War no More
The war is over and life she's rollen on. Everyone is glad the boys are coming back home, most of them safe and sound. Most feel like there was a bit more work to do up there, and that this was just a chapter to a big mess we're gonna have to deal with later. The people behind this mess, the Iranians, have brazenly announced to the world that they want to end our existence. It's a shame. It'd be so much cooler if they'd just hang out and do their thing, and we'd hang out and do our thing, nobody dreaming of annihilating anyone.
On a happier note, no more people are dying (unnaturally, for the most part) around here. No more Sirens. In fact tonight we had an "End of War" Party with soldiers, fresh off the line, and volunteers, and beer. We sat on the porch and played Bob Marley songs of freedom. The Hills besides us stopped burning. No more background offbeat drumbeats from nearby mortat shelling. No more fireworks on the horizon. Just a quiet night with friends, and gratitude for making it to a new day.
Tomorrow we clean up the mess. Pick up the pieces, literally and figuratively. Refugees are coming home tonight by the thousands. Some with giant holes in their homes, some with giant holes in their lives. This nation is strong and quite alive. There was an incredible sense of unity and brother/sisterhood around here the last few weeks, which was probably the best side effect of the war. I hope is trickles on. It did tonight.
posted by Pesach @ 3:33 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Jer -
Not sure if you or anyone will read this post, but I'll give it a shot.
As you know I am on "the other side" of this war. Like you I have tried to do what I can to be imaginative amidst the missiles, the katushas, the hate speach all around.
This war makes me very sad for Israel, for Lebanon, for us all.
But truth is the darndest thing, and I speak the truth to you in love when I say that some of what I have read on your blog makes me sad.
Because visiting and living in Southern Lebanon I have seen the destruction here and what I have not seen is a single village in all of the South (save the rumor of one Christian village historically loyal to Israel) that has not been devastated. Whole entire cities have been reduced to rubble, worse, to dirt - dirt. Nothing left. And these places, a few are strong holds of Hezbollah, but most are houses for families, bakeries, schools, and hospitals.
The people I meet, whether they are loyal or not to Hezbollah they are not the enemy, but they have been the targets of relentless bombing campaigns by the IDF - hours upon hours of 600 pound bombs pounded half of this entire country. I felt them and shudder that we have rejected God when we made (and paid for) these weapons.
The force that Israel has used here is not one that will produce peace-loving children or even children with tolerance - it has created rage and hate and surely no end to war between Israel and all her neighbors.
This Irish, Iranian, American Muslim/Catholic/Jew is sad to read that many peace loving people believe that the people of Lebanon or even most of the people of Iran and Syria hate the Jews - governments and politicians make big speeches saying horrible things that they should not say, but we cannot believe that we are divided into camps - Jews, Israelis, Arabs, Muslims none of us are strangers, we are all brothers and sisters, no one is the enemy - not you, not me.
What Israel's military did in Lebanon is a war-crime because the people who suffered the most in this war against hezbollah - they were children and after the past few days here I can say without a doubt that Israel was wrong, wrong, wrong in how they delt with this war. Hezbollah likewise was wrong, wrong, wrong to kill, to use katushas, to offer nothing but war agaisnt Israel.
But what I know this war is not about is religion, Hezbollah does not hate Jews, Lebanese Muslims and Christians do not hate Jews - this war is not the same as WWII, it is about land and resources. That is the sad truth, and the responsibility of us all is not how to figure out ways to defend those we are in allegiance to, but how we might stop this ridculous notion that any of us are safer when we use "force". "War no more" can only happen when we tell the truth about this war and live creatively to use our hands, brains and hearts for peace.
Your sister (truly, deeply, through and through),
Farah Marie Mokhtareizadeh
(the Iranian, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Irish American peace pilgrim)
Hey Love,
Two quick prefaces;
1) I hate Political squabbling, I'd rather play guitar.
2) I Hate war and my yearning for peace has never been stronger in my life.
But in the name of Truth finding, I'll share my perspective.
I was sitting on a porch, playing guitar, and some people started throwing explosive missiles at me.
The people who threw the missiles at me got the missiles and learned how to throw them at me from a place called Iran, who has a very popularly elected by the people for the people president, who openly proclaims;
"Israel must be wiped off the map,"
"There is no doubt that the new wave (of attacks) in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot (Israel) from the face of the Islamic world."
"Holocaust was a myth"
(I was surprised when I skimmed over your blog to see a speech of his. He doesn't seem like a peace-maker)
So what should Israel have done? Let these people, who dream(in Nazi dream fashion) of our destruction, destroy me and this country? Is that peace? At what point do we start defending ourselves? How many Jews have to die before we're allowed to defend our right to exist? In WWII no one stood up for us until 6 million of my ancestors were reduced to human ash.
Conversely, the Israelis aren't trying to kill civilians, that's why they pirated radio stations and dropped tens of thousands of flyers in southern Lebanon warning civilians to leave town. And that's why the Govt sent in ground troops instead of more bigger bombings, to distinguish civilian from war-maker (Guerilla). No one here dances in the streets and passes out candy when news of Lebanese civilian deaths come through the radio. Hizbolah aims at hospitals. On the Sabbath, they would aim at the old city where the Jews where gathered. I know this for a fact as I was there hiding in a shelter.
The people shooting missiles at me were shooting them from civilian houses and even from mosques. That's why they were targeted.
You say this was a war over land, but Israel already gave Lebanon the land she wanted? Gaza was given and still missiles fall every day. The main agenda and platform of this current Israeli government was to hand over land... So why would an army attack a nation in the middle of handing over huge tracts of land? Whats the truth? I personally believe the publicly elected president of Iran (and check signer of the missiles that were thrown at me) who brazenly proclaims he wants the total destruction of Israel.
If Israel put down her weapons, she would instantly be destroyed. If Israel's enemies put down their weapons, there would be peace. No invasions, no anihalations.
These are the truths I have found. I hope there is something big that I missed, and that there was some other way to stop these people from trying to kill us/me here.
I love you and wish both of us peace and clarity and a day where we can sit on the stoop in West Pilladelphia and play some music without a nag in the back of our minds of our fellow humans plight on the other side of the globe.
Love
Jer (Fellow human planet walker)
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