From: "Barry E. Jackson" <djackson1-AT-stny.rr.com> Subject: Fw: [BRC] Terror Attacks of September 11, 2001 Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 14:04:42 -0000 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Black Radical Congress" <blackradicalcongress-AT-mail.com> To: <brc-press-AT-lists.tao.ca> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 10:43 AM Subject: [BRC] Terror Attacks of September 11, 2001 > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > This is a Press Release/Statement from the Black Radical Congress > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > Black Radical Congress (BRC) > > For Immediate Release > > September 13, 2001 > > Contact: > Art McGee <artmcgee-AT-usa.net> > Bill Fletcher, Jr. <bfletcher4-AT-compuserve.com> > > Terror Attacks of September 11, 2001 > > During 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. > > > -30- > > 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 > Email: blackradicalcongress-AT-visto.com > Web: http://www.blackradicalcongress.org > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > BRC-PRESS: Black Radical Congress - Official Press Releases/Statements > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Unsubscribe: <mailto:majordomo-AT-tao.ca?body=unsubscribe%20brc-press> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Subscribe: <mailto:majordomo-AT-tao.ca?body=subscribe%20brc-press> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Help: <mailto:worker-brc-press-AT-lists.tao.ca?subject=brc-press> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/brc-press-AT-lists.tao.ca> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Archive: <http://groups.yahoo.com/messages/brc-press> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Archive: <http://www.escribe.com/politics/brc-press> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > <www.blackradicalcongress.org> | BRC | <blackradicalcongress-AT-visto.com> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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