My letter to the NYTimes RE Winds of War in Gaza by Nicholas Kristof

Rubble and bombed-out buildings, like these east of Gaza City, dot Gaza six months after the latest war. NYTimes Credit Mohammed Saber/European Pressphoto Agency

RE Winds of War in Gaza by Nicholas Kristof
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-winds-of-war-in-gaza.html?ref=opinion

Dear Editor,

Hamas opportunists and Islamic Jihad have been horrible for Palestine.  They call themselves freedom fighters, but there is no freedom and there won't ever be justice or peace with religious tyranny, militancy, hate mongering, bully tactics and violence making the very real plight of the Palestinians substantially worse at every turn.

Religion should be a personal, private choice- not a tax payer funded mandate and a recruitment tool for criminal enterprises.

Diplomacy and careful negotiations based on full respect for human rights, international law, and Golden Rule thinking to create a fully secular two state end to the Israel-Palestine conflict is the best way forward for everyone's sake.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American homemaker & poet

NOTES
" Growing up as a person of African descent in Sweden made me hungry for role models, so I read about the fight for civil rights in America with fascination. As I took photos around the world, I saw that I was not alone. Blacks and other minorities I met in Europe, South America and the Middle East looked toward leaders like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as beacons of hope." Revisiting Selma by Malin Fezehai

"So much of our turbulent history — the stain of slavery and anguish of civil war, the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow, the death of four little girls in Birmingham, and the dream of a Baptist preacher — met on this bridge," Obama told the crowd under a broiling sun. "It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills; a contest to determine the meaning of America. "

"The attacks of 9/11 and the spreading threat of Islamic extremists have further strengthened American evangelicals’ sense of kinship with Jews in Israel, whom they see as crucial partners in fighting butchers who have recently singled out Christians for slaughter." Benjamin Netanyahu, John Boehner and America’s Evangelicals by Frank Bruni

"Gaza has been compared to an open-air prison, and, in the years I’ve been coming here, that has never felt more true, partly because so many Gazans are now literally left in the open air. But people joke wryly that at least prisons have reliable electricity." Winds of War in Gaza by Nicholas Kristof

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"On Nov. 18, 2013, Ms. Badwan said, she was harassed by Hamas officers while helping with a youth arts program. They questioned why she was standing with men. They chastised her for wearing those jean overalls and made her sign a paper promising not to go outside without loosely fitting, traditional Islamic garb."

"The battle against extremism can’t be really joined, let alone won, until the key societies, especially the United States and its key Arab allies, begin to seriously fund, support and promote the moderates in the trenches. Wealthy extremists have been very generous to their allies, which has been a major factor in the growth of terrorism in the Middle East. The mainstream has been a lot less forthcoming. Countless Arab and Muslim organisations around the world are struggling to promote one aspect or another of moderate politics or religiosity, but find themselves unable to secure even the most modest funding. Until that changes, we’re likely to hear more talk about the need for new narratives, but very little movement in that direction." Hussein Ibish We must tackle extremist ideas on multiple fronts

World Press Roundup: Middle East News

Think on: Banksy's tour of a ruined Gaza

"I paint; there are no galleries to show what I paint. A woman and an artist at the same time — this is a catastrophe.” Palestinian artist Nidaa Badwan. NYTIMES: "Ms. Badwan speaks in poetry and moves, in rainbow-striped socks, like a dancer. When a truck rolled by outside blaring Hamas slogans, she made a sour face and yanked the window shut... READ MORE & share the link.

Global Citizenship... laying the foundation for a culture of peace

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The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

... Ibrahim's Estate... The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & Peace Day

Tala Haikal: Empathy Is Essential to Humanity

Hussein Ibish: Non-violent resistance is Palestine’s most powerful weapon

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KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON ...

 “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), born in Lebanon, immigrated to the United States in 1895 where he grew up to become a beloved poet and respected writer.

"There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies" Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968) American minister, humanitarian and social activist- a cherished leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, whose inspiring words continue to influence and empower diplomatic efforts to bring more justice, more security, more peace and more jobs to more people, every one and every where.

"We are brothers. It's not a question of Jews, of Christians or of Muslims. We're all in the same boat, we have to help each other to get out of this crisis." Lassana Bathily

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AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]