quote:

---

Dear brothers & sisters,

Please read the message from a Lebanese Muslim doctor I met in
Washington, D.C. at the National Prayer Breakfast.

He was deeply impacted by the example of Jesus, and (as you see below)
deeply disturbed over how we are failing to live out that life in the
midst of the current Middle East crisis.

Please pray with me for Dr. Salim, and that Jesus would indeed lead us
to practical action, as his followers, in a region plagued by hatred
and strife.

Grace & Peace,

Xxxxxxxx


_________________ Forward Header _________
Subject: Dear friends
Author: "dr. salim"
Date: 4/10/02 9:31 AM

Dear friends,

Warm greetings from Lebanon. What a joy it was to be with you at the 50th
anniversary of the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this year. I met many
wonderful people like yourselves and learned a lot, as well. For example,
the teachings of Jesus were summarized for me as follows:

1 - Love. And that means even your enemy

2 - Peace. For all humankind.

3 - Forgiveness. Through Him, forgiveness is possible.

President George W. Bush was at the National Prayer Breakfast this year and
he said we must follow the teachings of Jesus. But it seems that he has
forgotten the message of Jesus . President Bush gave Mr. Sharon the green
light to kill innocent people as well as to commit several massacres. Mr.
Sharon is accustomed to such acts. He, after all, was indirectly
responsible for letting some Lebanese militias into the Palestinian camps of
Sabra and Chatila in 1982 which resulted in the massacre of hundreds of
innocents.

Dear friends, I feel compelled to write you during this time of crises and
upheaval in our part of the world. There is a misunderstanding concerning
the fight between the Israelis and Palestinians. Israel is a country with
powerful army with the latest and newest types of weapons, while
Palestinians are a people without a country living under occupation by a
foreign power.

Where is love in the Holy Land today? Why is no one doing anything? The
Israelis are besieging and killing people even inside the church building
where Christ was born. There should be the utmost peace in such a place,
instead there are Roman-like soldiers killing babies in their cradles.

Where are the teaching of Jesus? We are to serve one another not kill each
other. Jesus gave drink to the thirsty and food to the hungry. He didn't
deprive them of anything. Jesus gives peace to people, not fear.

Where is truth? Where is love? Innocent people are dying simply because
they are struggling for their land in order to live in peace. They have
lived under occupation and endured humiliation for 35 years. They are
human beings with the right to live; the same right the Israeli people have
to live in peace. Till now nobody answers their call for help. They are
desperate.

When the guns finally fall silent, when some sort of political resolution is
found to end the present fighting, we may forgive those who ordered the
killings. But I am sure there will be large numbers of children and adults
who lost family members in the fighting or who witnessed the massacres of
their fellow Palestinians, whose hatred will grow. Especially towards those
who killed and those who gave the green light to kill.

Dear friends, these days, such events, call for daily, not annual, National
Prayer Breakfasts to be held all over the world so that people can hear
Jesus' message of love and forgiveness.

There is no excuse for permitting anyone, private citizen or government
representative, to kill anyone, anywhere in this world.

Your friend,

Dr. Saleem
Beirut, Lebanon
April 9, 2002

---

quote:

---

There is no excuse for permitting anyone, private citizen or government
representative, to kill anyone, anywhere in this world.

---

I wish I lived on the planet where this guy lives. My planet is not constituted such that such a categorical statement can be made there. On my grossly imperfect planet, killing is frowned upon and disparage, but sometimes justifiable and even necessary.



"Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity."
--Someone I can't remember

Edited by - Mephi2K on 04/15/2002 10:47:19 AM

quote:

---

I wish I lived on the planet where this guy lives. My planet is not constituted such that such a categorical statement can be made there. On my grossly imperfect planet, killing is frowned upon and disparage, but sometimes justifiable and even necessary.

---