Obama, McCain and Western Sahara

RDB writes that the election matters most to “Third World countries that live under Uncle Sam's wing, or worse, rot under the boots of his GIs” and agrees that an Obama win would be a chance for America to make history.

However, there is another issue Moroccans should consider: the fate of Western Sahara:

A Maroc, les élections américaines représentent un enjeu plus que majeur, puisque directement liées (qui dans ce monde ne l’est pas?) à l’avenir du pays. La connexion directe s’établissant dans les relations Mc Cain-Maroc et Obama-Mandela. Quoi?! C’est plus simple que ça n’en a l’air. Mc Cain l’ancien président du comité d’amitié marocco-américain, est le choix du Maroc, puisqu’il semble tourné vers les intérêts du royaume du moins sur le papier, tandis qu’Obama est un ami d’un vieil homme appelé Nelson Mandela. Vous ne voyez toujours pas l’anguille? Fouillez sous roche, où mieux sous sable…Le Sahara!

Oui, c’est un peu tiré par les cheveux, mais c’est une option qui peut se vérifier…On sait tous que Mandela, l’icone mondiale de la liberation des minorités, est un protecteur et défenseur de la cause séparatrice du polisario. Par extention, Obama pourrait être influencé dans ce sens et faire basculer la balance…

Si cette hyppothèse se vérifie, le Maroc croisera les doigts pour que Mc Cain sorte gagnant des urnes…

A reader, Cogito, writes that while he's still thinking, RDB's post has nearly made him change his mind about Obama:

En parlant de ton article à un ami, il vient de me confirmer qu’effectivement c’est le parti républicain qui a toujours été du coté du Maroc en ce qui concerne le dossier du Sahara. Le parti démocrate étant toujours du coté des minorités….

Et moi qui faisait que défendre et espérait qu’Obama soit à la tete des Etats-unis sinon ça serait la catastrophe avec ce Mccain’sh, je me retrouve en train de revoir ma position, par amour pour mon pays, par pragmatisme parce que la priorité pour moi est l’avenir du Maroc avant tout…

But Spy Jones doesn't think Western Sahara is much of an issue:

Un McCain soit-disant pro-Maroc, et qui prône le prolongement indéfini de l’Iraq… Tu trouves ça défendable comme parti pris ??

Je crois qu’il ne faut pas se faire d’illusions, et que la question du Sahara ne sera pas perdue au Maroc à cause d’Obama (Cet ignare de McCain ne fera pas bouger les choses ne serait-ce que d’un iota), et qu’il vaudrait mieux soutenir Obama pour mettre fin à une guerre injuste et cruelle qui a ravagée un pays entier, et qui l’a mise à feu et à sang.

En plus de pouvoir mieux traiter avec la crise financière que ne le ferais McCain, Obama sera moins belliqueux que Bush et consorts, et ne cherchera pas à provoquer une guerre avec l’Iran pour servir les interêts des lobbies militaires.

Belier, a supporter of Ron Paul, writes in the comments that choosing between Obama and McCain is like choosing between Pepsi and Coca-Cola.  “à 2012 peut être!”  “Maybe in 2012!” he writes.

Facebook group: Moroccans for Obama

On the Facebook group, Moroccans for Obama, some Moroccans rallied in support of Obama, others remain cynical about his chances:

Karim, posting from Orlando, FL, writes:

c lui la sollution pr la pai en iraq!! et c lui la sollution pr la survie des américains aussi, ils doivent etre des idiots pr ne pas voter pr lui!!

obama for change …c le seul démocrate qui pourra apporter la paix ds le monde en tt cas pr le moment… jespere qu'il restera ainsi une fois élu président of usa…to be continued

Oui moi aussi je soutien Barrack Oubama j'espère bien qu'il va pas nous décevoir,et qu'il va travailler pour le bien de ce monde.Obama et mille fois mieux que Mc cain = (Mc cayne meno walo)

Moussa, a Moroccan living in Kentucky, writes:

I admire this guy, but in the white america he has no chance. race is a big issue. i lived in kentucky and i am 1000% sure people wont vote for him cuz he is black.

Louarni Ashraf:

they have one chance to prouve that USA is not a racist country …i don't think that it's hard to realize …everybody want to see an african american as a president of the united states of america !! god bless ya nigga !!

Faty Owns You:

It's all false hope.

He surely will be the president…until he gets shot.

Almost immediately, newspapers began receiving complaints for their inclusion of the DVD, which was funded by The Clarion Fund, a group set up to combat “the most urgent threat of radical Islam.” Bloggers in the U.S. and abroad have expressed anger at both the distribution of the DVDs and the related crime.

