And, of course, most of British radio is pro-Establishment, so again one cannot expect a lot of publicity for anti-war effort from the wireless elite.
Satellite TV news (being dominated by SKY and CNN) was even less likely to cover my action, with them being controlled by U.S. based corporations which are affiliated to the Military-Industrial Complex, who are ultimately running the Bush's Presidency.
In terms of personally handing the cheque over to Blair. That didn't happen. But I didn't think it would. He either wouldn't be "available" or if he was, he certainly wouldn't meet me - that would be playing straight into my hands. However, the photographer from Time Out did manage to orchestrate a rather nice photo opportunity of me handing over the cheque to an armed policeman through the railings of the gates of Downing Street, an image hopefully, speaking volumes about undemocratic "Fortress Britain".
In the end, if we ordinary people want to change the pro-Government bias of the national media - which would help stop the war, we have to blockade, stage "sit-ins", occupy the offices and studios of the BBC and ITV, Sky and CNN, and cause as much disruption as possible. We must force them to be more balanced in their reporting - so that they reflect the views of the majority of public opinion which is against this war of the Bush Blair Coalition (oops…another BBC….Or are they one and the same?)
PRESS RELEASE 28 March 2003
Nabil Shaban, disabled star of Dr. Who, will be destroying his contract with the Government at Number Ten, Downing Street, at 2pm on Thursday 3rd April 2003.
Because the mainstream media chose to ignore Shaban's "anti-war" sacrifice of returning government funds of £50,000 for the theatre production of his long-awaited play "The First to Go", he is returning to Downing Street to prove he means business by ripping up the contract. His handing back of the cheques last Thursday 27th March was not covered by BBC or ITN or CNN news cameras, probably in the usual attempt to minimalise the extent and depth of popular opposition to the Bush Blair War.
What Nabil Shaban has said both during the Pre-War sabre-rattling of the Bush Blair Coalition and after the hostilities commenced on Thursday morning 20th March
"Isn't it a crime that our Prime Minister. Tony Blair, would rather spend billions of tax-payers' hard earned cash killing and maiming men, women and children in Iraq, for the sake of an American War to monopolise world Oil reserves, than on preserving and improving the Health and Education of British people. When is Tony Blair going to stop supporting a lying, cheating, dishonest, trigger-happy US President, and start serving the people who voted for him. (3rd March 2003)
Why should we continue to tolerate this misuse of the British electorate's trust? I think there should be a General Strike in the event of Britain and America attacking Iraq to show our contempt for Tony Blair's kowtowing to Bully-Boy Bush's hypocritical war-mongering." (11th March 2003)
"The future of Democracy is in serious jeopardy. The majority of the British people are opposed to this war, and yet Prime Minister Blair is ignoring his own electorate's wishes. The United States President Bush is totally denigrating and abandoning democratic principles. This issue is not just about stopping Iraqi leadership despotism, but also Anglo-American despotism." (15th March 2003)
"I hope Tory Blair loses his job in the War Fallout. He doesn't deserve being Prime Minister of Britain. He is nothing but a Yankie Poodle, and glory-seeking War-Mongerer. (or War-Mongrel?). He doesn't care about the health and education of his own people, so why should we believe he is waging war to save the Iraqis? This man is a liar and and cheat. He got to be PM by pretending he was a socialist...but in reality he is Thatcher in drag. It's time we had an honest Prime Minister." (21st March 2003)
"I have been watching the movie "Easy Rider". I still love it as one of my all time favourites. I needed an antidote to this Bush Blair war trying to steal Iraq's oil. But it just made me feel more depressed. I mean what was the point of "Easy Rider"? It hasn't changed a thing. America still isn't free. America is still fascist. It's still trying to win the "Vietnam war"." (23rd March 2003)
"Also to stiffen my resolve to make this sacrifice, I re-watched Oliver Stone's movie "Born on the Fourth of July". That movie and "Coming Home" showed how disabled people with an anger and a passion can contibute to the campaign of stopping wars. Watching "….4th of July" at this era of the "Twin Dark Lords of Mordor" (Bush and Blair) is a timely reminder that history is forever repeating itself, but also just as the People Power was able to stop America's war on Vietnam, so too, we can win against the Bush Blair Evil." (26rd March 2003)
"It does feel like a big sacrifice throwing away my play after all these years...but that's exactly the point of giving the money back. It ought to make the public realise that we who oppose Bush and Blair are not playing games, we mean what we say and are capable of doing anything to stop this tyrannical world bullying. I'm also doing this as a tactic, in an attemp to shock the media which (as always) is so much behind the War....just looking at the journalists in their pseudo-military costumes and the reverential coverage of "Our Brave Boys" makes me puke." (3rd April 2003)
I don't think there is anything positive in the Bush-Blair invasion of Iraq. I wouldn't believe any of the media propaganda. I certainly don't think the Brits and Bush care a damn about the Iraqi peolple, they are not seeking to liberate the arab women or liberalise the machismo dominated society. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States which are US-friendly are far more oppressive to women than Saddam's secular Iraq. If Bush was liberating Iraq for Islamic women he should have invaded Saudi Arabia and Pakistan first. Also, America was quite happy to turn a blind eye towards the repression, suppression and oppression of women by the Taliban, Mojahedeen and other Islamic war lord armies when they were fighting the Russians in Afghanistan.
There is nothing good to be said about Bush's war - it is illegal, immoral and unjust…and unfortunately, it will be a long time before the rest of the world will ever trust or respect either the US or Britain. We have thrown away the United Nations and by destroying Iraq we have proven that Might is Right and as a consequence made the world an even more dangerous place.
