Nation of Islam's statement on the Gulf: no right meddling in Arab affairs'

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The following are excerpts from an article which appeared in the Sept. 28 issue of The Final Call, the newspaper published by the Nation of Islam, the organization led by Minister Louis Farrakhan. The article, titled "Arab Berlin Walls Must be Dismantled," was written by Middle East staff reporter Ali Baghdadi.

Read his lips. The U.S. president is lying again. He lied to the American people that he would not raise taxes. Now he is lying to the entire world regarding the true reasons for this massive deployment of American troops to the Arabian desert in the aftermath of the Iraqi move into Kuwait.

President Bush tells us our troops are in Saudi Arabia to preserve the "American way of life." This lofty phrase is subject to many interpretations. Is it the way of life of the millionaires who want to keep all they have and to get more? Or is it the way of life of the poor who have little and are losing much of that?

For millions around the world, the "American way of life" suggests opportunity, upward mobility, a chance for sons and daughters to live better than their parents. Upward mobility has been a reality for many in the past. The children of white immigrants have gained a better education, and unions have won shorter hours and higher wages.

This is no longer true. Today the poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. Climbing out of poverty is becoming more difficult, if not impossible. This is documented in a study by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington. Their finding, "The State of Working America" was published this September.

The study points out that in 1973 the poorest 40 percent of American families took home 17 percent of the national income, while the richest 20 percent pocketed 41 percent. Now the same poor get only 15 percent while the rich grab 44 percent. The trickle-down theory has become the trickle-up reality where wealth moves up from the poor to the rich.

Few job prospects Young American soldiers sweltering in the desert may not be surprised that the losers in the SALES NOTES Opportunities to sell Socialist Action newspaper are growing everywhere. Every day, our branches report, there are meetings, rallies, and teach-ins. Students, in particular, are telling us in a loud voice that they want to know more they want the truth about the Middle East-and Socialist Action sales teams are making the effort to meet up with them.

Last month, Socialist Action branches were sent nearly double the amount of newspapers they usually receive. In most cases, they sold out an had to order even more by mid-month.

For October, we have once again doubl our usual press run.

In many areas, Socialist Action salespeople participate in regular campus sales. Chicago reports success in door-to-door sales in the neighborhoods, including Arab communities.

We think that these new readers will want to read the socialist point of view every month and take advantage of our current low-price subscription offer-$3 for six months and $6 for one year. The goal for the fall subscription campaign is 700 new subscribers by Nov. 30.

-BARBARA PUTNAM The U.S. response is not motivated by high moral grounds and opposition to the use of force in settling disputes. The American mobilization for war is not triggered by a concern for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Arab states.

Peace and morality have always been the least of the U.S. government's concerns in international relations. The invasion of Grenada, the air raids on Libya, the bombardment of Lebanon, and the war waged against Nicaragua are only a few examples. Power, greed, and Zionist influence dictate U.S. policy.

The United States has no right meddling in internal Arab family affairs. The Kuwaiti system that jails oppositionists and enslaves Arabs, Africans, and Asian workers must be ended. Arab oil and resources belong to the Arab people; an absolute ruler that treats these riches as his family property must not be defended.

One must be reminded that Kuwait was carved out of Iraq. The political barriers that exist today have been imposed by colonial powers. These barriers defy the will of the Arab people and are responsible for their impotence as a nation. The Arab Berlin Walls must be dismantled!

Mr. Bush imposes a blockade to starve Iraqi children and force Iraq into submission. However, the U.S. president has done nothing to end Israeli occupation of lands belonging to three Arab countries. On the contrary, he continues to spend $4 billion a year in taxpayers' money to feed and arm the Israelis, who have violated international law and ignored 43 years of United Nations resolutions.

The United States is determined to keep Arabs in turmoil and divided. Arab oil, if properly managed, is a powerful weapon. The oil can transform the Arab world into a superpower. A unified Arab world means an end to U.S. price fixing and exploitation.

The Iraqi move is opposed by the majority of Arab leaders. The support by Arab people, however, is fierce and unequivocal!

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