Jordanian blogger Ali was understandably outraged at the timing:

While We Arabs and Muslims were busy thinking of food during Ramadan and watching Bab El Harra and Asmahan and the remaining 120 series on TV, having our delicious Sheesha’s (Water pipe) after Iftar, some mysterious group or organization was sending this disturbing DVD. The DVD bashes Islam and Muslims and warning Americans from expected terrorists attacks.

I see this as a typical fear-mongering propaganda that is always targeting the American people around Public Holidays and Anniversaries to remind the average American that those uneducated savage killers are still out there and they are ready to get to you.

Can you imagine the damage that was done to Muslims and Arabs and the lousy image we have in the west and the USA?

Not all Americans are well informed or well travelled, or have even met a Muslim. Therefore such hate DVDs will make a huge negative impact on the way they view Muslims and Middle Eastern. This will not be difficult for the relations between the West and East but also for Americans with Arab background living in America who can be harassed or be involved in hate crimes.

A Tale of Three Beans, also a Jordanian blogger, responded to Ali's post in her own blog. She wrote:

So, while I'm on the topic of misleading and outright lying, I wanted to go back to a post by Ali. I know he thought I missed his comment, but this is one of those conversations that requires thought and mulling over. Ali's post was on the mailing of 28 million copies of an inflammatory movie called Obsession to voters in swing states in the US. Now, long ago in my life, I learned not to comment on something about which I have no personal knowledge. So, I went out to youtube and watched the movie. It's divided into 10 six (ish) minute segments. So, now I've mulled and fermented my ideas and have some thoughts.

She then dug deeper into several of the issues related to the video, debunking myths and correcting poor translations. She also pointed out that there are a few valid points in the DVD, saying:

One fundamental message that followers of Islam would do well to heed is that Americans, average Americans, are scared of you. No, not just the radical Muslims -all Muslims. This is normal, it's natural. We're almost always scared of anything that's different. And, you look different. Sadly, both non-Muslims and Muslims alike get drawn into the trap of focusing on differences. Instead of pointing out the similarities between Ramadan and Lent to help bridge the understanding gap, the message delivered is that Christians wouldn't understand fasting (which says more about a lack of understanding of Christianity than anything). Islam and Christianity may vary widely, but they also share similarities. If you can help Americans (and Westerners in general) see that, you will be doing all of us favor. Each of you can play a role as an ambassador of your faith.

Finally, she concludes:

The reality about Americans is that while we may not be the most aware people in the world (nor are we the least, by the way), it's mostly a country of good people. They get up every morning and eat breakfast. They work hard to provide for their families. They love their children and want the best for them. The more things are different, the more they are the same. Americans are just like Jordanians. They're people who try their best to live life and ensure the well-being of their families. Understanding that whatever differences in tradition are just that - differences in tradition - may help bridge this gap. Remember that while you may even agree that American women are immoral, in the same way Americans agree that Arab women are subjugated and without rights. Neither picture is either wholly true or accurate. I think if we all try to understand each other better (not necessarily become like each other), our conversation will be richer and we may be able to leave fear behind and move forward with understanding and respect.

Writer and blogger Laila Lalami expresses few feelings toward the DVD but states that it won't make a difference anyhow:

I don’t, however, think that the DVD will have any effect on swing voters. We are so awash in Islamophobia in the States that any voters likely to be swayed by yet another Muslims-equal-terrorists rant are likely to have already made up their mind by now (and it’s not for Obama, let’s face it.)

Global Voices Morocco author Lalla Lydia explains why we should all watch the video:

I've noted that a lot of you are recognizing this sweet and unseasonal valentine as propaganda and tossing it in the trash.

I wish you wouldn't. Watch it. Like I did. And take notes.

I think it's well done. It reached its goal of scaring the crap out of viewers with all its rising crescendos of fear mongering, driving music and fast-paced images of terrorist attacks around the world.

Less than a week after the DVDs were distributed, children at a Dayton, Ohio mosque were the victims of an apparent hate crime in which gas was sprayed through a window of the building. Bloggers immediately connected the two incidents, despite the mainstream media's denial.

KABOBfest, a blog written by a group of mostly Arab-Americans, reported on the incident:

Is it mere coincidence that this attack comes after the “Obsession” DVD was distributed in the area? It just may be, and hopefully the policy investigate this vigorously enough to give us an answer.

This alarmist, Islamophobic video has been sent to swing states by a shadowy non-profit, the Clarion Fund. It is claiming to have sent 28 million copies. Most of the recipients will recognize it as the hate-ridden drivel it clearly is; but others may be inspired to secure the homeland and attack the enemy within — and this senseless attack may be one such case.

Interestingly, none of the mainstream media have covered this story. Perhaps if a Muslim committed a parallel attack at a church or synagogue, it would be newsworthy. What ever happened to the “man bites dog” theory of media interest? Perhaps we should update the adage to reflect the modern ethnogeography of violence: “White man attacks Muslims, that's not news. But when Muslims attack Whites, now that's a story!”

