Something to think about.....

[Guest guest]

Pranam. Here is an artricle I read in Beliefnet...

 

"I Was Wrong"

I felt terrible about having demonstrated against the war without bothering to

ask what the Iraqis wanted.

By the Rev. Ken Joseph, Jr

 

March 27, AMMAN, Jordan (UPI)--I was wrong. I had opposed the war on Iraq in my

radio program, on television, and in my regular columns--and I participated in

demonstrations against it in Japan. But a visit to relatives in Baghdad

radically changed my mind.

 

I am an Assyrian Christian, born and raised in Japan, where my father had moved

after World War II to help rebuild the country. He was a Protestant minister,

and so am

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As an Assyrian, I was told the story of our people from a young age--how my

grandparents had escaped the great Assyrian Holocaust in 1917, settling finally

in Chicago.

There are some 6 million Assyrians now, about 2.5 million in Iraq and the rest

scattered across the world. Without a country and rights even in our native

land, it has been the prayer of generations that the Assyrian Nation will one

day be restored.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Iraq with supplies for our church and family.

This was my first visit ever to the land of my forefathers. The first order of

business was to attend church. During a simple meal for peace activists after

the service, an older man sounded me out carefully.

Finally he felt free to talk: "There is something you should know--we didn't

want to be here tonight. When the priest asked us to gather for a peace service,

we said we didn't want to come because we don't want peace. We want the war to

come."

"What in the world are you talking about?" I blurted.

Thus began a strange odyssey that shattered my convictions. At the same time, it

gave me hope for my people and, in fact, hope for the world.

Because of my invitation as a "religious person" and family connections, I was

spared the government snoops who ordinarily tail foreigners 24 hours a day. This

allowed me to see and hear amazing things as I stayed in the homes of several

relatives. The head of our tribe urged me not to remain with my people during

its time of trial but instead go out and tell the world about the nightmare

ordinary Iraqis are going through.

 

For the full article, here is the link.

 

http://www.beliefnet.com/frameset.asp?pageLoc=/story/123/story_12375_1.html&stor\

yID=12375&boardID=55588

 

With Love

 

Shankaree

 

 

 

 

 

 

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