Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD

On April 22, most nations want to celebrate the Earth Day, but this symbolic celebration is fraught with perpetuated ignorance about the Planet Earth and its life-giving and life-maintaining role, value of Human Life, the origin of Man and Humanity and the purpose of life in relation to the earth and the greater Universe, most often obsessed with inhuman political indoctrination of basic human percepts. Many leaders of divided consciousness and perverted ego hold annual war celebrations as if wars were a product of human happiness and prosperity. Likewise, the Earth Day is fast losing its essence and purpose when there is too much planned killings and destruction of mankind in progress in the name of democracy and freedom.

"These are the times that try men's souls," wrote Thomas Paine in Common Sense - the clarion manifesto for the independence of America. Joseph Lewis (at the dedication of the Thomas Paine statue in Paris, January 29th, 1948), narrates that “a little more than half a century ago, the great Robert G. Ingersoll predicted, at the conclusion of his eloquent tribute to Thomas Paine, that "a few more years, a few more brave men, a few more rays of light," and mankind would venerate his memory. The few years have passed. The brave men have appeared, the light has broken through, and today is proof that mankind is beginning to pay homage to him who said, "Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are without regard to place or person. My country is the world; and my religion is to do good……this statue is to be both a symbol and a beacon, a symbol of the eternal principles of justice and humanity of which Thomas Paine was so preeminently a representative, and a beacon to guide mankind in the solution of the problems that menace their peace and happiness.”

The global academia and intellectuals must initiate critical insights, what went wrong with the human thinking and global system of modern states and governance. Man (both male and female) is the chief creation of God on Earth with defined purpose of life, role and accountability. But the systems of States do not consider the exclusive material and spiritual domains of life for systematic order, development of laws, justice and human relationship to Earth and the splendid Universe. It is rudimentary and often without any sense of rational perspectives to look at Man, nature and value of moral, material and spiritual factors to maintain a comprehensive perspective of life. It has been done before in human experience. During the eight centuries (700-1500) highly prosperous and successful era of Muslim civilization in al-Andulus (Spain), Islam was the moving force to establish sustainable relations between man and the universe to articulate change, human progress and contributions towards modern human civilization. But with the oil discovery and the delusional aims of social and economic prosperity, Arabs lost the originality of thinking power based of knowledge and wisdom derived from the Al-Qura’an to maintain normalcy and progress in human endeavors. Despite enormous petro wealth kept in Western banks and used for inhuman exploitative purposes, Arab leaders and countries have no influential place of REASON and stability in the global political affairs. Generation after generations, Arabs have been defeated and submerged into other entities by the Western masters. So-called liberal democracy had no listing of Arabs and Muslims as suitable creatures for progressive role-play in international community. Humanity in the West shrinked from intelligence to stupidity, whereas, Charles Darwin (Origin of the Species), was uplifted and honored, man (“insaan”) was degraded from all the possible entries of making the human civilization. Whereas, Islam focused on the man (“insaan”) as the primary object of change and progressive development. Alexis Carrel (Man the Unknown, 1936) appears to affirm the Islamic perspective on human development:

“Certain forms of modern life lead directly to degeneration….in the poor as well the rich, leisure engenders degeneration. Cinemas, concerts, radios, automobiles and athletics are no substitute for intelligent work. We are far from having solved this momentous problem of idleness created by prosperity, modern machinery or unemployment. By imposing leisure upon man, scientific civilization has brought him great misfortune. We are incapable of fighting the consequences of indolence and irresponsibility as cancer and mental diseases……after all the purpose of civilization is not the progress of science and machines, but the progress of man.”

The Arabs, once pioneer of knowledge-based advanced civilization lasting for eight centuries - the longest period in human history, are the victims of a delusional oil-pumping economic prosperity imported as marriage of convenience forged between the tribal Arab rulers and the Western industrialized world - more so, the USA and Britain. Throughout the 20th century and well into the 21st century, the oil richness failed to deal with emerging social, moral, intellectual and political problems. Instead with militarization of the region, increasing bloodbaths depicts a havoc political spectrum. Living without ROOTS and REASON. Islam enriched the Arabs to become global leaders of a progressive civilization, but the oil enhanced prosperity transformed them into ‘camel jockeys’ and object of hallow laughters after dinner jokes across the Western culture. Money cannot buy wisdom, honor and human integrity. The bogus “war on terrorism” could not have happened if the Arab leaders - the frontline bogyman of the US Empire had rational mind, intellectual capacity and integrity to challenge the most irrational and cruel act in human history. If the Arab leaders had any knowledge, understanding and sense of responsibility of the future and of the devastating short and long terms impacts of this bogus war, they should have challenged the American policy or sought advice from Muslim intellectuals and scholars to assess the crisis situation for reasonable alternatives.

