Khan: 10 Years After the War in Iraq, The Anti-War Movement is Virtually Dead

Freelance Journalist Nida Khan

Last week marked the official 10-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Leading up to the commemoration of this bloody and costly engagement, major networks, newspapers and online outlets acknowledged the decade milestone with extensive coverage. They parsed the many ways in which the Bush administration misled everyone and orchestrated a brazen attack on a sovereign nation. And they criticized the media’s own fallacy in helping to sell the war to the American people. But out of all of the supposed lessons learned and promises to rectify our ways going forward, it’s amazing just how little we have changed. In some sort of twisted irony, many of the most vocal opponents of the Iraq war are virtually silent at this very moment when we are actively entrenched and engaged in more areas of the world than possibly ever before. An estimated 6 million people demonstrated against the war in Iraq (according to Al Jazeera). Viewing old footage of these protests, one thing became vividly evident: 10 years later, any semblance of an anti-war movement has been all but crushed.

“As Americans, now whenever we’re told anything, somebody comes on and says there’s reports that maybe this and maybe that, we have to have the most skeptical, critical eye and ear to what we’re being told,” said filmmaker Michael Moore last Tuesday on ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’. Responding to reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, and Ahmadinejad’s potential nuclear capabilities in Iran, Moore emphatically stated that our government – ‘the real government’ as he put it (Wall St., banks, the military) – hasn’t earned a right to be trusted. He went so far as to say that unless Ahmadinejad walks in the room with a bomb in his hand and shows it to him, he won’t believe anything he’s told about Iran. Watching Moore call out our rush to judgment (and subsequent action) around the world, it became blatantly obvious how rare his dissent actually is. In all the hoopla of ‘how could we let this happen’ in regards to Iraq 10 years ago, hardly anyone had the backbone to say that we’re still falling for the same playbook today save for one Michael Moore and a few others that have just been pushed to the margins.

Regardless of what your own personal views may be on Qaddafi (Gaddafi), Ahmadinejad, Abbas or the latest ‘bad guy’ on our list, the fact remains that we are still projecting them through a specific lens that gets drummed up in our mass media without appropriate context or complete information from all angles. And what follows is our involvement in yet another foreign independent country without adequate debate back home. Just because we may now align ourselves with a few other allies when doing so, does that make our actions really any less different than what happened with Iraq? And let’s put aside the notion of dictators that
need to be toppled for a moment and examine the use of weaponry in a host of other nations. Actively utilizing the predator drone program in Somalia, Yemen,

Mali, Afghanistan, Pakistan and numerous other countries, we are still dropping bombs that undoubtedly kill innocent civilians in the process. And yet, where’s the
objection from those that demonstrated against Iraq?

Whenever the concept of drones is addressed in our common discourse, a majority almost instantaneously defend its use because it requires less forces on the ground, and less loss of American lives. Pressing buttons, dropping bombs and watching explosions on a screen as if it were some sort of video game, the individuals operating drones in Nevada or elsewhere are not only further desensitized to the notion of taking lives, but so are the rest of us. No longer do we have to protest the lack of images of coffins with dead U.S. soldiers – we don’t even consider the use of drones an act of war. Under the same open-ended guise of ‘fighting terrorism’, the drone program is fundamentally unchecked from independent entities, and functions pretty much without accountability because it remains a covert process (though there’s talk to move it from CIA control, but we have yet to see). It wasn’t until Congressman Rand Paul’s recent filibuster of Brennan’s confirmation that many Americans likely heard about drones for the first time – and many probably still haven’t. The silence, from all sides, has been quite deafening.

Rallies and marches against the war in Vietnam played an intricate role in the larger struggle for civil rights in this country. While we may be losing less troops today of course (which is a plus), modern warfare still results in the murder of innocents. Every time a supposed target is hit by a drone, civilians – often times women and children – are killed simultaneously and many others permanently wounded. And that goes for every bomb dropped, every time, in every town, in every village, in every city, in every country. But when was the last time we saw 6 million protest that? Or even a million? For that matter, when was the last time we saw any sort of massive anti-war protest anywhere? Have we become such a complacent society that out of sight really has translated into out of mind? Or have we become neutralized because the dynamics of warfare have changed? Any which way you look at it, it’s pretty shocking.

With the exception of a few journalists like Glenn Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill that have been discussing drones at length for some time now, the vast majority of our press has been silent (minus recent Rand Paul coverage). Instead, we have media that continues to tell us that the drone program is effective in defeating terrorism and getting the bad guys. Rather than questioning a policy as journalists should do, they have been selling it for years – much in the same fashion that the Iraq war was sold to us 10 years ago. In all the focus on the anniversary of the invasion, never once did pundits and journos from either side of the aisle highlight the fact that we are repeating the same mishaps again, right now, in the present. And in discussions of the media’s complacency in selling the war, how often did we hear an acknowledgment of its current complacency in selling any of our present conflicts?

