Peace Point of View

My daughter is in the third grade. When I compared between the English curriculum and the Arabic one, I was shocked. There is a great difference. She now knows all things about short story components. I studied the Arabic curriculum. In the general examination of high school many students were memorizing composition passages to write them in the exam. This story about English curriculum repeats itself with the social studies curriculum. It gradually upgrades the groups which we belong to from family up to the human race. The West puts social studies for children to be applied for any society to form their identity while we, as Arabs, are attributed to certain parameters. Everything begins in the school and early home learning.

There is a grievous situation in the Middle East. The basis for conflict: lust, exploitation, prejudice, greed, vengeance, and arrogance is not found anywhere in our religion. Then why are there belligerent factions in the name of it? Why do we have no peace within ourselves? Conflict with Israel is attributed to religion, flag, area on the map, people, etc. Western double standards applied for the region ask Arabs to cede those attributes, even though both are seeing the land as ancestral homeland. To reach a resolution all must reach a common conclusion.

The solution is the coexistence of all parts in the same land, irrespective of their religion with secularism applications. The barrier is to accept the other and live with him. The problem lies in employing disguised peace endeavors in spreading religious doctrine among others. Within the same religion there are more than one doctrines; some can coexist, some cannot. How can we rebuild our mind to accept others? Is this a problem of the present time or the past? I remember a line in a film, “The Karate Kid.” He said,” Your home is where you hang your hat”. The Muslim refugees in Europe know this very well now while repatriation is far away.

When weapons are close to hands peace is far away. In the Middle East the major powers of the world are adding wood to the fire, causing more and more misery. Children, and the fate of innocents are not a concern of any party. We want to reach a state of common understanding for all to understand all. This is common sense.

To bring peace we must abandon bloodshed. We must work together to reach common mutual living with each other by accepting others as they are and not trying to change them in any respect but to the better. And there should be no dispute about this better thing.