It was impossible to expect, or even wish, for a day like yesterday, filled with greater hope, promise, gratitude and optimism. This I knew, nonetheless was totally unprepared for the horror of this morning.
News of the ruling of the International Court first came via an email from the Canadian Muslim community, Then after Fajr prayer I turned to Al Jazeera to read of Canada’s woeful continuing official inhumanity.
Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization, has slammed Canada’s response to the ICJ ruling on alleged genocide perpetrated by Israel in the execution of its war on Gaza. “Awful statement by Canada re ICJ. Included in it are racist Israeli talking points [re: ‘human shields’] with the added touch of demanding more humanitarian supplies. Disgusting,” Buttu wrote on social media.”
Interesting that Buttu turns to social media for her condemnation – says a great deal of the inadequacies of the free press of Canada.
The UK, the.’mother’ country did no better – even worse, (should that be possible.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has not commented on the ruling, but the T)elegraph newspaper reported that Downing Street referred the its reporter to an earlier speech by Sunak in which he described South Africa’s case against Israel as “completely unjustified”.
There was a glimmer of hope emanating from my home state of California, where I practiced law.
Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reporting from the courthouse in Oakland, California, said the civil case brought by rights groups and Palestinian-Americans has concluded, and Biden’s defence team was hopeful the judge will issue a ruling “within a couple of days”.
The lawsuit was filed to stop Biden’s funding of arms and aid to Israel.
“Yet, since the war began in early October, the Biden administration has bypassed Congress to greenlight arms sales to Israel and blocked efforts to secure a ceasefire.That’s why Al-Haq, alongside two other advocacy groups and individual Palestinians affected by the war, filed a lawsuit in the US late last year accusing Biden and other senior US leaders of being complicit in genocide.The first hearing in the case is set for January 26 in a federal court in California.“Without American support — militarily, politically — nothing like [this could have] happened,” Jabarin told Al Jazeera in a phone interview from Ramallah. “The US are not complicit indirectly. No, directly. They are helping to commission a genocide in Gaza.”
One of the plaintiffs spoke of the importance of this case to the Palestinian community. Wael Buhaissy, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said their day in court was “historic”.“Today was an incredible day. Indeed, an historic day. For the first time in perhaps 75 years we, the Palestinian community, representing our people in Gaza, got to tell our story and got to share our truth. We talked about our siblings, our cousins, our uncles, our family members that were murdered in Israel’s genocide, and we got the court to hear us,” Buhaissy said.“We put President Biden and his administration on notice – they are now charged with genocide by us. This is indeed an historic day,” he said.
It is important for people, all people to have ‘their day in court.”, which means the opportunity to defend oneself in a court of law.
This morning I turned to AMA, alerting him to the ICJ decision, we had a long discussion.
He: That would not surprise me or the justice seeking souls on earth. It is the ‘justice of the world order” as colonist structured it. Allah (SWT) in all his might and glory has promised us his unbiased justice.
Me: A perfect response on your part and we are in absolute agreement!!
He: Not a single tyrant has remained throughout the history of mankind.
Me: That gives me hope and you are right, of course. I do love how they meet their end. Hitler in a bunker and Mussolini upside down in a railroad stations as two examples.
He: Divide to conquer is the Colonists mantra as their worst nightmare is once the divided unite.
Me: Yeah and it finally happens. Arab Unity is the answer to so much but it hasn’t happened. Wrote about it in the past but now is the moment to reactivate my writing.
He: Arab Unity is another slogan of nationalistic. Islamic Unity is the objective. This is promised by the Almighty lnighty. It will happen by and through justice sealing souls of this beautiful planet.
Me: I disagree with you actually with the aid of learned scholars but I do present my case. Arab Unity first. Amazing that I found a book in a used book store in Edmonton written in the 1980s.
He: Arab nationalism is and was an ‘element ‘slogan’ of divide to conquer.
Me: You need to read what I read. You can have the chance as the book is with me. It is paraphrased on the blog however. You are bringing out the lawyer in me. It ain’t pretty. Hahaha
He: 99% of lawyers are not much different that ICJ or ICC or even at a lower level day-to-day court.
Me: I agree with that for sure. But it is a way of thinking. You think like a lawyer is a compliment, or it was anyway.
He: Mostly hyenas on leftovers. And the judges in a twisted world.
Me: With twisted minds.
