Myrtus

Remembering John Lennon: "Whatever you do, just do it for PEACE"

My all-time favorite artist, philosopher, musical genius, peace activist, lives forever in my heart and across the universe....

Peace hugs to all!

 

"Ya Salam": Arabic language now mandatory in Israeli schools

Shalom! שָׁלוֹם

Salam! سلام

This can only be a good thing of course, but just watch, somebody is bound to find something wrong with it.  

BBC News - Arabic to become compulsory in Israeli schools

Education officials hope the scheme, called "Ya Salam", will turn language into a cultural bridge and promote tolerance between Jews and Arabs.

Let's turn "PARK 51" into a "PEACE GARDEN" if we really want healing

Dear Park 51 folks,

Considering that polarizing politics have completely hijacked your noble, peaceful endeavor at this point, this is the perfect opportunity and also the right time to turn a negative into a positive and do something really worthwhile and lasting on a global scale.....to cultivate peace, love, understanding and promote coexistence.

With the commemoration of the painful 9/11 tragedy (that struck us all at the heart) just around the corner, let's honor the victims by turning "Park 51" into a "Peace Garden", where everyone is welcome to pay tribute to the victims and honor them by planting trees, bushes and flowers, for peace sake, instead of building a community center.

Gardening is fun and can do so much good to release tensions, especially if we do it as a community.

And please let's not stop there, we can still raise the 100 hundred million dollars you had planned to do many great things to serve the world community.

Let's raise 100 million dollars for the flood victims in Pakistan.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help rebuild Haiti and other areas truck by disaster.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to build schools all over the world where there are none.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help end violence against women & minorities.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to empower people with disabilities.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to combat human trafficking.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to put an end to malaria

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to combat AIDS.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help end animal cruelty.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help protect human rights.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help protect our enironment.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to help end violence in our schools.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to stop/prevent genocide around the globe.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to bring water & clean energy to the poor in remote areas.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to support existing charities that work to eradicate extremism.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to launch a conflict resolution world forum that excludes politicians.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to educate & empower the poor with social entrepreneurship.

Let's raise another 100 million dollars to provide food, shelter & education for the homeless.

So you see, if we really want to build bridges, we got our work cut out for us and the possibilities are truly endless!

Thank you kindly & peace be with all of us!

PS ~ Everyone is free to copy this note and post it anywhere.

Let's turn "PARK 51" into a "PEACE GARDEN" | Facebook

Israeli Jew builds mosque in France

I always say if we want peace in the Middle East to stand a chance we have to tell our politicians to back off, or better yet, Muslims and Jews would need to get together and tell the rest of the world to back off and let them make peace amongst themselves all on their own.  Sure they can do it!

If you look back in history, whenever Muslims and Jews lived together in harmony, their combined forces, with knowledge, science and commerce made their communities thrive.
Sadly in our lifetime, it's almost as if they are purposely being manipulated to be at odds with each other, living in constant turmoil and kept apart only to serve other people's political and economic agendas.

Israeli millionaire builds mosque in France - Israel Activism, Ynetnews

 

Jewish businessman Robert Harush who grew up in Ashkelon spends fortune on renovation of large Muslim house of worship in Montereau, in effort to promote co-existence

 

An unlikely benefactor. An Ashkelon resident who made a fortune in the European real estate business has decided to pay for the construction of a mosque in France for the benefit of the local Muslim community.

 

Father of four Robert Harush, 58, grew up in Ashkelon and having completed his military service tried his luck in the real estate business in Europe. His success has won him many hotels and buildings and he is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of shekels.

In other news....

Muslim, Orthodox Jew to run Teaneck

(JTA) -- A practicing Muslim and an Orthodox Jew have been chosen to run a New Jersey city.

Mohammed Hameeduddin was chosen last week by the Teaneck, N.J. township council to serve as mayor and Adam Gussen was chosen as deputy mayor. The sitting councilmen were appointed by the township council each for a two-year term.

The men attended middle school together in Teaneck and both attended Rutgers University, according to ABC News.

