Dear Friends,
Please, see on the following words of respect, a call for Justice, Peace and TRUTH:
I wrote this 1996
1- We, Arab people, are not your enemies. If you look at both ancient and recent history you will find that we were not the ones who persecuted you. Millions were killed in Europe, but millions are living here in our lands and within us and will live in the Middle East and with us.
We are not the ones who refused you or betrayed you. We welcomed you when you were in difficulties. The history tells you that you found in us, with us, Arab people who received, welcomed and helped you, FRIENDS, Brothers and sisters.
READ THE HISTORY: Before the promises to create or before the existence of the state of Israel, did we do anything against you? Please, ask the good Jews who lived in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. When you were suffering, UNFORTUNATELY because of the INHUMANE HOLOCAUST, Palestine and not USA, Europe or any country have received thousands and thousands of Jewish immigrants from Germany, Poland, USA, Russia, Ethopia ... The USA, Europe, Russia, South America, Australia ...refused to receive any of you even for HUMANITARIAN needs. (http://www.al-bushra.org/palestine/abdallah.html)
This is a fact.
Before the war broke between Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) and Jews, you were living in a very peace in Haifa, Jafa, Lod, Ramleh, Jerusalem, Nazareth....This is also a fact that the Jewish historians mention with great honor. Arab Muslims welcomed you always, they did not fight with you for at least the last 1000 years.
Arab Christians have never persecuted you or fought against you until recent years as part of the Palestinian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian or Jordanian peoples. Arab Christians are Arabs and it its their right to fight so as to defend their Arab Countries. We fought against the French, the British, the Italians...We fought with our Arab Muslim blood brothers and sisters to defend our national rights and we will fight against any aggressor. Arab Christians have nothing to do with the Western Christianity who persecuted you. In Europe, despite that your people were those who pioneers in different fields, scientific, inventions, music, art, economic, etc., you were persecuted in different periods. Those who are defending you today in Europe, or in USA (European descendants) they do it because they are feeling the guilt and not because they do love you.
2- We became your enemies, as Arabs, when you took our land, when you put us outside. When you claimed that our lands, culture, history, food belongs to you. When you said that we are primitive people, and when you said that our lands is "nomans land or an empty land, "Terra nullius". When you said that you have the right to take our lands and build settlements everywhere anywhere. When you know that we belong to that land for thousands and thousands of years as people whose origin comes from the Cananites, Jebusites and Philistins. When hundreds of thousands of our Palestinian people were evacuated, exiled, pushed , discriminated or escaped when you came to possess our lands. When you created the Palestinian REFUGEE PROBLEM. When we tried, or our/ or your friends friends tried, to speak about the Arab and Palestinian rights to live a dignified and human life in their lands that you depossed them from in contravention of international law and placed it under Israeli control by annexation, often coercive or of questionable legality.
Palestinians has the Right to Resist OCCUPATION. Israel is an occupation, it is said by the UN resolutions and International Law. And International Law gives any nation under Occupation to resist Occupation by all means.
I call for anonviolent resistance. All people under occupation resisted OCCUPATION and their resistance was loudable by the whole world. Resistance is not terrorism.
3- We Arab people, Semitic and sons of Abraham as much as you are, we are asking ourselves what did we do to you, on the recent history or on the past to be so despised by you, or what we did not do to you to be treated and deserve that you destroy our image all over the world, that deprive the future of our children and your children, our families and your families and our nations and your nation of comprehensive justice and peace.
4- Do you remember the Story of Samson in the Bible? His enemies tried by all means to kill in him everything. But they could not kill his SOUL, his SPIRIT, his WILL to return back, TO WIN, he even killed himself, but it was disastrous for others. Do you remember the history of the brave place called Masada in Israel? The Jews preferred the death to surrender to the Romans, and by their BRAVE death they inspired their people for the future. They WON the war, and by that brave death, they multiplied. You use this place, till now, as a symbol of your wonderful heroes. In what way Masada was a victory? How Masada won? Because the Roman Empire with all its big army could not kill the SOUL of the Jews, their SPIRIT and their WILL to stay and come back one day.
Do you remember the Camps of Concentration of the Nazis? By the UNJUST and unjustified suffering and death of innocent people, the Jews eventually became stronger and unified. No Nazi could kill the Spirit, the SOUL and the WILL of the Jews. The Jews WON the battle and history. Till now the history speaks about HOLOCAUST and will speak and sympathize with you. The world will say with you: NEVER AGAIN. Do you know in what way the People in Auschwitz and other camps WON in the end? Because the suffering and the death did not and cannot and will never be able to kill the SOUL, the SPIRIT of people who were determined to live and survive.