Throughout the oil exporting Arab world, the contemporary rulers have turned out to be complacent in the US –Israeli strategic plans for the future of the Middle East. Most rulers appear to be missing the essential human conscience – the hub of Islamic characteristics of human beings to see the unfolding political and economic realities on the ground. None of the leaders have ever come out to represent the public conscience on the issue of Palestine and the establishment of an independent homeland for the people of Palestine. With the exception of Egypt under President Morsi, the Arab world is devoid of critical THINKING, reasoning and proactive leadership or leadership of any kind to make the presence felt in the global political arena.

The NY Times reported (May 29, 2012) that President Obama maintains a ‘kill list’ and personally reviews it to issue the strike order, when and where. Michael Hampton “Do American Approve Mass Murder” (Information Clearing House: 6/14/2012). notes that “The reality, widely reported worldwide but rarely in U.S. media, is that all too often these strikes kill innocent civilians in addition to, or even instead of, the intended targets.”

The Boston marathon bomb blasts this week and killing of the three innocent people and injuries to approximately 176, again innocent people, the US news media went out of norms to depict the tragedy in dramatic superficial settings and blame game. Even on the first day of bomb blasts and without any evidence, it speculated “Middle Eastern connection” “al-Qaeda” link envisaged and readily available from the Israeli news reporting. Crime against humanity in America is a crime everywhere else if something of this havoc proportion is done to the innocent victims. A week prior to the Boston tragedy, US led NATO killed 11 innocent children and two women in Eastern Afghanistan. The children were of 1 year to 8 years of age. Across the Western world only the BBC showed their pictures, silent lined up bloody bodies and nothing else. None of the American networks even mentioned about this inhuman crime, pursued under the Obama’s presidency and “Kill List.” Killing of the other innocent civilians in other lands is a business as usual. How strange, the world’s only superpower cannot see the mirror of its own crimes? Did Obama shed any tears for the 11 innocent Afghan kids murdered by his air force in Afghanistan? Or were those Afghan infants not of the same ethnicity or not human beings of the same class to deserve due mourning by all concerned? Undoubtedly, America needs rethinking about its own role and actions across the globe unless it waits to see the end-game - what happened to all the empires claiming to be post powerful on the earth? Do American public care about the on-going massacres of civilians in other lands? Michael Hampton (“Do American Approve Mass Murder” ICH- 6/14/2012), observes: “So we come full circle. Only a minority of people show any concern over Obama’s killing of innocent people abroad in the name of the war on terror (oops, we aren’t supposed to say that anymore). Perhaps the people who approve of the drone strikes simply don’t know. Or perhaps, like Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), they don’t care. “I am not concerned,” he said.”

We live in one Planet Earth. What happens in America or in the remote jungles of Botswana and or the rugged mountains of Afghanistan or the bloody streets of Damascus, Baghdad and Fulligah, it is vital to global interests and cannot be ignored because American tv networks do not portray it. According to the Divine revelations, the Earth keeps record of all the human activities. The Earth is a living entity, not dead. What happened to countless previous powerful Empires and civilizations? To all concerned, their artifacts and deadly remains do tell the real story. Most were destroyed by natural causes but the Earth remains in tact, not by the legislative power of any States of the UN membership but certainly by the Will of God. It operates and maintains balanced life for all regardless of ethnicity, color, creed, religions and nationalism. Should we not care how we live, utilize and draw lifelong gains from the Earth? We the humans NEED to reflect on our thinking and behaviors how do we relate to Earth? It is an indivisible comprehensive relationship. The answer should help us to balance our life.

