JCM: Arab Countries Deserve A Home

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Arab Countries Deserve A Home

Under the roadmap, Israel had undertaken to evacuate illegal "outposts" set up by settlers with government knowledge which was not formalized after March 2001. Approximately, there are 28 such outposts by the government. Current estimates are set at 53 outposts, with a total of over 100 outposts, inclusive of erected before the cut-off date.

Official peace plans contained the quartet roadmap, and the Arab League initiative for Arab-Israeli peace. Various informal initiatives to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been proposed including the most popular Geneva Accord covering Israel’s return of ballpark territories outside the current route of the security fence, cede parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians, and return of Palestinian refugees to the Palestinian state but not to Israel. The Ayalon Nusseibeh Agreement incorporates similar principles but is much less detailed. No informal accord has been approved by Israeli or Palestinian governments.

Currently, Israel news discloses, “Israel, Palestinians set mutually unacceptable peace conditions,” which is evident that they’re not still[7] in good terms. Could you imagine how long their strife has been in the making if we’ll try to check its time line beginning from 1917 war up to this time?[8]

IRAN and IRAQ

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq share a long border and an ancient cultural and religious heritage. Iraq formed part of the core of Persia in Ancient times.[9]

Accordingly, Sargon of Akkad (r. 2334–2279 BC) who was an Akkadian King and who conquered Sumer was the reason of moving the power from Southern Mesopotamia to central Mesopotamia (central Iraq). Sargon's vast empire was known to have extended from Elam to the Mediterranean sea, including Mesopotamia, parts of modern-day Iran and Syria, and possibly parts of Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula.

In the Gospel, we would find an account of Mesopotamia whose participation in Pentecost Sunday was well noted as the Scripture says,

Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together, and suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking in Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travellers from Rome both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans, and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in hour own tongues of the mighty acts of God.

Their dispute began after the July Revolution[10] in Iraq overthrew Hashemite Monarchy and resulted in the country withdrawing from the Baghdad Pact.

In 1960s, the Baath Party gained power in Iraq and took a more aggressive stance on border disputes. As a result of the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, Saddam Hussein staged an attack on Iran over border disagreement to obtain control of oil-rich areas in Iran's territory. The hostility which lasted for eight years and ended in a stalemate involved the use of chemical weapons and ethnic violence against Iraqi Shia Arabs, who were accused of colluding with Shia Iran. Iran did not support the multi-national alliance against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1991but it housed many Shia political organizations disputing Saddam's rule.

Saddam Hussein's fall or regime in 2003 brought the two countries to normalize. The two countries signed over 100 economic and cooperation agreements on January 2010. Iraq allowed Shia Muslims from Iran to make pilgrimage to holy Shia sites in Iraq since 2003.

In March 2008, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit Iraq since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made several state visits to Iran since 2006 and expressed sympathy with Iran over its nuclear energy program. Iran is today Iraq's largest trading partner.

On June 12, 2014 report of GMA news, Turkey says “the jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has taken control of swathes of Iraq, kidnapped 49 of its citizens at the Mosul consulate and took them to another part of the city,” another dismaying incident. Based on the subsequent discords endured by these countries especially the people who are the real victims but not the hierarchy of leaders, there must be a problem somewhere else.

Are the politics in these countries (just like the

Philippines which has been a corrupt nation for long years since the time I was on conception in my mother’s womb and up to this time also practice the separation of church and state, so that all that is existent is their individual minds which justify a “dangerous concept of liberty,” than a heart which purifies intention and a conscience which balances a beautiful act for the common good?

Taken from the world histories of subsistence, we could never[11] find a single account[12] that a country prospers because of violence[13] but thrives because of preserving God’s values in their heart, mind and conscience. Experts pointed to war as a culprit of disastrous economy.

Each country needs a constant communion with religiosity. But what is happening? It seems that the spiritual formation of these countries is not effective and does not root well in the hearts of men in politics, in religion and in school and at home.

Iran[14] for example is dominated by the Twelver Shia branch of Islam, which is the official state religion and composed of about 90% to 95% of the entire population. The remaining 4% to 8% of belongs to Sunni branch of Islam mainly Kurds and Iran's Balochi Sunni, while the other 2% are non-muslim religious minorities which include Bahá'ís, Mandeans, Hindus, Yezidis, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians.