Israel & Palestine be damned, world peace be damned and down with morality unless you listen to what Dr Qanta Ahmed has to say

Dr Qanta Ahmed is a Muslim woman who has so much more to offer to the world than just heart and I sincerely thank her and commend for trying to bring morality back:

"Like most things in life, morality unfortunately is a little more complex than some would have you believe. Presently, morality is sinking into oblivion deep into the Eastern Mediterranean and all that remains is some soggy, discarded flotsam bobbing up and down in a magnifying pandemonium of hysterical, biased tropism."

From a woman's perspective, I personally reject noisemakers such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan and the likes, who pretend to fight for women's rights and against Islamic terror.  To me they are nothing but a bunch of hatemongering self-serving talking heads that have absolutely nothing to contribute to the common good of mankind.

For that same reason I always refused to take sides on the Israel/Palestine issue and reject our pathetic self-serving politicians who insist on ruling our world with manipulating people into blind emotion and wild fury, keeping the fires burning, while holding the world community hostage and forcing the issue to become the center our universe, or more or less as a convenience store or drug dealer they can always run to if they need a fix to feed their bad habit.  All of them can collectively move over to make room for Dr Qanta Ahmed, who does an amazing job offering crucial insights and reasoning on not just what's actually wrong with our world today, but how to fix it as well. 

I recommend you read the entire article, but here's the part that speaks to me most:

At one stage, a spokesperson for Hamas appeared on the BBC citing that Gazans have no need for aid, adding " we do not need to fill our bellies". Well, the world thinks otherwise. In his astonishing defiance revealed by a casual, throwaway comment, the spokesperson revealed the prime goal of the Flotilla's mission, as he perceived it: to run the gauntlet against the blockade, not to alleviate material needs of his suffering electorate. The Flotilla was a bald and blatant political move designed to humiliate and provoke.

His remarks reveal the extent to which Palestinians are now objectified political pawns, rather than a people. While we are comfortable with the longstanding objectification of Palestinians by Israelis as the 'other' in the form of a security threat (after all Israel must balance a constant struggle to determine the needs of a terrorized Israeli citizenship over the needs of an exploding ever-younger ever impoverished, increasingly radicalized Gaza population) we fail to encounter our own sinister objectification of the Palestinians which we accomplish so effectively all by ourselves. This objectification is not only held by their revolving, corrupt leadership, but also by an objectifying Muslim world. We the Muslims need the Palestinians to remain locked in their plight so that they might continue to serve as the Ummah's scotoma (a blindspot) which literally prevents us from seeing our own more immediate distresses, distresses which might demand our attention and perhaps even require societal interventions . We would be lost, disarmed, and stunned without an external locus for our rage which is so piercingly trained on Gaza and the West Bank, so piercing in fact that Darfur barely warrants a sidelong glance.

Does this exonerate Israel? No. Does this implicate Muslims? You bet.

Let me continue the self-flagellation.

During this same period of Flotilla Face-Offs with the IDF, Pakistan, my nation of matrilineal and patrimonial heritage has witnessed the extraordinary massacre of 120 moderate, pacifist Muslims, followers of the Ahmadiyyah movement that subscribes to peaceful, pluralistic Islam. Specifically, they embrace non-violence, condemning violent jihad. They were massacred, in cold blood, in worship, by fellow citizens, fellow Pakistanis, fellow Muslims. Most of the murdered were elderly, and male. Hundreds more were injured, some of whom are still dying this week. Emergency services did not arrive for over two hours. Pakistani police stood back, apparently allowing the carnage to occur, supposedly too afraid to engage. Awaiting special operations commandos to intervene, in their uncertainty, perhaps their tacit tolerance, Pakistani police became silent accomplices to the massacre. Many of the pacifist Muslim worshipers died of uncomplicated hemorrhagic shock within mere minutes of advanced medical care.

Where has been the subsequent national and international outrage at the death of these Muslims? Where is the Muslim world now? Where are the Muslims calling for War Crimes to be investigated within the inert and increasingly fractious Pakistani 'leadership'? We, the Muslims find ourselves suddenly voiceless, tongue tied, jaded and unmoved, yet somehow Gaza stokes our bald fury.

