By C. Adhikesavan

Joshi Adhikari Institute for Social Sciences, New Delhi, organized seminar on the Current Development in West Asia – Turmoil, Genocide and Extremism on August 9, 2014 at Ajoy Bhavan, Headquarters of Communist Party of India. Eminent academicians including Prof. A K Pasha delivered lecture on the Development in Iraq, Prof. Bansidar Pradhan on Palestine Question and Turmoil in Gaza Strip, Atul Aneja on Temporary Solution in Asia and A K Ramakrishnan on the Current Situation in Egypt.
Unfortunately, Atul Aneja who was to deliver his lecture on Temporary Solution in Asia could not come on to the discussion due to some emergency. Prof. Ajay Patnaik of JNU conducted the meeting. Jinu Zachariah, as a discussant also gave his views on the current happenings in West Asia.

Hundreds of enthusiastic students and academicians from JNU, Delhi and Jamia Milia Universities participated in the discussion. The topics were relevant in the present context.

Initiating the discussion, Professor A K Pasha delivered his speech on Development in Iraq. Pasha teaches at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he has served as chairperson and is now director, Gulf Studies.

In his lecture Pasha said that Iraq was a socialist progressive secular and democratic country, which was industrially developed. Women were equally treated. Oil was nationalized resource. This could not be digestible for the US and allies. So Iraq must be contained. Its advancement and development must be contained. Iraq was not the only threat to the West but Iran too. So strategy was charted out to destroy both Iraq and Iran. The US did not want Iran and Iraq together. When the allies and the US attacked Iraq oil prices dropped.

The US launched war on Iraq, which was completely destroyed. Iraqis lived as refugees in their own country. Basic institutions, installations, and infrastructure were destroyed. A systematic destruction of intellectual properties was carried on. To occupy Iraq fully, it was necessary to disband the military. The US policy was very clear that Iraq should not be allowed to grow.

In the name of democracy and anti-terrorism, US sponsored the Al-qaeda and trained it in Syria. In the last three years, the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) was trained in Syria to occupy Syria.

Iran is supplying humanitarian means to foil bid to curb the influence of Saudi Arabia, where human rights are being violated. Through Israel, the US wants to dominate the Middle East region. The violence between Shias and Sunnis has increased. Oil and gas fields were targeted. These developments were not sudden but they were a systematic turmoil created to ensure the control of oil. This could be done only through creating instability in the Middle East and West Asia.

All through the US occupation, allies and US have been following divide and rule in Iraq. They divided the Shias and Sunnis. Their policy was to break Iraq into smaller states, which would be easy to control, dominate and occupy.

Speaking on Palestine Question and Turmoil in Gaza, Prof. Bansidar Pradhan of Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, said that First World War in 1914 played havoc with the destiny of the people.

Today, Middle East particularly Palestine is being de-stabilized by Israel. There is a secret understanding between the Zionist and the British for mass killing of people in Palestine particularly in Gaza Strip. A mindless war was being carried out on Muslims. It is a clear occupation of the sovereign country. Israel began to occupy Palestine in 1967. For this a deliberate massacre was carried out to occupy Gaza Strip. The current turmoil in Palestine is direct consequence of the Israel’s occupation. If Hamas is able to kill one Israeli, Israel kills 300 hundred Palestinians. Imperialists always follow the policy of divide and rule. First they divided Palestine into Hamas occupied Gaza Strip and PLO occupied West Bank. When both declared to unite Israel bombarded Gaza Strip.

But Palestinians are determined today not to leave Palestinian region. The media stands biased against the Palestinians. Israel is willing to systematically and methodologically destroy Palestine with precise timing and strategy and the US is fully backing Israel in its design of imperialistic ambitions.

Today, sanctions are the only means before the International community to contain and curtail Israel from the illegal war on Palestine as they did in Africa against apartheid regime. Why the US is not going for a sanction against Israel?

Prof. A K Ramakrishnan, JNU, Centre for West Asian Studies, addressed the gathering on Current Situation in Egypt. He said that there is lack of proper leadership in Arab world – including Syria, Iraq and Palestine. There is decline in the leadership in the region. Former President Hosni Mubarak, a close friend of US unleashed atrocities on his own people. The movement to overthrow Mubarak was dependent on the participation of all people.

After he was dethroned, a Constitution was drafted ensuing presidential election through fair and legitimacy. Secularism failed. Under Mohamed Morsi government all power concentrated in the president. Egypt was a divided country. Muslim Brotherhood leaders were put behind bars. It was a regime of oppression but that provided stability and economic development. Tourism was affected and military, economic and political upheaval has become important phenomenon. Morsi was overthrown by a military coup.

In 1950s and 1960s, the Arab world was going through cold war. Iraq was pro-American in 1960s. Arab world wanted some control on imperialist forces in the region. Local Arab countries were playing Double standard. So certain kind of international solidarity was the need of the hour.

India has taken neutral path – what for when a country has been historically supporting the Palestinians. In the current situation in the Middle East and Arab World, India’s view should be unambiguous.

The consensus of the meeting was that US has been following divide and rule policy internationally. The US interference in West Asia is to destroy, de-stabilize and occupy Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt. To fulfill this task, the US is aiding Israel. Israel has almost penetrated into Gaza Strip and started settlement there.

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