We are not your enemy
We are Palestinians, we are Arabs, we are Muslims and we are human beings but we are not your enemy, we have different culture, we have different opinions than you, but we are not against you.
Looking to this machines fully equipped by American arms passing every day beside my house and killing my people, and thinking of all the Americans I know, I say to my self these arms is not from my friends, my friends against killing and arming, I don t want to believe that these arms which kills my friends and destroyed our houses are American because you are not my enemy and I don t want to hate you. Keep your arms far from my house and far from my children, I m not your enemy, so why you send all these arms to kill, and destroy, why your tax money used to build settlements on my land &??!! I m not against you, I don t hate you, I m not your enemy, so stop make me angry and plant hate in my children hearts to you. I want to be free from hatred and violence, so keep your arms out of my door and leave me live in peace. I hate all these machines and killing tools, enough violence and hatred, let us try different ways we are small people but we love to live free, we have never been free or practice freedom, we have been under different occupations since hundreds of years ago, so let us be free for one time, let us practice our freedom like you. What can we do to persuade American people that we are human beings, very weak, small and peaceful people, we don t want war, we don t want violence but also we don t want to be under occupation, because it is the worst evil in life, you don t know it because you have never been under occupation, but trust me there is no worse than being occupied by military army who don t know mercy, and destroying houses over sleeping children, confiscating lands and using collective punishment.
After they find the world busy of the war on Iraq, Sharon declare a new war against Palestinian people, every day more than 15 Palestinian are killed, thousands became without houses in Nablus and Gaza, the tanks are invading the old city of Nablus which has very narrow roads, destroying all ancient historical houses, and the world stay silent on these crimes. I hope that the American president can see that and give some minutes for those innocent people who died or became homeless. We are not your enemy and we don t want to hate you or hurt you, so help us not to hate you, help our children to learn good things about you.
The Israeli tanks inters the old city in Nablus which is famous of its narrow roads and blows all the old houses which is considered a historical treasure, in addition to the fact that thousands of unarmed citizens live in those houses, having nothing to defend themselves with, so where is the world, where is the American president who defend democracy and human rights, or is he selling us few words and promises, he and Mr. Tony blare, and gives arms and tanks to Israel to destroy Palestinian houses and kill our children, so why is he doing that? What did we do to America? Were we ever USA enemies? Or is he inviting us to be ones? I cant understand how the USA can collect all this army to kill the Iraqi people and don t even say one word to what is Sharon doing to the Palestinian people, so where is the morals, values, and principles that the whole world is claiming to the free world that fund the occupying of Palestine, where is the world voice against this occupation and killing, and then they accuse us of being terrorists, who is the terrorist, is he the one who kills children and destroy houses, and confiscate lands under the umbrella and protection of the largest country in the world, so lets stop the war, and stop the destroying of Palestinian people houses, as we are humans and has a right to live just like you, and we like our children to live in peace and go to schools, singing songs of peace, and drawing roses, so why doesn t bosh see what is happening to the Palestinian people since more than two years, and doest hear the sound of houses being destroyed, and the bombing of our houses, and at the same time can hear all that is whispered in Iraq and watches every move all of Iraqi people are doing, is this justice, is this democracy, is this Christianity that he believes in, all churches, bishops, and priests and declared their opposing to the war, doesn t he listen&.? All the decent people in the world demonstrated against war and against violence so why doesn t he see or hears these voices.
These wars just bring destructions and more killing of thousand of innocents people, all this under the slogan of peace, does peace means killing, violence, destroying houses, discrimination, and prejudice, they are only planting hatred, and furnishing the floor for more violence and terrorism waves, if the world does not move, if the peace lovers does not move, we will all suffer, we will all become victims to this and hate each others, so if we don t stop this hatred wave between east and west, between Muslims and Christians, between Arabs and Americans, I am afraid that if we do not succeed to stop this we will be dragged into a conflict with no beginning and no end, and our children will suffer, and our children s children will live this, believe me when I say that in the last period I ve been hearing many questions from our youth who participate in our educational course in our center CCRR, why do American people hate us? Why they stand against our rights? Why they do not hear our cries? I get confused to answer because I like the American people and because I studied in the USA and I have thousands of friends there, and I don t know how to explain to them that the American people is a peace lovers, and open, multi cultural people that accepts every one. Because what they listen to in the news is a much stronger words and because the American arms are the one used to destroy their houses and is stronger than all words, so please help me to explain what you are to our people that do not hate Americans but they will if we don t succeed to stop these arms who support the occupation, we will not accept occupation and we will not stop struggling against it, we will not agree that Sharon and bosh choose our leaders, the occupation is the route of violence, and hatred, and the cause of all animosity, and peace cannot happen without stopping occupation as there is nothing worse than the violence of occupation, and being ruled by another country in a discriminating law since 1945 and wake up in the morning and see tanks in the way of our children going to school, or to stop in a check point and being treated brutally and being humiliated and insulted because you are considered less than them, this is the worst forms of violence, and it is contradicted to all the forms of democracy and human values that are being said and not worked by.
Yours in peace & reconciliation,
Noah Salameh
Director
The Center for Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation - CCRR
Bethlehem
Palestine
Tel. +972-2-2767745
Fax. +972-2-2745475
E-mail: salamehn@hotmail.com
put on the internet by M. Reichl 05.03.03