My father worked in the Middle East for over 15 years. He knows Arabic fluently now but twentyfive years ago, not so well. He was sitting down at a table in a coffee shop with a friend. It was 1979 and I believe the place was Saudi Arabia. Another guy comes by, he is a friend of my dad's friend.
My dad could only make out a few words in their discussion, and what he heard didn't seem to make sense. But when the man left, the guy told my father that his friend had come to say his last goodbyes. He was to be a suicide bomber the next day, his name had come up on the list and it was his turn to be a hero for the Palestinian cause. My dad said he turned white as a piece of paper. It was beyond his comprehension as to why anyone would want to blow themselves up much less kill innocent people.
My father never said a word to anyone. I questioned him on this. There are people who don't want to involve themselves into matters such as this, but he believed his life would have been at risk if he had said something. So it makes me wonder of the people, who knew beforehand of the bomb in Egypt , or the ones in London, and didn't say anything.
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
I am a born-again atheist who is pro-life (I don't eat animals) and I agree with the Dalai Lama when he says "There is no creator".
Those are certainly good words of common sense. It tells us that "spirituality" has nothing to do with a belief in things supernatural. But then, those of us who grew up in the seventies watching "Kung Fu" already knew that being a vegan, atheist who follows the path of the buddha can reach enlightenment.
All kidding aside, what does a vegetarian atheist have to say? Stick around and you'll find out! Politically I'm rather liberal, but I do like to listen to staunch conservative talk show host Michael Savage (real name 'Wiener') so I'll probably be mentioning him from time to time in my weblogs. So for now, how about some talk of broccoli, carrots and peas? Recipe's anyone??
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"As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."
- George Washington
"Maybe happiness is a fragment of existence, but with better packaging."
