Letter to B

Dear B,
thank you for the pictures about the Muslim demonstration in London. I took a careful look at them. It stroke me that the handwriting on the banners is basically the same, as if only one, or two persons wrote them. I am not an expert, but I have been in quite a few demonstrations in my life, and saw quite some banners too. Even made a few myself. Here they're all written with the same kind of marker and in the same kind of cardboard... a bit suspicious, I would say.

I am not saying the banners are nor real, and not doubting that the demonstration really happened. What I doubt is the real size and importance of it. I am deeply convinced of the media manipulation in the Middle East affair, and I think we should keep our eyes opened beyond what's served in the "media plate".

I was in Damascus when CNN reported a massive demonstration pro-Hezbollah in the city. I was there and I saw it. There were people burning flags and yelling long live to Nasrallah and so on. There were about 100 people in a big square, heavily covered by the media. The way it appeared in the western news it looked like thousands were getting possessed by an Islamic fury and the all Syrian nation was behind them. That's also the way it appeared in Syrian news. The media feeds fear to both sides, so we can all be very afraid of each other, keep our pro-war governments in place and support dictatorships in the middle east to "keep control" over those "fanatics". It also shows to repressed people in these countries that their governments are "strong" and that Allah will protect them (as nobody else does).

I was in the souq in Damascus a couple of times. Each time there where new banners crossed over the main alley. They explained, in Arabic, English and French how Allah would give the brave warriors (Hezbollah) victory, and how the Arabic nations were superior to the rest of the world. You could buy in any corner yellow Hezbollah flags, Nasrallah t-shirts, Jihad posters, you name it.

It was weird to be a western there and then. TV showed all day long dead children in Lebanon. Nasrallah held speeches of an hour and more on prime time. Bashar kept quiet all the time, so nobody knew what he was preparing. We were followed and checked upon a few times by secret police. They were not discreet at all.

Nevertheless, we were welcome by everyone. In houses, in shops, in public transports. People were warm, and interested. When we spoke about the war, no one was rejoicing with it. People were really worried and very afraid. When in privacy, we managed to have a couple of good conversations with some. We learned first-hand about the conditions in jails and how easy it is to get caught and tortured. It's no secret that Assad bombarded his own people in 1982 in Hama, and killed 20.000 of them as retaliation to an attempted coup d'etat. Just a "small" example of politics in Syria...

People are repressed in every way possible. Politically, sexually, culturally. They can't say what they think. This applies also to Jordan, with their so-called "beloved" king. It's also a dictatorship, one can't say anything against the government. It's maybe "softer", but it's the same shit. Did you see the news about the British tourist that was shot in Amman last week? We were exactly in the same spot a month ago. It could have happened to us. Did you also read that the killer was immediately caught by passers by? That locals were shocked? People don't want this. People want peace, and food, and that their kids go to school.

I don't intend to say that I know how it is to live in Israel or in the Middle East at all. I was there three weeks of my life, you are born there. It's obviously not the same. What I like to ask you is if you really think that spreading these photos on the Internet helps anyone. Were you there in London? Do you really know what happened? I have good friends living in London. I myself lived there for a while. Is all London like this? Muslims in the street proclaiming my death? No, I daresay.

I do not have to be convinced of the need to stop terrorist attacks in the region and in the world. I think it's completely insane to have to live in such conditions. I just don't think that more violence will help, and these photos are a form of violence too.

The Middle East conflict is a horrible tribal affair. It's from the middle ages. The way people communicate there goes back to stone age! There's no common goal. People are so worried proving that they are right that they forget what the fight is all about. I don't see much hope in the region if it goes on like this.

First day I came back to Amsterdam I met my friend A., an Israeli. She's not only my best friend in Holland, she's my partner, and we have a foundation together. I told her in three sentences what I thought of the conflict and how it could be solved. Border discussion and agreements, both side acceptance, integration of the populations. I was so angry, felt so powerless that I became quite aggressive "Why don't they just DO IT, A.?" She smiled. She said, "I know how you feel. You just fell in love with the region, and you can't understand why it has to be this way. Welcome to the club!"

Dear, don't get me wrong. I don't want to preach on you. You were there, fighting this people that hide behind children. I know nothing about that sort of thing. I am a lucky devil. But I thought you deserved my honest opinion on this.

Big hug,
Marta