[WCUSP] Fw: JPF REPORTS #48 Road to Damascus

[Linda Belle]

Thanks for this Libby...Steve Jacobs was the Rabbi who
Bar Mitzvah'd my son in LA...
best,
Linda

Libby and Mort Frank wrote:
>  
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Joyce Bressler - JPF <mailto:JPF at forusa.org>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 21, 2006 1:05 PM
> *Subject:* JPF REPORTS #48 Road to Damascus
>
> *JPF REPORTS #48*
> ** 
> **
>
> Los Angeles, CA, 11/16/2006**
>
> * *
>
> *Road to **Damascus** open through talks*
>
> BY STEVEN B. JACOBS and NAZIR KHAJA, Guest Columnists
>
> Article Last Updated:11/15/2006 06:44:11 PM PST
>
>  
>
> WE recently returned from a trip to the Middle East as part of an 
> interfaith peace delegation led by Rev. Jesse Jackson. Soon after the 
> cease-fire in Lebanon began, we undertook the peace mission to urge 
> all sides to honor the cease-fire, to facilitate the exchange of 
> prisoners, and to add our voice to the United Nations' appeal for 
> Israel to end the land and sea blockade of Lebanon.
>
> We met the top leadership of Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. The 
> meeting with Syria's President Assad highlighted the need of 
> face-to-face dialogue, even with those whom we think of as our enemies.
>
> Assad seemed very candid in his meeting with us, which lasted two 
> hours. He complained bitterly of the U.S.-imposed isolation and 
> no-talk policy. Despite the Bush administration's hostile attitude 
> toward him, he seemed to want recognition and dialogue with this 
> country. He rejected the notion that his government was sponsoring 
> terrorism, and he insisted that he wanted peace and a just settlement 
> with Israel.
>
> When we asked him about the impact on future generations growing up in 
> the area of violence and turmoil, he responded openly. He spoke of his 
> 5-year-old son, who sees scenes of violence on television and is 
> unable to comprehend it. Upon seeing an Israeli flag being burned, his 
> son, in childlike fashion, said that he would like to do the same - 
> with no understanding of what that act meant!
>
> There was obvious concern in Assad's voice that, without the active 
> pursuit of peace, the future of generations to come is in jeopardy. He 
> repeatedly condemned religious extremism and terrorism, and pointed 
> out that Christians, Muslims and Jews are all living together in Syria 
> without fighting each other. He readily responded to our request to 
> visit a synagogue, and arranged it.
>
> The United States government has for a long time pointed fingers at 
> Syria for supporting terrorism in general. Our ambassador has been 
> withdrawn, the embassy is under charg d'affaires, and there is no talk 
> between Syria and the U.S.
>
> Shortly after the meeting with Assad, we met with our chargé 
> d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus to convey what seemed to us 
> Assad's earnest appeal to engage in a purposeful dialogue with our 
> government. The charg d'affaires all but dismissed it, reiterating our 
> government's continued policy of isolating and not talking with him.
>
> Ironically, this same embassy building in Damascus was attacked two 
> weeks later by terrorists. Assad's army dispelled the attack, killed 
> the terrorists, and in so doing lost one of its own soldiers, who died 
> defending the U.S. Embassy!
>
> If our government is serious about bringing about a democratic 
> transformation in the Middle East, it must recognize that the region's 
> people have a right to choose their own leaders. Once they have 
> exercised that choice, we must constructively engage with them, even 
> if the choice is distasteful to us.
>
> We must believe that in any conflict it is a moral imperative that we 
> engage our enemies in negotiations in order to prevent war and 
> destruction.
>
> Either we talk and not fight, or we fight and don't talk.
>
> The road to Damascus is open! 
>  
>  Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs is founder of the Progressive Faith 
> Foundation, and Nazir Khaja, MD, is president of the Islamic 
> Information Service. Write to them by e-mail at 
> rabbistevenbjacobs at yahoo.com <mailto:rabbistevenbjacobs at yahoo.com> and 
> nkhajamd at earthlink.net <mailto:nkhajamd at earthlink.net>
>
> If you received this from a friend and wish to be on our JPF list, 
> e-mail: jpf at forusa.org <mailto:jpf at forusa.org>.
> You can see us on the web at: www.jewishpeacefellowship.org 
> <http://www.jewishpeacefellowship.org>.
>  
>  
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wcusp mailing list
> Wcusp at wilpf.org
> http://wilpf.org/mailman/listinfo/wcusp_wilpf.org
> To post a message to all the list members, send email to Wcusp at wilpf.org.
> To unsubscribe send a message to Wcusp-leave at wilpf.org

-- 
Linda B. Belle
Executive Director
Jane Addams Peace Association
janeaddamspeace.org
212.682.8830
 
Jane Addams Peace Association is
the Educational Fund for the Women's
International League for Peace and
Freedom