America and some of the oil producing Arab rulers are collaborating in warmongering. They are unaware of short-long terms consequences of warmongering to societal thinking, behaviors and sustainability. America is in a grip of crises, one after another as legal and political repercussions of the continued wars against Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The war mentality has not changed under Obama’s presidency and much intended political stunt “Yes We Can.” America is bankrupt in moral, financial, political and intellectual domains. Over the centuries what was evolved and built by its historical thinkers, philosophers and political leaders, has been undermined and destroyed by George W. Bush and Barrack Obama just in a decade. Paul Craig Roberts (“Truth is Offensive”, ICH: 4/2/2013) provides a unique insight to American political psyche, not previously explained by other contemporary intellectuals:
“Most Americans go along with unaccountable murder, torture, and detention without evidence, which proclaims their gullibility to the entire world. There has never in history been a population as unaware as Americans. The world is amazed that an insouciant people became, if only for a short time, a superpower. The world needs intelligence and leadership in order to avoid catastrophe, but America can provide neither intelligence nor leadership. America is a lost land where nuclear weapons are in the hands of those who are concerned only with their own power. Washington is the enemy of the entire world and encompasses the largest concentration of evil on the planet.

Where is the good to rise up against the evil?”

Are the contemporary Arab dictators the reason for decadence of the Muslim people and culture? Surely, when common folks live in hues and cries, they fail to think positively of any vital spectrum of life. Was the petrodollar a conspiracy (“fitna”) to disconnect the Arab people with the Islamic civilization? Ironically, how the few tribal leaders could have managed the time and history on their own unless large segments of the masses were complacent in making the tragedy? The contemporary global affairs warrant intelligent and competent leadership not kings, not military dictators or fatty and dull prince occupying splendid palaces away from the people. Leaders manage the crisis when facts of life warrant change and adaptability to the future. Often crisis unite people of reason but not the Arab rulers. Notwithstanding the requisites of reason and honesty, many Arab rulers are collaborating with the US-Israel warmongering against Iran. Time will tell how some of the Arab leaders deserve the wrath of God for supporting the global warlords. There are no Arab public institutions of THINKING and no leaders to lead. One wonders, why the earth never felt any weight of the oil pumping Arab leaders.

All the monsters of history could be traced amongst absolute rulers. They look at masses with insane satisfaction and wicked temperaments as if they are somewhere from another planet to ruler another species - the egoistic cult turns into kind of cancer that consumes their mindset, body and will power. Arab authoritarian leaders are not open to reason or listening and learning until they are forcibly phased out as happened to so many in recent months. In view of the unstoppable cycle of political killings and daily bloodbaths in so many Arab states - Syria, Iraq, Yemen and spill-over to other oil producing Arab nations - and reactionary militancy against the authoritarian rule and dismantling of the socio-economic infrastructures - is the Arab world coming to its own end because of the sadistic authoritarian rulers? The Arab leaders and the masses live and breathe in conflicting time zones being unable to see the rationality of people-oriented Islamic governance, the worst is yet to come, surrender to foreign forces as there are no leaders to think of the future or the Arab armies to defend the people. Once in history, Arabs had moral superiority with the relations of Islam, not any more. When difficult problems erupt, intelligent and competent leaders are always conscious and open to listening to voices of reason for change and reformation. This helps all to manage a navigational change and to solve the problems. Borrowed weapons and corrupt and failed rulers do not have the capacity to extend moral or intellectual security to the Arab masses. Most oil pumping Arab countries are merely satellite of the US Empire.

Professor James Petras (“Networks of Empire and Realignments of World Power”, Dissident Voice, 1/3/2011), explains how the Imperial Networks plan broad scheme of subjugation of the Arab authoritarian rulers to impose its dictates:

“Empire-building is essentially a process of penetrating a country or region, establishing a privileged position and retaining control in order to secure (1) lucrative resources, markets and cheap labor (2) establish a military platform to expand into adjoining countries and regions (3) military bases to establish a chock-hold over strategic road or waterways to deny or limit access of competitors or adversaries (4) intelligence and clandestine operations against adversaries and competitors.

….In either private or state economic and/or military led penetration, in furtherance of empire-building, the strategic purpose is to exploit the special economic and geopolitical features of the targeted country to create empire-centered networks. …..In the genocidal wars in the Middle East, anti-terrorism and anti-Islamic ideology is central…….The unity of purpose of European and US imperial regimes allowed for the peaceful joint takeover of the wealth of the new regions by private monopolies……Imperial Sequences: From War for Exploitation to Exploitation for War….”

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(Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012)