Our conversation enhanced my independent thinking. This terrible news did not erode my faith, but instead enhanced it. How could I possible expect that man made ‘courts of justice’ to remedy that which is entirely within the power of our Creator? This terrible news did not erode my faith, instead enhanced it. Man can assist Allah (SWT) in doing what seems to be the right thing but the ultimate wisdom, power and authority is with Allah (SWT). A recitation of the 99 names of Allah should provide me with assurances.
As the day progressed there was indication of hope provided by mankind in the form of a considered, well reasoned article written by Haidar Eid in the Opinion section of Al Jazeera. He spoke of a new world order in the making, concluding in this manner.
“With this case, South Africa has put not only Israel, but the entirety of the global justice system on trial. This case is a major turning point for humanity, because it marks the first time in history when a Global South country bravely crossed a red line drawn by the colonial West and demanded its favourite settler colony, Israel, be held to account for the crimes it has long been committing against an Indigenous people. Today, thanks to South Africa, the entire colonial West, and its centuries-long history of theft, dispossession, and injustice is on trial at the World Court.
Future generations will remember January 26, 2024, as the day on which the world has finally decided to hold a genocide state, and its powerful backers, accountable for repeated, longstanding violations of international law. Yes, a new world order is in the making”
Returning to the conversation between AMA and myself.
He: What is the title the book you are talking about?
Me: You can go to the blog. I first mention it on the November 1 but then refer to it in my November 2, 3, and 6th blogs. November, 2023 of course.
A couple of days ago, on January 25, 2023, I was reminded of my writing on Arab Unity upon reading this headline from Al Jazeera: Russia: Arab League should lead initiative to establish state of Palestine
“Lavrov said regional countries led by the Arab League should take the initiative to establish “a mediation mechanism that would prepare ideally an international conference on the Palestinian issue” to move toward a two-state solution.”
The article explained its position:
Arab nations and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation he just met are “very resolute” that an official decision should be made about the creation of a Palestinian state, and negotiations should start and be accompanied “by neutral and effective mediators”, Lavrov said. Unfortunately, he added, the so-called Quartet on the Middle East mediators – the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia – “exists no longer”. He blamed the US for thwarting its efforts and insisting it could handle mediation alone.
We can see how the US had blotched, totally botched up any hope of mediation. This was pointed out in the January 22, 2024 blog, again relying on the wisdom found in Jazeera. If anything Blinken inflames the tinderbox rather than put out the fire.
Hey guys, listen up!
I have been promoting the idea of Arab Unity as the solution for months. I shall now copy and paste from my November 6, 2023 blog. I am placing myself in quotes. Please just remember that this is me speaking.
“The author of Muslim Unity and Arab Unity, found in Islam in Transition continues to examine, using the perspective of history, the failure of religion to unite people from different countries and different languages.
“The political unity which the Christian church sought to being did not at any time merge the Orthodox world with the Catholic. Neither did the political unity with which the papacy tried to bring about to the Catholic world last for any length of time. So it was also in the Muslim world political unity which existed at the beginning its life was not able to withstand the changes of circumstances for any length of time. …In short, the Muslim world within its extensive present limits never at any time formed a political unity..(p, 68) “
The author rationally leads us to a stirring emotional ending.
“The idea of Arab Unity is a natural concept springing from the depths of social nature and not from the artificial views which can be invented by individuals or by states. It has remained latent, like so many natural and social forces for many historical factor which cannot be analyzed here. But everything indicates that this period is not at an end, that the movement has come into the open and will manifest itself with every increasing power. It will, without any doubt spread all over the Arab countries to whom it will bring back their ancient glory and primeval youth: it will indeed bring back which is most fertile most powerful, and highest in these countries. This ought to be the faith of the enlightened among the speakers of the dad (Arabic) (p. 69). “
It suddenly occurred to me, a rather brilliant idea. I will consolidate the writing done in the November 1, 2,,3 and 6 blogs. Filter out the extraneous material and put it permanently under a Banner in the blog – replacing The Photo. I will call it Arab Unity. The scholar was brilliant, but I am sure his ideas are lost through the annals of time. I was, and am, able to add facts showing the situation we find ourselves in today.
I shall get on it. To get on it is defined as to begin working on something or to take responsibility for working on something. Not only that, I will get right on it. It is an American English informal expression that means I shall begin doing a task immediately (of not sooner)
Three photographs are attached to this blog. Two are framed on my Edmonton walls. One of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi taken in March of 2022. The other a photo from Mt. St. Michel taken in 1998. The other a Khobar sunset from last evening. I get around, as in move from place to place.