Baha'is (just like Catholic Christian which is also discriminated in some parts of the word) have been systematically persecuted by Islamic Revolution in Iran as a matter of government policy.

I don’t see the point why Bahá'í Faith[15] (which is the largest religious minority) is not officially recognized and protected unlike the other minority religions which occupy a reserved seats in the Parliament (Majlis). It has been persecuted on its existence since the 19^th century with reported increased executions, denial of civil rights and liberties[16], denial of access to higher education and employment since the 1979 revolution. The statistics of irreligious in the diaspora is higher which is notably among Iranian-Americans, which is not reported by the government.

Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of spiritual Messengers[17], brought new spiritual and social in Iran whose essential message is of unity, oneness of God, of human family, and of religion. Islam has been known for its values on spiritual purity known as “great jihad” which is the quest to control base instincts such as greed, lust, and cruelty. Koran, Torah and the Bible are all filled with stories of barbaric existence which has been emulated by throughout history by some members of every faith to justify bloodshed [18]than enjoyed life through optimized productivity at home, school, community and church.

I’m a Catholic by religion, but if this type of religious entrance of Bahai would be a gateway to make a greater impact to the lives of people in Iran, in politics, in economy and justice, why not, than suppressing a religious freedom which has been creating a wall between the Muslims and the Christians, which is opposite to immeasurable “freewill” given by God/Allah. If God never create fortification of division when He says, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew) 22:37-39, who are we that we should create a stumbling block, who are we to behave callously and with reservatino?.

On the other hand, Quran also teaches the same values when it says: [19]

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (لَايُؤْمِنُأَحَدُكُمْحَتَّىيُحِبَّلِأَخِيهِأَوْقَالَلِجَارِهِمَايُحِبُّلِنَفْسِهِ) “None of you has faith until he loves for his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself.” [Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 72.

Why not give the luxury of the advent of a religious autonomy to maximize liberty for the country, just like the Philippines[20] which has religious denominations[21] which have been on a constant look out to rebuke a zigzagging politics[22]. In fact, the Philippine politics[23] nowadays is in a purification[24] stage because of constant[25] clanking noise[26] of these denominations[27] both on social network[28] and in media and even on the streets. Previously, Catholicism had been vomited out by the people especially during the Spanish colony but this has been purified gradually because of the institution of religious freedom.

If Philippines shouts for freedom whose predicament falls on corruption which is not between life and death (which could be eventually be if it continues because that would mean a collapse of economy later on), what more for Israel, Palestine, Iran and Iraq which gamble between life and death because of wars.

As I was in the process of formulating this article, I was drained not because of the effort of doing this but the long nightmare that these countries endured by both the children and adults, the amount of terror, the unquantifiable anger and bitterness they conquered, the amount of painful life’s existence they battled with, the number of sleepless night they struggled, the troubled mind to cope economic burden they wrestled, the ounce of tears they accumulated because of casualties of their loved ones, etc.. It’s just the same feelings I supposed if I were in their shoes because as human we have the same formation and placement of heart, mind and conscience.

The Gospel reminds us to be gentle not only to ourselves but to the people around us, to be significant than to be a threat to the country’s security, to defend the people in times of adversities through ingenuity but not through hostility, to uphold society's morale through country's pride of productivity but not through smashing of one’s self-esteem through war’s fatality, to synchronize the community’s goal by nourishing them with scientific ability towards economic dependability but not by feeding them with ammunitions which demeans ones stability, as the Gospel says :

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks without meaning when it says, "The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy"? But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds (James 4:1-8)

Note: This article is open for further discussion encouraging the historians of the respective countries and anyone who has significant substantial inputs to shed light on this matter, not according to politics and religious affiliation but taken from everyone’s heart, mind and conscience, which aim is to harmonize than division, to conceptualize healthy resolution than violence, to strengthen friendship and ingenuity than deprivation of a beautiful life which everybody needs for the family and for the nation as a model of beautiful leadership for the next generations.

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