<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Courtesy of today’s (October 20, 2017 ) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with enthusiastic appreciation to our friend <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">S.M. “Ghazi” Ghazanfar.</span><div><br></div><div>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — </div><div><br></div><div><div><h1 itemprop="headline" class="headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 42px; margin: 0px 100px 0px 0px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Letter: 'Other Columbus'</span></h1></div><div><br></div><div>Napoleon Bonaparte once defined history as a "collection of fables, agreed upon;" any deviation is often resisted. I am glad that the hometown conversation has, finally, led to the adoption of "Indigenous People's Day" by the Moscow City Council. The Human Rights Commission chair correctly told the council: Columbus symbolizes genocide. Presently, however, a less familiar dimension of the Columbus story is the subject.</div><div><br></div><div>Columbus' essential mission was neither "exploration" nor "discovery." Islamic Spain had been conquered and, aided by the booty acquired, Spanish monarchy enabled Columbus to launch a messianic mission (dictated by papal bulls) to "invade, capture, and subdue all Saracens (Muslims) and pagans and other enemies of Christ," take their possessions, "reduce them to perpetual slavery," and convert them to "universalize" Christianity. Islam was to be destroyed</div><div><br></div><div>In his Book of Prophecies, Columbus describes his vision, having been "chosen" to capture Jerusalem - the clarion call for the Second Coming and Last Judgment. Apocalyptic thinking dominated Christian theology in that era. After destroying Mecca and Medina, Prophet Mohammed's body was to be kidnapped and held ransom to recover Jerusalem. However, the Turks prevented that goal. Columbus changed course and landed in the Bahamas - an accidental "discovery" of "pagans" whom he thought were Indian-Indians. Incidentally, Columbus was approved by Pope Pius IX for canonization, but it was rejected because he had "fathered an illegitimate child, and he had not performed a miracle."</div><div><br></div><div>Portugal's Vasco da Gama, also following papal dictates, pursued a similar mission with his maritime voyage to south India via south Africa. In 1998, India rejected Portugal's suggestion to celebrate 500th anniversary of Gama's invasion. Again, there was neither "discovery" nor "exploration."</div><div><br></div><div>It was all "God's work."</div><div><br></div><div>S.M. Ghazanfar</div><div>Acworth, Ga.</div></div><div><br></div><div>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — </div><div><br><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>