Occupy Wall Street -- Reaction and Support from Arab World

Recently, an official of the Pakistani religious organization Tanzeem-e-Islami Pakistan wrote an article criticizing the Pakistani media's lack of coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests in the U.S. and other Western cities. Zaki Khalid, who is the Media Coordinator at the Lahore-based Quran Academy, an institution of Tanzeem-e-Islami, went on to allege that an unknown power is behind the lack of Pakistani media coverage of the anti-capitalism protests. His article, titled "Uprising Against Capitalism and the Role of Pakistan's Media," was published on a Pakistani website.

Khalid wrote: "as far as our Pakistani media is concerned, I feel no hesitation in only assuming that someone might be funding/prohibiting it from airing these most crucial geopolitical events. A few headlines and sliding tickers on screen will not do. Our media is acting sluggish and ignorant. What is it that the Pakistani media fears? Why are there no proper talk shows on this issue and where are our local ‘golden boys’ of economic affairs to explain the worldwide resentment and uprising against capitalism?"

"On the contrary, alternative news channels such as Russia Today, Iran’s Press TV and China’s Xinhua are giving regular coverage. Russia and China have their own pro-Communist leanings," he added.

Following are excerpts from the article:

"Keeping China as a Communist Power Aside, the Capitalist World at Large is Now also Following in the Footsteps of Its Russian Communist Counterpart; It has Been Burying Itself in the Sands of Afghanistan"

"On September 17, a new activist website in America dedicated to exposing the abuse and corruption of high-ranking corporations and banks based in New York was propped up, aptly titled ‘Occupy Wall Street’ whose fundamental objectives include shutting down of defaulter banks and institutes, diverting government expenditure on bailouts towards spending money for the betterment of American citizens by providing them with better healthcare and especially employment opportunities so that they can at least maintain their most basic standard of living. The anonymous activists behind this powerful website rightly say that money has taken over politics and that a group of high-level bankers and industrialists exert their influence on both sides of the electoral playground. This can be summed up in an allegory, 'They win, whether the coin lands on heads or tails.'

"This synopsis of social and economic control of the world’s populace at the hands of a few multi-billionaires with common agendas is what directly coincides with the reality-based concept of totalitarian bankers and lobbyists playing their favorite game of transcontinental geopolitics to intake trillions in income and enjoy a bit of dummy control along the way, i.e. controlling governments and their economies through stock exchanges and monetary organizations. This advanced more rapidly after the demolition of the former Soviet Union which took along Communism’s leftovers to be buried in the sands of Afghanistan.

"Keeping China as a Communist power aside, the capitalist world at large is now also following in the footsteps of its Russian Communist counterpart. It has been burying itself in the sands of Afghanistan also. Trillions of [dollars of] debt for waging wars in Iraq and especially Afghanistan resulted in exceeding the limit of domestic loans from the Federal Reserve. Naturally, the cost of living in the United States of America became less and less affordable for the ordinary public."

"Thousands upon Thousands of People Raised Slogans against Feudal Capitalism, Whereas Those in the Muslim World Availed of This Opportunity by Demanding Imposition of the Islamic Economic Model"

"The activists who have been calling for an end to capitalism ignited a fire that swept across America from Zuccotti Park on Wall Street, New York to San Francisco on the West Coast. A few days later, protests erupted in no less than 82 countries across the globe. Thousands upon thousands of people raised slogans against feudal capitalism, whereas those in the Muslim world availed of this opportunity by demanding imposition of the Islamic economic model.

"Financial hegemony by satanic bankers in Wall Street and the City of London had to be rebelled against sooner or later. Now that people have been taking strong notice and action against these clutches, it is highly surprising where Pakistani media is amidst all these developments. I would not like to talk about the American media at large, since almost its entire mainstream is itself corporate and agenda-oriented. It takes injections of small millions in each channel to shush them.

"On the contrary, alternative news channels such as Russia Today, Iran’s Press TV and China’s Xinhua are giving regular coverage. Russia and China have their own pro-Communist leanings. What about Iran though? Iran’s President Ahmadinejad recently gave another statement that the U.S. is trying to frame his country on false terrorism charges simply to divert world attention from the latter’s crumbling socioeconomic endeavors. Will this massive 'Anti-Capitalism Spring' succeed in uprooting the evils of capitalism? Time will tell.

"For now, as far as our Pakistani media is concerned, I feel no hesitation in only assuming that someone might be funding/prohibiting it from airing these most crucial geopolitical events. A few headlines and sliding tickers on screen will not do. Our media is acting sluggish and ignorant. What is it that the Pakistani media fears? Why are there no proper talk shows on this issue and where are our local ‘golden boys’ of economic affairs to explain the worldwide resentment and uprising against capitalism?"

Endnotes:

[1] www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com (Pakistan), October 24, 2011. The text of the report has been lightly edited for clarity.

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