The Osterley Times: Political correctness the Middle Eastern way

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Political correctness the Middle Eastern way

I got this at Rants and Rambles. It's spot on, so I thought I'd repost it here.

The rules of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS when it comes to the Israeli-Arab conflict:

Rule # 1:
In the Middle East, it is always the Arabs that attack first, and it’s always Israel who defends itself. This is called “retaliation.”

Rule # 2:
The Arabs, whether Palestinians or Lebanese, are not allowed to kill Israelis. This is called “terrorism.”

Rule # 3:
Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians, this is called “self-defense,” or these days “collateral damage.”

Rule # 4:
When Israel kills too many civilians. The Western world calls for restraint. This is called the “reaction of the international community.”

Rule # 5:
Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to capture Israeli military, not even a limited number, not even 1 or 2.

Rule # 6:
Israel has the right to capture as many Palestinians as they want (Palestinians: around 10000 to date, 300 of which are children, Lebanese: 1000s to date, being held without trial). There is no limit; there is no need for proof of guilt or trial. All that is needed is the magic word: “terrorism.”

Rule # 7:
When you say “Hezbollah,” always be sure to add “supported by Syria and Iran.”

Rule # 8:
When you say “Israel,” never say “supported by the USA, the UK and other European countries,” for people (God forbid) might believe this is not an equal conflict.

Rule # 9:
When it comes to Israel, don’t mention the words “occupied territories,” “UN resolutions,” “Geneva conventions.” This could distress the audience of Fox TV.

Rule # 10:
Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why we let them speak out as much as possible, so that they can explain rules 1 through 9. This is called “neutral journalism.”

Rule # 11:
If you don’t agree with these rules or if you favor the Arab side over the Israeli side, you must be a very dangerous anti-Semite. You may even have to make a public apology if you express your honest opinion (isn’t democracy wonderful?).