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- By Kim Al-Sheriff
-
- The best part I enjoyed in Mr.
Derbyshire’s article was where he was referring to the Ancient Roman
Empire as a civilized and democratic empire
-
- June 18, 2002
Dear Mr. Lowery:
I read the comments sent to you by me fellow American who is also a fellow
Marine and a proud Arab American. My name is Kimberly I am not an Arab in
fact I am Irish German and I found Mr. John Derbyshire very repulsive as
equally disturbing. It seams to me that Mr. Derbyshire doesn’t posses any
knowledge of the Middle East or politics in general; therefore I strongly
recommend you have him write cooking articles.
Having visited the Middle East, studied International Relations with a
specialty on Middle East affairs as well as having many Middle Eastern
friends I say I know a whole lot more than Mr. Derbyshire would want to
admit. I would like to also address his latest article about Arabs in your
magazine titled “It’s all America’s fault”, he is asking what have
the Arabs accomplished? Well I say a lot not according to me or the Arabs
themselves for that matter but even according to our own Government.
1) Saudi Arabia the black sheep and evil monarchy according to many western
publishing firms and incompetent new people, has achieved tremendous
revolutionary, technological as well as economical prosperity in fifty years
what other nations had to achieve in over a century. You want examples? Here
are some for you; A) modernization of their Universities to include the
latest technology and comprehensive curriculum for their students. B)
Allowing for the last three decades women to go to school. C) According to
the U.S State Department there are more educated women in Saudi Arabia than
men. 4) Saudi Government pays thousands of dollars to U.S and European
Universities to have their own citizens study abroad a full scholarship
including air line tickets for those students to visit home during holidays.
D) Those students are not all members of the Royal Family nor are they of
wealthy or influential families, they are average families. E) As a Saudi
you can go to the King’s palace asking for help and 9 out of ten you will
get the help you need I have seen it myself on several occasions as well as
heard it from many Saudi friends. F) Saudi women are allowed to work many of
my Saudi female friends work in hospitals, demonstrative positions, banks,
schools, universities and many of them have professional jobs such as
doctors and lawyers. In fact one of my closest friend is one of the legal
advisors in the legal department of the UN. Saudi Government paid for her
school and allowed her to work for the UN as a citizen female or male
working for any foreign governmental body other than the Saudi Government
unless appointed by the Government a person must have permission from the
Ministry of Foreign affairs. The Government gave her the permit without any
problem; she is not of any influence nor is her family wealthy or
politically influential in the Government.
2) When I visited Saudi Arabia I saw nothing but prosperity commerce and the
best life can offer to these people, they are all very hard working people
with dreams like any of us. The Government does not hold any control or
influence on its citizens as far as their financial prosperity in fact there
are many programs for young people to receive the financial help they need
to start their own business, should they fail to find a job on their own.
Anything and everything we could imagine a society should have from malls,
clean healthy hospitals, great educations system to job and business
opportunities they have.
3) From KFC to Sachs of Fifth Avenue, from oil refineries to plastic
factories exists in Saudi Arabia. For the last ten years the Government has
diversified their national economy from 90% dependence on oil and gas to 70%
dependency and the numbers are climbing.
4) Last year the Government issued a new law to open its doors to more
foreign visitors so they can open up more to the world, something they have
wanted to do without risking losing their national heritage or their
religious standards.
5) 6) Just a few weeks ago in the Washington Post there was an article about
a team of Saudi scientist who succeeded in performing a uterus transplant to
a young woman instead of her unhealthy uterus who was trying to have
children.
6) Over the last fifty years more American companies than European have
benefited from Saudi’s so called oil reach regime, it seams to me that we
have no problem cashing in on their wealth and double charge them for
products but yet we can stand their and criticize them for what they stand
for, their believes, their economic accomplishment. It is as if were jealous
or threatened by their accomplishments, who is being a hypocrite now?
Enough about Saudi let’s move on to a lesser wealthy Arab country from the
list Mr. Derbyshire had listed in his article. Egypt, no one can argue that
Egypt has challenges and still has ways to go but no one can also argue that
if it weren’t for ancient Egyptians we would not have discovered glass,
paper, chemistry, astronomy, astrology and math. There are evidence of their
travels to Europe and Africa for commerce, if we want more recent
accomplishments then let us look at 1994 Noble Price winner in literature
Dr. Nagib Mahfuz who lives in Egypt under the so called thug regime and lets
not forget Dr. Ahmad Zuail a Noble Price winner in Science who is Egyptian
still maintains his Egyptian citizenship despite his American citizenship,
who is a graduate of Egyptian schools and Egyptian University. Now he
teaches I believe if I am not mistaken at Pittsburgh University in
Pennsylvania.
