points of view
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz
Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett
Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar
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Contributing Editor
Editorial
Deflected Outrage
Palestinian hype overshadows truly oppressive regimes.
s it radical to suggest Israelis
to provide for them; this agency,
aren't the most ostracized
UNRWA, treats them with a special
group resulting from the
privilege."
United Nations' dislike for Israel?
UNRWA, the United Nations
Certainly not, if you accept
Relief and Works Agency for
the case made by Simon Deng, a
Palestinian Refugees in the Near
Sudanese American leader and
East, also is corrupt and very anti-
human rights activist. He astutely
Israel.
stressed the rights of the Christians
"Meanwhile," Deng said, "my
of South Sudan, his homeland,
people — ethnically cleansed,
which became an independent
murdered and enslaved — are
state in July despite Arab League
relatively ignored. The U.N. even
and U.N. General Secretary Ban
resisted using the word 'slavery' to
Ki-moon's opposition.
describe the enslavement of tens of
Deng contends that
thousands of my people.
Copts, Bahais and
Why? Because slavery is
Sikhs in the Middle
a crime against human-
East also wither in the
ity. Apparently, no one
backdraft of Islamic
committing it wanted to
oppression. Ditto for
- Simon Deng
end up before an inter-
Middle East and North
national court. When
African social-class
Khartoum insisted
periodic raids by Sudanese forces,
targets, including
that the term 'abducted
who burned huts and scattered
women, ethnic minori-
people' be substituted
livestock. He learned early on that
ties, religious minori-
for the word 'slaves, the
"if the Arab men come, just run for
ties and homosexuals.
U.N. caved to Arab pres-
your life."
Because of the U.N.
sure and agreed. Try that
At age 8, Deng was shot trying
obsession with Israel, these class
in America; try calling Frederick
to flee as troops in trucks stormed
groups are all worse off — ignored
Douglas an 'abducted person: It is
through the village while he was
"so that the big lie against the Jews
outrageous."
tending to his family's goats. Two
goes forward," Deng argues.
blind elders were burned alive in
"By exaggerating Palestinian
A Powerful Message
their homes. Deng thought he was
suffering, and by blaming the Jews
In a little-reported speech deliv-
going to die, he relates in a poi-
for it, the U.N. has muffled the cries ered Sept. 21 at the Perils of Global
gnant reminiscence disseminated
of those who suffer on a far larger
Intolerance forum in protest of
by iabolish.org , the Boston-based
scale Deng declared at a New
Durban III, Deng spoke bravely
American Anti-Slavery Group, of
York gathering meant to counter
and passionately about "all the
which he is an associate.
a September meeting at the U.N.
good Israel does" and "its striving
Deng's family and neighbors
to mark the 10th anniversary of
to follow the highest standards of
found crowded refuge in a small
the Durban conference on racism.
human rights, even in the face of
house in the Sudanese city of
That Sept. 21 meeting, dubbed
the most brutal, the most fanatic
Malkal. Deng was tricked into help-
Durban III, boasted an anti-Zionist
enemies:'
ing an Arab man carry belongings
agenda of lies and innuendoes
His speech, "The United Nations:
to a ship on the Nile. But the man
perpetrated by repressive nations
Accessory to Slavery and Other
abducted the boy and gave him to
that have bought into Palestinian
Crimes Against Humanity," main-
a relative in the north — as a slave.
propaganda.
tained,"Durban III will not help
Deng's master and his wife refused
For more than 50 years, the
the victims of racism."
to let him return home. They
indigenous black African popu-
"It is a tool of the enemies of
showed him a picture of a man
lation of Sudan — Christians
Israel," he said. "The U.N. has lost
with his feet and hands cut off, and
and Muslims alike — have been
its way"
said: "If you complain, this is what
victims of the brutal, racist Arab
No kidding.
will happen to you."
Muslim regimes in Khartoum.
