Re: Terrorism

["Howard Bramhall" <hwb67@msn.com>]

 ----- Original Message -----

From: Maria Hammill

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 2:26 PM

To: CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com; sjfleetwindarab@webtv.net; ridecamp@endurance.net

Subject: RC: Fwd: RC: Terrorism

 

Well, my first post to Ridecamp and it isn't even on the subject of
horses much less endurance.

I realize we are all angry and hurt.  I realize we all feel a deepseated need to hold someone accountable - indeed, we all should feel that need.  But for crying out loud, we need to make sure that the right person or people are held accountable.

Here in my city, a mosque was firebombed.  While people were in it. Here in my city, a PERSONAL FRIEND was spit upon and so was I for accompanying her to a grocery store.  This friend is Chaldean.  But she is Arab.  We were threatened.  I am thankful nothing further happened. I live in a predominantly Arab neighborhood.  I have never, until now,
seen a police presence in it.  I see patrol cars every hour now, and I am thankful for them.

Elsewhere in this great country of ours, a Sikh Indian was killed. Because he wore a turban.  People are getting beaten, and killed, because of nothing more than the color of their skin or their dress. What does that make us?  Any better than Bin Laden?  Not in my book.

Yes, ask for justice.  Yes, demand that those responsible are held accountable.  But you must keep a clear head about it.  Don't let this megalomaniac make us any less then we are.  Don't let him/them diminish us.  We, as a nation, are bigger than that.

Maria

PS - Hi Heidi!  I took your advice and joined this list and I think it's wonderful!

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Maria:

I am so sorry to hear of this.  I was hoping Americans would be able to rise above this sort of thing.  It's very unfortunate and sad; some only react with hate when they are in pain.  And our nation is in pain; this one will not go away anytime soon.

When one describes America, they will commonly use the term "Judaic-Christian society."  Guess what is missing here?  Islamic or Muslim, and there are over 6 million American citizens who practice this faith.  Yet, they are never included in the above description.  And, frankly, I believe this is part of the problem.

As I said before, we need to look deeper.  Why does such a large group, those outside our borders, and some within, hate us as they do?  This is not Israel here; we are not involved in that war, or we weren't until last Tuesday.  I cannot buy the rationale that it is because we support Israel and don't support Palestine. We've been trying to help settle the conflict since I can remember, and I'm no spring chicken.  Both sides (Israel and Palestine) are guilty of not ending the war between them; America is only guilty of trying to be their mediator.  I can't buy any of the answers I hear as to why some Arab fractions hate us.  We open our doors to them, let them into our house, teach them how to fly, if that's what they wish to do.  And they kill us with our own planes.  Civilians, women and children.  

We need to communicate better.  Americans of Muslim faith need to talk with other Americans of the other faiths.  Do not isolate yourselves from the rest of what makes up America.  And the rest of us need to reach out and communicate with those of other beliefs; especially Muslim, and especially now.  Now may not be the best time, you may be saying to yourself, but if not now, when? 

This has always been a problem in the U.S.  African Americans and Caucasians still do not communicate as they should.  Different religions still have their petty feuds between them, as to whose God is the best God, or what beliefs are the ones most important.  I always hoped to live long enough to see this silly crap come to an end. I'm still hoping it will end in a good way, not with death and total destruction. But, I got to tell you, I've never been more afraid that the latter is more possible than I ever before imagined it would be.

We say we Americans do not base our decisions on race, religion, or sex, but that's not exactly true.  We have yet to overcome this barrier.  Until this barrier is lowered and taken away, we will continue to have problems.  Until Tuesday, I thought these problems could still be dealt with in a rational manner.  But now, it's obvious that they cannot.  If we don't fix them, and fix them now, Armageddon will be right around the corner.  We are not settling our differences with bows and arrows, swords and knives anymore.  Now, we have nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to settle things.  If we don't start talking to each other real soon our hatred and our ignorance will destroy us all.

 

cya,

Howard