Arab Spring | George Galloway | Oxford Union

you hello mr. Galloway my name is Abdullah Salim I'm from Lebanon I agree with a lot of what you said about the importance of recognizing the Palestinian narrative and of course I think if there's to be a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis Arabs and Israelis the Palestinian Arab would need to be recognized but I don't agree with a lot of what you said else about the Arab world specifically I mean I heard you often saying what we cannot see or should see about the Arab world the students here at Oxford I mean I know the Arab world quite well so I think I see it quite well but what I think you should see and don't see is the Arab Spring and that I found really surprised in fact everything you said could have been said in 2009 you had no room for the massive pro-democracy revolutions in Tunisia Egypt or Syria what remained important was the Iraq war some people who indeed were assaulted in Bahrain but 35,000 people in Syria had no room in your speech no room you had room for the Palestinian Nakba in 1948 but not for the ongoing slaughter by the Syrian regime and the problem I think isn't just the fact that you have no sympathy for the arab pro-democracy movement which is the most popular movement sweeping across the Arab world the problem is that it doesn't fit in your narrative and I'm going to give you two examples one in Syria it's not American flags that are being burnt nor British flags nor French flags this might be inconvenient for you but it's Russian and Chinese flags because they veto a resolution allowing for an intervention in Syria and the second example you talked about bombs being dropped on Arab countries yes I in Lebanon wasn't a city where Israel dropped bombs on so I've experienced it firsthand and I know the suffering but let's talk about an example where Western forces have dropped bombs in Libya most recently and there I defy you to find during the Western intervention in Libya one single one single and I'm talking rhetorically because you tend to like to speak rhetorically but one single demonstration in the Arab world from Morocco to Yemen demonstrating against the Western intervention in Libya you will not find one well you're simply you're simply wrong as a matter of fact on your last point there were hundreds maybe thousands of demonstrations against the American and British bombardment of Libya and so I invite you to return to that point again in the quiet of the cloister and as one retro Titian to another let me tell you that it's seldom wise to say there's not one single of anything especially when dealing with an Arab world of three hundred and fifty million people but you have obviously been deeply involved in your studies too busy to know my role in the Arab Spring you don't know for example that I am quite a significant international personality in Tunisia you don't know that my friend for 20 years sheikh rashid ghanoush ii whose driver i was i mean show for i was is now the leader of the ruling party in tunisia you don't apparently know that i played a role in sheikh Rasheed's election campaign the only free and fair election that has ever been held in tunisia you don't appear to be aware of anything I've ever written or broadcast on the revolution in Tunisia there is no person in Britain was more involved in the Tunisian Revolution which began the Arab Spring than me that too is a matter of fact of which you are oddly I may say Abdullah apparently oblivious you are apparently oblivious of my role in Egypt you're oblivious to the fact that I was deported by Mubarak and declared persona non grata and began what turned out to be a mercifully short period of open agitation calling for the overthrow of Mubarak and was then able to return to Cairo and triumph upon the overthrow of the dictator Mubarak you appear not to know that President Morsi in Egypt is a close friend of mine and he defeated in the election and even closer friend of mine dr. Abel photo the leader of one of the trends of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt whilst President Morsi is the representative of the prevailing trend in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt so I me don't recognize the Arab Spring they are up revolutions but if it's not it's the first time I mention it because the title of my address was the world at war I am in support of Arab revolution from Marrakesh to Bahrain there you go I want to see the downfall of every ruler with the exception of my friend Sheikh Rashid ghannoushi who has been elected as the leader in Tunisia from Marrakesh to Bahrain are you are you are you in favor of the downfall of all these dictatorships in which case you and I are comrades in which case you and I are comrades not adversaries but what I will not support what I will no I'm coming to that what I will not support what I will not support is a British American French invasion of Syria your former country may be the rest don't know well you shake your head you see betraying if I may say so a lack of historical grasp there was never anything called Lebanon Lebanon never existed until Britain and France invented Lebanon and Syria were one country Bella Duchamp until Sykes and picot in my building in Westminster invented the country you now call yours and which flag you presumably wave in zhuzi astok Li I will not support the Western invasion of Syria any more than I supported the Israeli invasion of Lebanon I'm in favor of revolution in Syria it goes without saying I just adumbrated from Marrakech to Bahrain that includes Syria I'm in favor of revolution in Syria but the revolution in Syria must be a Syrian Revolution not an American French and Israeli invasion and occupation of your country if you want to know what that would look like just look across the border in Iraq I will not wish upon Syria what has already happened to Iraq sorry if we have to part company on that you

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Keywords: Oxford Union George, Galloway, on, the, Arab, Spring, Palestine, Revolution, Egypt, Muslim, Brotherhood, Dictatorships, Western, Invasion, Oxford, Union, Society, University, Debates, Debating, Interview, sfn:George, sln:Galloway, top:Politics, George Galloway, George, Israel, Gaza, Arab Spring, Gaza Strip (Country), Middle East

Id: 1VRlDWT19O4

Length: 7min 56sec (476 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 29 2012