A Diamond's Eye View of the World, an American who blogs about Lebanon, reminds us that we have the right to protest the distribution of this DVD, sharing the Clarion Fund's address and urging us to write polite letters:

And if you want to contact the Clarion Fund, the address given on the DVD packaging is:

255 W. 36th Street, Ste. 800
New York, NY 10018
(646) 308-1230

Just remember: be polite, be professional, and articulate your position using evidence, not personal insults.

Also of note is that a group called Obsession With Hate has been set up to combat the propaganda perpetuated by the film.

This harrowing end to the search for Dean is made even more disturbing by the fact that more than fifty children have been murdered in Jamaica since the start of the year, among them Aakim Scott, whose dismembered body was found stuffed into a bag. A teenager has since been charged with his gruesome murder.

Jamaican bloggers are as shocked as the rest of the population, and are making their voices heard in an effort to examine how such brutal acts against minors have become so widespread. Even before Dean's body was reportedly discovered, Kadene Porter at Abeng News Magazine was keeping a close eye on developments:

September 25 is day eight since eleven year-old Ananda “Passion” Dean went missing in her Kingston, Jamaica community. The feverish hunt for her continues, days after a concerned passer-by found her brand new schoolbooks dumped on a busy Pembroke Hall avenue in the nation's capital. Understandably, her parents are facing an anguish no parent should ever have to face, but which is becoming all too familiar across the length and breadth of Jamaica when children do not return home from school after a reasonable hour. Ananda’s disappearance has occured on the heels of a most disturbing and gruesome find in the sleepy little district of Sandside, St Mary, where the dismembered body of another 11 year old was recovered from a garbage bag.

Problem is, the children are fast running out of trusted adults. Many of the island’s nearly three million citizens are agonizing over the acts of depravity which are so frequently reported in their daily newspapers. They are frightened, not knowing when the blood-lust will be directed at them, and are also angry at the growing realization that the state is powerless, or unwilling some say, to protect them. Concealed weapons of every description have become staples in the survival kit of adult and child, whether from the tough inner-city streets or the dwellings along the nation’s rural dirt-tracks, the grim determination of citizens forced to claim justice for themselves.

Once the body (believed to be Dean's) was found, Porter wrote a follow-up post:

News reports in the island’s major dailies detail the gruesome discovery and the reaction of family and witnesses, along with reports of the taunting telephone calls received by the parents by pranksters demanding ransom or providing clues that led nowhere. Although fifty children have been murdered since the start of the year, the child’s father was told when he reported her as missing, that the police would need to wait for a 24 hour period before she could be officially listed as missing and any action taken. With the current murder trends, this lack of prompt action shows remarkable insensitivity on the part of the police, for by the next day, the trail of her abductors had grown cold.

Untold grief will hover over Ananda’s family for months to come, but sadly, for a population that has over time learned how to steel itself against the effects of horror, in a matter of days it will be back to business as usual, until the next collective gasp in the wake of yet another unspeakable atrocity.

Yawd From Abroad was overcome with emotion on hearing the news:

Tears filled my eyes as I saw the picture of 11 year-old Ananda Dean’s mother, Nordia Campbell, in such anguish. She’d just possibly seen the remains of her daughter’s body pulled from a precipice and was inconsolable. Who wouldn’t be? I’ll never forget that picture, that pain.

It seems that there is no end in sight for the level of viciousness that we as human beings will take against another. To snuff out the life on an innocent child in exchange for phone card credits? My God! It’s beyond deplorable and sad. It’s incidents such as these that should make government stand up and not only take attention but corporal action. What has to happen before serious changes are made?

Stunner could barely get his mind around the horrific circumstances surrounding the child's death when he got wind of another sad piece of news:

The nation would not get a chance to breathe again before another shock…a NINE (9) MONTH OLD child…was molested and slain. Just the though of an infant that young suffering such a horrible act send shivers down my spine, and makes me blaze with anger! Such acts aught not to happen! How could this happen in our society? How could people allow such an act to be carried out under their roof?

The death toll now stands at 57 children and the year has not ended…based on this trend we can brace ourselves for more of these heartless acts. It seems nothing is being done to stop this carnage. Or is it that nothing can be done to stop it?

He continues:

Parents need to more vigilant where their children are concerned, they need to be protective and to teach their children to be wary of strangers from an early age. But parents can't be with their children all the time and all the preparation and teaching a parent does is not a guarantee that the child will be safe. The police have to play a part, the school has to play a part, the government has to make the necessary legislative changes and enforce the law, and society has to also look out for our children. It may not stop these incidents, but maybe it can reduce the frequency of the carnage on our youths.