An Al Quds day letter to Tony Blair. From Lauren Booth, in Iran
04. Sep, 2010
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Gilad Atzmon: I guess that Tony Blair’s sister in law, Lauren Booth, could easily use the phone and tell Tony what she thinks of him, his politics and his new memoir. However, being a peace activist she decided also to share it with the rest of us.
Dear Tony,
Congratulations on your political memoir becoming an instant bestseller. I’m in Iran and have the only copy in the country. I can tell you, its so fiercely fought over, it’s worth its weight in WMD’s. Note to Random House; have ‘A Journey’ translated into Farsi and Arabic asap, it’ll fly off the shelves in this part of the world.
Tony, yesterday I went the Al Quds day protest in Tehran. You may have heard of it? It’s the rally where Iranians gather to protest against Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, including the Holy city of Jerusalem.
I’m being sarcastic by asking if you’ve heard of Al Quds day, because I know you have. It is after all your very worst nightmare right? It must be horrifying with the ‘world view,’ you express in your memoirs to watch scenes on the BBC news showing the precise meeting point of politics and Islam.
Personally I’ve never understood this fear of ‘political Islam’ it seems to me that religious people should always be educated on world events rather than kept in ignorance like say, Mid West Christian Zionists in the US who can’t even find their home city on a map of their state.
Anyway, yesterday, I stood in the midst of more than one million Iranian Muslims all chanting in unison ‘Marg Bar Isre-hell!’ and ‘Marg Bar Am-ri-ca!’ You know what that means Tony I’m sure ; ‘Down with Israel, down with America’. The men, women and children around me withstood a day of no water and no food (it’s called Ramadan, Tony, it’s a fast). Coping with hunger and thirst in the hundred degrees heat, as if it were nothing. They can withstand deprivation in the Muslim world, and think it a proud thing to suffer in order to express their fury at the continued slaughter of Palestinians. To protest the theft of what little remains of Palestinian land by settlers. To protest the blockade of Gaza causing immense suffering to millions.
Now, the Christian Zionists in the US and the Jewish Zionists in Israel would have you believe that I was am in danger in Iran, especially on a day like Al Quds. Well here again Tony, you’ve been fed and have consumed in its entirety, a massive lie. The lie that says that when Muslims march they march against infidels (like me I suppose) in some kind of Middle Eastern homage to the ancient crusades.
Yet the crusade Tony is yours, not ‘theirs.’
Today I spoke with many women on the Tehran protest. One mother who wept, not out of hatred for ‘the West’ but out of empathy for the mothers of Rafah, Khan Younis, Nablus and Jenin. Do you recognise these place names Tony, as Middle East peace envoy you really should. Israel has massacred children in all of these cities in recent years. Didn’t you know?
Anyway the women I met were gentle, frustrated by the refusal of the international community to stop the arrests of Palestinian children, to stop the routine bombing of the tunnels (the main access still for food and essential items in the Gaza strip). We embraced in the streets of Tehran like sisters. Not in Islam Tony, but in the fight against your brand of extremism and prejudice.
And today when the streets of London reverberate with cries of ‘Allahuakbar!’ and ‘Down Down Israel.’ Christians and Jews will join the thunderous cries of ‘Down Down Israel, marching against the ‘political’ Muslims you say you fear so much, That you would have me fear too if you could.
Having spent a good deal of time in Palestine in recent years, certainly more than you and your the ‘peace envoy’ supposedly. It repulsed me to read your blatant swallowing of the Israeli narrative regarding Palestine and its people.
The ‘conflict’ between Palestine and Israel is according to you all about religion and has nothing at all to do with the ethnic cleansing of the Arab population, nor the degredation of those who remain by their Israeli occupiers. You say that Arabs have and always will see ‘Jews’ as enemies. For God’s sake Tony do your history. And if you’re going to run a ‘Faith Foundation’ then better gen up on Islam 101 don’t you think? Did your pals in Tel Aviv forget to tell you how many thousands of Jews lived in Historic Palestine in harmony with their Arab neighbours before 1948? Do you really not know that even today tens of thousand of Jews reside contentedly in Iran?
