by Mohammed Daud Miraki PhD, MA, MA – Afghan Depleted Uranium & Recovery Fund
http://www.rense.com
(September 30, 2003) — It is interesting, yet equally ironic when money, the instrument of greed, also serves as an efficient gauge in measuring the truth behind peoples’ claims of concern, sympathy and commitment toward causes or issues they allegedly care about.
No where is this more evident than in the words of many Americans who contacted me. Although initially, I was rather encouraged by many who were moved by the plight of the Afghan people and by my efforts to bring about some sort of remedy to those poor souls. The devastating conditions, from which Afghans die daily, are too numerous to chronicle in these few passages.
However, since the first day of bombing, October 07, 2001, Afghans have become victims of many weapons for which American taxpayers paid. The worst of the arsenals used is uranium and depleted uranium, which have littered fertile terrain, barren deserts and mountain ranges alike. The American taxpayers paid over $14 billion to bring about this devastation upon the poorest nation on earth.
You, the taxpayers of this country, have turned the terrible living conditions into unendurable disaster. As if this was not enough, additional $10 billion is allocated for military operations there.
This means that additional devastation worth $10 billion would be brought upon Afghan people. This would further turn Afghanistan uninhabitable. Thanks to you, the taxpayers of America. As to the cost of this disaster to the Afghan people, it is immeasurable. After all, unlike you, who pay with your taxes, the Afghans pay with their lives, the deformities of their children and the imminent dangers that cloud their existence.
The formula used in Afghanistan works this way: destroy everything, contaminate every aspect of that country and condemn its people to a perpetual death. Only then, use $1 to $2 billion to rebuild the irreparable destruction that took over $14 billion and counting. Interestingly, this formula is used to deceive people in Afghanistan and all over the world. But it will not work, Afghans can see through these deceptions clearly. In fact, Afghans have cut through these deceptive hurdles all the way to the sources that fund these murders, the US taxpayers.
I can not imagine any larger collective guilt than this hypocrisy played by the taxpayers of this country. My allegations are in fact valid. Only in a democracy citizens’ contributions constitute collective action whether consciously or otherwise, this brings disasters to other nations and their people.
Some of you would argue that this is a systemic problem, hence, by being part of the system–“we are all trapped”. This would be a valid argument if you, Americans, could not do anything about it. However, you have choices and alternatives, Afghans do not. The truth is, you could do something about it, only if you were truly and honestly concerned rather than smearing the truth with your superficial compliments and inflated intangible sympathy.
Yes, intangible, for a people whose taxes pay for the collective murder of Afghan civilians, sympathy is hardly a meaningful avenue for self-redemption. On the scale of good and bad, the good has to tilt heavier to mean something worthy.
This is, unfortunately, the opposite in the case of you, the people of USA. The influx of billions of dollars earmarked for murdering the people of Afghanistan and destroying their environment, is a responsibility that you can not attribute only to Bush and his gang of criminals. Whether the payment is small or large, it is this investment in murder and genocide of Afghans that makes you, Americans, collectively guilty.
The use of uranium weapons and the destruction these weapons caused compelled me to open a relief fund for Afghan uranium victims, Afghan DU & Recovery Fund. The continuous notes of sympathy from many readers gave me the false impression that they might genuinely care about these wasted lives.
Unfortunately, it did not take long for me to wake up and taste reality. Of the thousands who sent me emails, only five individuals contributed whose contributions totaled only three hundred dollars ($300). So much for your genuine concerns!
Now, let me weigh the three hundred dollars ($300) against $14 billions you Americans paid for killing the Afghan people and destroying their environment. The only conclusion is, the colossal ($14 billions) bad committed by millions of Americans on the scale of decency far outweighs the tiny good ($300), only five of you contributed to the Afghan DU & Recovery Fund.
Let’s hope, you have a better answer to your creator?
Sincerely,
Mohammed Daud Miraki, PhD, MA, MA
Mohammed Daud Miraki, PhD is the Director of the Afghan DU & Recovery Fund.
www.afghandufund.org
mdmiraki@ameritech.net
