A Comparison Between Ariel Sharon and Osama Bon Laden

Does the number of persons massacred in a particular mass murder determine its degree of wickedness? Or, does the amount of shock to the western world determine a horrible event’s degree of wickedness? The answer to both questions is obviously, no. So, the degree of wickedness of Ariel Sharon’s premeditated murders and the wickedness of Osama Bin Laden’s premeditated murders are legitimately comparable. So, it is appropriate to compare the wickedness of the sixty- nine murders that occurred in a Palestinian village by the orders of Unit 101 Commander, Ariel Sharon and the wickedness of the twenty murders under the same Commander Sharon’s authority in the Gaza Strip with the wickedness of the 9/11 murders that were under the authority of Osama Bin Laden. Also, a somewhat similar comparison can be made with what happened under the authority of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps with the horrible events, which occurred on 9/11.

Whether events occurred in the U.S. or in the Middle East, the wickedness remains the same. If the events occurred recently or the recent past, the wickedness remains the same. Whether the victims were relatively few in little known places, or larger numbers in well-known places, the degree of wickedness remains the same.

To the loved ones of those callously murdered, one horrible, inexcusable event is no more shocking and wicked than another horrible, inexcusable event. So, the decisions by two powerful men to perpetrate the tragic, needless murder of innocent persons are equally evil. The hard reality is that these wicked acts should be considered equally evil to all of us, not just to those loved ones who are emotionally involved with the innocent victims.

This principle is valid no matter where the murders occur. It remains true irrespective of what kind of clothes the victims or the perpetrators were wearing. The same principle also applies no matter to what socio- economic group or to what religious group either the perpetrator or the victims may belong. This principle also remains true no matter how many times the perpetrator has visited the White House, how many close friends he has in high places or to what prestigious leadership position he may have attained.

Shamefully, the perpetrator of one set of these wicked events is the elected leader of a democratic showcase nation. He is internationally respected, and is repeatedly welcomed by no less than the acclaimed leader of the free world.

In extreme contrast, the perpetrator of the other set of wicked events is a despised, hunted and hated international outlaw. The very world leader who repeatedly welcomes one perpetrator to his White House, has said that the other perpetrator is wanted dead or alive. Without debating whether or not Osama Bin Laden should be wanted dead or alive, I am very perplexed about why Ariel Sharon is neither in prison nor on trial, for his crimes against humanity. Instead, in a circumstance that defies all human reason, he is repeatedly an honored guest in the White House. Could votes, contributions and political pressure have anything to do with this strange paradox? Or, is it just out and out callousness and hypocrisy? Or, is it an evil combination of all of these?

Without for one fraction of a second implying that what Osama Bin Laden coordinated was anything but evil, we are still left with a legitimate question. How can the Western world be so severe and judgmental against some in the world who hold Bin Laden in some esteem, though they disagree with what he did, if we hypocritically approve of the welcome mat Ariel Sharon has at our White House. The facts concerning the two men’s involvement in several premeditated acts of murder against innocent civilians cause one glaring reality to confront us. The contrast between the wickedness of the premeditated murders coordinated by Osama Bin Laden and the premeditated acts of murder ordered coordinated by Ariel Sharon are not as strong a contrast as western media and western leaders would have us believe. But, it is appropriate to examine some relevant differences regarding the two men.

There is little question of whether Osama Bin Laden has effectively organized an international network of men who feel justified in callously murdering thousands of defenseless civilians throughout the world. From the facts that have been presented in the media, his organization has already caused the hideous deaths of several thousand of innocent civilian victims in a combination of the bombing of the two African Embassies and through the four tragic events of 9/11.

It also must be admitted that it took a much longer time period for Ariel Sharon to accomplish slightly less if numbers murdered are the main criterion of comparison. But Ariel Sharon has definitely out performed Osama Bin Laden because Prime Minister Sharon has successfully manipulated an entire international community to approve of and support or possibly overlook murders of innocent Palestinian women and children. These murders occurred in three different refugee camps and in a defenseless village over a period spanning approximately two decades. If the meaning of the word refugee in the term refugee camp is factored into the degree of wickedness, this makes his murders all the more hideous. Nevertheless, most of his supporters would argue that all of the murders were justified. When you legitimately enquire as to how they could possibly come to such a bizarre conclusion, to them the answer is obvious. Each of these vicious murders was committed under the glorious banner of building a showcase democratic nation -- a nation that will be a light for the world.