I’ve sat with dozens and dozens of Muslim families, those whose children have been burned by Israeli/US phosphorous bombs. Those who are still suffering hunger due to the Israel siege of Gaza. Those who have lived through the early days of sanctions against Iran when they needed food vouchers just to live. And every single Muslim in these suffering families has the same message ; ‘We don’t hate anyone for their race or their religion. We cannot hate Jews they are in our holy book it is against the teachings of the Koran.’ But Tony let me ask you this. Why should any people Muslim or otherwise have NO right to justice and NO right to challenge an evil being done to them and their children? or to those who share a set of common beliefs? Do you have no understanding of what it is like to live in Gaza? Under siege, attacked with chemical weapons, your children’s schools razed to the ground by Israeli missiles, your hospitals shelled, your electricity limited, your water undrinkable?
Or do understand the ‘idea’ of the hardships suffered by millions in the Middle East as a direct result of your support for Israel and just think they deserve it?
In your book you say you knew full well how many Beirut homes were flattened, how many civilians died in Lebanon in 2006. Yet you dismiss Lebanese rage about Israeli land theft of ‘Shebas Farm’ as being an irrelevance, about a ‘tiny’ amount of land. You cannot see it as part of an attack on Lebanese life as a whole, by it’s heavily armed aggressive neighbour. You see it as: ‘Israel is attacked. Israel strikes back.’ As if Israel lives in placid peace, being kindly to all around it in between these massacres.
As other world leaders came out to demand Israel immediately cease its 2006 bombing raids on Lebanese cities, you stayed silent.
‘If I had condemned Israel’ you say ‘I would have been more than dishonest. It would have undermined my world view.’
Your world view that Muslims are mad, bad, dangerous to know. A contagion to be contained. Your final chapter is a must read here in the Middle East Tony, congratulations! For it lays out the ‘them’ and ‘us’ agenda of your friends in Washington and Tel Aviv and in David Milliband, the ambassador of Zionism that he is.
In the final chapter you say; ‘we need a religious counter attack’ against Islam. And by ‘Islam’ you mean the Al Quds rallies, the Palestinian intifada (based on an anti Apartheid struggle Tony, NOT religious bigotry), against every Arab who fails to raise a flag as the F16s rain on their homes and refugee camps and breaks out singing ‘Imagine all the people…’
When you say ‘extremism’ must be ‘controlled and beaten’ you mean the message of solidarity shared by Non Muslims alike on the streets of London and across the world today, joining the Al Quds day protests.
‘Not only extremism must be defeated’ you say but ‘the narrative that has to be assailed.’
Iran is indeed the place where Islamic tradition meets political action.
But I’m not afraid here Tony. The people are kind, friendly, full of good humour.
They are also highly aware of the history of this region, the wrongs perpetrated by Israel against Palestine and the political machinations of the US and the UK governments.
And as your book remains highly sought after here in Tehran. It’s that and not Islam, that you and your Israeli chums should be afraid of because it reveals you in all your ignorant glory.
Lauren Booth
Broadcaster and Journalist
Mail on Sunday
Press TV, UK
Source: Gilad Altzmon
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this is awesome! was it really sent to tony blair?
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gulzar khan Reply:
November 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Even if it was not sent to him, it is available on net and every one has read. So tony might have too. The message is for the west- USA ,Uk and elsewhere. This is nothing new. Only thing is that it has been repeated by a lady who is sister of tony Blairs’ wife.
