I Thought You Were a Christian
April 2, 2002
Dear Mr. President,
For seven months or so we have been hearing about nothing but our war on terrorism and about our growing list of Muslim targets that you have been trying to convince us that they are the major threat to our prosperity and peace. In unprecedented tenacity, our senior law enforcement officer Mr. Ashcroft went even on public broadcasting boasting about his Christian convictions while both misrepresenting and defaming the great religion of Islam. Further, we just could not pour enough of our hard-earned money on the eye sore to world peace, so-called “Israel” that we had to reward them an extra $800 million on top of the $5 billion in US aid they have been receiving every year. Evidently, the extra money is to finance the notorious Holocaust of our times at the hands of Israeli occupation. In return Mr. President, here is Israel’s gift to you and to the faithful Christian, Mr. Ashcroft:
Israeli Army shells a Church in Bethlehem April 2-Watan Press (WP)- “Israeli tanks broke into Bethlehem killing and destroying every moving creatures or even things. “We’ll shell every moving thing on the ground,” Israeli soldiers said using microphones in the reoccupied city. Meanwhile Israeli tanks shelled a Church in central Bethlehem killing the Priest and critically injured seven Nuns. Eyewitnesses said columns of smoke and fire were seen over the Church, while Israeli soldiers restricted ambulances.”
Granted, Mr. President, all religious places are equally sacred. Granted that human life is equally precious and that Palestinian life is no less valuable than American or Israeli life. And granted that a Muslim is no less worthy than a Jew, Christian, or any other human.
An attack on a church in the Holy Land of Palestine is no less criminal than the attack against our nation on the ill-famed September 11. But the shell that destroyed our Church has “Made in the USA” written all over its case. The bullet that took out the pure soul of our priest says a “Gift From The People of the United States” all over it. And the shrapnel that shed the blood of our sisters is painted Red, White, and Blue.
On behalf of our great nation I call upon you, Mr. President, neither to resort to your retreat in Crawford nor to rest from exercising your duty as our Chief Executive Officer until you ensure that savage Israeli crimes against humanity are immediately stopped and that all transgressing Israeli forces are withdrawn from Palestinian areas.
For God’s sake, let us for once act as Christians instead of just talking about it.
Sincerely,
Nidal Sakr
Miami, Florida
