This may sound like an extremely hackneyed title but I am writing this in response to tons of reports, intelligence, journalistic write ups, debates that go on and on and on about the Middle East history, ethnic and religious demographics, politics, international law, terrorism etc. Here, from my observation I will put it in very simple words, Warped and misguided Religion feeds all violence in Middle East, so you gotta shoot that down first before you do any negotiations.
Similar was my views expressed to David Wearing, who is doubtlessly a very keen and concerned observer of Middle Eastern affairs. He took part in almost marathon email debate with The Guardian newspaper journalist on Iranian intentions about its secretive nuclear program. Here is a link to his page and post titled, ”The Iran threat – exchange with George Monbiot” He focused a great deal on the phrase of Ahmadinejad, ”Wiping Israel off the map”. I commented that the study of semantic is a waste of time as Iranian intentions and populist leadership’s intentions for wanting to annihilate (whatever it may mean) Israel have been made clear quite often, including on their state owned media. I also urged him to focus on the religious element as well and here is the bit from my comment:
”But you completely ignore one element. RELIGION. Both Jews and Muslims can justify a war like anything and may even feel compelled to start one at any time, depending on which godly frequency they’re tuned to at a given time. Heck, even Dubya said God sent him to Iraq. I know I am making it sound funny but this paragraph is of the gravest nature, so mark my words.”
By the way, I also question international community’s moral right from stopping Iran from developing nuclear technologies. I really see weird disjointed logic and hypocrisy. North Korea has developed nuclear technology and the bomb, so did India and Pakistan. Nobody is asking them to disarm or destroy their atomic toys. Indeed the US is passionately seeking to help India in taming the atom so it can be unleashed later for whatever reasons. But I am veering away from the main subject of this post. So let me finish in the next paragraph.
About a week ago, I was searching for Israeli or Jewish bloggers to get a balanced view of the Israel-Palestine situation. I came across a blog from this young Jewish guy, in his early 20s, who wrote about the daily happenings in Israel from Israel, away from diplomatic, journalistic claptrap and negotiations in Norway or some other bleak location in USA. There was one post where he mourned the death of two young Israelis killed in a rocket attack fired by the terrorists (whichever ones they may have been) It was a moving post and a heartfelt obituary where he offered his condolences to the family of the deceased. In the very last sentence he prayed for peace and prayed that their deaths will be ”AVENGED”. That’s a real damning word.
Here is the contrast I suppose. While Christianity– in the true sense, there are strange ”Christian” sects though who think Armageddon etc. are going to unfold out of the current situations in Middle East– is the religion of peace, forgiveness, letting go, loving and praying for your enemies; both Judaism and Islam seem heavily intent on revenge. Maybe this very basic instinct and culture of revenge is inflated, flamed and exploited to the best interests of corrupt and neurotic fundamentalists on both sides?
