Well, the Gaza conflagration seems to be, for now, subsiding, and it has, no doubt, affected Arabs all over the world, and especially in the Middle East. At first it was depressing for me, as I went out to visit Muslim friends. Al Jazera was always on and it was the only topic of discussion. But after a while I got to thinking about how it could be used for good.
Two things came to mind, neither incredibly innovative, but they led to a few good conversations that God, in his grace, just might use some day. One was to ask my friends how they, as Muslims, pray for peace. The other was to go through the Beatitudes and ask people to explain them, especially the one about blessed are the peacemakers.
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Of course, those Arabs (mainly Muslims in this case) are outraged because Israel is involved.
But when Saddam massacred 10,000s of Arabs and Muslims, mostly from the Shia and Kurdish populations, they say nothing---they show no outrage. And when the Sudanese gov't and militia commit the genocide in Darfur against Black (non-Arab) Africans---displacing 2 million people and killing 100,000s---and persecute Christians, again the Muslims say nothing and show no outrage. And the numerous suicide bombings that take place in Iraq, killing 1000s of their own Muslims by Islamist terrorists, again the Muslims say nothing and show no outrage. When the Taliban were ruling Afghanistan with an iron fist and oppressing women and girls (and even get funded by the Saudis), the Muslims say nothing and show no outrage. Or when Islamists go around the Middle East suicide bombing in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Spain, the UK, again the Muslims say nothing and show no outrage.
Is one then really expected to believe that the Muslims really care about their fellow Muslim Palestinians? Of course not. They just want to exploit the opportunity in order to score points against Israel (being their favorite pastime hatefest). If these Muslims really cared about their fellow Muslims they would have shown equal outrage against others who oppress their own people in all these other situations: Saddam Hussein, the Sudanese, the Syrians (Hama massacre and its killings in Lebanon), and Jordan (its vicious crackdown on Palestinians), al qaeda, Taliban, and against their own tyrannical rulers who oppress their people. Those Muslims are just cowards without a conscience. Their actions condemn them to the world.
Al Jazera was always on and it [Gaza] was the only topic of discussion.
Of course, that is expected because how else can they score political points? That's what it's all about for them: just be a cry-baby. They don't focus in the same way on Darfur and the discrimination and oppression that their other Muslim nations commit (even against their own people); these are nothing to cry about.
One was to ask my friends how they, as Muslims, pray for peace. The other was to go through the Beatitudes and ask people to explain them, especially the one about blessed are the peacemakers.
That is very diplomatic of you, Abu Daoud. Sadly, half the Muslims in that conflict would define 'peace' as wiping Israel off the map---and that's the influential half. As for a meaningful peace, Hamas must change and become like the PA or else their rocket attack policy will just lead to more of the same crisis recurring. I'm with you in praying for peace, but I would not pray to make peace with the devil. Jesus taught us to fend off Satan and his ways, that's what the sword of the spirit is supposed to do.
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