MAS Freedom Opposes New Arms Sale to Mideast

MAS Freedom (MASF), as the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), responds to news of the Bush administrations announcement of a controversial plan to greatly expand their weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Gulf States, and Israel over the next decade.



According to a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department, the proposed increase in arms sales includes some $20 billion in new advanced weaponry earmarked for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, $13 billion in increased military aid to Egypt, and a $30 billion commitment, over the next decade, to more military hardware for Israel. This huge proposed escalation in U.S. weapons sales in the region is clearly intended to counter the perceived expansion of Iran as a regional power.



This commitment to greater arms sales to the region also comes with a commitment on the part of the United States to maintain the "qualitative advantage" of the Israeli military over the armed forces of Arab states in the region.



But there is nothing that will come from this ill-advised proposal except more violence and deeper tragedy for the inhabitants of this war-raved region.



MAS Freedom totally opposes this proposed escalation in arms sales and potential armed violence in the region. And here's why:



The sale of $20 billion in advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and Egypt will only serve to strengthen two of the most repressive and anti-democratic regimes in the region, at the expense of the legitimate human rights and civil liberties of both the Egyptian and Saudi peoples. Numerous human rights reports have documented the brutal nature of the regimes of both countries. Massive U.S. aid facilitates the maintenance of an unacceptable status quo by strengthening the capacity of both governments to stifle legitimate dissent and suppress movements for democratic change. And if the U.S. government truly believes in supporting democracy around the globe, we believe that they should not be in the business of arming corrupt and autocratic governments that oppose the legitimate aspirations of their own peoples.


Arming Israel will only add to the repression of the Palestinian people. If the United States is truly committed to a policy leading to the creation of a viable and democratic Palestinian state, the escalation of arms sales to Israel is likely to only create more, not less, armed repression directed against Palestinians. And the current Israeli policies of expanded settlements and the ongoing construction of a "security" wall in the West Bank are likely to continue, even as Israel continues to give some limited support to the Fatah-led government the West Bank while continuing the isolation and economic strangulation of Gaza.


The third danger, and perhaps the greatest one, is the likelihood that such a hyper-militarization of Sunni Arab states will increase the likelihood of an armed confrontation with the Shi'a-led government in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has already spoken of a quasi-alliance between the U.S. Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States against Iran. And it is no secret that the U.S. is openly sponsoring anti-government activities against Tehran while maneuvering U.S. military assets for possible armed strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and strategic targets.


The deeply convoluted and massive problems facing the peoples of this region will not be solved by the infusion of more, and more sophisticated, U.S. weapons into the region. Neither will the issues of establishing true democracy, responding to poverty and human needs, and guaranteeing the human rights (including civil liberties an the right of political self-determination for the people of Palestine) be addressed by the initiation of another arms race in the Middle East.



Moreover, we believe that any attempt by non-Muslims to manipulate the differences between Muslims communities and nations, or to foster hostility between Muslims based on ideological or sectarian differences, is contrary to both the Qur'an and the injunctions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Unto Him). Our intention should always be the promotion of peace and mutual respect among all believers, and not allowing the Muslim Ummah to be manipulated for the benefit of outside interests.



MAS Freedom believes that the tragedy of the Iraq war must not be extended, and compounded, by a new wave of Cold War thinking. American arms merchants and war profiteers may greet this proposal with glee. But the people of the Middle East, and indeed the world, will only face the potential of more war and more death as a result of yet another misguided and immoral act of the Bush administration.



But this insidious and ill-conceived plan is not a done deal. It will require the approval of the U.S. Congress. We say NO to this proposed escalation of weapons sales, and we call on our members to voice their clear and principled opposition as well.



By Ibrahim Ramey, MASF Civil & Human Rights Director