For more than 50 years, Deng
Deng worked long days, ate
In South Sudan, about 4 million
said, 82 percent of the U.N. General scraps, slept on straw, endured
innocent men, women and chil-
Assembly emergency meetings
beatings and could never say no.
dren were slaughtered from 1955
have eagerly rushed to condemn
Like most northern Sudanese
to 2005; 7 million were ethnically
one state — Israel. "Hitler;' he said,
families, his master was Muslim
cleansed and became the largest
"could not have been made hap-
and tried in vain to convert him to
refugee group since World War II,
pier."
Islam and accept being subservi-
Deng said.
Now 52, Deng earned his
ent. After 31/2 years, Deng escaped.
"Everybody at the United
humanitarian spurs as a domestic
He got work as a messenger in the
Nations is concerned about the so-
slave in northern Sudan. Raised
Sudanese parliament and later
called Palestinian refugees," he said. a Christian in the farming vil-
became a national swimming
"They dedicated a separate agency
lage of Tonga, he grew up amid
champion.
"The fact
that even
Darfuris,
who are
Muslims,
chose Israel above
all the Arab-Muslim
states of the area
speaks volumes."
Outrage on page 39
38
December 8 • 2011
J1+41
Who Would Follow
Syria's Oppressive
Assad Regime?
y
ou'd think deposing the tyrannical Assad regime
would be in Syria's, Israel's and the West's best
interests. But that's not necessarily so, at least
just now. The great unknown is the pressing obstacle to a
top-level change in the biblical land of 22 million people,
including a couple hundred Jews.
As the chorus of international leaders calling on
Bashar Assad of the Arab Socialist Baath Party to leave
grows louder, effectively negating his legitimacy on the
world stage, the pressing question is who would replace
the Syrian president.
At the moment, Assad is laser-focused on the anti-gov-
ernment protest that appears headed toward a Libyan-
style civil war before peace is possible. The dispropor-
tionate force he has inflicted to repress the disruption
has spurred the U.S. and European Union countries to
impose tougher sanctions on Syria, but no air strikes.
The Obama administration already has its military hands
full with operations in three other Muslim countries.
Still, the U.S. must and does care about what hap-
pens in Syria, which is aligned with Lebanon's dangerous
Hezbollah network and Iran's Shiite theocracy. Nuclear-
minded Syria, Russia's last Middle East outpost, shares
borders with five nations strategically important to U.S.
interests: Israel, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Also,
it provides economic, military, political and tactical sup-
port to Hezbollah, houses the political wing of Hamas
and offers refuge to other radical Palestinian groups.
Against the backdrop of successful street uprisings in
Libya, Egypt and Tunisia over the past year, Israel, the
West and other Arab nations must decide if a sanctioned
Assad is better than a toppled regime.
It's unlikely Assad is going anywhere
anytime soon on his own. The minor-
ity Alawite community from which he
sprang amid the majority Sunni Muslims
reveres him. The Syrian military remains
loyal despite mounting defections.
One crack in Damascus' armor is the
Arab League's suspension of Syria's
Bashar Assad
membership and its Nov. 27 decision to
impose economic sanctions until Assad
ends his murderous suppression of the
eight-month-long uprising. The battle has left at least
4,000 protestors dead, including 300 children.
Regional instability is the biggest deterrent to a
full-scale effort to oust Assad. Israel faces more of an
immediate threat from Hezbollah, Hamas and the Muslim
Brotherhood than it does from its Iran-backed, but iso-
lated neighbor beyond the Golan Heights. There's no way
to know how quickly Hezbollah and Tehran would act to
fill a void in Syria, further inflaming the region.
Unless the West opts to take up arms or diplomacy
somehow works, the Syrian people control their des-
tiny with the House of Assad. Unlike with Egypt, which
receives U.S. aid and thus is swayed by U.S. influence,
Syria has meager U.S. ties.
Assad must go, but his ouster without a game plan for
succession rings hollow. Dissidents need only see the
specter of the Muslim Brotherhood looming in Cairo to
realize the drawback of no long-range plan.