Editor,
George W. Bush asked all the nations in the world to stand up for peace at a meeting of the United Nations on Tuesday.
The path to peace is not being traveled when people are labeled jihadist extremists, evil or any other term that reinforces the idea that the world is divided into two types of people - the good and the evil. What directly follows such labeling is that the good - us - have an obligation to at least neutralize the evil - them - and destroy them if necessary. Those labeled evil feel a threat and a deep sense that they must prepare to defend themselves from attack.
The path to peace is not being traveled when the Pope quotes a statement that labels Muslims as dedicated to the elimination of all non-Muslims, then claims he has apologized when he said that he is sorry his remark was not received well. If I were a Muslim, I would feel that the Pope told me I was wrong for not agreeing with what he said.
When U.S. plans to attack Iran are made public on the same day the U.N. is meeting to discuss that country's pursuit of enriched uranium, this is not the path to peace.
The path to peace is only being traveled when we have the willingness to meet with those who have views that differ from our own, engage in open dialogue with them and remain in that dialogue until mutually acceptable solutions to our differences are reached.
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As far as I am able to determine, the only alternative to traveling the path to peace is to continue what has been our bent until now - dividing up into groups and fighting, very often to the death.
The choice is ours, and we make it with all of our words and actions.
Robert Gardiner
Daily Lobo reader