Do you understand the GREAT LESSON of all these things, your history, for the present -- for the determination of the Palestinian people under oppression? That people will multiply and come back one day.
Your history is an example for all nations WORLDWIDE.
Isn't it also the history of the wonderful American Black people in USA, with Martin Luther king? Isn't it the history of the Apartheid in South Africa with Mandella and many other people who fought for their rights, dignity and identity and build their national countries or entities.
This history will be repeated for the Arabs: Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, Egyptians and especially for Palestinians, they shall overcome one day in spite of what those who do not read the history are doing to kill their soul, spirit and will. What do you think, Dear friends, Israelis, Jews and their friends?
What do you think that Israel will eventually accomplish by confiscating the Palestinian lands and Arab lands, in building Jewish Settlements in the Arab quarters of Jerusalem, in demolition Palestinian houses and killing their activits, by controlling the Media and in telling the whole world that you are right and the Arabs are bad people, that every Palestinian is a terrorist? Since the beginning of the Jewish immigration, the Jewish authorities were saying that Palestinians do not exist, Palestine have never existed, there were no Palestinian identity. Then in Oslo, Madrid and Washington, after more than fifty years, Palestinians were recognized partners of PEACE, people with full rights, a proud nation. They do exist, they do have a SOUL, a SPIRIT and a WILL to exist, and you will be unable to kill it. Do you think that having the USA at your side now that you will have it for ever with you and it is sufficient for you to prevail?
Do you think really that by weapon and armies you can always control the weak people?
Do you think that in killing and jailing for years without a proper trial, and exiling Palestinians you can kill their soul and their will and destroy for ever their spirit and future as a people?
With great respect and love, listen to me Friends:
This people will multiply, as happened to you throughout the history; the history will speak about Palestinians and Arabs and will sympathize with (PALOCAUST) the Palestinian suffering, the war criminals will pay by the will of the International law one day or another.
Samson will return, and please, be friend to him before it is too late, he may do the same as he did thousand of years ago in your history... Already some people say that they are Samsons in offering themselves as suicide bombers. I do not agree with them, as I have never agreed with Samson. Samson killed innocent children, women and families and is regarded a GREAT BIBLICAL HERO.
We do fear with you, the weapons of mass destruction. So, please, remember your history, it could repeat itself, but this time with another people...in an other time...and we do not want this... The Palestinian people will live, will survive and will come back as you did.
The history is with those who have a will, a determinate will.
Time is not working for you and with you.
You cannot kill the will and spirit of a people, the will of a nation!
JUST REMEMBER THAT.
Nobody could kill yours Dear Jewish People and you came back, and you multiplied.
Just remember this, my friends.
Be friends to the Palestinians.
Give them their Lands and work for justice.
Treat them as human beings, you will then have peace and prosperity.
Stop killing them in different ways as you do ...
Samson will not stop growing his hair and come back to destroy himself and others with him.
We do not need any Samson, we need Abraham who was the Father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims to unite his children for a better life.
5- There is a say in Arabic: When the soul of a whole nation YEARNS for survival, NATURE cannot but respond (and it Will respond)
DEAR ISRAELIS AND FRIENDS OF ISRAEL: Help Israel to live and survive? Only peace and justice can help Israel to live and survive. Only if Israel and USA work for real justice and real peace in the Middle East region could help Israel to live and survive. In giving a blind eye on the injustices you are not helping Israel, the history tells you that, already I am sure your conscience is telling you that TRUTH.
The USA is working instead for violence and war, they are not helping Israel, they cannot be GOOD FRIENDS to Israel as well.
The veto will not help. On the contrary it is feeding with violence the SOUL, the SPIRIT and the WILL of those people who want to survive. In working against JUSTICE in the Middle East you are nourishing the souls and spirits of people with anger and violence.
You are creating thousands and thousand of SAMSONS, you are creating a new MASADA.
The best way is to help Israel to make Justice. The US money for weapons will not help the future of a people who have already suffert of violence paid with money.
Read the full letter on: http://www.al-bushra.org/israel/open_ltr.htm
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Dear Friends;
When I first proposed the idea of a "cyber group", I hoped that it would have as its ideal the ending of violence in all parts of the world through the intervention of religious/spiritual leaders. Sadly, this is not what has happened. Instead, it has turned into a forum for one or two individuals to espouse their position (and a very one-sided position at that) on the Arab - Israeli conflict. The horrific Muslim-Hindu situation in India, the ongoing problems in Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, to name but a few, have all been ignored.
