LAHORE, Feb 2: Renowned Palestinian scholar and writer Ghada Karmi emphasized on Sunday the need for stopping the impending war on Iraq, saying that besides causing massive destruction in Baghdad, war would change the gamut of international relations and allow Israel to perpetrate more atrocities against Palestinians.

“The US-led attack on Iraq under the false pretext of possessing weapons of mass destruction would set a precedent in international relations, permitting Washington to wage war on any country not towing its dictates,” she said while delivering a lecture on “Palestine: In the shadow of war” at a local hotel.

She said people in the US, UK and Europe were protesting against the impending war on Iraq, urging those in the Islamic world to also oppose it rather than watch the threat build up silently. “Most people in Britain are against the war and are holding big demonstrations to air their voice,” she said.

Her speech was part of a series of three lectures arranged by Dawn’s Books and Authors. She delivered her first lecture in Karachi on Saturday and would speak in Islamabad on Monday.

Dr Karmi, who had to flee Palestine along with her family in 1948, was brought up in England. She has authored several books.

During her lecture she criticized the Arab world for “silently watching” the US prepare for an attack on Iraq. Without their cooperation it would not have been possible for Washington to plan a ground attack on Baghdad, she said.

Dr Karmi supported the idea of a single state in Palestine allowing both Palestinians and Jews to live together in peace. She said that this was the only way to resolve the longstanding Middle East dispute but added that many were opposing it. The Jews were opposing the idea because it would eliminate Zionism, she said.

She said the future of the Palestinian people was grim — at least for the next four to five years. “But, I don’t believe Israel can survive for long.”

Dr Ghada said Israel was surviving because of massive US monetary support, divisions in the Arab world and subjugation and weakness of the Palestinians. A change in any of these elements would make it hard for Israel to survive, she added.

She said imposing a war on Iraq would be another perpetuation of injustice in the Middle East. It would be another round of destructive and shameful acts, 48,000 Iraqis having been killed in the first round. The casualty rate would increase to a minimum of 260,000 afterwards. Many more would die because of the collapse of the fragile infrastructure, shortage of water and electricity and outbreak of epidemics.

Dr Ghada said that besides destroying Iraq, the war would affect the surroundings. It would be more destructive in view of the decree that the US recently signed to justify the use of tactical nuclear weapons in case of recovery of biological weapons which, she said, the US had itself sold to Iraq.

She questioned the rationale for attacking Iraq under the pretext that it possessed weapons of mass destruction. If this was the reason, then one should keep in mind that Russia had 20,000 poorly guarded nuclear warheads and two million rounds of nerve gas decaying in stores. Each one of the rounds could kill 100,000 people.

“These weapons are lying unguarded to steal or buy. In addition, 100,000 Russian nuclear scientists are available for sale. You can eliminate terrorism by rooting out its causes and not by increased policing. There will be no end to terrorism in the Middle East without understanding and resolving the Palestine issue in its true perspective,” she said.

Dr Karmi said the war on Iraq would seriously affect the Palestinians as well, because the Sharon government would increase its repressive measures against them under the garb of war. There would be more expulsions of Palestinians from their homeland.

She regretted that an unprecedented assault on Iraq was being planned in the face of silence on the part of the world people, who were watching the events unfold as if in a thriller movie about gangs of criminals preparing to attack peaceful people in their homes.

She regretted that the silent spectators included world leaders, even those in the Arab world. The Pakistan government would not support war on Iraq because it knew that its people did not accept this.

She said she had never seen this kind of passivity and collusion in the Arab world before. The war could have been stopped had the Arabs not given facilities to the US. The US could have launched an air attack from Turkey but not a ground assault without the collusion of the Arab world which was falsely thinking that the ouster of Saddam would provide a relief to the region,” she said.

Dr Karmi said an evil crime was committed with the establishment of Israel in 1948 and another evil crime would be committed in the shape of a war on Iraq. She said she was angry with the Arab leadership for colluding with the US on the Iraq issue. “All of you should get up and do something about the war on Iraq. Only popular will can bring about a change.”

She recalled how she and other members of her family had left home in 1948, when she was just eight years of age, and settled in England without any identity. She first accepted herself as English, but two events changed her mind and made her realize that she should better be a Palestinian.

Dr Karmi read out excerpts from her famous book In Search of Fatima, a frank and honest biographical account of the trauma of displacement and exile. Replying to questions by the audience, she agreed that the Arab world could learn a lot from Israel. “Arabs don’t really know how Israel and Jews operate. You need to know your enemy before you fight it. Arabs should know how Jews help each other and stay united.”

She said the Jews understood the mechanism of power and knew the whole arena of public relations. They amply projected the Jewish Holocaust and gained a lot. “We are far behind them and have not learnt to present our case to the world people. They thought of a Jewish state and are working on it whereas we forget our aims and objectives.”

Dr Karmi said that instead of staying divided on the issue of war on Iraq, the Arab world must have given a rallying call. “People in England ask me why Arabs are silent. I am waiting for an awakening of the Arab people. The leadership in the Arab world would have to be changed through a popular movement.”

Dr Karmi said Yasser Arafat’s leadership had, in fact, been delegitimized under a Zionist propaganda to distract world’s attention from the core issue of the occupation of Palestine.

She said Israel was using suicide bombings by Palestinians to gain sympathies of the world and hide its own aggression against them. It was labelling the reaction to its brutalities as “terrorism”.

Dr Karmi said the Kashmir dispute should be resolved by giving its people the right to self-determination. Conflicting interests of bigger powers had prevented resolution of the dispute, she said.

She asked as to why those planning to attack Iraq were not concentrating on the Kashmir dispute, which was much more dangerous.

Earlier, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan director I. A. Rehman also spoke on the occasion. Dawn’s UK and Europe Editor Saleem Asmi introduced Dr Karmi. Director Operations Amber Haroon Saigol presented the vote of thanks.

Mr Asmi presented gifts to Dr Karmi and Mr Rehman. Dawn Assistant Editor Zubeida Mustafa welcomed Dr Karmi and conducted the proceedings.