The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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Words vs. Missiles

Over 50 years of atrocity, war, and rape, we now have a new president who is willing to try a new way.

Since 1947 when, in absolute good intentions, the state of Israel was created alongside the state of Palestine, there has been tremendous loss of life and trust on both sides.
In many scholars’ opinions, this is due to an unjust territorial division.

During the following 60 years, bullets, missiles, and bombs have been tried to bring peace to that region.  Nonetheless, we have seen that force has not succeeded.
The new president is trying to take a new approach to this dilemma.  We all know that words, if properly spoken, could be much stronger and have much more impact than any missile.

Speaking at Cairo University, in a speech also sponsored by al-Azhar, one of the oldest centers of Islamic learning, President Obama said, “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

The President continued to note that “for decades, there has been a stalemate: two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It is easy to point fingers – for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel’s founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond.

But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: the only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.”

This is the first time that a president of the United States, who has the power and influence to make a change in this 60-year-old problem, has spoken.  This is indeed a new beginning, and God-willing an end to the useless killings, rapes, demolitions, attacks and atrocities.

After all, God has created all mankind equally and this president seems to recognize this notion clearer than anyone before him.  For that reason, it is believed that maybe this time, the effort of bringing peace to that region may be successful.

Having said that, it is my belief that unless the Palestinians and Israelis put the ugly past behind them, and give birth to a new beginning, none of this will work.

As one human, I send this message from all humans to the two sides:  Enough with killings, and enough with wars.  For the sake of our children who deserve a better world to live in, let’s attempt peace.

As for President Obama, who has been criticized over the past week from those who prefer missiles to words, this situation is not about Muslims, Jews, nor Christians.  It is neither about the president’s ethnicity nor his origin.  President Obama is simply a human who sees this conflict in the perspective of a human.

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