As a result, I am ending my participation in this group, and instead will focus my efforts on a local basis. There are those of you in this group that reside in the same area as I, and if you wish to continue to work together, you know how to reach me.
I am asking Labib and Roy to remove me from their e-mail list, effective immediately. If any of you choose to remain on Labib and/or Roy's e-mail list, that will be your decision.
I am truly sorry that I need to take this step, but in good conscience, I must.
In peace and love,
Larry
Very Dear Larry:
Sorry to read that you are angry and you want to end your participation in this group.
I do not understand.
Please look at the dialogue on the other side, and know that this is what I felt and I worked for sincerely.
1) I have been working for years on the issue of Justice, peace and Truth in the Conflict between Israel-Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Lebanon. But mainly on the issues of Palestine-Israel. You can find this on my website since November 1994
2) When you came with your DEAR idea. I supported you and you invited me to work with. I responded that I am honored to do that.
3) I was thinking that you will use me in helping on the issue of Palestine-Israel. As I am not expert on any other issue that you mentioned above: The horrific Muslim-Hindu situation in India, the ongoing problems in Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka ...
4) I supported the idea that the RELIGIOUS LEADERS should do more, that we should work more to urge them and I presented some ideas. I spoke about my work on my website about this same idea
5) I thought that it will be great to have different people experts on different issue but working for the same IDEA: URGING THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS to work better.
6) The situation in Palestine-Israel is the most on the head lines these days, this why our work was speaking about this hot issue. It was not my intention to make it a forum: (You said: Sadly, this is not what has happened. Instead, it has turned into a forum for one or two individuals to espouse their position (and a very one-sided position at that) on the Arab - Israeli conflict). I have many lists and I sent to you some of what I was sending to other lists with the intention to stand with THE IDEA that we need to work immediately for a Plan, a Statement, a vision how we should work with the Religious Leaders. I did not have any other INTENTION, I can assure you of that.
7) You wanted to say it your way. I did not understand why you wanted it this way.
8) We can ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER, you need different people with different expertise on different issues. We agree on the important idea to SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE FROM THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS an important BODY for justice and peace in the world. This is a very important thing.
Hope that I explained my position.
With love and respect,
Labib Kobti
San Francisco
www.Al-Bushra.org
Al-Bushra
Labib,
I was wondering whether to respond to Larry's last post. Then I deleted him from my mailing list, as he asked. Then I read your response and realized that you have spoken for both of us.
I spent years mouthing words of "reconcilliation", ineffectually, trying to be a friend to both sides in the Palestianian-Israeli conflict. Then one day I realized that whether we Peacemakers stand strong or not, the opponents to peace are going to play "hardball". My conscience forced me to take sides. Jesus didn't call us Peacemakers to be weak-minded or weak-kneed. From my honest, prayerful perspective, most of the obstacles to mideast peace lie on the side of the Israelis.
All of which is just to say .... thanks.
Peace,
Roy
Connie writes:
Well, Roy, I'm going to differ with you somewhat. I think that much lies on the Israelis, but that, as in all issues, both sides have created the problem, and that the Americans, of which I am one, have aggravated the problem -- and the English as well. I understand that the Palestinians are the underdog as far as money, education, etc., go -- that they have been summarily thrown off their land. I have good friends who are Palestinian Christians and have relatives still in Bethlehem whose homes have been damaged from the bombs, who fear for their lives. Whose famiies have lived in Bethlehem for centuries. I am outraged that Palestinians in Israel are not allowed to have building permits, and that when they build homes anyway, their homes are bulldozed. Yes, the Israelis have a lot to answer to, but....
I put a lot of the present blame -- the issue is old and many are to blame -- on fundamentalism, both Jewish and Musslim. On a willingness to use violence as an answer to a problem -- a willingness that the religious leaders of both groups should be speaking out against. Violence breeds violence. It is incredibly difficult to change that -- to come against violence with peace, reconciliation, and talk. Until people get some distance from the violence, emotional response for vengence is all we'll see. Look what happened in this country after 9/11. I could not believe even Buddhist leaders coming out for revenge. Those of us who spoke out against the bombing of Afghanistan were few and far between. But time has changed that. More and more distance from the fear and anger at the original violence has allowed people more perspective. Barbara Lee won her bid as democratic candidate for the House by 85%. When she first refused to vote for money for war there were people ready to hang her. It is time for the leaders of the Palestinians to come forward to lead people in non-violent protest just as some leaders have come forth from Israel.
