Rev Jackson lauds Qatar for ‘good global work’ Thursday, 12 May 2011 09:28

Doha: Governments will do well to address the real needs of the people, US civil rights activist and democratic leader Rev Jesse Jackson said in a wide-ranging talk with the Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula on the sidelines Doha Forum and Enriching the Middle East’s Economic Future Conference that concluded yesterday.

Jackson said there were three things that characterised the rebellion that’s happening all over the Arab world.

“One is the vast numbers of educated unemployed youth. Two, corrupt governments that are not responsive to the people and the social media outlets that allows people to tell their story. And the fact that they can organise by Twitter without leaving the house. Those three things can create a kind of perfect storm,” he said.

Jackson praised Qatar’s role in hosting the conference at a critical moment in the history of the Middle East.

“I want to say that the world owes Qatar a special debt for hosting this conference at this time. This is very much a global conference. Given the turmoil of the Arab Spring — what’s happening in Libya and in Syria and what happened with Bin Laden, the timing of this conference could not be better,” he said.

“And the whole of the conference was such a free speech of varied opinions says a lot about the character of the country,” he added.

Jackson further commented that Qatar was due more recognition for its “good global work” in various parts of the world including humanitarian assistance given to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the continuing crisis in Haiti and more recently the support that Qatar has given to the rebels “fighting against the tyrannical regime of Gaddafi” in Libya.

When asked whether he supported the decision of US President Barack Obama not to release the pictures related to the death of Osama bin Laden, Jackson was sympathetic to Obama’s dilemma.

“He (Obama) wants transparency but he wants to avoid further enflaming a global crisis. He’s caught between just the fear of expanding the crisis…. But I appreciate his dilemma. His dilemma is trying to diffuse the situation rather than enflame world passions,” Jackson said.

He added that although Bin Laden’s death was an end to a chapter, the story of terrorism still lives on.

“Bin Laden’s death ends a chapter but it does not end the book. His life is over, his chapter is over but the impact of his teaching and his views are not over. We must now decide to choose, at this point, reconstruction and redevelopment over retaliation and revenge. We must break the cycle.”

Jackson also reiterated his support for the US president despite the various challenges facing Obama.

“I support President Obama. We have a great president who is becoming stronger every day. He is facing tremendous headwinds…President Barack Obama has a high moral compass — trying to break Islamophobia … trying to separate violent actions in this region from Islam as a religion, which is a good thing. So while there are challenges, he deserves our support.”

With regards to the issue of Wikileaks, Jackson said that governments should be of, for and by the people and that they must be transparent in handling the people’s business.

He added, “We’ve decided some years ago that assassinating political leaders was morally wrong and great risk. There are some who want to react to terrorism with political assassination. We cannot go back down that road again. We must really, even in anguish, pursue due process and international law.”Jackson also expressed his interest in the possibility of speaking with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

In 1983, Jackson successfully secured the release of a captured American pilot, Lt. Robert Goodman, who was held by the Syrian government after he made a personal appeal to then-President Hafez al-Assad, the father of the current Syrian president.

“I would like to go if I can get in. I met his father. An American soldier was in prison. I appealed to him and he determine to let him go free,” he said.

Jackson said he had met President Bashar Al-Assad two years ago when they were trying to negotiate the freedom of three soldiers in Lebanon after the bombing. He said Al-Assad was very cooperative in helping him meet the key people in the negotiations.

“I would like to appeal to him to implement his reforms before it gets to the point of no return and try to declare ceasefire and try to bring another resolution. We hope that Syria will not split. I hope that will not happen,” he said.

Jackson also called for Col. Muammar Gaddafi in Libya to declare a ceasefire since many innocent lives have already been killed. “I hope that he would hear the appeals of so many of his former allies and take an initiative to stop the killing,” he added.

He hailed the victims of the revolutions taking place all over the Middle East saying, “…those who died in the Arab spring deserves special commendation because they’re the martyrs of this season.”

Jackson also called for the release of the two Al Jazeera journalists that have been held by the governments in Libya and Syria.

“We hope that both Syria and Libya will free the journalists. Secondly, we’re trying to make contact with President Assad. I hope he will immediately implement the reforms and ceasefire on the violence. We hope that will take place,” he added.

THE PENINSULA