Dear
Readers,
These columns began on my area of America Online, called: Judaism
Today: Where Do I Fit? People anonymously
sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response
in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become
quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many
Jewish papers and websites. I hope you find they help you
as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood
components of the Jewish way of Life. I welcome your
comments... see the end of the column.
Gil
PS
Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward
them or use them as you see fit. Please see the friendly
copyright notice at the end. |
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Dear Gil:
Hi there How Are You
I am visit jewish web site and i get ur e-mail from there
My name is M. i am a Muslim from Jordan
I want to ask u why sharoun do this?
did he forget that we are arabs 300 milyon and israel just 5.
i dont mean that we will make a war but he must return to 1967 borders
we accept israel
u know what i am sending u cuz i think that u r a good person
dont forget that we can kick israel out but. but i belive that if this
happend it's not good for all
and i dont know what i can told u but plz reply this e-mail
and if u can fix this problem plz try cuz every one will lose
M
Dear M:
I was so happy to receive your email. In these sad and bloody
days, knowing that you, a Muslim Arab from Jordan, would visit a Jewish
website to learn more gives me a little hope about the future. We
need more speaking and listening between Jews and Muslims and Arabs!
You are so right; we all lose if this problem is not solved.
You ask why is Sharon doing this. This is a complicated question
that is difficult to quickly answer in an email. Part of the answer is
that unlike you, I don't believe Arafat accepts Israel's right to exist.
So rather than come to an agreement through words with Israel's
government, Arafat stopped talking and began to negotiate with terror
and suicide bombers. I wrote more about this subject recently.
Here is the link to that column: http://www.jewish.com/news/columnists/gil020328.shtml
The situation Sharon faces is similar to the one faced by your late and
great King Hussein. In September of 1970, he decided your country
was in danger because of Yassir Arafat's violence and terrorism.
To protect Jordan, he used your army to throw Arafat out of the country.
I think King Hussein would have preferred not to hurt anyone, but he
decided 30 years ago, like Israel today, that he had no choice because
Arafat was dangerous and could not be trusted.
Most Israelis would be happy to have a peaceful Palestinian State as a
neighbor...but their leader Arafat has not changed. Israel needs
someone to talk to like your late King or Anwar Sadat of Egypt who were
honest and believed peace is better than violence. Yassir Arafat
claims he wants peace in English but refuses to speak loudly and clearly
in Arabic to his people to tell them NO MORE VIOLENCE. Instead he
praises martyrs and Jihad.
This is extremely sad. The results are horrible for all including
the Palestinian people!
You are right...everyone will lose if we do not fix this problem.
One of the ways to fix the problem is that honest information must flow.
Also brave Muslims must speak up when they see bad things done by
Muslims (like suicide bombings or crashing airplanes into buildings in
the name of Allah).
You obviously are a person who uses the Internet. I encourage you
to continue to go to Jewish sites and many others to learn and see other
points of view. (I'll be happy to provide you with some good sites
if you wish.) Unfortunately, in the Arab world the press is not free and
the government controls much of what you can see, hear and say.
So continue to search and learn on the Internet. Truth, honesty,
listening, learning are all keys to having peace. A peace I
believe most of us truly want.
If we agree that a solution can only come from speaking and not from
bombs, then you and I and millions of others will solve this problem.
We must. Your children, my children, Palestinian and Israeli children
all deserve a world free of violence and hate where we talk to each
other and can live side by side in peace.
Salaam Aleku -- Peace unto you!
Gil
A FRIENDLY COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© Copyright Gil Mann
These columns can be found at www.beingjewish.org. Not
only do I give you permissions to copy these Jewish Email
columns...I HOPE YOU WILL and that you share them with others!
All I ask is that you never charge anyone for them and that you
also include this little copyright notice. Thank You!
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