Interestingly, this is what a 16 year old girl in England sent me recently -
"Have you heard of the PNAC? - Project for a New American Century - working to achieve a sort of American Empire. They aim to democratize the world and make all countries US friendly. Oil is a factor in it as it secures power. Signed by Rumsfeld and all the usual suspects - all in the Bush administration! I am concerned that this issue has not been more prominently brought to public awareness as it is an openly stated plan by the group. Very scary."
And this is what an American friend in Michigan, a 60 year old woman, wrote -
"I think the war is even worse than being about oil. I suspected before, and recently saw something that confirmed my suspicions, that Bush really is thinking of making the USA some kind of Global ruler.
Evidently Paul Wolfowitz, the under-secretary of Defense, had the idea back in 1991 of using American force to promote regime change around the world, knock out competition, and make the whole world the USA's little bailiwick.... I never thought much of Bush Sr., but to his credit he
at least had the sense to nix Wolfowitz's plan. And although some defense people knew about it during Clinton's time, Clinton would have nothing to do with it either.... but lame-brain Junior comes along and like a pathetic kid with a new toy has to hop proudly on his little pony and go off to conquer the world! The megalomaniac moron! You'd think Blair with his knowledge of the mistakes in British history would see the crass stupidity of Bush's ideas..... who knows, maybe Blair wants to colour the map pink again? But the more likely result is that Master Georgie and his fawning Mutt will colour the world with blood."
My friend in Michigan also sent me this more recently -
"At this point, April 8, 2003, I have the strongest premoniton the Bush Belligerancy Corp. isn't even thinking about the war. While their mouthpieces continue to dribble platitudes about our brave soldiers, the mind of the monsters-in-charge have been turned for some while to planning their next moves. As a chess player, you know the value of not just reacting to the current move but laying a strategy against several moves in advance. The question in my mind now is, will the anti-war movement look ahead or will they be
caught flat-footed and fail to realize the threat of G.W. Battlebotty's bigger aim, which isn't just taking out Saddam, or even regime change in Iraq.....
Because ALL the signals coming from Snottybotty are that he really is planning on making the USA the heavy-handed truncheon-wieldingpoliceman of the globe, whether the globe wants it or not. Even worse, he's inclined to see evil in anyone who opposes him..... Poor old pathetic Powell is trying to tell people, "The USA won't invade Iran and Syria." ...but it's suspicious that he even said it!"
Here is what a friend from the Czech Republic wrote in a letter to me on the 15th Jan 2003-
" I am sure the US have nothing indicative against Iraq, what really matters is the Iraqi oil. There are worse political regimes than the Saddam's one and many other countries have weapons of mass destruction (including the US).
Maybe I am wrong, but I think that electing Bush was a step in shit, and not only for America, but for the whole world. If there is a real danger for the world peace and life, then it is Bush with his insinuators so the preventive war should be led against them. No court would recognize punching someone out just to prevent his potential future wrong acting .... Times are changing, the image of fair and honest US as we had it before has disappeared remaining disillusion that it is just an aggressive, selfish, police state. Before we would have jokes on Russians, now on Bush and Congress...."
Then on the 8th of April 2003, my Czech friend wrote this -
"this Iraq war is not moral, must not be called a war against
terrorism or war to liberate the Iraqi people and must
not be tolerated. This war is poisoning the whole
world. The US establishment now know for sure that UN
has no power to prevent a unilateral act and that
enforceability of international law is zero. Who will
be the "next to go" in this predatory campaign to
"defend" US interests by all means? I am sick of Bush,
I cannot stand him when I see him on TV, and my blood
is up when I listen to his lies and propaganda,
biblical vocabulary and phrasing. I realize that he is
only the top of the military-industrial iceberg and
those who paid for his presidency, expect their
investment to yield. War is a great business and the
post war reconstruction will be even bigger business.
What is the value of human life, whether it is an
American soldier or Iraqi man, woman or child?....
According to public opinion inquiries 70%
of Czechs are against the war, but people still are
afraid to express their opinions openly, so anti-war
demonstrations gather maximum few hundred people. I
feel ashamed for the Czechs...... I hope the (British)
establishment is not going to make you any trouble for
your public disagreement with their course and
rejecting the government grant. During the communist
era we said that the difference between the regime we
had had and democracy was, that we had freedom of
speech, while in democratic countries people had
freedom also after their speech. I am not so sure now
when I see that American artists, who publicly
condemned the war, are afraid of losing their jobs and
contracts. Where is our democracy and freedom if
everyone who is against this war is automatically
suspected to be anti-American, anti-democracy, almost
an enemy?"
The UN must find a way to clip the Eagle's wings
: 8th Apr 2003
SEE postcard, Nabil Shaban produced and sent to 645 Members of Parliament on 23rd January 2007
John Pilger
- Visit the website of one Britain's few courageous journalists
to expose the truth behind the Bush-Blair imperialist evil.
The Virtual Truth Commission
Telling the Truth for a Better America
Who is the winner in war?"
Why Bush - Pentagon - CIA - Mossad wanted September 11
The U. S. of AIDS
My Resumme
Campaign to Free Vanunu and a Nuclear Free Middle East
Influences on me, as published in New Statesman, 16 April 1993
"What makes you angry?" The Inside Story, 5 April 1993
My Letter to President Bill Clinton (Jan. 1993)
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can be ordered from W. H. Smiths or Waterstones or any bookshop.
Just quote the ISBN number - 978-0-9548294-1-4
Or you can place an order by visiting Sirius Book Works publishing
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GREAT NEWS
At last, you can see the world premiere of Nabil Shaban's play "The First To Go", produced by
Benchtours Productions
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Email me at jinghiz53@yahoo.com in the meantime.
Copyright © 2003 Nabil Shaban
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Links to other sites on the Web
ANTI-WAR PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE
Friends of the Earth
© 1997 jinghiz53@yahoo.com
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