Your history of folly in our region - Middle East

Until the west listens to the Middle East's people, the future will be bleak

Mohammad Eskandari
Wednesday April 14, 2004
The Guardian

During the Iraq war the western media showed, in a sentimental and at times theatrical fashion, the kindness of the occupying forces toward the civilian population. Children were frequently chosen for this purpose. But whether this show of compassion was rooted in genuine humanitarian sentiments seems open to question. Today's Middle Easterner is convinced the west only attaches a high value to westerners' lives.

A little reflection gives an indication of the dominance of this mentality. A few hours after the terrorist train blasts in Madrid, western media hurried to the scene and mainstream British television networks broadcast the incident live. On the other hand, no one has suggested holding even a minute's silence for the, at least, 10,000 civilians killed in Iraq by those who claim to have gone there to promote democratic values. For the bereaved families, it did not make any difference whether their sons and daughters were killed by Saddam Hussein or their "liberators".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1191336,00.html