[Vision2020] Peace and Goodwill

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the Letters sectio of today's (January 4, 2011) Moscow-Pullman
Daily News with thanks to S.M. "Ghazi" Ghazanfar.

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Peace and goodwill

I usually find Lenna Harding's columns stimulating, and so is "Still
working on peace, goodwill to men" (Daily News, Dec. 23), despite some
lapses.

She suggests that Arabs/Palestinians had the option of living in newly
founded Israel, but were prevented. Rather simplistic. One might google
"Nakba" (Catastrophe) and learn about Palestinian expulsion, or explore
www.ifamericansknew.org. Even in Israel, some ask that this reality be
part of school curricula.

And, she mentions that while Iraqi Muslims-Christians used to live in
peace, now Christians are being harassed. But why? Was our invasion a
factor?

More than a million Iraqis killed, over 5 million refugees etc. Assuming
they are human, one can reasonably expect reaction, even though
condemnable. Two wrongs don't make a right, but one must understand.

The late Leah Rabin (Israel's slain PM Rabin's wife), referring to the
Palestinians, quoted from Shakespeare's Shylock ("Merchant of Venice")
(the original context were the 'inquisitioned' Jews): "Had not a Jew eyes?
Had not a Jew organs, senses, passions? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if
you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" One can ask: "Do not Iraqis,
Afghanis, Palestinians, others have a soul? Are we not human? If you kill
and torture our people, rape our women, kill our children, destroy our
mosques, our shrines, and trample our sacred books, shall we not react?"

The same Daily News had another article, "Iraq churches cancel Christmas
festivities: People live in fear after attack." Again, why? Ex-CIA
official, Graham Fuller, in just published book, World Without Islam,
argues, given colonial history, regional issues would be same even with
non-Muslims; his favorite sticker: "History did not begin with 9/11." Some
food for thought.

S.M. Ghazanfar, Moscow

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Thanks, Ghazi.

"Peace" and "Goodwill"; Two values and desires common to all cultures.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish
peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit
of Christmas."

- Calvin Coolidge