Mr. Derbyshire was asking about what do we have in our home that says made
in Syria or Egypt. Well I don’t have any of my appliances that says made
in Syria but I have a clock, AM/FM tape player that I have bought from Egypt
that says made in Egypt. Manufactured by an Egyptian company with 80%
Egyptian products, I have seen appliances, furniture, and electronics in
Egypt that were Egyptian made. They might not be the best products in
comparison to U.S, Japanese or German products but they are pretty
efficient. The list goes on and on, so I strongly suggest to Mr. Derbyshire
and your magazine before he opens his mouth and you publish his ridiculous
articles get your facts straight otherwise you will look like a horse’s
petuty as my mother always says. Isn’t that what they teach you in
journalism school or is getting the facts something American journalists
have forgotten, I guess its whatever sells and if the U.S declares Germany
as its enemy tomorrow hypothetically speaking American journalists will turn
on the newest hottest public enemy number one, right?
As for the entire case and his racial comments about the Palestinians, I
find it extremely disturbing that someone of so little knowledge if any at
all is allowed to talk about such a complex topic. Palestinian suicide
bombing is wrong and not accepted by any society even Arab, however the
Israeli Government has not been innocent either. Let’s see the facts
again;
1) In 1980’s Israel knew in advance about the potential suicide bombing of
the Marine barrages in Beirut yet they didn’t say a thing. Why because
they wanted us to have a bloody nose so we get scared and stay out of the
Middle East, how do I know that? When you are a Marine you meet a lot of
people who were there, were involved in the investigation and had friends
who died there.
2) Prime Minister Begin was considered a terrorist during the British
occupation of what is known as Israel today, for his terrorist attacks on
British soldiers but now he is looked at as a patriot and freedom fighter.
3) The shooting of a 10 year old child who was hiding behind his unarmed
father on their way from the market, his father caught in the cross fire
bagging for the Israeli soldiers to stop shooting screaming his son has been
shot. When the soldiers finally stopped they wouldn’t allow the ambulance
through for at least 45 minutes which caused the kid to die. Does the rules
of engagement only apply to U.S soldiers not to them?
4) A young Israeli soldier walks on a crowd prying at their mosque
massacring them with his M16 and was declared insane suffering from
depression, was later released under medical supervision and declared unfit
to stand trial.
5) The U.S Secretary of Commerce William Daily’s visit to Israel a few
years ago to promote Israeli Palestinian commercial and trade relations with
U.S companies, despite the U.S Embassy’s efforts and providing the names
of those Palestinians attending the conference in advance to the Israeli
Government, despite the fact they were traveling in the company of one of
the senior U.S Embassy officer they were treated like animals and denied
passage to attend the conference.
6) Mr. Netanyahu had the audacity to demand from the U.S Government the
release of the Jewish American spy John Polard and asked that he accompanies
the Prime Minister back to Israel. He made the request during one of his
last official visit during the Clinton Administration, many Jewish Americans
lobbied for his release, I am sorry but as an American especially as a
Marine although I am no longer in the service we always say once a Marine
always a Marine I find it insulting and a slap on our face from our allied
Israel for even asking for his release. Despite the monetary, military and
life damage he has caused us, if no Americans or American assets were killed
because of him he still jeopardized their lives. Israel caused tax payers
millions of dollars if not billions to reprogram our satellites and
intelligent systems because of his betrayal. I forgot as a Jew your ultimate
loyalty should be to mother Israel no matter what country you are from, bit
the hand that fed you, helped your people, protected them and stood besides
you despite the world’s opinion.
7) If we as Americans are being attached is because of our stand with
Israel, shouldn’t Israel at least be grateful for that and be gracious
enough to say they are sorry fro spying on us.
8) The best part I enjoyed in Mr. Derbyshire’s article was where he was
referring to the Ancient Roman Empire as a civilized and democratic empire,
I wonder where he learned his history, it must have been some other empire
who occupied half the world with an iron fist, bigamy and homosexuality was
a comment thing even amongst their leaders. Killing any new religion that
came to the surface if they felt it threatened their empire, torturing
people, established slavery, even sleeping with their own mothers and
sisters like Caesar who fathered a son from his own sister. Destroying
nations stealing their wealth and civilization to strengthen their own like
cancer, I guess he doesn’t know that one of reason why the Roman empire
eventually collapsed was because the expansion of Islam. Their defeat in
Egypt, Syria and Palestine by the Moslem Army. I guess he also forgot the
corruption in their own Government which caused them to loss not only their
power but their wealth.
I think I have said enough I also hope you will think again next time before
you use that pen to write another article. A pen is a very powerful weapon
it could do more harm than good at times, therefore it should be entrusted
to a wise humble person who does not underestimate its power. Let’s get
our facts first because we all started to look very ignorant and ridiculous
to the world not only the Arabs but even our European friends.
Kimberly EL Sheriff
Formally known as Kimberly Hadfield
Student at the American Military University/ International Relations
Traveled extensivily to the Middle East and Europe
A convert to Islam for the last 15 months
Former U.S Marine
Currently Logistics analyst with Quaker Company
Mother of two beautiful children
A wife of a wonderful Arab American who is about to serve in the
United States Marine Corps
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