Racism is a terrible thing that should not be accepted or
tolerated. However, it is important to distinguish between
criticizing racism and criticizing one’s culture. If I were
to say that Mexicans are family oriented, Italians are romantic,
and Moroccans have excellent food, nobody would say anything.
People would understand I am not generalizing to mean every single
Mexican is family oriented or that every single Italian is
romantic. They realize I am saying something about their
culture.
Culture is not something one is born with. It is acquired via
learning experiences from the society and environment a person is
raised in. But what if I were to criticize cultures? Some people
would automatically call me a racist. Nevertheless, just like it is
OK to criticize as well as compliment art (which man made), it
should also be accepted to do the same for cultures (also man
made). Thus, I declare Israelis are tactlessly blunt and that
French arrogantly love their language. I also declare murder is not
considered an extremely terrible thing among Palestinians and that
this is what inhibits the peace process in the Middle East.
I do not have much “proof” for my first two claims
except personal experience, but I would like to emphasize the last
one. This undermining of the value of life is orchestrated by the
Palestinian Authority. From birth, young Palestinians are taught to
hate Israelis and fight against them. Hence, in the 9th- grade
textbook al-Mutala’ah wal-Nussus al-Adabiyyah (literary
readings and texts), it is written “it is every Arab’s
duty to fight Israelis.”
Acts of terror are also being praised among Palestinians. Hence,
after the attack on Sbarro in Jerusalem, Hamas initiated an
exhibition of it at the An-NaJeh campus. Inside the model lay
scattered puppets representing the wounded, as well as torn parts
of the dismembered victims of the attack. The entrance and the
walls were smeared with red paint to simulate blood. This was of
course an exhibition of pride for the Palestinians.
We can also not forget how two Israeli reservists accidentally
entered Ramallah in October 2000 and then were lynched and tortured
by the crowd as well as the Palestinian Authority police.
Palestinians themselves were victims of lynching after being
suspected of collaborating with Israel. Indeed, they were hung in
Manger Square after having their bodies dragged in the biblical
streets of Bethlehem on March 14, 2002.
The Palestinian media has exemplified their stance on violence.
During a Palestinian Authority television broadcast, Dr. Ahmad Abu
Halabiya declared, “Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter
where they are, in any country. Wherever you meet them, kill
them.”
Children are not deterred from, and are even taught violence. In
the official Palestinian Authority newspaper, Al-Hayat Al Jadidah,
a 14-year-old at a Palestinian Authority summer camp says,
“We are undergoing military training in order to defend our
motherland Palestine.” As Americans we also cannot forget how
Palestinians were celebrating in the streets while Americans were
dying on Sept. 11.
This article is not an attempt to say all Palestinians are
violent. I am saying Palestinian culture perpetuates violence.
Hopefully, a Palestinian leader will emerge to break the cycle.