Pakistan....
I am dreading Obama getting into office. He is going to attack the hell out of Pakistan.
I know it's necessary as that's one of the breeding grounds for Taliban, Lakshr-E-Toyba, Mujahideen, etc. and the majority of madrassas form there. It troubles me on so many levels. Yes that is where a lot of the roots of terrorism are but there is no use in fighting this terrorism the way we have before in Iraq. In no way do I think Obama will ever use the war tactics employed by the Bush administration but how about what we used in Vietnam with winning the hearts and minds of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
I am not naiive, I do not think that the world (especially the Middle East) is going to join hands and accept peace and live happily ever after. However there is no denying that love, knowledge, beauty, calmness, and artistry are in the blood of the people of Pakistan. The country that gave birth to the language Urdu is truly a beautiful and gentle culture that has been torn apart internally as well as always having to live in India's shadow.
It sickens me to look at any more coverage of the Mumbai attacks or any attacks but let's not forget that the people of the Middle East are living this everyday. They themselves are being attacked by their own people. Atleast when we get attacked here in the United States or India we have someone else to blame it on. How would we feel if we had terrorists living among us -they were our brothers, our fathers, our uncles, our spouses?
Back to my "hearts and minds" proposition for Obama....I truly hope this is something he takes seriously when he does decide to attack Pakistan. I am reading this amazing book which is really something straight from God himself called "Three Cups of Tea". It is the story of Greg Mortenson who I truly believe is an incarnation of God or a messenger of some sort, building schools in the most remote places of Pakistan and Afghanistan. To date he has opened up over 60 schools that promote peace, keep Pakistani and Afghani children out of madrassas which train them on nothing but the Koran, converted several Talibani to abandon terrorism and help him with the school projects and continues to spend his time opening up more. In the book they talk about he truly has won the hearts and minds of people-couldn't we have done more of that and less of bombing? How many less terrorists would there be in the world? How many less deaths? If we had an army of Greg Mortenson's that invaded Iraq-we wouldn't be here in this cyclical mess right now...I am sure of it.
And so I fear that Obama is going to attack Pakistan and reverse all this progress that Mortenson has made in these regions. It seriously scares me. Can someone please send a copy of that book to our president??
This is one of the most beautiful pictures I've seen.
For more opinions on this matter there are some great articles here:
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/media-and-press/articles/
I know it's necessary as that's one of the breeding grounds for Taliban, Lakshr-E-Toyba, Mujahideen, etc. and the majority of madrassas form there. It troubles me on so many levels. Yes that is where a lot of the roots of terrorism are but there is no use in fighting this terrorism the way we have before in Iraq. In no way do I think Obama will ever use the war tactics employed by the Bush administration but how about what we used in Vietnam with winning the hearts and minds of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
I am not naiive, I do not think that the world (especially the Middle East) is going to join hands and accept peace and live happily ever after. However there is no denying that love, knowledge, beauty, calmness, and artistry are in the blood of the people of Pakistan. The country that gave birth to the language Urdu is truly a beautiful and gentle culture that has been torn apart internally as well as always having to live in India's shadow.
It sickens me to look at any more coverage of the Mumbai attacks or any attacks but let's not forget that the people of the Middle East are living this everyday. They themselves are being attacked by their own people. Atleast when we get attacked here in the United States or India we have someone else to blame it on. How would we feel if we had terrorists living among us -they were our brothers, our fathers, our uncles, our spouses?
Back to my "hearts and minds" proposition for Obama....I truly hope this is something he takes seriously when he does decide to attack Pakistan. I am reading this amazing book which is really something straight from God himself called "Three Cups of Tea". It is the story of Greg Mortenson who I truly believe is an incarnation of God or a messenger of some sort, building schools in the most remote places of Pakistan and Afghanistan. To date he has opened up over 60 schools that promote peace, keep Pakistani and Afghani children out of madrassas which train them on nothing but the Koran, converted several Talibani to abandon terrorism and help him with the school projects and continues to spend his time opening up more. In the book they talk about he truly has won the hearts and minds of people-couldn't we have done more of that and less of bombing? How many less terrorists would there be in the world? How many less deaths? If we had an army of Greg Mortenson's that invaded Iraq-we wouldn't be here in this cyclical mess right now...I am sure of it.
And so I fear that Obama is going to attack Pakistan and reverse all this progress that Mortenson has made in these regions. It seriously scares me. Can someone please send a copy of that book to our president??
This is one of the most beautiful pictures I've seen.
For more opinions on this matter there are some great articles here:
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/media-and-press/articles/