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Time for US misguided Middle East policy to become just for all parties. It is ironic Jews are Arabs. Read Internet. First monotheism was created by Chinese TAO with his numerous ‘The Eternal One Who lives in heaven’ 6,500 YEARS AGO. Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton stole it and mde it Egypt’s till his death. Moses stole it from him. IS-RA-EL is Egyptian-Arabic-Iranian acronym. IS= Egyptian Fertility Goddess, RA= Egyptian Sun God &EL= Akkadian Earth God. Early popes boasted their creation of mythical Jesus created untold wealth and power for them and they launched the many criminal Crusades against Moslems. Islam is Judaism for the children of Abraham’s slave wife, Hager. But it dropped the 200+ racist ‘Chosen’ in the Bible and also ordered Moslems to provide for the poor. Racism and hatred perpetuate itself and creates counter violence. Time for judging humans by what they do & not what they believe! Israeli genocides and counter-terrorism must stop!
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Maybe you need to understand Iran a little better.. you will find that was a rally of mainly government employees, did you see the 1500+ buses used to transport these people? Or the food and drinks as a reward for attending? No?? I guess you just saw what the regime wanted you to see. These people are actually dangerous and radical, the Iranian people are not. Do some research before you jump on your next soap box.
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Fahimeh Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 2:02 am
I’m not an employee and I went to protest Israel.I saw my friend there. She’s not an employee too. She’s a student.I saw old men & women;I saw young girls & boys I guess they can’t be employee because oldness or low age.
There was buses use to transport these people. any government must service to its people.it’s minimum service government would do. if there wasn’t buses to transport us to march, we protest government.
I’m 23 years old and participate in very marches. I swear I don’t see any food or drink in marches. in which march you see?!
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Ron Reply:
October 24th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
I am afraid that the views of people of the US in particular and it’s allies to a lesser extent such as Australia, my country, are so steeped in crusader like ignorance and prejudice, that even an article like Lauren Booth, no, not even an article but a letter to her brother in law comes under attack, is believed by few, scanned for the slightest exaggeration or flaw, which if not found will be simply a “read between the lines” comment so that ongoing vilification of anything not Cristian (or Jewish).
These are the same people who supported Tony, George W., our PM and those of 39! other countries which invaded Iraq to removed WMD’s (of course only the US remains there in occupation) still having failed to find any evidence of the WMD’s that “justified” their invasion.
When are you people going to recognize the truth!
how is it that educated people still trust such leaders, why is it that they are not the subjects of intense scrutiny perhaps even under war crimes international law, why is it that today in my country, our leaders in response to Wikileaks express concern for the security of their occupying forces and not horror for the truth Wiki has leaked while incarcerating the suspected source of the leaks.
Oh yes, good old uncle Sam and his mates can do no wrong, not when they “took out” in George’s words, the villain nor when as Ronald’s America, he was supported as a hero and a great leader of his people out of repression!
Perhaps the most powerful letter I have read on Western prejudice and unending dogma!
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bravo bravo bravo lauren. IT IS REFRESHING TO HEAR SOME SPEAK OUT AGAINST NAZI ISRAEL, THE GREATIST VIOLATERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE LAST 100 YRS. Unfortunatly the once mighty &respected along with britain, the u.s. is too afraid of the nazi.s of israel they control banking, media & about everything else. So the u.s. will stand by & do nothing. shame-shame-shame united states 7 britain
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Ron Reply:
October 24th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
And 40 other countries many of whom it seems recognize the lies that took them there. Yet few stand up and ask “in light of Iraq, what of the Palestinians etc?” – how do those like Tony Blair continue the lie? Why is it that they maintain any credibility?
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I can see the high level of human dignity in Lauren’s words. She has the ability to ‘stick it’ to Tony like few others. Also I see the dignity in the humble face of PM Ismail Haniya of Gaza. The western media says Hamas took over power with violence! Are we all stupid? Didn’t they win in a balanced election but the losers wouldn’t hand over the keys? Let’s be real. If you don’t agree with me, that’s your business. But why would you be wasting your time reading this while you could be home watching FOX NEWS and feeling yourself.
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If the media does not pick up this news and this is the only place where we read about this how can it be considered the truth.
