A Simple Tale of an Occupational Regime
A Simple Tale of an Occupational RegimeOn Palestine
By Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe
Publisher: Haymarket Books, Chicago, US
Year: 2015
Paperback, 224 pages
Price: $11.86
Reviewed by Aadil Iftekhar
Upon asked “Why did you become an activist”, Frank Barat reiterated the reverse of the same question “Why aren’t you an activist”.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Help thy brother whether he be oppressed or the oppressor.” People asked how indeed the oppressor could be helped? Prophet ﷺ replied, “By holding his hand and preventing him from committing the foul act.”
This book is a compilation of several discussions between two notable figures for the Palestinian Cause, Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe, both born to their respective Jewish families.
It will help you understand one does not have to be some top notch diplomat or some great intellectual with deep insight on world politics to condemn and raise voice against the killing of innocent people.
It is not necessary to have read dozens of books on racism to condemn the killing of a black person on racial grounds. Similarly, a simple tale of settler colonialism and an occupational regime is condemnable no matter how multifaceted and complex scenario they try to present before the world.
How words have played a vital role in this process is an important point to note. When Hebrew words like “hitayasvut” (meaning ‘to colonise’) was used by the early members of zionist movement in around 1882, when colonialism was taken very positively in the west. It later became ‘to settle’ and then a ‘complex project’. And how zionism began as a social group, then a religious group leading to a nationalist group and now of course a terrorist group.
And in modern times the use of deceptive words like ‘peace process’, ‘anti-semitism’, ‘ceasefire’ and what not. All this just to give the Palestinian lands to zionists and let zionists go scot-free of all the crimes they have committed over the decades.
I firmly believe this only further strengthens the Iman (faith) of every Muslim around the world. Because those who believe they are not accountable to any law in this world, surely will be held accountable for their wrong doings in the hereafter.