So, against this deafening silence, when six passengers on the ship were regrettably killed during a confrontation with the Israeli Defense Force, this bloodshed became sufficient to call for investigations of war crimes by an elected government in charge of their military at work enforcing a public, long standing naval blockade, one which has been tacitly accepted in the region, irrespective of the ethics of this blockade. It wasn't just a member of the IDF, who was thrown overboard in the on board skirmish it would seem, it was morality.

All we are saying.......

This one's for my friend Asma.

Happy New Year everyone!

I wish you all peace, love and many blessings in the new year and may you too catch the One Voice Movement bug and help spread the word.

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Muslims and Jews get together to say NO to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

Imams and Rabbis in the US and Canada host their first "Weekend of Twinning" event to raise awareness against "the politics of fear", focus on common grounds between Muslims and Jews and set aside their differences.

Jews, Muslims reach out | The Detroit News | detnews.com

Jews and Muslims are gathering as part of a national effort to breach the barriers of division. The first "Weekend of Twinning" event was held Friday at Temple Kol Ami with another scheduled for Sunday night at the American Muslim Center in Dearborn. The nationwide effort, sponsored by The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, the Islamic Society of North America, the World Jewish Congress and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, includes events this weekend at 50 mosques and 50 synagogues in 20 states and Ontario.

Bridging the Muslim-Jewish divide | JTA - Jewish & Israel News

LOS ANGELES (JTA)—There was nothing unusual about some 20 devout Muslims from the King Fahad Mosque bowing and prostrating themselves as they recited the Isha, or night prayer.

Only the site was Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, and the worshipers were outnumbered by about 80 Jews watching the unfamiliar ritual.

At the same time, in another room of the Reform temple, Jewish congregants were participating in the Ma’ariv evening prayer, watched respectfully by a group of Muslims.

The Emerging Interfaith Youth Movement

This was written by Eboo Patel, on his blog, The Faith Divide.

Two weeks ago, about 75 leaders and stakeholders of the emerging interfaith youth movement gathered at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in an event co-organized by my organization, the Interfaith Youth Core, to discuss the shape and future of what we are about.

The core idea of our movement is simple: Religious diversity can either unite us or divide us, and the direction we go on this key issue will be largely determined by young people.

There are at least five intersecting trends which create the context for the interfaith youth movement.

1) The youth bulge
2) The religious revival
3) The breakdown in traditional socio-economic patterns
4) The increased frequency and intensity of interaction between people from different backgrounds
5) The growth in numbers and power of civil society forces

One of the remarkable things about the gathering at USIP was the diversity of stakeholders represented.

Read the rest here ...

There are at least five intersecting trends which create the context for the interfaith youth movement.

1) The youth bulge
2) The religious revival
3) The breakdown in traditional socio-economic patterns
4) The increased frequency and intensity of interaction between people from different backgrounds
5) The growth in numbers and power of civil society forces

One of the remarkable things about the gathering at USIP was the diversity of stakeholders represented.

Don't be Fooled by Good Reviews

I think Barry Rubin is one of the best political analysts out there on mideast politics.  The man really knows his stuff (I often read his articles), but I wish he were slightly more centered and objective in his overall reviews on the region for the sake of promoting peace and understanding....sort of like he does here in his latest article :

http://www.gloriacenter.org/index.asp?pname=submenus/articles/2008/rubin/6_16.asp

Don't be Fooled by Good Reviews
Barry Rubin
June 16, 2008

Golda Meir once said that a bad press was better than a good epitaph. In other words, pragmatic considerations must take precedence over public relations.

Sometimes it seems as if contemporary Israeli governments have forgotten that concept. Yet in general, especially where it counts, this principle continues to prevail in Israel.

Not so in the Arab world. There, maintaining a rhetoric of war, militancy, and refusal to compromise--as proof of the regime's impeccable Arab nationalist and Islamic credentials--has always been a powerful factor in governance. This method has great benefits by mobilizing popular support for dictators and a high cost because it blocks their making peace and leads them into costly foreign adventures.

For rulers, the good news is that they remain perpetually behind the steering wheel; the bad news, at least for their citizens, is that the vehicle never gets anywhere good. But this is not to say that the masses are mere dupes in this process. Tempting as it is to say, dictators bad; people good, the fact is that even if the masses don't (in the words of George Orwell's classic on modern dictatorship, 1984) love the ruling Big Brother, they at least like what Big Brother says.

