Iskander, Munckton & Murphy on Grapel’s article “A Willing Ally to Hamas’s Hatred” The Australian 10 July 09 PUBLISHED July 11, 2009
The Australian: “A Willing Ally to Hamas’s hatred” by Ilan Grapel
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25715206-7583,00.html
Tactic to stifle dissent
THE Australian has carried an extraordinary attack by Ilan Grapel on Green Left Weekly and its monthly Arabic insert, the Flame (”A willing ally to Hamas’s hatred”, Opinion, 1/7). Both publications are guilty of a “radical anti-Israel stance”, Grapel said. But the Flame, “unbeknown to its English readers”, also allegedly “supports terrorist groups and promotes violence”. Grapel claims that, through the Flame, GLW is “openly promoting extremism”.
Grapel relies on a few selected quotes that defend the right of Palestinians to resist Israel’s illegal occupation—a right recognised by international law—to argue the Flame promotes terrorism. The issue of the Flame he takes these quotes from was produced in January, as Israel’s bombs, including banned chemical weapons, rained down on Gazan civilians. Apparently this is not “terrorism” to Grapel. The Flame and GLW both disagree.
Grapel relies on selected quotes, minus their context, translated from a language most readers of The Australian don’t speak to suggest something sinister. He is playing on anti-Arab sentiment that exists in some quarters to feed suspicions anything in Arabic is likely to promote fundamentalist extremism. In fact, the team of Sudanese refugees who produce the Flame themselves fled from persecution at the hands of the repressive Islamic regime in Sudan. They are victims of the sort of Islamic fundamentalism Grapel disingenuously accuses them of supporting in Palestine.
The Flame’s only crime is to support the Palestinian people against oppression and occupation. This is the same position that GLW holds. This is not extremism. Israel’s illegal occupation is in violation of international law and hundreds of UN resolutions. Supporters of Israel regularly seek to deflect legitimate criticism of Israel’s appalling human rights record by labelling detractors as supporters of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. Such tactics are designed to intimidate and stifle dissent.
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