generalspeaking

Another Loose Cannon

It's quite simply amazing the number of purportedly intelligent and outwardly well-balanced minds that succumb, from time to time, to surrendering to the biases they keep so skilfully hidden at most times. And it's amazing too, that the fine elements of diplomacy simply slip their moorings on occasion. What accounts for that?

Well, perhaps because such slip-ups in airing opinions generally viewed as impolitic and impolite in decent, law-abiding circles are held to be more generally shared than is believed.

Three women of late have revealed the depth and extent of their sympathies with groups held in Western societies to be terrorist in nature and determination; Helen Thomas and Octavia Nasr, in the United States, both involved in news promulgation and interpretation. And now, from the United Kingdom, comes a third, a diplomat posted to Lebanon who, with the death of Hezbollah spiritual leader Sheikh Mohammed Fadlallah expressed admiration for the man.

A man of religion. A spiritual leader. Whose malignant abhorrence of the West and more specifically of Israel was well known and stringently hateful. He would die a happy man, he was said to have told an attending nurse, if he could be assured of Israel's destruction. This attitude from a man whom Islam instructs to respect and practise all that is considered moral and virtuous. That very Islam that exhorts to deeds of charity, justice, conciliation between human beings, compassion, truth and perseverance in the cause of truth (4:114, 90:17, 103:3).

"Islam's goal is to help its followers attain peace of mind. Belief and worship are meaningful when they translate into moral and ethical behaviour. Islam specifies a set of moral and ethical values to govern relationships with those around them, especially with other human beings. It orders its followers to "help one another in righteousness and piety, but not to assist one another in sin and rancour" (5:3).

And here is the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Frances Guy, eulogizing Sheikh Fadlallah. A man who authorized suicide bombings resulting in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. Yet, according to Ms. Guy, he represented "a true man of religion"; Lebanon being left "a lesser place" without his guidance. The world, alas "needs more men like him." She and those who think as she does mourn the death of this religious leader, this spiritual founding father of Hezbollah.

"People in Lebanon like to ask me which politician I admire most ... I usually avoid answering by referring to those I enjoy meeting the most and those that impress me the most. Until yesterday my preferred answer was to refer to Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, head of the Shia clergy in Lebanon and much admired leader of many Shia Muslims throughout the World", was what Ms. Guy wrote glowingly on her blog on the website of Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth office.

That blog entry has since been removed from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. It is all too, too embarrassing. Or is it? A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said that the comments were simply Ms. Guy's own personal expression, reflecting her personal thoughts. So that's all right, truly a huge relief. Except that, except that diplomats generally know enough about their craft not to express ideas that will embarrass their superiors and their public office.

Leading one to muse on Albion's traditional love affair with the darkly alluring Levant manifesting itself in its public service's Arabophilia, just as its historic joists with the darkly sinister allure of suspicion and dislike of Jews leads them naturally to the Jewphobia of anti-Semitism. Both of which are rigorously, strenuously, piously, earnestly denied; each of which remain deeply engrained.

"Personal views", one can be certain, are well vetted. No diplomatic representative of a country voices 'personal views', without repercussions - or prior permission - or instruction. A deliberate "slip" has its place in diplomatic relations seeking to ingratiate itself with a target audience. Similar to the quietly biased views encountered regularly on the BBC.

Labels: Britain, Human Relations, Middle East, United States

posted by Pieface @ Saturday, July 10, 2010