ISIS, SHARIA LAW, HAMAS TERRORISM AND THE METHODIST CHURCH

It is very difficult to interpret world reaction on the happenings in the Middle East. While depravity was being spread by the newly established terrorist group, Islamic States of Syria and Iraq, amidst the already ongoing wholesale slaughter in Syria and Iraq and another act of terrorism perpetrated where three Jewish teenagers were kidnapped by Hamas, the Methodist Church’s pension fund disinvested itself of shares of a British company that supplied Israel with equipment some of which was being used in Gaza. These were three of the top stories this last weekend. 

Now Jay H. Ell has blogged again and again that although he wholly disapproves of the expansion of Israeli settlements he is still coming more and round to the fact that at best we are dealing with double standards and at worst anti - semitism in the world’s attitude to Israel. (Blog: The New Antisemitism In Europe And Boycotts Of Israeli Universities).  He has also said that there is enough blame to go around for everyone. With Abbas joining Hamas Jay H. Ell has joined Israel’s peaceniks in questioning whether the Palestinian leadership has ever been serious about the two state solution. (Blog: Abbas and Arafat - The Same DNA - So Lets Get Real). However, he hasn’t entirely given up hope. (Blog: De Klerk, Mandela, Israel, Apartheid and Change). 

This focus on Israel is not unique it is pervasive. Why since the UNO’s inception have 82% of the General Assembly’s resolutions, amidst all the world chaos, genocides, ethnic cleansings, persecution and inhumanity to women and children and on and on, been condemnations of Israel? 

SHARIA LAW.

Sharia law is orthodoxy to Islam. The crisp point is at the moment vast tracts of Iraq and Syria are having it imposed on them by the extremist group of militants, Islamic States of Syria and Iraq, (ISIS). The policy of ISIS is Sharia law for the whole area. Under Sharia law death sentences are at the whim of the powerful and there are already grotesque photos of wholesale executions by ISIS with the heading, “Apostates heading to their hole of doom”. Also ISIS claim they are a State and are entitled to tax under Sharia law. This is their rationalization for their theft of nearly $500 million from the Mosul bank and seizure of the over 10 billion military arsenal given to the Iraqis by the USA.

While Sharia law covers a host of areas it is barbaric particularly in relation to women and children.

It includes the following:

Amputation for theft.
Stoning to death for a adultery (Of the woman of course).
Death sentences for the following; Criticizing Mohammed or Qran, conversion to Christianity, marrying out of the faith.
A Woman can only have one husband and a man four wives.
A man can marry an infant and consummate the marriage at 9 years of age. (Apparently that has been changed to 13 years).
Girls clitorises should be cut
Rape must be witnessed by 4 witnesses and a woman cannot testify against the accused.
A women’s testimony in court counts half of that of a male and she cannot drive herself there as she is not allowed to drive a car.

This is heavy stuff by any standards and nearly all Muslims in Western Countries disagree with this but it is being enforced on large numbers and the new Libya adapted it in 2013 for example. All this is happening, without any action or organized condemnation, as the major thrust of Middle East Policy activism is to condemn Israel, for the failure to create a two party state, which is not solely their responsibility. 

Now United Nations have their Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and they have tracts on the rights of women and children but not one resolution, that Jay H. Ell can find, specifically condemning Middle East countries or groups for carrying out any of these practices. There has been criticism by Muslim academics and clerics that the UNO Declaration of Human Rights is a Western based Judea- Christain document and does not take into account the Islam position on Sharia law. 

 So why has no country or major group taken this on as in issue? Anybody boycotting the oil companies for investing in Saudi Arabia where Sharia Law reigns supreme? Anybody boycotting the airlines flying to Dubai because they won’t officially let Jews in to even visit? Dick Cheney’s company Halliburton moved its main headquarters to Dubai. Halliburton that received non compete bids making forty billion dollars profit during the Iraqi war has presumably gone to Dubai to pay less taxes. Not a word about boycotting Halliburton that is supporting the antisemitic Dubai economy? Any major international thrust against Sharia Law?

IRAQ AND SYRIA

Then prior to the recent inhumanities by ISIS, Syria and Iraq have been themselves responsible for the grossest violations of human rights. Assad of Syria has been ruthlessly killing off opposition. Women and children have been raped. Chemical weapons have been used. All this going on for over 2 years when the response to protests by Syrian protestors in March 2011 was deadly violence that has never abated.There have been over a 100,000 deaths, millions of refugees and a catalogue of human rights abuses. Other than vague exhortations to get to the negotiating table where are the UNO Resolutions?

Maliki of Iraq has been the very essence of a sectarian ruler also paying scant regard to the rule of law. He unceremoniously kicked the USA out and then sentenced his Sunni Vice President to death.

Now both Iraq and Syria have Universities but for whatever reason no self righteous academics are initiating academic boycotts against them. Why?

HAMAS TEENAGER KIDNAPPING.

The recent kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers by Hamas is yet another in the long list of terrorist acts perpetrated by, originally, the PLO and now more predominantly by Hamas. There is no justification for this behavior which is Abbas’s responsibility as well. Ostensibly there is nothing else Hamas can do to reflect its despondency and sense of hopelessness. Well, Jay H. Ell will tell them one thing they can do - recognize Israel as a State and start negotiations for a two party State solution that has been UNO policy since 1947 and been resisted ever since. They will find that there will be a large amount of support for the formation of a contiguous Palestine state, If they don’t want to acknowledge Israel’s existence they must face the reality that they are in a declared state of war with Israel and stop whining, with the world’s support, that Israel are not fighting fair.

METHODIST CHURCH

Now Jay H. Ell must apologize for picking on the Methodist Church it just so happens that their resolution coincided with this weekend’s stories. Their pension fund is after all only selling about $100,000 worth of the stock of a British company dealing with Israel. It is also unlikely that the majority of Methodist Church goers would agree with the decision. There a host of other “well meaning”  groups that have performed similar actions. Jay H. Ell is not quite sure what they hope to achieve by this. 

Jay H.Ell would suggest to these bodies that they do something constructive if peace in the Middle East is truly their objective. How about creating forums of businessmen, church leaders, students, academics from both sides of the divide to find common ground so that they can pressure their politicians? 

AT THE END OF THE DAY.

As the Middle East becomes more and more of a cauldron of barbarism the world should pause a bit before dreaming up the next barb at Israel. On balance it is the only country that runs itself on human rights and the rule of law and it is a beacon of sanity in a sea of madness. Maybe there could be a UNO General Assembly Resolution condemning all of the above behavior. Just one. Or is it all really about oil on the one side and double standards on the other? 

Jay H. Ell’s guess is that it is far more likely that there will a steady flow of resolutions from pension funds, universities and other institutions whose contribution to Middle East Peace will be yet another boycott of either an Israeli company or a company doing business with it. ISIS, Syria, Iraq and Hamas will appreciate their concern for justice. They may even get a thank you letter for their efforts.