A Cowardly Nation!

Published in Al Ahram
(Egypt) on 1 March 2009
by Salwa Habib (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Mahitab Adham. Edited by Katy Burtner.
The Obama presidency does not mean that Americans have gotten rid of unpleasant racial feelings that are deep rooted in both whites' and blacks' souls, despite the rapture that prevailed in the U.S. on Obama’s inauguration day. The proof of that is what happened during the last few days.

First, Attorney General Eric Holder, the first black to hold this high-ranking position, described the U.S. as "a cowardly nation" because it refuses to candidly discuss its racial history. He encouraged his staff to study black history and the history of black Americans and to start a frank conversation about racism. Moreover, he burdened them with the acknowledgement of all of the social restrictions that are imposed on them and the exposure of the isolationism between different races, which has not changed in the last fifty years in his opinion.

In order to confront the outrageous language of the Attorney General, many lengthy pages have been published on the internet by white authors to convey their severe reactions and by black authors who are showing their increasing bitterness. The U.S. looked like a country that is divided between the Spanish, blacks, Asians and whites. This is the image of the existent and increased racism and the cultural desert during Obama's reign, which gives the impression that a civil war can break out at any time.

The second confirmation of racism was the provocative caricature published in the New York Post. It showed Obama as a chimpanzee that is being fired upon by police who stand by his corpse. One of the two policemen says: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." This caricature made the situation worse than ever. In fact, the apology and the defense of the drawing was not enough. The blacks did not interpret it as a mockery of the economic stimulus, but as a mockery of the black Obama. Thus, many people joined demonstrations and called for citizens to completely boycott the newspaper. In addition, many racial articles, which mention mutual hatred, have poured out from both sides.

Afterwards, a black Democratic member accused the Republicans of giving blacks a slap across the face when they refused Obama's economical project because it primarily helps the blacks as they suffer from unemployment and expulsion from homes.

In the middle of these fraught feelings, Michelle Obama invited students from a poor school composed of predominately black students to lunch and provided a space in the White House to teach them black history, to motivate them to struggle for realizing the dream that she and her husband have realized. In fact, this humanitarian gesture came at an inappropriate time.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that there is a real racial crisis in American society. Americans should be prudent and open-minded when dealing with this crisis. Otherwise, the situation will be aggravated at a time when the U.S. cannot afford further catastrophes.


أمة جبناء‏!‏

مجيء الرئيس أوباما للحكم لا يعني أن الأمريكيين تخلصوا من مشاعر العنصرية الكريهة المتأصلة في نفوس البيض والسود معا‏...‏ ذلك برغم ما شهدناه من نشوة عمت أمريكا يوم تنصيبه‏..‏ والدليل علي ذلك ما ظهر علي السطح خلال الأيام الماضية‏...‏ أولا‏,‏ حين لم يجد النائب العام إريك هولدر‏(‏ وزير العدل‏),‏ وهو أول أسود يتولي هذا المنصب الرفيع‏,‏ تعبيرا يصف به الولايات المتحدة سوي أنها أمة جبناء‏,‏ لرفضها مناقشة تاريخها العنصري صراحة‏...‏ وحث العاملين بوزارته علي دراسة التاريخ الأسود‏,‏ أو تاريخ السود الأمريكيين‏,‏ وبدء حوار صريح حول العنصرية‏,‏ وحملهم مسئولية الاعتراف بكل القيود الاجتماعية المفروضة عليهم‏,‏ وكشف مدي الانعزالية بين الأجناس المختلفة‏...‏ فهي لم تتغير عما كانت عليه منذ خمسين عاما‏,‏ كما قال‏...‏ وفي مواجهة لغة الوزير المهينة‏,‏ صدرت صفحات وصفحات طويلة من ردود أفعال شديدة الحدة من جانب المدونين البيض علي الانترنت‏,‏ وردود تكشف مزيدا من المرارة من جانب السود‏,‏ حتي بدت أمريكا‏,‏ وكأنها دولة مقسمة بين الأسبان والسود والآسيويين والبيض‏..

.‏ هي صورة لبلقنة عنصرية وثقافية حية ومزهرة حتي في حكم أوباما‏..‏ تترك الانطباعأن حربا أهلية قد تتفجرفي أي لحظة‏.‏

ثم يأتي الرسم الكاريكاتوري الاستفزازي بصحيفة نيويورك بوست ليصور أوباما كقرد الشمبانزي يطلق عليه البوليس النار‏,‏ ويقف فوق جثته‏,‏ ويقول أحدهما للآخر‏:‏ فليبحثوا عن شخص آخر يكتب لهم مشروعا جديدا لتحفيز الاقتصاد‏...‏ جاء ذلك ليصب مزيدا من الوقود علي النار‏...‏ لم يكن كافيا الاعتذار والدفاع عن الرسم‏...‏ لم يفسره السود باعتباره سخرية من المشروع الاقتصادي‏,‏ وإنما من أوباما الأسود‏...‏ فخرجت المظاهرات‏,‏ ونداءات تطالب المواطنين بمقاطعة الصحيفة تماما‏...‏ وانهمرت المدونات العنصرية علي الجانبين كالسيل تفيض بالكراهية المتبادلة‏.‏

بعد ذلك يأتي نائب ديمقراطي أسود يتهم الجمهوريين بتوجيه لطمة علي وجه السود برفض مشروع أوباما الاقتصادي لأنه يخدم السود اساسا‏...‏ فهم من يعانون البطالة والطرد من البيوت‏,‏ ووسط هذه المشاعر المشحونة تأتي ميشيل أوباما بتلاميذ مدرسة فقيرة للسود‏,‏ وتدعوهم علي غداء وفسحة بالبيت الأبيض لتلقنهم درسا في التاريخ الأسود للسود وتحفزهم علي الكفاح من أجل تحقيق ما حققته هي وزوجها‏...‏ هي لفتة إنسانية في توقيت غير مناسب‏...‏ فهناك أزمة عنصرية حقيقية داخل المجتمع الأمريكي‏,‏ وعلي الأمريكيين التعامل معها بتعقل وقلب مفتوح قبل أن ينفلت العيار في وقت لا تتحمل أمريكا فيه المزيد‏.‏
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  1. 44 years ago segregation was the law in the USA.
    American Blacks were enslaved for more than 350+
    years followed by 100 years of Jim Crow rule.The Japanese citizens were put in camps during WW2.
    The Germans and Italians did not suffer such an outrage.The WW2 German POWs were allowed freedoms that were denied black citizens.The German POWS
    called us Nigger Soldier.Army and Marine units in Viet Nam flew the Confederate Flag.we have been hated in this country since the first slave was brought here.If you look at Haiti,Cuba,Mexico,Central and South America poverty and struggle are the rule.We have a half white president not from the southern plantation root.He may be the best hope for this USA.He may be the barzakh on the cusp of both worlds.There have been no apologies from this government and no sympathy from the rest of the world.The bitterness is beyond the soul.