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Finger Pointing Doesn't Help
13 February 2007


It's not often I find myself agreeing with Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but as the war of words between Iran and the USA escalates, one statement caught my eye. 'I think that Americans have made a mistake in Iraq and unfortunately are losing,' Mr Ahmadinejad said, '...and that's why they are trying to point their fingers to other people and pointing fingers to others will not solve the problem.'

No, Mr Ahmadinejad, pointing fingers at others will not solve the problem. But isn't that just what you are doing as well?

The recent UN Alliance of Civilisations report cited a widepread 'perception of double standards in the application of international law and the protection of human rights' as one of causes of division between the West and the Muslim world. The West points fingers at Iran (and other countries) where political and religious dissenters are persecuted, where the lack of a free press and independent judiciary allows corruption to thrive. Meanwhile much of the Muslim world points fingers at the human rights abuses in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and by trigger-happy soldiers in Iraq, and at the failure to enforce UN resolutions relating to Israel and the occupied territories.

If we want people to change things over there shouldn't we start by putting our own house in order first?


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