And of course, it is time for the united states to say no more money for Israel until the bombing stops. It is time for us to spend money equally on education, health etc, for the Palestinians as well as the Israelis. It's time for us to stop selling or giving armaments to anyone.
And Larry, don't leave the conversation. Talk is where the answer lies, in the long run. If we can't talk to each other, how can we expect people who are in fear of their lives from a present enemy to talk to each other?
Joy! (For me Joy is the moment of contact with my God, with all of you, and is there even in the worst of times, if I can only remember to reach for it.)
[email protected]
I agree with Dear Connie.
Dear Larry: Do not leave, please.
Talk is where ANSWER lies, in the long run, as she wonderfully said.
We are not working but side by side, differently perhaps, but side by side because all of us we want to find a way how to talk to the Religious Leaders, starting by ourselves as religious leaders. Soon we will work hand in hand and not side by side.
We need to learn from each other and we are trying to do that.
Like all of you, I know Rev. Roy through the email, I never have met him. I found him full of energy in trying all his best to build justice, peace and TRUTH.
He proposed on another list the [email protected] the proposal of the CMEP (Christians of Middle East Peace) that was adopted by many Religious Leaders for the sake of Justice and peace.
We thought that we can continue this work with a new list that Dear Larry wanted to start and I, like others, were honored to share.
Perhaps people like me have been so hurt by the US Administration blaming always one side, the Palestinians, and letting Sharon use all the American weapons to kill the Palestinians and he is still doing it.
And as Dear Connie have said: (Violence breeds violence. It is incredibly difficult to change that -- to come against violence with peace, reconciliation, and talk. Until people get some distance from the violence, emotional response for vengence is all we'll see.) I hope that Palestinians and Israelis will stop violence.
But we need to see it also from this angle: Let the USA call on Israel to leave the Occupied Territories; let the USA call Israel to implement the UN resolutions 242, 338 and 194 as they are insisting on Iraq to accept to bring back the UN Observers and respect the UN resolution ...then violence will be down .. there will be some hope in the mind of the Palestinian who feel alone and found that after 34 years of peace process they have more Israeli settlements in their land and more frustration, killings, house destruction ... and at the same time letting Sharon use the military option with no POLITICAL SOLUTION and then blaming the Palestinians alone ... we found this unfair...
AND, Perhaps people like me who felt that blaming one side and not criticizing in a REAL WAY the other side and with the same words, made us mad.
So when dear Larry came with the idea: "Do not blame" we felt again unhappy and we reacted to that.
In fact as Connie have said: Talk is where ANSWER lies.
In understanding the others feeling will help us to work hand in hand for the best.
Then I discovered that we were called to extend our work for (
The horrific Muslim-Hindu situation in India, the ongoing problems in Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka ...)
For years we were trying to work for ONE issue Palestine-Israel. I understood on the very beginning that Larry was calling us to work for the issue of Palestine-Israel... Perhaps I misunderstood, SORRY.
I do not have a problem to extend the work for other issues, if we have people who
can work on different issues, it will be great. For me I want to work one issue for the moment.
I am meeting, like others, with dear Muslim and Jewish people and try to find a way
how we can bring peace, justice and TRUTH.
I believe that the Jewish community in the USA CAN DO A LOT for peace if they try to understand that their future is TOGETHER with the Palestinians and the Arabs.
And that all what the US and Sharon are doing is ONLY (for political reasons) delaying the DAY in which the whole
world will stand with the Palestinian RIGHTS.
I found with Dear Larry proposal a way to work sooner than later for justice, and TRUTH and the RELIGIOUS LEADERS could help to work it sooner.
Sooner the circle of violence will be broken sooner we will have less frustration and less suffering from both sides.
And again the Jewish community in the US CAN SAY THIS TO THE US
ADMINISTRATION better than us, for many reasons and perhaps with us as Religious LEADERS.
And I believe with Larry and all of you that the RELIGIOUS LEADERS can have a lot to do to help to bring their people to see that they can break the violence and bring the US to recognize and respect the International LAW and the UN Resolutions.
Again I hope that listening to others point of views will help to the "answer that lies" in our efforts of hand in hand.
With Love and respect,
Labib Kobti
San Francisco