Death
I apologize for the late post, but I was attending my great aunt's funeral. She was a great woman, living until she was 86. Suffered horribly through the death of a husband, son and grandson. Her life came to an end when, after suffering from Alzheimers for the past few years, she got locked out of her house, confused and wandered in her yard (perhaps heading to a neighbors), fell, could not get back up and froze to death. A horrible story, I know.
It seems that many around the world have also been suffering horrible deaths. Between the execution-style murders of people in Iraq since the bombing of the most holy Shia mosque, Askariya, and the torture and murder of Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man in France, the international news has been quite gruesome. While the death of my Aunt was horrible accident (I guess the best way to put it) her death was not because of her religion. The murders of people based on their beliefs is, of course, horrible.
However, it should effect all of humanity more. When one hears the story of a man killed because of his beliefs, our hearts must feel sorrow, just as I felt sorrow for my aunt. The actions of purposefully killing someone because they pray to Allah Shia-style v. Allah Sunni-style are a blow to all of humanity. I have noticed that the sectarian violence in Iraq has almost been accepted. The American people immediately stated they felt civil war is soon to come in Iraq. However, our original feeling should not be of civil war, but of unification and sympathy. No one, in the name of religion, can kill anyone else and still maintain their religion. There is not one single religion that allows for the murder of another. No true Shia or Sunni Muslim can defend the bombing of Askariya or the execution of member of the other sect. The people in Iraq should not go to the streets to protest the bombing of Askariya, they should take a page from the French playbook, going to the streets and showing unity against all violence, especially violence sparked by ethnic or religious differences. If we isolate and rise above violence, the violent will no longer be powerful.
posted by PCMB @ 11:36 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I am sorry for your loss. The death of a loved, especially under the circumstances you describe, is never easy.
With regard to your comment on the escalation of violence in Iraq and the civil war it portends, Iraqiis are no Frenchmen. Torn asunder by divisions millenia old, all many can hope for is a form of detante, with an uneasy peace ruling the day. Also, unlike the French, violence is an everyday experience in Iraq, a viable method of dispute resolution. Iraqiis cannot simply demonstrate in the streets, complain about the government and then go home to share a baguette and a bottle of Bordeaux. There is a fundamentally violent mindset that is inextricably part of their collective identity. It manifests itself not only in their hatred of foreign occupiers, but in their treatment of women, disdain for other religions, and distrust of the "outside" world.
Fortunately, the wheels are turning, and the Western ideals of free markets, human rights and yes, even capitalism will someday help Iraq establish an environment amicable to outside investment, thus ushering in a new age of prosperity and equality. It will not happen this year, this presidential term or perhaps even in our lifetime, but it will happen.
I agree that there is an inherent violence in Iraq, but isn't it in human nature to rise above conflict and attempt to solve a problem without killing someone? But beyond that, Islam, true Islam (like true christianity), preaches peace, love and acceptance. If the Iraqi conflict is really about religious sects, then there should not be much conflict at all.
Post a Comment
<< Home