Today, on either CNN or MSNBC I encountered a news piece that once again started me wondering how much our perceptions are affected by where we live.
An Israeli Muslim construction worker with no apparent political or militant history turned the bulldozer he was driving down a street in Jerusalem and into a weapon, overturned a bus and instilled terror in the people on that street. He was being labeled a terrorist for his actions, but was he really a terrorist is the sense that the term "terrorist" is applied in that part of the world?
If a similar incident occurred in the United States and other regions of the world authorities and the public would be looking for a more personal reason that drove the man to engage in such an insane action. Is this man being labeled a terrorist simply because of his religion and where he lived?
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Comments: 20
His act instilled terrorism, but as Juan pointed out it depends upon his motives. I doubt he would have been called a terrorist if he had not been of the Muslim faith.
Granted, but what I was trying to point out is the tendency to the attribute of political or idealogical movtive to what simply may have been a human being reaching his breaking point for truely personal reason.
But, if someone's village is in pieces or his children starved to death in his arms, turning to violence gets an entirely different label. The politics that have caused so much unhappiness in some areas are dictated at the higher levels, but the poor souls at the bottom are the ones that pay the price.
I'm not excusing violence, but I think Carol has an excellent point.
"Three Palestinian terrorist groups took responsibility for the attack: Fatah's Aksa Martyrs Brigades; the Galilee Freedom Battalion, which is suspected of being affiliated with Lebanon's Hizbullah; and the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah condemned the attack.
In contrast, the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip praised Dwayat. "
Of course since three different terrorist organizations claimed "credit", perhaps they are all lying. They lie on a regular basis. So maybe it's not a terrorist act.
Does anyone know?
We Americans remember the "Tank Man" in Tienanmen Square.. coz he stood up to the mighty tank but how many of us even heard of Rachael Corrie? Why is the brave American not a media darling like the Tank Man?
Unfortunately, we have been led to do the same here. If we are going to use the word "terrorist" for any act of a person purposely instilling fear, we have to label our administration "terrorists".
Your concluding thought is definately a good one!
A non serious addendum to the above.
Perhaps Obama should leave Guantanamo open just long enough to give them a taste of their own medicine!