Cycle of Violence Continues

Rednecks in New Zealand have vandalised 6 mosques in Auckland, smashing windows and painting on the walls “Londoners RIP”. Like the bombings in London, the vandalisms were coordinated attacks. One mosque in Otahuhu was in fact attacked twice, on the night the bombings occurred in London and again on Sunday morning.

PM Helen Clarke, political, community and church leaders in Auckland have condemned the desecrations.

Muslims in Britain have been holding their breath, waiting for the retaliation from hotheads and extreme right wing groups like the National Front. But the retaliation came thousands of kilometres away.

I recall that shortly after 9/11, Sikhs were indiscriminately shot dead by idiotic redneck Americans. The Sikhs’ crime? They wore turbans which were evidently dangerous in an ignorant USA.

It seems the cycle of violence is an intrinsic nature of only humans - animals don't take revenge, contrary to popular myths about elephants and their memories.

Yet we have people, yes Malaysians, who still refused to accept that the London bombings have been the inevitable consequence of British military presence in Iraq, a reality already openly acknowledged by the former British Police Chief and many leaders of that nation. Instead we hear these Anglophiles justify the British role in Iraq, making that country an "island of democracy" in the region, which has now caused a reverse domino effect. Straightaway, I am reminded of the USA's good bosom buddies of oppressive Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, to name a few.

But we'll never hear from these pro-American sycophants of the increased violence for the average Iraqi, destroyed infrastructure which causes hardship and diseases, lack of basic amenities like schools, medical clinics etc ( a situation worse than under Saddam Hussein), oppressive arrogance of an occupying army as they push, shove and stomp all over the locals, unaccountable killings and torture by the occupying army and the new Iraqi security forces (though you may be assured of hearing about the insurgents' misdeeds), and a complete lack of freedom by the locals to decide their national destiny.

If these are democracy and freedom, take them away.