Peace?! What a Foreign Concept...
Elza S. Maalouf
It was much easier for me to think rationally about the war in Iraq. Like others who are interested in the Middle East or come from it, I was able to analyze the situation in Iraq to the best of my ability, discuss the issue with Iraqi friends or on the various listserves, and try to use developmental theories to justify certain decisions made by the US or by the Iraqis.
With this Lebanese tragedy, I find myself struggling not to scream at people who don't see the situation from my perspective. All the socio-political, psychological and spiritual theories are reduced to a reactionary thinking on my part. I guess that the loss of souls and the pain of so many people with whom I share history, roots and DNA made me regress to a narrow ethnocentric mindset. Nothing is wrong with that, I know. However I wonder why I don't feel the same intensity when I read about the genocide in Darfur, and the famine that the world can prevent in Niger.
When I say I have a worldcentric view, I know that I mean it on a 'good day'...not when Ali, Fatima, George, Mohamad and Marie from Southern Lebanon, Beirut or the Bekaa Valley are displaced, wounded or in pain.
I do feel for every Israeli and Lebanese mother suffering for a child, a husband or a brother. They have nothing to do with politicians, militias and war. They just happen to be there living with hopes and dreams of a happy family and a better future...
With this Lebanese tragedy, I find myself struggling not to scream at people who don't see the situation from my perspective. All the socio-political, psychological and spiritual theories are reduced to a reactionary thinking on my part. I guess that the loss of souls and the pain of so many people with whom I share history, roots and DNA made me regress to a narrow ethnocentric mindset. Nothing is wrong with that, I know. However I wonder why I don't feel the same intensity when I read about the genocide in Darfur, and the famine that the world can prevent in Niger.
When I say I have a worldcentric view, I know that I mean it on a 'good day'...not when Ali, Fatima, George, Mohamad and Marie from Southern Lebanon, Beirut or the Bekaa Valley are displaced, wounded or in pain.
I do feel for every Israeli and Lebanese mother suffering for a child, a husband or a brother. They have nothing to do with politicians, militias and war. They just happen to be there living with hopes and dreams of a happy family and a better future...
3 Comments:
Thank you for your blog. I'm glad that you're providing information and a perspective sadly and wrongly lacking from most of the Western media. I hope you continue to post.
I don't have any answers about this war. I am in the process of converting to Judaism, and I believe that Israel cannot fail to react to the threat Hezbollah poses. Yet I am staggered by the extent to which innocent Lebanese have suffered, and I struggle to understand which parts of Israel's efforts to dislodge Hezbollah are justified and which aren't. It's very difficult to know the truth.
All I'm sure about is that this is a terrible, terrible war, as all are, and I feel overwhelming sadness that so many innocent people are made to pay for the mistakes and hatred of others.
For years I've dreamed of a trip to Israel and Lebanon. As an American and as a Jew, I feel now too ashamed to set foot in your country.
B'Shalom
Well, the 'modern' world have to become more creative in finding solutions to extremism. We are learning that the devestating war machine that never kills ideas. How about instead we use our advanced technology combined with a deep sense of faith and respect for the healthy aspects of each culture in all our political and business dealings.
Dear Elza,
I've taken the liberty to repost this touching post on my blog.
As a German who's grown up in Holland and now lives in the Czech Republic it is difficult to accept that people keep moving on those levels...
Anyway, I greatly appreciate your blog.
Thank you,
Mushin
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