A Liberal Democrat MP has caused outrage by saying she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she was a Palestinian.
The remarks have appalled pro-Israel politicians and have sparked calls for party leader Charles Kennedy to intervene to make her withdraw them.
But former international development spokeswoman Jenny Tonge is unrepentant.
She said she had not condoned suicide bombers, but could understand the conditions that led to their decision.
‘No excuse’
Dr Tonge, who is stepping down as MP for Richmond Park at the next election, was speaking to a pro-Palestinian lobby when she remarked that life under Israel could be intolerable.
“That sort of thing repeated on a daily basis made me understand how people can become suicide bombers,” she said.
“I think if I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself.”
Comment:
When western politicians say such things makes you understand the suffering of the muslims of Palastine at the hands of the Israelis. The jews suffered greatly under the nazis in Europe and the whole world recognises their grief. But what lesson have the jews learnt from the holocaust? It certainly is not how to behave in a civilised manner when they have the upper hand as we can see daily in Palastine. When the Khilafah existed in turkey and hte Spanish inquisition was taking place, jews from Spain fled to Istanbul which was the capital of the Khilafah where they were given sanctuary and still to this day their is a jewish quarter where spanish is spoken.
I think lot of westerners are surprised when they study the conditions or go to occupied palestine of the conditions and the oppression inflicted by the racist israelis.
No doubt the pro israeli zionists will come out with the usual this MP must be anti semetic card!
Looks like the Zionist anti semetic labelling brigade has got its way again!
Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, has fired a member of his frontbench team who said she would consider becoming a suicide bomber if she were a Palestinian living under Israeli occupation.
Jenny Tonge was sacked from her post on Friday as spokeswoman for children after sparking outrage for telling a rally at Westminster on Wednesday that suicide bombers were motivated by desperation.
“I think if I had to live in that situation, and I say this advisedly, I might just consider becoming one myself. And that is a terrible thing to say.”
Ms Tonge, who was already set to stand down from her Westminster seat at the next election, said she did not regret her comments, but insisted that she did not condone terrorism, calling it “appalling and loathsome”.
The debate in the west is so one sided on the favour of the occupying israelis from the politicians to the media it makes a mockery of there claim of democracy and claim that everyone is treated equally! Someone makes a comment saying they understand suffering of palestinians and knows what pushes a person to bomb, what happens next person making such comment is sacked what a superb freedom of speech they have NOT!
My philosophy teacher used to say in class how the suicide bombings done by the Palestinians is a noblest and most selfless act anyone can do...And the class full of Americans used to get riled up...Then he would quote famous philosophers who would support his argument that it is a highest from of self sacrifice...That you are giving up your life and future so that future generations and others can see a better future...
Every educated and literate person will agree, that suicide bombing is a highest form of self defence in the face of an enemy that knows no mercy and gives no quarter...
For me, 'suicide bombing' is a derogatory tern used to describe the altruistic form of sacrifice...That of giving away your life so that another should live...They should be called 'Suicide Soldiers' and their operations should be called 'Mission of Liberation' or 'Operation Martyrdom'...
The suicede bombers are merely brainwashed henchmen, who are convinced by oppurtinists on how they would be blessed (virgins, paradise, special place) after death... Also Lajawab, tell me how the suicide bombers in Pakistan, who tried to blow Musharraf up were performing the 'highest form of self sacrifice' infront of an 'enemy who shows no mercy'? Too bad they had to die, and the President lives ;)
"Every educated and literate person will agree, that suicide bombing is a highest form of self defence in the face of an enemy that knows no mercy and gives no quarter..."
What a bunch of brainwashed crap. There are forms of civil disobedience that do not require the murder of others whilst sacrificing yourself.
I have often shown how tactics of the Palestinians could be changed to take advantage of media opportunies. Specifically the "suicide bombers" could take part in displays of self-immolation in public places. Call the media and set yourself on fire. You are still giving your life for your cause, making your point, and creating sympathy rather than anger.
The current wave of "suicide bombers" have killed women and children, and INTENTIONALLY targeted the innocent. Whatever moral high ground the bombers claim is negated by the fact that they are murderers. Indeed the suicide bombers tactics have gained them nothing, and is a failed effort. The murderous tactics have galvanized Americans against the Palestinian cause. Americans like MyVoice and I believe that the Palestinians right to thier own country is just, and that the Israeli's have committed horrible crimes. But the corrupt bankrupt leadership of the Palestinians, starting with kidnapping and murdering Olympic Atheletes, up through the current intifadah have gone horribly wrong. Sacrificing yourself for a cause you believe in may be correct in the vacuum of a classroom, but when you INTENTIONALLY murder 90 others while doing it, you are exercising hate and anger, not rightiousness.
Self-immolation is a kind of suicide that brings no results and not to mention that Israelis would want nothing more than having the entire race of Arabs perform self-immolation...Anyways, senseless suicide is Haram for Muslims...
Apart from that, self-immolation from Palestinians would do no good...Israelis pillaged and plundered the refugee villages of Sabra and Shatila, what happened? IDF bombed and massacred in Jenin, what happened? Zionists have killed more than 100,000 men, women and children, what happened? What would self-immolation achieve? Nothing except a sense of satisfaction from the Zionists of having made their genocide easier...
Suicide Soldiers and their Operations of Liberation are a recent phenomenon...For the past 50 years or so since the creation of Israel, massacres have been going on of the Palestinian people with nary a word from anyone, but now since they started Suicide Soldiering, the world is in an uproar...
The world is blinded and the world is deafened to the cries of Muslims now...There is no UN for the Muslims, there are no international laws for the Muslims anymore...In the twenty years in which more than 3 million Muslims died, all those rules have now been washed away by the blood of Muslims that died in atrocoties committed against them...
It's an open field now, and since everything's fair in and war from now on, so are Operations of Liberation...Call them what you will...