Guess people will wait to talk about today’s failures another 10 years from now.

written by Nida Khan follow her on twitter at

twitter.com/NidaKhanNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPqpV9olIlw

Key Muslims in Hip Hop, Media & Politics Speak out on Ground Zero Debate & Put Heads to Bed

Click HERE to hear the interview w/ Brother Ali

Yesterday we did a special radio show focusing on religious intolerance toward Muslims in America and amount of viciousness that’s been emerging with the debate around Ground Zero and the proposed Community Center/ Mosque..

We started off by talking with Minneapolis rap star Brother Ali. We talked about his new album US and where he’s headed musically speaking. Afterwards we go in on the Ground Zero controversy. Ali gave us an in-depth and insightful break down on the history Muslims in America and what Islam is really about…

He did a great job dispelling many of the myths  surrounding this religion which is practiced by a couple of billion people. He also talks about the media tricks being played both in terms of how this has been depicted. He expressed concern about how the end of Ramadan may land on 9-11 and that right-wing forces will use the occasion of showing people celebrating the end of Ramadan and twist it to make it seem like they are celebrating the 9-11 attacks

One of the most telling points that Brother Ali laid out was the demographics of those who practice Islam.. The average Muslim is not Arab. In the US the average Muslim is Black. Check out our interview with Brother Ali in the link below..

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/59766/

In part two of our interview we chop it up with Muslim reporter and journalist Nida Khan who has been covering the protests near Ground Zero. She talked about the violence directed at Muslims since this controversy started and how things are more intense than they were after 9-11.  Khan who has just returned from Pakistan talked about how anti-Muslim sentiments play out overseas. She also focused on a recent article she penned called Islamaphobia Weapon of Choice for the Midterms. Here Khan talks about how much of the hoopla is about political position so one can have a wedge issue to get people wound up over.

Click HERE to hear intvs w/ Nida Khan & Keith Ellison

We followed up our conversation with Nida Khan with a Congressman Keith Ellison who called to weigh in. Ellison who is from Minneapolis and good friends with Brother Ali, is the only Muslim in Congress. He confirmed much of what Khan said and focused on the unique campaign challenges him and some of his colleagues have come election time. He felt that making Islam a wedge issue will backfire.  Ellison also dropped science about the difference between culture and religion.

This came up when we spoke about the concerns raised about how women are treated and other practices. Ellison was meticulous with his answer as he talked about stonings and flying planes into buildings are pure distortions of the religion and to the degree any sort violent practice is widespread has more to do with culture then religious tenet.  Its kind of like us having an Easter Bunny to celebrate Easter.  The bunny is culture. The Resurrection of Christ (Easter) is the religion.

He talked about the practice of covering ones head. Ellison pointed out the irony of making fun of Muslim women who choose to wear a Hijab while finding it perfectly acceptable that Nuns and quakers may keep their head covered. He pointed out in traditional Black churches very few women will show up without their finest Sunday hat..

You can listen to our interviews with both Keith Ellison and Nida Khan by clicking the link below

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/59788/

While listening to these interviews check out just how over the top things are getting.. yesterday a Cab Driver was stabbed after being asked if he was Muslim

You can see the News Report by clicking the link below

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/124338/police–cab-driver-stabbed-by-passenger-who-asked–are-you-muslim–

A city cab driver is in the hospital after being stabbed by a passenger who allegedly asked if he was Muslim, police tell NY1.

Investigators with the New York City Police Department say it all began Monday night when a 21-year-old man hailed a cab at 24th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan.

Police say the passenger asked the driver, “Are you Muslim?” When the driver said yes the passenger pulled a knife and slashed him in the throat, arm and lip.

The 43-year-old driver was able to lock the passenger in the back of the cab and call 911.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken to Bellevue Hospital.

As of late Tuesday, no charges had been filed.

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Un-American America (Why Fear-Mongering is So Damn Frightening)

Freelance Journalist Nida Khan

We are living in precarious and dangerous times.  The economy remains unstable, joblessness is continuously skyrocketing, development is stagnant and unpredictable circumstances around the world are exacerbating the fears of many.  But what is also quietly bubbling underneath the surface is a far more treacherous and detrimental push for a shift in American psychology that in effect undermines the core principles upon which this great nation was founded.  It is the concerted, conscious effort to stoke the qualms of many with a great divide that is once again pitting ‘us’ against ‘them’.  Except this time, the ‘them’ could virtually be you, me or any one who slightly looks as if he/she doesn’t belong.

