In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

ARIEL SHARON FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE

[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]

Ariel Sharon the Prime Minister of Israel who fought for the whole of his life for the cause of the Jewish establishment in the heart of Muslim land is now fighting for the battle of his survival once and for all. Throughout his life he fought all the wars of Israel either as its commander, as Defense or Prime Minister or the main architect at the rear. His was the personality that was present everywhere as a source of inspiration for his people. He was hard liner through and through. He initiated the settlement of Jewish colonies on “occupied” Arab lands both in Gaza strip and West Bank and it is he who resolved to vacate the Gaza even in the presence of stiff opposition from die-hard orthodox Jews. He was determined to vacate even some of the settlements from the West Bank too. He planned and attacked the Southern Lebanon in 1982 and massacred ruthlessly the unarmed Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra and Shatila in thousands and “earned” the disgraceful title of great “butcher”.

He initiated the beginning of the second Intifada four years ago by visiting the Qudus, thereby enraging the Palestinians to revolt against his intrusion and violating the sanctity of Masjid Al-Aqsa. He was the leader of Likud party till he evacuated Gaza strip. He then resigned form Likud and formed a new political party with its name as “Kadima” and Mr. Shimon Peres too joined this new party after resignation from his labor Party. New Elections are scheduled to be held on March 28, 2006. The new Party of Sharon was in the process of organization as center-rightist and opinion polls in Israel were forecasting overwhelming public support with a big margin lead over both Likud and Labor. But, “unfortunately”, he got stroke on December18, 2005 and another massive one on January 4, 2006. Since then he is in hospital and fighting for his life in the state of coma. The chances of his survival are fifty-fifty but the end-result is known to God alone. This morning [January 9, 2006] his doctors reported that he can breathe on his own and is in a stable condition. There is every possibility that he may survive, remain as a crippled man and watch his last days passing in pain and permanent agony.

In fact, it was his Likud Party that was advancing the Zionist agenda of Greater Israel and the occupation of Iraq was “perhaps” an integral part of this program. It has changed the topography or the geopolitical situation of Middle East. Keeping that in mind, Sharon might have changed his inner agenda to fulfill his ambition of dominating the Region through some other means. Tactically, it was not possible to get through Likud. He, therefore, gave up that party and managed to form a new party whose internal intents and purposes are not known to anyone except Mr. Sharon. Even Mr. Ehud Olmert, the Acting Prime minister, a hard liner and the favored heir of Ariel Sharon, is completely in dark about the goal and objective of the new party. However, it has the tacit approval of President Bush who always supported the agenda of Sharon including his settlement policies in the Palestinian occupied land. Whatever may the situation of Kadima, the reins of Likud Party are now in the grip of Benjamin Netanyahu, the ambitions ex-Prime minister of Israel who refuses to give any territory to Palestine unilaterally.

Thus, the so-called “Peace Process” will remain in jeopardy. The game plan of Sharon was to give “something” to Palestinians in name only and keep back the whole junk of the occupied territory in the name of ‘peace and security of Israel in broad-day-light hegemony with Washington, London and Paris whereas Netanyahu is not prepared to go even to that extent. Palestine will remain the most uneasy land in the heart of the Muslim world, irrespective of the fact who controls the affairs of the State of Israel. Death or departure of Ariel Sharon from the scene will make no difference. Palestine will remain the bleeding spot and agony for the Muslim Ummah for decades to come.

The precarious condition of Ariel Sharon should be the eye opener for all the “mighty” despotic rulers of the world, including Muslim countries that they are not here on this earth on eternal basis. Their life span is in the hands of their Creator and Sustainer. Sooner or later they are to meet the inevitable stage of either a prolonged illness or “sudden” death. They all are to face the Lord of this cosmos where they will be held accountable for all their atrocities and “Zulm” [oppression] that they have committed or are committing on their fellow citizens and there will be no Bush or UN to save their skin from the wrath of their Sustainer. The sufferings of Sharon should give them a reminder that all are going to meet the same fate and no superpower will come to their rescue in the mightiest court of Allah, howsoever, they may deny it out of arrogance on this earth, “Fataberu ya Ulul absar” [Only the men of intelligence will take lesson from it].

Shamim Siddiqi

January 9, 2006