Democracy is dying at the hands of democratic countries.
But it is essential that I clarify what I mean by democracy. My
favorite pirate put it most eloquently when he said, in
Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean,”
“It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails
““ that’s what a ship needs ““ but what a ship is
… is freedom.”
In the same way, in my mind, democracy is not the bureaucracy
and the administration and the media and other institutions ““
that’s what democracy needs ““ but what democracy is, is
the culmination of ideals it sets out to realize.
And what the ideals need are heroes to keep the constituent
parts of democracy running at their highest capacity. These
protagonists ““ often in the form of journalists, human rights
activists and humanitarian aid workers, among others ““ are
the individuals who dedicate their lives to driving our ship
democracy toward truth and justice.
It is thus with a heavy heart that I read that 2004 was the
worst year for journalist casualties in all parts of the world.
But these tragedies don’t occur only in those ravaged
parts of the Middle East struggling toward stability, as the media
machine might have you believe. They also occur and are silently
condoned by the well-established procedural democracies of the
world.
Most recently, the Israel Defense Forces closed the case for
British journalist James Miller, who was killed by unprovoked fire
from a soldier in 2003.
This decision came after similar outcomes concerning the deaths
of journalist Tom Hurndall and activist Rachel Corrie, and the
massive facial injuries sustained by activist Brian Avery.
The three were linked to the International Solidarity Movement,
an activist group that attempts to aid Palestinians in water and
telecommunications restoration. They are controversial for their
practice of physically blocking the destruction of the Palestinian
homes, wells and olive groves that sustain Palestinian life.
Critics of the ISM call the practice an obstruction to the war
on terror, as the IDF claims to only bulldoze homes with tunnels
used for arms smuggling and with possible booby traps. Palestinians
and the ISM refute this claim.
Despite my personal leanings, in such situations of war I refuse
to take either claim as fact. Only time ““ and verification
from neutral parties ““ can tell.
Moreover, while the contextual specifics are important, the
question of whether the ISM’s actions were justified or legal
is not the issue here. Even if the ISM members were in fact
violating the Geneva Convention, let the military remove or even
imprison them in the specific instances when they engage in the
illegal practice ““ not kill them.
These are unarmed, civilian peace activists who use Ghandian
methods of peace, despite their political stance or the legality of
their actions (remember, Ghandi’s actions, though honorable,
were considered illegal).
Murder may be the most efficient solution in such situations,
but it does not follow the spirit of democracy. We must stand for
our ideals in any situation ““ war should be no defense for
the death of our values.
Now let us return to the death of James Miller. His purpose was
simply to document the lives of Palestinian children and their
experiences. He waved a white flag and identified himself as a
journalist. He did nothing to deserve death.
Despite this, the IDF did not hold the alleged perpetrator
responsible for Miller’s death. It has changed its account of
Miller’s death, once claiming he was caught in the crossfire
and blaming him for being in the area.
Video and witness corroboration later illustrated otherwise.
Most importantly, the soldiers concerned in the shooting were asked
to turn in their weapons for evidence a full 11 weeks after the
incident, according to Miller’s widow, who felt the integrity
of such evidence was problematic.
Furthermore, since May 2003, the IDF has required all foreign
nationals to sign waivers releasing their right to hold the IDF
accountable if killed or wounded by the military in Gaza. Such
disregard for responsibility is ethically very disturbing.
The families of the dead lament this “culture of
impunity” that surrounds the IDF in such cases. And I would
broaden the idea to the world, especially in democracies that
zealously wave the flag of freedom of speech and dissension. Why
have the U.S. and British governments not made a bigger deal about
these incidents?
As was stressed to me in my interviews with Leeron Morad, a
board member of Bruins for Israel, and Dean Wood-Salleh, founder of
the student group Shalom Salam, Israel is ““ for the moment at
least ““ the only democracy in the Middle East.
It is for this reason that I focus my criticism on it, as I do
with the U.S. government. I expect all democratic governments to
function to the highest, rather than the minimal, standards of
democratic principles.
RIP, democracy.
Hashem is a third-year English and sociology student. E-mail
her at nhashem@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.