights and their subversion of international human rights law and their total lack of commitment to fairness – including using real and alleged human rights abuses by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Turkey, or anyone else they don’t like as propaganda weapons – because this undermines not just Palestinian rights, but the human rights agenda as a whole.

One day, Donald Rumsfeld is shaking hands with Saddam Hussein – a few years later, Donald Rumsfeld and/or his friends are accusing Saddam Hussein of engaging in human rights violations, just as he had done when Donald Rumsfeld was shaking hands with him.

We see where all that leads and what it means….I’d rather rely on Amnesty or Human Rights Watch for liberal human rights critiques.

I had a dream yesterday. In the dream, all the nations of the world got together and each sent a few ships over to Gaza. It looked something like this http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews32/a%20troy%20dc%20blu-ray/16_Troy_BD_ships.jpg All the ships gathered in international waters and waited, and at dawn, they all rushed to the Gaza shores, like D-day at Normandy.

I know its far-fetched, but I’d love for this to happen, just to see Netanyahu shit his pants.

January 2009 “The four-nation tour included key Arab actors with a stake in the Gaza crisis as well as a side meeting between a trusted Erdogan aide and exiled Hamas spiritual leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus.

Mr. Erdogan has cultivated ties with Hamas since 2006 when a high-ranking Hamas delegation’s visit to Istanbul angered Turkey’s allies in Washington and Tel Aviv.

Since the Israeli offensive in Gaza began Dec. 27, Mr. Erdogan has spoken on the phone with Hamas’ political leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, and has kept in touch with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad….

“They’re flexing their muscles a bit because they have some muscles to flex, and people in the region will sit up and listen to what the Turks have to say,” said Norman Stone, a professor of international relations at Bilkent University and the director of the Russian-Turkish Center. “They’re seriously involved in what’s going on to their east and their south.”

Mr. Erdogan has scored points in Arab popular opinion by condemning Israeli actions in Gaza as “a crime against humanity.” He also broke ranks with the generally pro-Israel Turkish General Staff to express his sympathy for the Palestinians.”

This Turkish ship with Islamists seeking mortal combat with Israeli soldiers to become martyrs, may have been planned more in advance and by much higher up than we know. Islamist Turkey is a different country than secular Ataturk Turkey that was one of the first countries to recognize Israel in the 1940s.

This Egypt, Jordan, Fatah/PLO vs Turkey, Iran, Hamas has a lot of implications for the region. It is not only Israel at stake.

Or when Hamas was shelling southern Israel from Gaza with thousands of rockets?

Neither Egypt nor Jordan want an radical Islamist state – Hamas controlled Gaza – near them. Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood organization. Egypt has its own radical Muslim Brotherhood groups. Egypt is supporting the other Arab Palestian group Fatah. This is the reason for their blockade of Gaza.

The Arab Palestinian state of Jordan too fears being destabilized by Hamas: “Jordan is playing hardball with the Palestinian militant movement Hamas, arresting its members and accusing it of plotting attacks inside the country.

Behind the crackdown is the fear in the kingdom, a close U.S. ally with a peace treaty with Israel, that it is threatened by a rising tide of radical Islam it sees originating from Iran and encompassing its Arab neighbors.” http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-05-19-jordan-hamas_x.htm

The actual NON-Islamist activists on this blockade run have a very narrow focus, ignoring the very serious threat that several Middle Eastern countries face of radical Islam, Hamas. They very well may be helping to further destabilize the region, though the non-Islamist activists mean well.

Any of those actual peace activists have any ideas how to end the blockade AND keep Hamas from weaponizing again?

Hamas is not shy in killing either Israelis, other Palestinians who get in their way, or Egyptians. Keeping weapons out of Hama’s hands helps keep safe Palestinian Fatah/PLO, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, and that is why there is a blockade and why goods are inspected before being sent through to Gaza.

it’s important and I certainly don’t know enough about the specifics or the broader context of the persecution. However, just want to point out that there isn’t a total vacuum of attention being drawn to this by writers who (I believe) are or were Muslim:

http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/homistan/we_are_all_ahmadis_vi_community.html (and five other posts) http://sanasaleem.com/2010/06/03/pakistan-ahmadi-attack-a-muted-response-to-minority-killings/ http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/jun/03/terror-pakistans-punjab-heartland/ http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/is-this-jinnahs-pakistan/ http://globalcomment.com/2010/ahmadi-killings-we-are-all-guilty/

background: http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss16/khan.shtml

also rule of thumb – don’t put human rights issues in competition with each other. they’re all relevant, even though it is grossly unfair that most of them are completely and totally neglected.