Analyzing Espido Freire’s Commentary on the March 11 Attacks
Critical commentary on the daily press, within the known genera of opinion, usually written as “columns,” regular or occasional loose articles, by writers, thinkers, and intellectuals. This is the case with the novelist Espido Freire, one of the most important figures in current narrative, who here expresses her thoughts on the events of March 11, just days after they had occurred.
This article presents the typical structure of argumentative texts:
- Introduction: The pain for the victims of the attacks should not prevent rational discourse about Islamic terrorism.
- Development of Arguments: Spanish participation in the Iraq War has provoked feelings of hatred and revenge in the Muslim world.
- Conclusion: Spanish society is not innocent, despite the protests and demonstrations against the war in Iraq and the war policies of Bush, Blair, and Aznar.
It is clear from the tone in which the article is written that the author was part of the voices that opposed the invasion of Iraq and U.S. imperialism. Though I share many of the reasons that led to these protests, I disagree with some of Freire’s arguments.
Critique of Freire’s Arguments
The Islamic world is very large (nearly one billion people make it up), and while it is an exaggeration to say that Muslims hate Spain for their participation in the war in Iraq, it is even more hateful to assume that this is one of the causes that led to the attacks of March eleventh. Because the Islamic population is very large (one third of humanity, or so) and most of its believers, despite the closed religious principles that they obey, despite even the feeling of hatred toward the U.S., Israel, Britain, or Spain, should not be regarded as suspected accomplices of savage terrorism by Al Qaeda. Surely the majority of Muslims reject and curse it.
Arguments, as supported by Espido Freire, come to say that the supposed hatred of the Basques to Spain is the leading cause of ETA terrorism, and also that Spanish society is not innocent of the attacks because the vast majority share the police struggle and relentless, but democratic, persecution against ETA.
Innocence and Responsibility
Spanish society, like Islamic society, is innocent of the attacks of March eleventh. These were the bloody outcome of the twisted mind of a criminal group. It is true that the imperialist and militaristic ultra-conservative policies of George Bush, nor the dark interests that U.S. and British multinationals have with the oil recovered in Iraq, did not benefit. But in those cases, the Spanish are innocent.
Conclusion
Finally, I must say that I share with the author of this article the need to find a convincing, rational, and coherent explanation for the causes of March 11th, mostly because it depends on who has not more innocent victims among the population, the coexistence between Spanish society and Islam remains at liberty, tolerance, and mutual respect for the plurality of ideas, feelings, and beliefs.