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Iranians’
treatment of captives Vs “Western values”
Posted By Adam Robertson
The West talks about Western values,
about the need to spread Western values in the Arab and the
Muslim world, which it views as “uncivilized”.
But the West must give up this tired
rhetoric and face up to the fact that the so-called “Western
values” now provoke laughter among Arabs, Muslims, and many
parts of the world that disagree with the imperialistic
policies pursued by the U.S. and UK and the damaging effect of
which has been felt in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, the only woman
among the British naval personnel arrested by Iran for
illegally entering Iranian waters appeared on television
admitting entering Iranian territorial waters.
In one video released by Iran's
embassy in London, sailor Faye Turney said she was being held
because of "oppressive" British and U.S. behavior in
Iraq.
And earlier another sailor appeared
on Iranian TV apologizing to Iranians for trespassing in their
country's territorial waters.
"We entered Iranian waters
without permission and were arrested by Iranian border guards
and I would like to apologize to the Iranian people for
this," IRNA news agency quoted the sailor as saying.
"Since we were arrested on
Friday March 23, 2007 everything has been very good and I am
completely satisfied about the conditions,"
The funny thing is that the American
President called on Iranians to release the 15 British sailors
and marines, describing their capture as "inexcusable.
Images taken from videos released by
Iran since last week and showing some of the detained British
naval personnel who were arrested after illegally entering the
Iranian waters circulated all over the “civilised world”
so that everyone can see how the Iranians are treating their
captives.
The sailors appeared in a good
health, no signs of stress or torture, and in some scenes they
were eating. And still the West, in particular UK accuses Iran
of being uncivilized, describing the incident as
“appalling”.
Compare the video of the sailors to
Abu Ghraib’s truly appalling images and humiliation the
occupation forces inflicted on the Iraqis, which was depicted
in the disturbing photographs that circulated all over
the whole world and showed how great and noble “Western
Values” are.
The videos demonstrated the noble
values of the Muslim world. Those who criticised the fact that
the only woman arrested among the British sailors appeared
wearing the Islamic headscarf- What’s so wrong and harmful
in wearing a piece of cloth on one’s head? Compare that to
images of hooded men held at Abu Ghraib jail by the U.S.,
which claims to be the world’s foremost protector of human
rights.
Those in the West who claim that the
Iranian move was outrageous and appalling- compare the British
sailors who appeared on the Iranian TV smiling, eating, and
being treated humanely- to images depicting Iraqis forced by
the occupiers of their country to pose in humiliating
positions and simulate sex acts.
And because Iranians are keen on
being just to those sailors, even though they entered the
Iranian waters illegally, they’re going to hold trials to
make sure that justice is served. Compare that to the U.S.
tribunals trying Guantanamo inmates, where detainees are
denied the right to be presented by their lawyers and
reporters are barred from attending the hearings.
The British captives were allowed to
talk on television- compare that to the solitary confinement
of Guantanamo prisoners, among many other “civilised”
methods the U.S. uses against detainees it holds.
Before accusing the Arab and the
Muslim world of being uncivilized, the West should first
define what being civilised means- it surely doesn’t mean
endangering the life of others, humiliating them, demonizing
them and being unjust to them.
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