Arab News

The images of Iraqi people in Baghdad dancing on the broken hull of a statue of Saddam Hussein yesterday were welcomed by all of the civilized world. Saddam was a dictator and accordingly was hated by most of his people. That they are rid of him is a good thing, and to argue otherwise would be not only foolish, but cruel. But some things remain as they were.

In ancient times the land area now known as modern Iraq was almost equivalent to Mesopotamia, the land between the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates (in Arabic, the Dijla and Furat, respectively), the Mesopotamian plain was called the Fertile Crescent.

The Islamic method of slaughtering animals has come under attack by an independent advisory group and has hit the news headlines.

'The Revival' has responded with solid arguments to prove that the Islamic method is scientific and not inhumane. Now updated with more scientific arguments quotes, and comparisons with slaughtering of animals using non Islamic methods.

The Islamic method of slaughtering animals has been the object of much criticism from a large number of people.

One may consider the following points, which prove that the Islamic method of slaughtering is not only humane but also scientifically the best:

TWO KILLED IN NEW IRAQ DEMO SHOOTING

May 1 2003, From Chris Hughes In Al-Fallujah.

IT started when a young boy hurled a sandal at a US jeep - it ended with two Iraqis dead and 16 seriously injured.

I watched in horror as American troops opened fire on a crowd of 1,000 unarmed people here yesterday.

Many, including children, were cut down by a 20-second burst of automatic gunfire during a demonstration against the killing of 13 protesters at the Al-Kaahd school on Monday.

They had been whipped into a frenzy by religious leaders. The crowd were facing down a military compound of tanks and machine-gun posts.

The start of war against Iraq has drawn a barrage of criticism from leaders around the world and brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the US-led military action was completely unjustified, while China said the strike violated the United Nations charter.

President Jacques Chirac of France expressed regret at the launch of hostilities without UN backing.

Support for the action came from, among others, the leaders of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea.

Around 100,000 people, including many school students, marched to the US embassy in the Greek capital, Athens, to demand a halt to hostilities.

By ED JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

World leaders from Stockholm to Sydney responded with condemnation of Baghdad or calls for caution after U.N. weapons inspectors issued their report on efforts to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.

Britain and Australia condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for failing to cooperate with the inspection process and indicated that time for action was drawing close.

President George W. Bush unleashed a war to topple Saddam Hussein on Thursday with dawn air strikes on Baghdad. The action elicited strong responses from leaders and prominent figures around the world.

Following is a roundup of some of those reactions:

AGAINST WAR

CHINA – Calls for an immediate halt and a return to efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.

EU– European Union president Greece said that relations between Europe and the United States were in crisis after Washington launched the war.

As Iraq demonstrates greater cooperation with the UN inspectors, the war drums of Bush and Blair are beating louder, but yet simultaneously they argue of their innocence and honourable intention of seeking peace rather then war!

The US now says it will “go it alone” if there is a veto in the Security Council upon a tabled second resolution authorising war. America and pro-war ‘coalition’ are insisting that the UN is in peril unless Iraq complies with the UN resolution but simultaneously they are prepared to act in a unilateral manner without the legitimate authorisation of the UN.

Gene Healy is senior editor at the Cato Institute.

Of all the reasons the administration has offered for war with Iraq, keeping chemical and biological weapons out of the hands of Al Qaeda resonates most strongly with the American people.

President Bush used that frightening prospect to dramatic effect in his State of the Union speech: "Imagine those 19 hijackers with other weapons and other plans -- this time armed by Saddam Hussein. It would take one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known."

But the administration's strongest sound-bite on Iraq is also its weakest argument for war.