[NYTr] Fw: Dehumanization and Demonization: The War Has Begun AGAIN! - Pravda

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Pravda - Oct 13, 2007
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/98762-dehumanization-0


Dehumanization and Demonization: The War Has Begun AGAIN!

by Lisa KARPOVA
PRAVDA.Ru

Since the Great Patriotic War, the world has seen a parade of
individuals and nations who have been subject to the inane and sordid
process utilized by the empires propaganda war machine of
dehumanization and demonization: Sadaam Hussein, Manuel Noriega,
Slobodan Milosevic and now Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Of course, these tactics were utilized prior to the war, but this
writing is basically addressing more recent events. Dehumanization and
demonization employ the use of distorted images (e.g. Hitler) and loaded
wordswords that have extremely strong negative meanings.

Dehumanization advances the belief that a person or a particular group
of people are inferior and threatening. A person or group of people are
negatively labeled so they are perceived more as objects rather than
real flesh and blood people. The next and final step is demonization,
as the person or group is seen as malevolent, dangerous and totally
evil.

Stereotyping, chauvinism, scapegoating, prejudice and even violence are
employed against those who are objects of dehumanization and
demonization campaigns as they are transformed into easy and suitable
targets. This serves to greatly promote the profit-making goals of the
corporate elitists in their plunder and exploitation of these inferior
people who need to be taught the proper way of life.

The demonization of Islam and Arabs is a current example of this
process. Muslims and Arabs are now caricatures, symbols of fanaticism,
evil and cruelty. Islamofascism is the newest buzz word for the empires
propaganda war machine. The word equates Islamic movements with
European fascist movements of the early twentieth century.

This generalized association of the religion of Islam with fascism is
hateful and inaccurate.

The demonization of Iranian President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University
recently is another step in preparing for yet a another war of
aggression. If Ahmadinejad can function in the American psyche as a
fanatical despot, and he and his country can be inflated into huge
threats and sources of fear and suspicion, then these threats, fears
and suspicions can be used to justify the enormous cost of continuing
to maintain American occupation forces in the Middle East and even to
make war against another country in "self-defense."

The president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, disgraced himself
and his countrymen by hurling abuse and insults when he introduced his
guest speaker, President Ahmadinejad. Bollinger called Dr.
Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust "brazenly provocative or
astonishingly uneducated." His remarks were all the more revolting
given the fact that the Iranian leader was seated close by where he was
listening as an interpreter translated Mr. Bollingers loaded and
reprehensible words. "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a
petty and cruel dictator."

President Ahmadinejad is not a dictator. He is a lawfully elected
president whose power is limited by the constraints of a legislature.
Real power rests with Senior Cleric Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who basically
controls foreign policy and is commander-in-chief of Iran's armed
forces.

Two channels being utilized to attack and demonize Iran and Ahmadinejad
are the use of nuclear energy and a quotation that was deliberately
distorted for the sole purpose of demonizing the Iranian President. Iran
has no nuclear weapons. Its military is designed for defense without any
substantial offensive capability. Iran has said it has no desire to
attack any other country.

It has also affirmed its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and
that it has no desire for a nuclear weapon. Israel, on the other hand,
has more than 200 nuclear weapons and an aggressive, violent air force.
On August 9, 2005, at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei,
issued a fatwa (holy order) which forbade the stockpiling, production
and use of nuclear weapons. This is never mentioned by any media
outlets, while accusations concerning nuclear weapons programs are
constantly being disseminated by the corporate elitist media. The IAEA
reports that Iran is in compliance with its agreements.

Speaking of Iran's nuclear program, Angela Merkel of Germany has
compared Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler. After
repeating the absurdly distorted quotation that President Ahmadinejad
threatened to wipe Israel off the map, Mrs. Merkel declared, "Iran has
blatantly crossed the red line. I say it as a German chancellor. A
president who questions Israel's right to exist, a president who denies
the Holocaust, cannot expect to receive any tolerance from Germany."
David Horowitz, a Columbia alumnus, called the invitation to Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at the campus a disgrace, and
went as far as stating Why are they inviting the Persian Hitler to
Columbia? This is demonization at its very worst.

To further demolish allegations of the belligerent nature of Irans
policies, the following proves to be extremely interesting:

In 2003, in a secret memo to the U.S. government, Iran offered to make
peace with Israel, oppose attacks by Palestinian groups on Israel within
its 1967 borders, and pressure Hezbollah to become a peaceful political
party. The Bush Administration refused to respond and continues to
assert publicly that Iran wants to destroy Israel and sponsor terrorist
groups. The offer, which likely still stands, directly contradicts those
statements. Below is some press with more details. The episode calls
into question the Administrations truthfulness and motives with regard
to Iran

 Iran , Just Foreign Policy, Accessed October 1, 2006

Irans position is clear and Iran on principle believes in a world free
of nuclear weapons. Iran is hopeful that negotiations on North Koreas
nuclear activities can go ahead in the interest of both North Korea and
the international community.

 Mohammad Ali Hosseini, October 2006, Iran Responds to North Koreas
Nuclear Weapon Test , quoted by Carah Ong, October 10, 2006

Setting aside the blathering demonization even further, what exactly did
President Ahmadinejad say? Did he actually say he wants to wipe Israel
off of the map? The answer is an unqualified NO! One word might be quite
familiar to most people: rezhim-e. It is the word "regime" pronounced
just like the English word with an extra "eh" sound at the end.
Ahmadinejad did not refer to Israel the country or say anything about
any map. "The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish
from the page of time".

Word by word translation:

Imam (Khomeini) ghoft (said) een (this) rezhim-e (regime) ishghalgar-e
(occupying) qods (Jerusalem) bayad (must) az safheh-ye ruzgar (from page
of time) mahv shavad (vanish from).

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made attempts to show his human face
to those who would be his enemies. In addition to countless personal
interviews, he has written long and heartfelt letters to President
George Bush and the American people, but few have read or heard his
words. Why is that? Interviewers have treated President Ahmadinejad
with offensively blatant rudeness and disrespect even though he always
manages to maintain his dignity and composure.

Iran cannot be blamed for the defeat and failure of the empire to subdue
Iraq. That act of aggression was doomed to failure from the outset and
no amount of scapegoating others will change that fact. Inhuman perverse
sanctions and naked brute force against Iran and its people should be
rejected by all freedom loving people. It is time for truth, dialogue,
diplomacy and genuine understanding to prevail before the dogs of war
are unleashed on a great cultured and civilized nation and people.