"Let's face it, we Arabs are a violent people"

From Ha'aretz Hebrew, translated by Yoel:

Lets face it: we Arabs are a violent people by Abed L. Azab*

Why organize conferences against violence in Arab society, Taleb el-Sana and Samah Salaime Agbaria? Our violence has positive sides: it provides work for the Israeli police; research grants for those who want to study the phenomenon; and something to talk about when you're interviewed by the media.

You claim it does harm and that many human lives are lost? But what's a human's life worth for Arabs? Nothing. In Iraq life is more peaceful than in Denmark according to UN reports. Syria is nothing less than heaven on earth. Egypt? Not even one civilian was killed and not one plane blown up since Mubarak the traitor was ousted and replaced by a Saudi puppet. Saudi Arabia and its neighbours in the Gulf? Even the Swedes have much to learn from them on human rights, especially women and minority rights.

Enough with the hypocrisy. In order to solve the problem let us first admit that we're a violent people. That's our mentality. And don't start with your mantras about Islam being a religion of tolerance, kindness and compassion. Have you noticed that today violence among our Christian brothers is much lower than in Muslim society? Second, if Islam is indeed a tolerant religion - which I doubt - it seems that most Muslims aren't practicing their religion.

Lets be frank and admit that when someone is murdered, the family, clan and tribe rally behind the murderer and start raising money for him so he can pay the murdered person's family legal and ransom money, if they are willing to accept it.

Lets admit it is still considered "honorable" to carry arms. And the more so if those arms are illegal. Lets admit Jews carry licensed arms but they still don't shoot at weddings and villages as is the case by us. When we sit in our coffee shops and see "the unknown" shooters all we do is smile and carry on with our business. When a woman is murdered because of so called "family honor" in most cases her murder is justified. We said we'll talk frankly right?

Don't you know the youths who ride around the village on ATVs, endangering peoples' lives and sometimes running them over? Are they from a Jewish village? And when you recognize them what do you do? You wink at them and tell them what men they are. And you say it in Hebrew because it sounds so much cooler. But if they are from a rival family you curse their father, mother and sister, since rivalries are what keeps us going and our sole raison d'etre.

[...]

This is the essence of the cursed Arab mentality: me and my brother against my uncle, and me and my uncle against someone else. And don't start blaming the economic situation and the police for this. True, there is discrimination and racism. But that is exactly why we must unite against violence, not rally in support of it. The cancer of violence in our society will only be eradicated when every father will report his son carrying illegal arms, when every daughter will report her father. Excuse me, I must have been dreaming.

*A chemist and a teacher who lives in Ara

---

---

We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.