Trump’s Ramadan Message to Urge End to Violence Is Anything But
"On behalf of the American people, I would like to wish
all Muslims a joyful Ramadan," said Trump, who last week signed an arms
deal worth $110 billion with Saudi Arabia before winding up his first overseas
trip as president.
In the spirit of Ramadan:
1) No matter what words are spoken recent actions betray the truth about Trump’s foreign policy. The violence he is talking about is a product of American military adventures in the heartlands of the Muslim world. Which is about to exacerbate in places like Yemen and Syria, thanks largely to his mega-sale of arms to Saudi Arabia that will extend up to $350 billion over 10 years.
2) This is not a joyful Ramadan for many Muslims. Despite criticizing Saudi Arabia's terrorism funding and extremist ideology, despite raising concerns about human rights abuses, and despite calls for an arms embargo, Western governments like Britain, France and Canada are still moving forward with their own mega-sale of arms to the biggest sectarian agitator in the world. This comes amid growing condemnation of Western support for Riyadh and mounting evidence of atrocities committed by the Wahhabi regime from Yemen and Syria to its own soil.
3) Thanks to all this weaponry, the prospects for ending violence in the region are dim. Saudi Arabia will now cultivate a deepening military relationship with terror proxy forces. Advanced American weaponry are in the offing as a result of Trump’s latest visit to Riyadh, set to be used by the regime forces and proxies against pro-democracy protesters at home and civilian populations in Yemen and Syria.
4) Whichever way you cut it, this is not a right way from which arms dealer Trump can wish Muslims "a joyful Ramadan," let alone urging them to use the holy month to reject violence by extremists. As the ongoing plan to impose new sanctions on Iran and weaponize its enemies demonstrates, Trump, who is complicit in Saudi wrongs and perverted sectarian ideology, will never shove the war machine into reverse gear in a region bristling with Western weaponry and trained proxy extremists.
5) At its core, when Trump met dozens of leaders of Muslim countries in Riyadh, he didn’t actually vow to stand with them to counter "terrorism and the ideology that fuels it." He went there to sell arms, pure and simple. He ensured that future generations would also suffer from the same American scourge and the same US-backed sectarian violence and conflict, unable to commune in peace and security.
6) Washington’s self-defeating strategy of weaponizing client states is one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism and destabilization around the region and beyond. The War Party knows that, but still keeps on lying publicly about its true intentions, its destructive policy of weaponization program. In between, learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, Trump’s accusing finger always finds Iran. Always.
7) Trump’s Ramadan message calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence. The Pentagon regime has occupied the Middle East not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence, arming client states, and corrupting international civil institutions like the United Nations. Westerners often forget this fact; Muslims never do.
8) When the world community hears Trump preach about actively building peace, they also like to see him act. US presidents always let their deeds belie their words. They never practice what they preach. However, violence does ultimately recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. Trump only needs to reckon the recent horrific and inexcusable carnage in Manchester, and listen to what the intelligence and foreign policy experts have to say in this respect.
Arms dealer Trump must be brave enough to admit that his call for rejecting violence by extremists is silly at best. The United States and Europe cannot reduce the threat from countries they have turned into failed states and have helped nurture terrorists. Terrorist attacks, such as the one at the Manchester Arena, will happen again in any Western city or town because the global West continues to arm despots and allows their atrocious acts of cruelty and depravity prevail, turning Muslim communities against each other.
There is no question about the seriousness of what the West faces today. The US and NATO member states must change what they do in the region. Many experts, including professionals in intelligence and security services, have pointed to the connections between sectarian violence and wars Western governments have supported and fought, and terrorism at home. Just like Saudi despots and terror proxies, the global West will forever be reviled and implacably held to account for their violent actions. The blame for violence is both with the terrorists and their regional and transregional associates.
