I Like What I Like

Me and Mr. Galloway

Although Indian by nationality, I was born in the gulf, where the press involves itself in continuous self censorship. The media doesn’t show much news out of fear of creating a bias or being labeled as biased. In the heart of hearts, Saudis completely detest America; the word detest itself is an understatement.

The Saudis hate them for everything but most importantly their dependence on them. They depend on Americans for the development of their resources and their defence mechanisms. Whenever an act of atrocity or a war crime is committed by USA whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is mentioned but never condemned.

The Saudis cannot revolt for they have never seen a demonstration. They call the Lebanese their Arab brothers but the only object that would come to their mind on hearing the word Lebanon, would be Lebanese cuisine and LBC (Lebanese Broadcasting Channel which is more liberal in its broadcast and portrayal of women).

The USA supports Saudi Arabia for its unquestionable interest in the oil in the region and its support for Israel seems to stem from vote-bank politics back home [1].

This reason seems to be enough for Saudi Arabia never to condemn US foreign policy and not let anyone criticise it. Newspapers and other publications in the kingdom, portray destruction caused, death of millions of innocent civilians, UN disinterest in the path of paving a road to peace but will never criticise the Saudi head of state for being outright condescending.

Throughout my childhood I was exposed to clips of Palestinians being tortured, Palestinian boys throwing pebbles at Israeli military tanks and the movement called the Intifada(the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that started in 1987 in protest against the continued Israeli occupation ).

They were so helpless, so small and so innocent but besides their helplessness it was the media which was equally helpless and all I could do was stare at the television screen. 3 helpless elements, the signifier, the interpreter and the media, how can it get more frustrating than this!

The media blamed Israel and the Israelis for all the death and destruction but never looked beyond that. No one was allowed to ask why Israel isn’t being stopped by the US. When the two nations Saudi Arabia and Israel have one common factor, USA, why isn’t this factor used as an instrument or opportunity to hold bilateral talks and initiate peace in the Middle East.

Why is the Middle East conflict an issue that people who know they just have to shift their weight around to get things in place are just lying around doing nothing. Isn’t this complacency a reason for the youth being so frustrated, a cause for so much hatred and pent-up emotion that runs through them.

The voice of the nation and its people is lost, it was never heard nor was it ever one voice because the media doesn’t let them know that someone else thinks about it in the way that they do.

In the wake of all these experiences do I look at the interview of George Galloway as the light at the end of the tunnel? Yes it does. It seems to me as if one can finally speak out against the west through the means of their own biased media.

Mr. Galloway’s video provides me with some sort of a relief besides an obvious realization. I am relieved to know that finally someone both non Arab and non Muslim can think and feel the way I do about a conflict which he can attach himself to so emotionally and perfectly.

[1] a.k.a. The Jewish Vote, in the words of Noam Chomsky