For the past few days, we have been inundated with images of the now infamous failed Times Square car bomb suspect, Faisal Shahzad.  What began as a thorough search for the person or persons involved in this foiled attempt has culminated into a drastic transformation in dialogue that is establishing dangerous precedent for many to be presumed guilty on the basis of their national origin, familial ancestry or travel records.

Faisal Shahzad

When authorities first released footage of an initial suspect over the weekend, the vast majority of broadcasters and reporters stayed clear of mentioning this man’s race.  Save for a few exceptions, the bulk of coverage on all three major networks – conservative Fox News, more liberal MSNBC and ‘fair and balanced’ CNN –  weren’t focusing on this man’s Whiteness, but rather leading with copy like ‘officials are seeking a middle-aged man seen here’ or ‘they are searching for a man in his 40’s’.  Fast-forward to Mr. Shahzad and all you see blaring across your TV screen is this man’s ethnicity and ties to another land far far away off in the distance somewhere.  But it isn’t only Pakistanis or Pakistani Americans that should be deeply concerned about this troubling imaging and change in verbiage.

This past month, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the most controversial immigration bill in our country’s history.  Literally institutionalizing and justifying racial profiling, this SB 1070 legislation transferred immense authority into the hands of local police that are often-times notorious for their biased behavior and poor judgment (one needs to only look at NJ were racial profiling was found even at the state police level).  But what is even more troubling than the potential backlash against all minorities in Arizona, is the ripple effects this is having across the nation.  Several other states are already pursuing their own versions of immigration ‘reform’ which amount to nothing more than criminalizing and dehumanizing certain groups of people.  The politicians and pundits that are pushing this anti-immigrant message need to be reminded of the intricate benefits that immigrants from all over the world have bestowed upon the United States and the plethora of ways in which they continue to do so.  If the backers of this SB 1070 wanted to be truly honest, they might as well say ‘if you’re not White, show me proof you belong here’ – because that’s literally what this bill means.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8EKhl4-bCA&feature=player_embedded

Everyone is familiar with the inscription on our symbolic emblem of freedom, the statue of liberty, that reads in part:  “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.  But ask yourselves, how did we go from that optimistic, inclusive message to one filled with fear mongering, division and a sense of entitlement?  If you are Brown, Black or tan in Arizona, who’s to say your family members weren’t here before the area even received statehood in 1912?  And as some on the right push for all Pakistanis and all Muslims – whether citizens or not – to be monitored and watched, they are in fact turning back the clock on decades of progress.

If they espouse that we ‘end political correctness’ by questioning everyone who ‘doesn’t look like us’, what is to become of our inalienable rights that led the vast majority here in the first place? For those who do not see the ominous bias in our mainstream press when it comes to coverage of others versus coverage of so-called natives, just watch and observe over the coming days, weeks and months as Shahzad’s background is probed and dissected.  But unlike when Timothy McVeigh slaughtered scores and injured hundreds, the focus won’t be on his own troubled life (which includes the recent loss of his home and other economic troubles), but it will instead be on any ties to extremist elements.

Was isn't Joseph Stack considered a terrorist even though he flew his plane into an IRS building?

Now in no way am I condoning his behavior or stating that he didn’t have ties to any groups in Pakistan, but what I am doing is reminding people that when Joseph Stacks flew a plane into an IRS building less than three months ago and killed an African American man, he was not labeled a terrorist.  And yet this foiled attempt in Times Square, where nothing thankfully happened, will almost certainly create a backlash for Pakistanis, Muslims or anyone that resembles them.

As the jargon gains momentum with talk of homegrown terrorists and the cells within, we have to wonder, are we at stake here to slowly lose all of our basic fundamental civil liberties?  There is now even talk from politicians like Senator Joe Lieberman pushing for legislation that would strip anyone accused of terrorism of his/her citizenship.  But if terror and terrorism are terms used at our own discretion, do we now hold the power to determine one’s allegiance, patriotism or love of country?  If we can now be stopped in Arizona simply for jay walking and asked to ‘produce our papers’, isn’t that creating and justifying bigotry and racism?  Are these consistent regressive maneuvers a reaction to an ever-unstable economic future?  Or is it something more nefarious at play?  When did the United States of America became a land of ‘us’ verses everyone else?

These are indeed volatile times, and we should all be very, very afraid.

written by Nida Khan

Nida Khan is an independent journalist and producer working in both print and radio.  She is currently a news correspondent with WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM NY, and is a member of the production team of Rev. Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated broadcast, ‘Keeping it Real’.  Nida previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of elan:  The Guide to Global Muslim Culture, and has contributed pieces for such diverse outlets as the Associated Press, Alternet.org, DUB Magazine, Lifetimetv.com, The Source Magazine, The Women’s Media Center and more.  hit her up at

twitter.com/NidaKhanNY

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