The Middle East Conflict

THE MIDEAST CONFLICT

BY MAHNAZ SHABBIR

June 18,2002

“Religion and Politics”, my father said, “don’t talk about those subjects. It can only get you in trouble”. How those words keep on ringing in my ears. It seems that is all I have been doing since 9/11. So far, it seems that I can speak about religion, specifically Islam, and people want to hear about it. Now politics, hmmm that can be another story.

In my newly developed awareness of the Middle East conflict, I would assert that the conflict is about politics vs. religion. Although, there are many that want to use religion as the lead issue. I think that is a way to get people riled up. The topic of religion can be a potential explosive territory.

Two points I would like readers to know is that one, I do not consider myself an expert on this topic. Since the end of March, I have been on a journey to find the facts about this subject. I also do not believe there are “true” experts on this subject because of inherent bias that exists.

Secondly, an interesting development that has occurred during the last two months is the friendship that has cultivated between Sheila Sonnenschein and me. As we were writing our first article that was published in The Jewish Chronicle on May 3, 2002, we would tiptoe around the Middle East conflict subject choosing easier topics i.e., things we had in common vs. in conflict.

After the success with our first article and then hosting the film documentaries “Rameleh” and “My Journey, My Islam” for the Halfway to Hollywood Film Festival on Mother’s Day, we decided to tackle the subject we tiptoed around.

I feel the Mideast conflict is a world conflict. By not addressing this conflict, the world has suffered tremendously. The conflict has grown to an enormous size like a growing snowball each new issue adding on to the past making it larger than life.

In my research, I have found a website called Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). This organization was founded in September 1996 in the Bay Area. These following are their “essential conditions for peace”:

Both Israelis and Palestinians must be permitted to exercise self-representation collective sovereignty within political entities of their own choosing
Jerusalem must be shared, and all people should be guaranteed the right to worship freely at their respective holy sites
Israel must stop abusing Palestinian human rights, including a halt to home demolitions, arbitrary arrests, closures, and travel restrictions
Israel Must completely withdraw from the Occupied Territories and relinquish settlements, military outposts and by-pass roads
The parties must justly resolve the plight of Palestinian refugees
The parties must equitably distribute critical natural resources
All people of the Middle East should be free from violence

I can agree with each and every statement. I find this group and others like “Peace Now” speaks in a voice that I find thought provoking and challenging. The bottom line is peace.

Is this group a “left” group? It does not matter. Are they are on the right tract? I believe they are. Will the “right” group listen? I hope so. The “right” group has been in power and look at what the world can show. Another suicide bombing and another group of people killed. As an American Muslim Woman, I must state that I am against suicide bombing.

As a member of the world community, I say we need to stop the ongoing violence between the two groups of people. We as a community need to take action with those in power. Elect those who stand for peace and remove from office that wants to continue the same process. We need to shift the conversation of this world from one of punishment, revenge and hatred to one of, inventive thinking, bold leadership and a world transformed through PEACE.