“anti-American Cleric Al Sadr”, like “Joe the Plumber”

(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

is none of the above.

By now we’ve all heard that McCain’s “Joe the Plumber”:

• isn’t a licensed plumber
• won’t pay more under Obama’s tax plan
• his business doesn’t earn close to $250K/year
• isn’t even named Joe

It reminded me of something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it till this morning when 30,000 demonstrated in Baghdad against the US occupation, with the encouragement of the man inevitably described in US media as “anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr“.  So this might be the perfect time to point out that Al Sadr:

• is not anti-American
• is not a cleric
• is strongly pro-democracy
• led the unilateral cease fire that’s made Iraq more peaceful, saving American lives

In short, the only thing our press has been reporting correctly are his popularity and his name.

A quick trip to the Wikipedia or any other Al Sadr biography reveals:

While Moqtada Al Sadr comes from a family of clerics, he didn’t complete divinity school or become a cleric.  He dropped out and was widely known to be a fan of US technology culture – ‘while a student was nicknamed “Mulla Atari” for his preference for video games over “the intricacies of Shia law and theology”‘.

I also searched in vain for evidence that Al Sadr’s a fundamentalist, oppressor of women, fan of burkas, or the like.  Or that he hates American culture or advocates attacking the US.  I could find nothing.

Al Sadr very vocally against the US occupation of Iraq, like at least 70% of the Iraqi people – as well as the majority of the American people, who have been saying since 2006 that the US should leave Iraq within a year.

So when another news source relentlessly smears Al Sadr as “anti-American”, they’re really promoting Sarah Palin’s and Michelle Bachman’s philosophy: if you aren’t in the minority who believe in the Iraq occupation, you’re not a real American – in fact, you’re anti-American – almost a terrorist.  It’s propaganda we hear and repeat about foreigners every day without objection, so it should be no surprise a candidate is repeating it.  As of today, emboldened Republican Rep. Michelle Bachman has begun calling the Obamas and liberal white US citizens anti-American, so she has crossed the line and the idea is about to be challenged by the mainstream.

Exporting Free Speech and Freedom to Assemble from Iraq

Anyone else find it strange that 30,000 people feel comfortable peacefully demonstrating against the US occupation in Baghdad today?  When was the last time 30,000 Americans assembled to oppose the occupation they deplore?  Could it be it’s the Americans who don’t feel safe?  That they fear being gassed, clubbed, veterans trampled by police horses, and having their journalists locked up and arrested?

Don’t worry; when Moqtada Al Sadr is elected in Iraq, I’m certain that with help from US President Obama he will find a non-violent, diplomatic way to export free speech and democracy to his fellow peace-loving, videogame-loving, anti-occupation peers in the USA.