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this extremely sad and traumatic time, we extend our sincere
and heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of
all those who lost their life on September 11th. We also wish
for the speedy and full recovery of those who were injured,
and we hope and pray that in the aftermath of the attacks, rescue
crews can find as many people still alive as possible.
The Black Radical Congress (BRC) strongly condemns the horrific
terror attacks which occurred on September 11th, 2001. The brazen
murder of countless thousands of civilians cannot be supported
or condoned.
It is without question that US imperialism has brought genocidal
levels of death and destruction to people around the world.
Whether one looks at the situation in Iraq with the continual
blockade and air bombardments, the situation in Palestine where
the US continues to give virtually uncritical support to the
Israelis in their national oppression of the Palestinians, the
economic blockade against Cuba which aims to undermine its economy
and weaken its population, or any number of other places, one
clearly sees the callousness and evil intent with which US imperialism
treats the lives and property of others, especially non-white
peoples around the globe.
Yet, even with a firm understanding of the causes of the desperation,
fury, and hatred of US imperialism, turning to terrorism to
fight global oppression and exploitation is not an acceptable
strategy. A clear and unambiguous distinction must be made between
radical/revolutionary political action on the one hand, and
terrorism on the other, regardless of whether the causes that
*appeared* to inspire the terrorist action(s) are just. Open
and unmitigated attacks on civilian targets do not advance radical/revolutionary
causes and must be repudiated. Rather, such attacks inevitably
antagonize the populace, weaken any existing popular support,
and help legitimize heightened levels of repression by the imperialist
state against *all* progressive /radical /revolutionary political
activity, including increased restrictions on the civil rights
of the people.
We already hear, in the voices of those in power, calls for
war and vengeance. War and vengeance without a precise target,
but striking out blindly, is nothing more than self-serving
jingoism. Given the track record of the US, this could include
indiscriminate bombings or missile attacks, such as the attack
against the Sudanese pharmaceutical laboratory two years ago,
which was later found *not* to have been connected with any
sort of terrorist activity.
The dangers presented by the September 11th terrorist acts do
not restrict themselves to the external threat. We hear on television
and radio calls for changing the laws and regulations in order
to make it easier to conduct surveillance and to carry-out covert
operations against potential opponents of the US. Rather than
accomplishing anything in terms of reducing the threat of terrorism,
such steps will eliminate basic civil liberties and strengthen
the existing tendency toward a racist and classist police state.
The police are already out of control and on the rampage in
communities across the country. We cannot afford to further
unleash their undemocratic and frequently murderous behavior
in the name of national security.
We should add here that the terrorist attacks have also brought
potential damage to the growing anti-capitalist globalization
movement. The ruling class has been making noise for months
about the demonstrations that accompany the gatherings of capitalist
globalizers. They have inferred that these demonstrations will
get increasingly out of control. There is no question that the
events of September 11th will be used as a pretext to both discourage
activity, as well as to clamp down on any and all popular outrage
with neo-liberal globalization.
It is also critical in moments such as these that we as human
beings fight and resist popular impulses toward scape-goating
and racism. From almost the moment of the first attack on the
World Trade Center, there has been an assumption floated within
the media that Arabs or Muslim fundamentalists were behind the
attacks. The reaction to the attacks is reminiscent of what
we witnessed immediately after the Oklahoma City bombings. There
was a widespread assumption that Arabs or Muslims were behind
the attack on the Federal Office building. Few establishment
observers expected, or led any of the public to expect, that
the terrorist could be -- and was -- a homegrown, white American
right-winger.
Therefore, it is important to reserve judgment until a more
thorough investigation is conducted. This is particularly important
given the anti-Palestinian/anti-Arab/anti-Muslim bias of the
media. The automatic assumption of the US media is that Palestinians
specifically, and Arabs generally, are animals, or at best,
fanatics with no concern for human life. The just and righteous
Palestinian cause is rarely given credible time, and when offered,
generally dismissed by allegedly objective (but really pro-Israeli)
commentators. Therefore, in the current situation of horror
following these criminal acts, we must actively oppose any and
all witch- hunting and stereotyping which is bound to emerge.
Yet another danger we currently face will be xenophobia and,
general anti-immigrant sentiment. This will almost inevitably
be directed at immigrants of color and particularly those who
"look" like they might be of Middle Eastern (North African)
origin. The attacks on immigrants and the condemnation of entire
communities must be stopped before they escalate out of control.
We already see some of this happening with numerous reports
of anonymous death threats sent to Arab and Muslim institutions,
as well as the spray painting of racist slogans and direct,
personal threats and attacks on individuals who are assumed
to be from the Middle East (North Africa). We call on all clear-thinking
people to be especially vigilant at this time in making sure
that in the aftermath of this tragedy, another tragedy born
of pain, anger, and hatred does not occur. True anti-racism
may require us to put ourselves at risk physically in order
to defend Arabs and Muslims from unwarranted attacks.
Lastly, Black America must not condone or be indifferent to
the horrendous loss of human life resulting from this tragedy,
nor can we allow these horrific acts to be used as an excuse
to further repress Arab-Americans, Muslims, or those perceived
to be opponents of capitalist globalization. As a people that
has survived over 400 years of genocidal oppression on these
shores, we are all too familiar with the human suffering caused
by both terrorism and racial hatred. From the amputations, beatings,
and rapes of Chattel Slavery, to the New York City Draft Riots
of 1863, to the post- Reconstruction terrorism of the Klu Klux
Klan, to the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921, to the government sponsored
Counter-Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) of the 1960s, to the
contemporary state-sanctioned police murder and brutality we
are fighting today, we as Black people have lots of experience
with the horrors of terrorism in the US, as it has too frequently
been directed against us. That is why we must show our full
and unqualified support and compassion for all those suffering
as a result of this horrible tragedy, most of whom have come
to experience terrorism for the first time, as we continue our
400+ year struggle to rid ourselves of this evil, both domestically
and around the world.
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NOTE: When responding or sending us feedback about this statement,
please indicate whether we have your permission to share your
comments publicly, as part of a broader discussion and debate.
Thank you.
Black Radical Congress National Office Columbia University Station
P.O. Box 250791 New York, NY 10025-1509 Phone: (212) 969-0348 |
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