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.
Source: Aljazeera
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