What Big Brother, and all his helping little brothers, says, however, has changed internationally if not locally. The old script, still used in Arabic, was very macho: We'll fight forever, spill oceans of blood, and win completely in the end.

The new script, available only in English, is: we're poor victims who want peace and. In tune with current world thinking, this generates much sympathy.

But the resulting public relations' victories avail them not.

First, let's ask: what, in material terms, has the shift in Western opinion and media coverage actually cost Israel? It's easy to say Israel has been restrained from triumphs by Western pressure as a result of this change. Yet that situation dates back to the early 1970s, before the public relations' blitz, and has more to do with geopolitics than public opinion.

One can argue that there have been some costs to Israel (beneficial advantages from the European Union) and some benefits to the other side (more money to the Palestinian Authority). There's been a lot of personal discomfiture for Israelis treated as pariahs and Jews abroad dismayed by waves of hatred and misunderstanding.

Yet this has amounted to relatively little material disadvantage for Israel and not much real benefit for its adversaries. After all, there's still no Palestinian state, Palestinians are more divided than ever, Hamas is isolated, there's not much pressure on Israel for concessions, the Israeli presence on the Golan Heights remains, Israel's economy thrives, Israel's relations with the major European countries are good, the international campaign against Iran's nuclear drive is as strong as can be expected, and so on.

In short, the radical Arab nationalists, Islamists, Arab regimes, and Palestinian movement have squandered their public relations' victories in the West. The main reason for this is their extremist goals. They are like a bettor who wins at the gambling table but never cashes in his chips since defeat makes him more determined and success makes him over-confident.

If, for example, Palestinian leaders had wanted a deal to get an independent state or Syria had preferred to get back the Golan Heights in exchange for full peace they would have succeeded. A good press and favorable Western opinion, reflected through government policies, would have helped them make a better deal. As it is, however, they are merely enabled to continue their endless struggle with a smile on their faces.

A second way they have lost is by failing to be constructive. Aid given Palestinians was thrown away rather than used to build a productive stable society. The same principle applies to many Arab countries, with a partial exception for high-income, low-population Gulf Arab oil-producing states. Fickle fortune doesn't favor one forever. If you don't grab an advantage it flies away. The moving finger writes and having writ moves on, as Omar Khayyam put it. And sometimes, within a very short time, the very same finger that once praised you gives you, so to speak, the finger.

Third, specific actions undermine temporary popularity. Such events as September 11, the London subway bombings, the Islamist specter, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's demagoguery turn off the Western audience.

Finally, what Arab nationalists and Islamists often cite as their strongest card that time is on their side--because of high birth rates, which also mean lower living standards, or due to Israel's impending miraculous collapse--is among their worst mistakes. You could call it the vulture strategy, wait around in hope your adversary will die. They go on fighting and suffering--postponing peace, progress, and prosperity--while Israel, despite costs, prospers and its people live much better lives.

Rather than being used as part of an integrated strategy to obtain the best possible deal, public relations' successes act as morale builders to keep fighters going in the belief that victory is inevitable. In short, the more sympathetic stories about suffering victim Palestinians, the stronger the impetus to continue policies ensuring Palestinians continue in that status.

One reason for this malady is that most Arabs and Muslims are misled by a history often characterized by the cycle famously described by the historian Ibn Khaldoun. City-centered civilizations grown rich and decadent were destroyed by warlike tribes who reveled in battle. Sheep-like peasants were preyed on by nomadic warriors who raided them like wolves, killing and pillaging.

This was before, however, developed societies built technology, organization, discipline, and identity which gave them real military superiority beyond the strong right arm of individual hero warriors who courted death in battle. Now would-be conquerors sacrifice all for a future that'll never come. A strategy based on loving death and hating life reaps the commensurate result.

Jews know well from history that it is wrong to say "sticks and stones" are physically damaging while "words will never hurt me." Experience has shown that one day, blood libel; next day, pogrom. Yet Golda Meir was in fact right: progress trumps propaganda; quality triumphs over quantity; building beats destroying; and pragmatism is superior to ideologically-based wishful thinking.

Having a nice scrapbook of press clippings doesn't equal victory. Indeed, it can spell defeat.

---

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley).