Soroor Ahmed
The fear of the slow death of Judeo-Christian Civilization is likely to grip the West after President Donald Trump backed out from “the whole Civilization will die tonight” threat and agreed to suspend all the military operations against Iran. Instead of bringing about regime change on February 28, the United States and Israel, on the symbolic 40th day of the conflict, ended up consolidating the Islamic Republic, which had emerged as a clear victor.
Had he succeeded in this misadventure, nobody in the West would have criticized him and he would have been hailed by the present-day Christian Zionists as Godfrey of Bouillon (France), the Christian nobleman/general who snatched Jerusalem from the Fatimid dynasty in 1099 or King Richards the Lion-Hearted, a key figure of the Third Crusade against Salahuddin Ayyubi in 1191.
In that scenario, the British, Italian, Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers and French President as well as German Chancellor—and may be even some more such personalities—would have pardoned Trump for his past misdemeanour and declared him as the greatest champion of Judeo-Christian civilization who got rid of barbaric Mullahs.
In all eight Crusades launched between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Christian armies of Europe unitedly fought against the Muslim empire. Unlike today, Jews used to live in substantial number in Palestine and other Arab provinces, and enjoyed full protection. In contrast, during the 88 years of Christian occupation of Jerusalem (1099-1187), both Muslims and Jews had to undergo immense hardship. They were massacred, persecuted and expelled from Jerusalem.
The Christian armies succeeded only in the First Crusade as Salahuddin Ayyubi recaptured Jerusalem in 1187. They lost almost all the following crusades. What is ironical is that the retreating armies would often end up quarrelling among themselves. They would indulge in mass level killing of fellow Christians. In several cases the property of their own people was looted and they were left to starve by the defeated holy warriors.
King Richards Imprisonment
None else, but the hero of the Battle of Acre (in Palestine), King Richards was captured and jailed by Duke Leopold of Austria while, after failing to capture Jerusalem, he was way back to his kingdom. Leopold kept him in prison for a year on the plea that Richards had insulted him during the Crusade. Sounds something similar to Trump who too humiliated and ridiculed European friends during the recent war.
However, the Catholic world continued to launch five more crusades with the Eighth one ending in disaster in 1270s. Since then, till Napoleon invaded Egypt and Syria in 1798 for over five centuries there was no threat to Palestine, Jerusalem in particular.
On the other hand, the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of Eastern Roman Empire in 1453 and penetrated as deep as the outskirts of Vienna in 1683. In between Muslims were routed and thrown out of Spain by the end of 15th Century, that is after 700 years of presence in Iberian Peninsula. The truth is that they were themselves responsible for this fate.
It is several decades after brief Napoleonic occupation of parts of Egypt and Syria, that the idea of using Jews in front and promising them their homeland was first conceived by the Christian Zionists. By 1830s a new concept of Judeo-Christian Civilization was floated essentially by the Protestants. Whatever is happening since then is a known fact now.
Trump, A Favourite Whipping Boy
But then why is Trump alone being derided and opposed by a strong section of people in the same West when almost the entire western media—even those normally critical of him– went gaga over the killing of top leadership of Iran? Simply because he could not fulfil the dream the West has been nursing for the last 47-year. Initially, all the blames were put on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the fact is that he is a small fry in this game being played for the last about 200 years. A narrative was spread that the United States is fighting Israel’s war, when the truth is that it is the latter which has been used as a henchman or cannon fodder of the West. The Americans and Europeans appear physically or directly in the scene only when the situation really demands—as during the just concluded war.
There is absolutely no denying the fact that Israel survives each moment of its existence on the oxygen supplied by the global masters. Now that the West itself is running short of this life saving gas there is panic all over. Therefore, now accusing finger is being pointed towards Trump. The truth is that Trump and Netanyahu are not the only leaders who spoke such foul and abusive language against Palestinians and Iranians. Almost all the Israeli Prime Ministers since 1948 and several American Presidents have indulged in such exercises. How can one forget Joe Biden and George Bush-II. The truth is that all the cabinet members of the US and Israel have no control over their tongues.
Meek Surrender
Now that the US has in a way meekly surrendered before Iran a campaign against Trump is likely to intensify. Those who initially supported may soon leave him in lurch. It may be premature to suggest that he may meet the fate of King Richards, but nothing can be ruled out.
Israel, which is now licking the incurable wound, is heading for a grave political crisis just ahead of the election later this year. After having achieved nothing, the corruption charges may haunt badly defeated Netanyahu. His country has been badly devastated in the war for no rhyme and reason.
Israel was created, funded and made nuclear power by the West. What will happen to it now?
Here it needs to be mentioned that the Dimona nuclear plant, the pride of Israel, which was recently bombed by Iran, was actually built by France between 1956 and 1967, though it is Israel which gets undue credit for it.
In the same way Britain and France could not have become nuclear powers in 1950s without the backing the United States which wanted to checkmate the then Communist Soviet Union, which had become nuclear power in August 1949.
Western Losses
In the just concluded war the United States and Israel have suffered thousands of casualties, millions of Americans and Europeans who had been virtually dominating the industries, trade and business in the entire West Asia have fled from the scene suffering loss in trillions of dollars.
Apparently, the gas and oil related plants and refineries may be owned by the Arabs, but the main beneficiaries, of all these enterprises were the capitalists sitting on both sides of North Atlantic Ocean.
Whatever small these Arabs (in comparison to their western friends) earn they deposit in the banks and invest in industries in the United Staes, Europe etc.
Fifth Column
Now that the Iranians have not only demolished the American military bases, but also industries owned by multi-national corporations in the Gulf, the White Supremacists have been hurt most. Iranian control over Hormuz may help Tehran bounce back economically. The chain of sanction has been smashed and it can trade with any country.
What the West is fearing most in the region is the silent emergence of Fifth Columnists, that is those Arabs in establishment who have secretly joined hands with Iran. The weakening of the US presence has emboldened them. This worrying development is causing deep anxiety in western capitals.
The long-term impact of the civilizational war would be enormous. It would be nothing like the retreat of the West from Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq.
(Soroor Ahmed, an independent Indian journalist, is the author of the book, The Jewish Obsession, published in 2004. He writes on international, national and regional issues. The views expressed is author’s own)