Whatever the mass media publishes, is considered the truth these days. It is not about the Nazis, the US, Tony Blair, etc.
How can an elected official (whose main job is to be verbose and not good at public administration, otherwise he would not be in office) go against the media?
He has written a book which will make a profit if it has some controversy in it. The more the better.
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Mrs Booth is an honest person. All politicains resort to ‘revisionist’ re-writing to change their dismal performance by, at least, telling a gullible public what their intentions were! Two years ago, Mr Blair received a $1,000,000 gift from the Zionists for taking Britain into Iraq & Afghanistan by Jew Bush and his Jew cabal of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Adelstein and the rest iof the 12 tribes so that they can steal their oil and vast mineral resources! The war cost Britain at least 1,00 dead, not to mention the enormous cost to the Treasury and a wrecked economy because of the Jew-inspired hedge funds, sub-prime mortgages, swaps, paying off ‘rating’ companies to upgrate the terrible mortgage ‘bundles’, which they then dumped on Britain and all other countries with stupid ‘leaders’! At $1,000 a soldier fully equipped and paid, that’s a great bargain! Next time I don’t like a country, I will find me another Blair, even if I have to pay a parasitic ‘CHOSEN’ to find me one!!
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Brilliant! Standing up to bullies is how we defeat them.
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I don’t like Hitler. Not because he killed millions of Jews (or did he? was holocaust a reality?)but because why did he leave even one Jew alive. There won’t be peace in the world as long as a jew is alive. They are manipulating all the governments against Muslims.
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Ali Reply:
September 23rd, 2010 at 8:50 am
Tanweer, Salaam,
This kind of message is antithetical to the very Islam you wish to follow. Just as Islam can be made to look violent by a few, so can the religion of Judaism. Wishing genocide on an entire class of people simply because of who they follow is unIslamic. There are very kind and friendly Jews. Perhaps you may wish to rethink your ideology.
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Thank you Lauren for this honest lecture to Tony, unfortunately it will mostly go unheard. Due to the Zionist control of the media, true messages like this are silenced while hate messages like that pope in Florida is broadcast all over the world.
What we all must state clearly and enlighten the masses to, is the fact that all these Iblis/Satan worshipers, from Babylonians to Pharo Egypt all the way to Zionists, neo conservatives , Nazis, Illuminati, Freemasons, cabalists…etc ARE the ones spreading fear, hate and war among the people. Islam, Christianity and Judiaism are but one religion, and its enemy is one (Satan and his followers) as stated by God in the Quran (Bagara), Bible and Torah (Genesis). Its time for the believers of the one God to unite against their arch enemy Satan and his followers/ worshipers.
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brilliant and very honest statement! The ignorance of the occidental ruling class about the rest of the world is hopeless! Do they even know that they only represent a very small pourcentage of the world? This occidental arrogance continually repeated like a prayer mill is such a stupidity and so crazy that the western civil society is obliged to act immediately against their fools in power!
Really there is a big lack of intelligence of our rulers here in the west. We have to commit them quickly to prison for mentally deranged criminals before they destroy completely our humanity.
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Tony Blair, as a co-sponsor of implementing the no-fly zone over Iraq, is responsible for murdering millions of people including women and children in Iraq. He is
responsible for the illegal invasion of Iraq that so far killed millions of innocent people and also hundreds of British soldiers in Iraq. During his 10 years of tenure as the Prime Minister of Britain, what was his role in the achievement of peace in the Middle East? Nothing.Now Mr. Blair need a decent job and the European Commission appointed vile Tony as its “peace envoy” to the Middle East. What a mockery to peace.
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Mrs., you are an idiot and give material support to those that wish to destroy the world as we know it. Do you realize that Iran has it’s fingers in more than a few nasty areas on earth? They are opposed to individual freedom and you need to look at the ties they have to tyrannical dictators. I would love to talk to you about this, but I know that it would be like explaining thermonuclear dynamics to a baby. Have a good day and enjoy living in the comfortable numb of your life.
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