In Defence of Islam

Gen Mladic is being held at Scheveningen prison in The Hague

Serbian General Ratko Mladic has been ushered out of court in The Hague in response to his galvanizing and disruptive protests against the proceedings which he claims have nothing to do with him and which are illegal and unjust. Obviously Mr. Mladic is oblivious to reality and how his brutish commands have been recognized in the world at large - admittedly not in Serbia - as crimes against humanity.

He has been charged by prosecutors at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia with 11 counts, the indictment including genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws of war, in Bosnia-Herzegovina for the period 1992 to 1995. The indictment clearly points to this Serbian hero persecuting Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) and Croats with a view to exterminating them from Bosnia and leaving the geography to Serbs.

In the courtroom were Bosnian Muslims who suffered horribly from planned and deliberate shortages of the fundamentals of life; food, water, medicines. In the courtroom were Bosnian Muslims who recall as though it were yesterday the rounding up of boys, young and old Muslim men separated from their families in Srebrenica and taken away never to be seen again, with a mass slaughter following in respect of General Mladik's direct orders.

This was an extended war in which NATO was heavily involved. Atrocities took place against Serbs by Croats and Bosniaks, the inhumane treatment meted out by these religious, ethnic groups was not confined to Serbs slaughtering Croats and Bosniaks; though the balance of the horror seemed to be in the Serb camp. And while the Serbs felt that they were responding in a manner protective of their own, Western powers had decided to aid the other camp.

Horrible brutality was exhibited against hated adversaries representing religion and ethnicity on all sides. Serbs still do not recognize that they were guilty of behaviour more shameful than that of those they fought against. And if it were up to them they would continue to lionize those who became heroes to them during the conflict. Political and economic pressure convinced them however reluctantly, to surrender their butcher to the ICC.

Here was an instance where the West stood foursquare in defence of a large Muslim population from among whom leaders acted in just as vicious a manner as those being brought to justice. Through the encouragement of the West, Bosnia is considered an independent state; the United States recognized Bosnia-Herzegovina's independence in 1992. But the country, much like the Palestinian Territories, exists on handouts, with 43% unemployment, economic development at a standstill, its economy dependent on direct foreign aid.

So much for "Islamophobia" expressed by the West toward Muslim countries. The irony of a Christian being held accountable in the International Criminal Court for atrocities committed against Muslims, while the world of Islam looks on, and yet gives short shrift to the same ICC naming Muslim leaders of Sudan and Libya as being guilty of crimes against humanity through their brutalizing actions against their own populations is instructive.

Muslims, and most especially Muslim leaders, do not wreak bloody havoc among their own. They cannot be found guilty of crimes against humanity. They do not qualify under any system of justice as being guilty of crimes so deeply disturbing as to be unfathomable, for in following the teaching of the Prophet and obeying Koranic precepts it is simply not possible.

On the other hand, there is the interpretation that murder and mass slaughter is permissible in defence of Islam.